Tools – Wire stripper – Bench tools
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-20
2003-05-13
Meislin, D. S. (Department: 3723)
Tools
Wire stripper
Bench tools
C081S009420
Reexamination Certificate
active
06561061
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for mechanically stripping electrical and fiber-optic single- or multi-line conductors or wires and cables. The device comprises: an inlet opening for the conductor or for a conductor end, a clamping device having at least one clamping jaw and at least one knife for cutting through an insulation and a drive for radial incision and axial withdrawal of the knife.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Stripping devices which use one pneumatic actuation cylinder each for the clamping jaws and knife actuation have been offered. These are bulky, which presents problems, for example, when processing complicated cable trees.
An early further development likewise comprised two cylinders. One cylinder served for driving the clamping jaws and for axial driving of the knives for the stripping movement. The second drive served for closing the knives. It travels concomitantly on a stripping carriage. This development was launched on the market by a predecessor of the Applicant, under the name AM2. In this design, a carefully thought out mechanism ensured that, when the stripping force was increased, the clamping force at the clamping jaws was automatically increased. This mechanism or its principle in particular was later also copied by others.
A stripping device further improved compared with the prior art described above was designed by the Applicant as early as 1982 and produced from 1986 onward and was launched on the market under the name US 2015. US 2500 and US 2045 are further developments of US 2015 by the Applicant.
These mechanical, pneumatic stripping devices now form the accepted prior art worldwide for small light stripping devices having non-rotating knives and are therefore frequently copied.
They have a high stripping force and cycle rate and are compact and convenient. They furthermore avoid the jamming of stripping residues by means of blowing out with air and drawing back of a conductor stop.
They have a single flying pneumatic cylinder which serves both as a drive for the knives and as a drive for the clamping jaws. The stripping axis (or stripping plane) in which the stripping forces act directly (this is parallel and, depending on the design and on the arrangement of the knife holders, parallel to the (US 2015) and sometimes virtually in the cable axis (US 2500)) is positioned adjacent to and parallel to a control axis (or control plane or control mechanism) around which axis (or in which plane or in which mechanism) is arranged a control rod which carries control elements for actuating the clamping jaws and knife jaws. The drive axis for applying the stripping and control forces (this is virtually the axis of the pneumatic cylinder) lies in the control axis. The result is therefore a specific construction length, since both drive elements and control elements are arranged along this drive axis. Since the drive axis and the stripping axis are parallel but do not coincide with one another, the result—depending on the stripping forces—is tilting moments which have to be absorbed by the bearing. However, the absorption of these tilting moments is associated with loss of drive energy.
A length adjustment stop for the conductor is drawn back during stripping of the insulation so that jamming cannot occur.
Disadvantageously, however, all these known devices require a pneumatic fluid and corresponding fluid feed means for operation. For example, in the DIY area and on building sites, this gives rise to problems (compressor for pneumatic fluid).
Attempts are being made worldwide to modify the design of a US 2015 or a comparable device in such a way that it is possible to dispense with the pneumatic fluid. Electrical drives have been used.
The A1 01 of Zollern+Fröhlich uses, as a drive principle, an electric motor which drives various cam disks for clamping, cutting into and stripping the insulation: Apart from a bulky design and complicated force transmissions, the stripping cycle in this machine is too slow compared with a US 2015. U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,609 also describes an embodiment having an electric motor and cam disks.
The W-2020 from Yoshiki likewise has an electrical drive motor and various transverse drive elements, which however make the design too bulky compared with a US 2500.
A more recent design of Cosmic KK, which is described in JP-10-112913 A, corresponds in the mechanical part to the mechanical design of US 2015, the pneumatic cylinder being replaced by a laterally located electric motor with spindle drive and gear. The abovementioned disadvantage of resultant tilting moments between drive axis and stripping axis was not avoided since, here too, the drive axis coincides with the control axis. In addition, it is substantially larger than the US 2015, but the stripping cycle is substantially slower owing to poor dynamics. A laterally located electric motor drives an axially floating spindle with a ballscrew nut by means of a toothed-belt gear and a spline shaft. Provided coaxially with the spindle are two conical surfaces as control surfaces for a clamping device and for a knife drive analogously to US 2015, which are thus driven as if by a piston rod with combs.
Apart from the poor compactness and slow stripping cycle, this known design thus furthermore has the disadvantage of relatively large, complicated control surfaces which, because drive axis and control axis coincide, include the spindles in them and must be mounted thereon, which can lead to additional frictional losses during the rotation of the spindle. Since the stripping setup (knives, knife jaws, feed pipes) which is arranged around the stripping axis and is axially displaceable by the spindle generates high axial forces, the relatively large distance between the stripping axis and the axis of the spindle results in the above-mentioned relatively large tilting moments and therefore in further force losses and frictional losses. Further losses of axial shear force arise through friction in the spline shaft coupling.
The document EP-A-0352038 describes a device for stripping conductors along a stripping axis, comprising at least one each of an incision, stripping and control mechanism with at least one control element on the control mechanism. This known device is designed in such a way that the control mechanism is separated from the drive axis, and that the drive axis is parallel to the stripping axis. However, this design requires a separate drive for each axis, so that it is large and bulky and must have suitable electronics for coordinating the motors.
One of the objects of the present invention is thus to provide an improved stripping device whose construction length is shorter than a theoretical construction length in the case of structures having integrated drive axis and control axis. In a further step, this drive energy should be optimally utilized and hence above-mentioned losses very substantially avoided. Nevertheless, it should as far as possible be as compact as US 2015 or US 2500.
In a development step independent thereof per se, the pneumatic drive as known per se should be capable of being driven rotationally, in particular by means of electric energy, and the disadvantages mentioned in this context should be avoided.
The design should manage with a single drive motor, as in the case of said US machines.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, the control mechanism of the drive axis is arranged separately. In this case, surprisingly, the construction length can be reduced by eliminating integration. The separation of the drive axis and control axis also results in a reduction in the construction length since only control elements, but no couplings or the like for the drive shaft (piston rod, spindle or the like) need be provided along the control axis.
An improved further development envisages that the drive axis is parallel between the stripping axis and the control mechanism. In the context of the invention, the control mechanism optionally also comprises a brake which assists with the control and accordingl
Davis & Bujold P.L.L.C.
Meislin D. S.
Schleuniger Holding AG
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