Wire stripping tool

Details Wire stripping tool Wire stripping tool

1998-01-29

2001-02-27

Peterson, Kenneth E. (Department: 3724)

Cutlery

Means for cutting elongate, strand-encircling sheath

Longitudinally

C030S091200

Reexamination Certificate

active

06192588

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a wire stripper comprising at least two legs fastened together at one end by a pivot like the legs of a pair of tweezers. The pivot is complex and comprises at least two pins accommodated in an intermediate component. There is one tool component at at least the other end.
A device of this genus is known from DE 42 21 500 C1. It comprises two legs fastened together like the legs of a pair of tweezers by a double articulation. Wire-cutting components are positioned at the free end of the legs remote from the articulation.
This device has been proven effective. Still, in order to remove the insulation from the wire, so much force must be applied to slide the insulation off with the legs squeezed together as to render the overall procedure difficult. Furthermore, thin wires can be torn apart.
Wire-stripping pliers are known from WO 90/10 323 A1. They comprise an upper and a lower leg, each of which merge at one end into a handle. The upper leg accommodates a holder that holds one wire-cutting component. The other wire-cutting component is mounted on the lower leg. There is a drawback to these pliers. The wire-cutter holder executes a translation when the handles are squeezed together, which makes it difficult to work with a fine touch.
There is accordingly a need for an improved device of the aforesaid genus that will allow reparation of electrical wires and cables with a fine touch during installation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, the legs are first and second outer legs secured to the intermediate component by first and second pins, one of outer legs accommodating a working leg which is secured by an additional pin between the first and second pins to form a complex articulation that allows the two outer legs to be squeezed together with the working legs inside and with their working components together.
The particular advantages of the present invention derive from the squeezed-together outer legs applying all the force necessary as they move toward each other. The working leg, articulated at the complex articulation between the outer legs, is accordingly “supported” in its execution of the same motion. The complex articulation is a triple articulation. Between one of the outer legs and the working leg, the distance between the pins associated with the outer legs and the pins associated with the working leg as part of a lever. It is accordingly possible to apply the forces needed while the working leg is moving with a fine touch and with exactness.
There are two possible types of working leg. It can be either an inner leg or an inner-leg piston.
If the working leg is an inner leg, it will have at least one guidance recess and travel along a guidance recess in the first outer leg (the upper leg). The inner leg and the first outer leg will accordingly act as one leg when both legs are held like the legs in a pair of tweezers and when the two outer legs are squeezed together. If on the other hand a sliding motion is executed, both legs will act as separate components. If only the inner leg does the work, the complex articulation can be a triple articulation.
This action is exploited when the tool components function like the wire-cutting components in a wire stripper. In this event, one wire-cutting component is mounted with a gripping jaw facing it on the opposing end of the inner leg, with a third pin extending through that end, and the other wire-cutting component with another gripping jaw facing it on the opposing end of the other outer leg. The inner leg will not, as it slides along with the adjacent outer legs, slide as far in relation to the second outer leg (the lower leg) as the (upper) outer first leg does in relation to it. The actual removal of the cylinder of insulation from the wire will be carried out by the (lower) second outer leg and the inner leg.
To ensure smooth relative motion on the part of the legs, the second leg accommodates a cog, part of which has a curved leg guidance surface.
The cog can engage a leg-guidance recess in the inner leg.
The inner leg can, in accordance with its intended function, be either an insulation-removal leg or an insulation slide-off leg. In this event the legs will differ in length by a specific increment, the insulation-removal leg being longer than the insulation slide-off leg. In this event, as the insulation-removal leg slides, the separated cylinder of insulation will entirely slide off the wire. In contrast, the insulation slide-off leg will slide the separated insulation along the wire and away from the point of incision without removing it. Since the separated cylinder of insulation remains on the wire, this approach is especially appropriate for strands. The section of cylinder remaining on the wire can be used to twist the strands for later connection. This method will protect the fingers more effectively than known methods can.
It will be of advantage for at least part of one leg-guidance opposing surface on the insulation slide-off leg to be beveled. This will allow effective application of the force-times-distance relationship to the displacement of the separated cylinder of insulation.
If the working leg is an inner-leg piston, it can be secured in the second outer leg by a guidance piston. The guidance piston will effectively travel forward in a slot or similar structure inside the outer leg as the two outer legs slide relative to each other. If only the inner-leg piston is involved, the complex articulation can be a triple articulation.
If on the other hand an appropriately designed inner leg is employed along with the inner-leg piston, the complex articulation will be a quadruple articulation. A quadruple articulation can also act like a triple articulation if an outer leg is appropriately combined with an inner leg or inner-leg piston.
The inner-leg piston can accommodate at least one crimping plunger. The squeezing plunger can enter at least one crimping bushing accommodated in one wall of the second outer leg. The result is a crimping tool that can be used to crimp bushings inserted over the free ends of the stripped wire. The lever reduction ensures that both the crimping and insulation stripping can be executed both forcefully and with a fine touch.
The crimping bushings are components of a guidance rod that bridges the walls of the second outer leg. The guidance rod extends through guidance recesses in the inner-leg piston. The crimping bushings are engineered such that the guidance rod is a solid cylinder. A bore is bored in one end of the rod and then slit to allow the particular crimping plunger to force bushings inserted in the round recess against the wire.
There is a moving surface on the opposing free end, which a fourth pin extends through, of the inner-leg piston that moves against a separating knife in one wall of the second leg.
Since the moving surface can be forced forward by the inner-leg piston, it constitutes in conjunction with the separating knife a line-or-cable cutting mechanism. The inner-leg piston, secured by the fourth pin, moves forward, like the inner leg, slower than the two outer legs in all its operations. The fourth pin between the pins associated with the first and second outer legs allows a fine touch and forceful motion of the inner-leg piston.
To facilitate movement of the two outer legs with respect to each other, these legs are provided with gripping elevations and gripping depressions for the thumb on one side and for the fingers on the other.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2370733 (1945-03-01), Jones
patent: 2704000 (1955-03-01), Miller
patent: 3182532 (1965-05-01), Oehlerking
patent: 3212369 (1965-10-01), Way
patent: 3216110 (1965-11-01), Stallings
patent: 3813966 (1974-06-01), Knuth
patent: 4228707 (1980-10-01), Arlett
patent: 4240572 (1980-12-01), Mitsuhashi
patent: 5009006 (1991-04-01), Sawyer et al.
patent: 5150522 (1992-09-01), Gwo-Jiang
patent: 5163350 (1992-11-01), Groswith, III et al.
patent: 5435029 (1995-07-01), Carlson, Jr. et al.
patent: WO 94/01906 (1993-07-01), None

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Wire stripping tool does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Wire stripping tool, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Wire stripping tool will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2597920