Universal Nut Sheller

The Universal Nut Sheller (UNS; formerly called the Malian Peanut Sheller) is a simple hand-operated machine capable of 50 kilograms (110 lb) of raw, sun-dried peanuts per hour.

It requires less than $50 USD in materials to make, and is made of concrete poured into two simple fibreglass molds, some metal parts, one wrench, and any piece of rock or wood that can serve as a hammer. It accepts a wide range of nut sizes without adjustment. Operators can make necessary adjustments quickly and easily. It is estimated that one Universal Nut Sheller will serve the needs of a village of 2,000 people. The life expectancy of the machine is around 25 years.

The Full Belly Project is working to establish local, sustainable businesses that manufacture and distribute appropriate technologies such as the Universal Nut Sheller.

In 2001 Jock Brandis traveled to Mali to fix a small village's water treatment system. While there he met a woman who informed him that it would be of great service to her village if he could find an affordable peanut sheller for them. Upon returning to the United States he contacted peanut authority Dr. Tim Williams of UGA, who told Brandis of a Bulgarian peanut shelling design. Jock adapted the design with help from a friend, Wes Perry. Jock went through several iterations of a redesign and one year later he completed the machine which is now called the Universal Nut Sheller.

In 2003 Brandis teamed up with a group of returned Peace Corps volunteers from Wilmington, NC to form the Full Belly Project, dedicated to designing and distributing unique appropriate technologies in developing countries.

The user loads the desired crop in the space at the top. The user turns the handle, which rotates the rotor continuously. This movement facilitates the nuts falling down the gradually narrowing gap. The shell of each nut is broken at the point where the gap is sufficiently narrow and the rotor motion causes sufficient friction to crack open the shell. The adjustable minimum width of the gap allows a range of nut sizes to be shelled. The kernels and shell fragments fall into a basket and are later separated by winnowing. The device works best for Jatropha curcas, shea, dried coffee, and peanuts (ground nuts).

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Wikipedia