Brahm P Verma

US Patent:

48614645, Aug 29, 1989

Filed:

May 29, 1987

Appl. No.:

7/055705

Inventors:

Arthur Zaltzman - Ramat-Hanasi, IL
Zeev Schmilovitch - Ariel, IL
Brahm P. Verma - Griffin GA
Aharon Hoffman - Ramat-Gan, IL

Assignee:

State of Israel, Ministry of Agriculture - Jerusalem

International Classification:

B07B 408
B07B 1100
B07B 1308

US Classification:

209474

Abstract:

A gas is forced upwardly through a fluidization medium, such as sand, producing a fluidized bed which flows under the influence of gravity through an inclined trough. The separation of the side walls of the trough decreases in the direction of flow of the fluidized bed increasing the depth thereof. The apparent density of the fluidized bed is maintained substantially uniform, regardless of the increase in depth, by correspondingly increasing the pressure of the air forced through the medium in a manner corresponding to the depth thereof. A gas distribution plate beneath the fluidization medium having a higher resistance to the flow of gas than the layer of fluidization medium thereabove contributes to the maintenance of a substantially uniform apparent density in the fluidized bed despite variations in its depth. The fluidized bed will separate mixture of articles added thereto into a float fraction of articles having densities less than the density of the fluidized bed and a sink fraction of articles of correspondingly greater densities. Upper and lower layers of the fluidized bed entraining float and sink fractions of the mixture, respectively, are separated at the output end of the trough and cleaned of fluidization medium.

US Patent:

44677103, Aug 28, 1984

Filed:

Dec 14, 1981

Appl. No.:

6/330663

Inventors:

Brahm P. Verma - Griffin GA
Stanley E. Prussia - Griffin GA

Assignee:

University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc. - Athens GA

International Classification:

A23N 500

US Classification:

99571

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for cracking and removing the shells from nuts is disclosed. The nuts are held between the conical end surface of a tail stock and the end of a hollow barrel. A free moving billet, having a concave, conical end surface, is positioned within the barrel at the end opposite the nut. The billet is accelerated so as to strike the nut and shatter the shell with minimum deformation thereof.