3.3 Coconut Spanner
A husking tool called the Coconut Spanner [20] was developed in the rural areas of Kerala, India especially from the Malabar region, where its inventor was unknown. It was commercialized during 1990’s in Kerala. It was a modified version of the smithy tongs with long handle and sharpened tongue. It is in juxtaposed or closed position and impaled on the coconut, and then separated to loosen the husk. The unit operation was repeated three or four times to finally take out the kernel. Each time, the operator had to bend for manipulating the coconut placed on the platform which could be at the ground level. Then, he has to rise and straighten up for lifting the tool and impaling it downwards against the coconut. This could be the reason for it not becoming popular.