Crank Operated Maize Sheller

As all of us are aware, maize is one of the most important constituents of our food. But do we all know, how laborious it is to shell the maize? Dehusking and shelling are important post-harvest activities in maize crop, predominantly done by women. These activities involve a lot of drudgery as these are done manually. The maize shelling with the tool makes women's lives difficult and yields very low level of output. Moreover, dehusking as a separate activity precedes shelling that brings additional burden on farmers. They may employ labourers or use machines. But in villages, there is a shortage of labourers, and their wages are also pretty high. The farmers or field owners find it difficult to afford the machines. In order to make it affordable and more convenient to shell the maize, and as a part of our academic project, we have developed a “Crank Operated Maize Sheller� using ergonomic and mechanical considerations for dehusking and shelling. It consists of feeder from where the maize is inserted. The crank is connected to the blade. When the crank is turned, the blade rotates and shells the maize. The machine is operated by 1 person and requires feeding of cobs one by one.