Importance

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Abstract

Shelled nuts, particularly peanuts, are blanched by depositing the nuts in a stream onto the surface of a horizontal, rotating table. Relatively fixed baffles or vanes having abrasive working faces are positioned slightly above the upper surface of the rotating table and extend generally from the periphery of the table to a point offset from the center thereof, whereby nuts deposited near the outer portion of the table will be carried against the abrasive face of each vane and spin inwardly towards the center of the table as they are being blanched. The center of the table is formed with a well opening into which the blanched nuts are dropped and then fed onto a conveyor by an inclined trough for subsequent handling such as roasting, packaging or the like. The vanes may be curved or straight and may be adjustable to control the blanching action as well as the blanching time. In a modification of the invention, the baffles mounted above the rotating table may be so positioned that nuts deposited near the center of the table will travel outwardly over the edge of the table and be blanched in the process. A trough is provided beyond the periphery of the table to collect the blanched nuts and guide them onto a belt for further processing.

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First Claim