GB2265763A - Reclaiming metal from wires and cables - Google Patents

Abstract

Wires or cables 606 are fed by conical shaped driving members 10, 20 and a guide 30 to a cutter 40 which severs the outer sheath or insulation of the cable. The members 10 are open structures made up by discs 104, 106 joined by strips 108. In another embodiment (Figure 3) two sets of driving members (10, 20, 10', 20') are provided for different size cables or of different design (Figures 8 to 10). Circumferentially toothed drivers (80, 90 Fig 8) may be used to cut the insulation in several places to ensure that it falls off easily. The teeth have a non uniform pitch. The members, guide and cutters are adjustable relative to one another (Figures 4, 5 & 7). <IMAGE>

Description

WIRE AND CABLE STRIPPING MACHINES The present invention relates to wire and cable stripping machines and more particularly to machines capable of stripping insulation from wires and cables in order to recover the copper or aluminium core material.

Copper or aluminium cored wires or cables are not readily treatable to recover the metal content. Cables may be armour plated and may be in several different sizes.

When the cables are stripped of their outer coating and any armouring they normally divide into separate individual wires which may be segment shaped in order to fit a plurality of such wires into a circular cable. Such wires are difficult to strip the insulation from the metal core because they are of non-circular cross section and also they can be twisted in shape by the original process of stripping the armour and outer sheathing from the cable.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved wire and cable stripping machine.

The present invention provides a wire and cable stripping machine for stripping insulation from wires or cables including two frustro-conical shaped driving members, including guiding means for guiding wire or cable to be stripped into contact with the frustro-conical shaped driving members and including insulation cutting means operative to cut insulation from the wire or cable as it passes through the frustro-conical shaped driving members guided by the guiding means.

In a first embodiment, the insulation cutting means comprises a cutting tool mounted adjacent to the guide means. The guide means may include a fish tail arrangement mounted adjacent to the cutting tool to splay the insulation and/or armouring of the cable being stripped.

In a second embodiment, each conical shaped driving member is provided with circumferential teeth which cooperate with the guide means to slice through the insulation of a cable.

In a preferred embodiment, the circumferential teeth vary in size along the axial length of each frustro-conical shaped driving member with the smaller teeth at the largest diameter of the frustro-conical shaped driving member.

In a further preferred embodiment, the guide means is mounted on an adjustable sliding member which may be locked into a position to accommodate a size of cable to be stripped.

The present invention also provides a wire and cable stripping machine which is double ended and which has two frustro-conical driving members and associated guide means on either side of a central drive arrangement.

In a further embodiment the guide, fish tail and cutting tool are all separately adjustable with respect to each other.

In a still further embodiment the guide is mounted to be slidable across the front edge of the cutting tool to allow the cutting tool to be cleared of any entangled material.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which : Figure 1 shows diagrammatically first and second conical driving members according to the present invention in side elevation, Figure 2 shows the driving members of Figure 1 in end elevation, Figure 3 shows diagrammatically a cable stripping machine according to the present invention in side elevation, Figure 4 shows diagrammatically an adjustment mechanism for the machine of Figure 3 in side elevation, Figure 5 shows the mechanism of Figure 4 in plan view, Figure 6 shows diagrammatically a guide, tool and fish tail arrangement for the machine of Figure 3, Figure 7 shows diagrammatically an alternative adjustment mechanism for the machine of Figure 3 in plan view, Figure 8 shows diagrammatically alternative first and second drive members according to the present invention in side elevation, Figure 9 shows the drive members of Figure 8 in end elevation, and Figure 10 shows a guide member suitable for the drive members of Figures 8 and 9.

With reference now to Figures 1 and 2, first and second drive members 10,20 are rotatably mounted and are driven in opposed directions as indicated by arrows 102,202.

Each drive member 10,20 is substantially identical and comprises a generally frustro-conical shape and comprises two end disc members 104,106 and 204,206. The disc members are joined by strip members 108,208 thereby creating an open slot structure. The members 10;20 are preferably made from steel or other suitable strong metal.

A cable guide 30 is mounted to by adjustable in the direction indicated by arrow 302. A cutting tool 40 is mounted adjacent to guide 30 and a fish tail further guiding member 50 is mounted adjacent to the tool 40.

A cable 60 to be stripped is fed into the two drive members 10,20, as shown, and providing the guide 30, tool member 40 and fish tail 50 are correctly adjusted in relation to the members 10,20 the cable will be stripped by the following action.

The cable 60 is pushed in the direction of arrow 602 and once engaging between the drive members 10,20 it will tend to be thrown outwardly by the forces imposed by the conical drive members in a direction indicated by arrow 604 (Figure 1). This is, however, prevented by guide 30 which forces the cable to engage with the members 10,20 in a central position. The cable is thus forcibly driven onto the cutting tool 40 which severs the outer sheath or insulation of the cable.

The cable 60, now severed, then passes to the fish arrangement 50 which further separates the sheath or insulation from the central core which may comprise a single conductor but is more likely in the case of large cables to comprise several conductors 606. Each conductor 606 will normally be surrounded by its own insulation layer and this may be removed either by re-adjusting the guide 30, cutting tool 40 and fish tail 50 on the drive members 10,20 or by using the alternative drive member arrangement as shown in Figure 8,9 and 10 to be described hereinafter.

A suitable drive and adjustment mechanism will now be described by reference to Figures 3,4 and 5. Power to drive members 10,20 is supplied via gears 110,210 which may be driven by suitable gear box, and electric motor drive means (not shown). Drive members 10,20 may be supported in a suitable frame 112 and in bearings 114,214.

In this embodiment a second cable stripping arrangement comprising members 10',20' and guide means 30' is situated on the left hand side in a "mirrored" arrangement. The arrangement 10',20',30' will also have suitable adjustment mechanisms for the guide 30 etc as described hereinafter but this is not shown for simplicity.

The members 10',20'30' could be merely identical to those of 10,20 and 30 thereby doubling the machine capacity allowing it to be fed from either side. Alternatively, the members 10,20 could be of different size to enable the machine to strip alternative size of cables or the drive members 10',20',30' could be of different design such as shown in Figures 8 to 10 to be described hereinafter.

The frames 112,112' are supported on tables 114,114' which have support legs 116,118,116',118' (not shown). On table 114 an adjustment mechanism is provided for guide 30, tool 40 and fish tail 50 as follows.

Fish tail 50 is mounted on a main frame 120 which is moveable in a direction indicated by arrow 122 by means of a handle 124 and screw mechanism 126 and is guided by suitable guide means 127. The main frame 120 is securable by means of locking bolts 128,130 which prevent movement of the frame 120 along slot 132 (Figure 5). Thus, fish tail 50 may be accurately positioned relative to drive members 10,20 by slackening bolts 128,130, rotating handle 124 in a desired direction and then retightening bolts 128,130.

To adjust tool 40 and guide 30 relative to the fish tail 50, two sub frame members 140,150 are provided (Figure 5). Thus, tool 40 can be adjusted along slot 145 by slackening bolts 142,144, sliding sub frame 140 in a direction indicated by arrow 146 and retightening bolts 142,144.

Similarly, guide 30 may be adjusted along slot 155 by slackening bolts 152,154 and sliding sub frame 150 in a direction indicated by arrow 156 and retightening bolts 152, 154.

Thus, all three members 30,40,50 are individually adjustable for size of cable, depth of insulation/armouring and separation of insulation.

Obviously other similar mechanisms for adjustment could be used.

The guide 30, tool 40 and fish tail 50 are shown in greater detail in Figure 6. The tool 40 is preferably made or tipped with tool steel and other parts are preferably of steel.

An alternative adjustment mechanism is shown in Figure 7 in which guide 30 is mounted on a moveable plate 160 which is moveable on a pivot 162 by means of handle 164 moving the plate by means of pin 166 in a direction indicated by arrow 168. This movement is controlled by stop means 170 which comprises an adjustable screw stop 172.

With reference to Figures 8 to 10, an alternative drive member arrangement is shown again comprising two frustro-conical shaped driving members 80,90. These may be driven in the directions indicated by arrows 82,92 by suitable drive means such as shown in Figure 3.

A guide 70 (see also Figure 10) is positioned between the members 80,90 and is adjustable in the direction of arrow 71 on adjustment arm 72 by means such as illustrated in Figures 3 to 5. In particular, since guide 72 comprises, as showing in Figure 10 only, a single plate (preferably steel) a relatively simple adjustment mechanism may be provided.

Guide 70 comprises in a preferred embodiment a plate which has a wide portion 75 and a tapered portion 76 which enables guide 70 to be moved close into the conical driving members.

Each conical driving member comprises a series of teeth 84,94 which are circumferential. The teeth on the smaller diameter ends 86,96 of the frustro-conical driving members are larger than those on the larger diameter ends 88,98.

The teeth 84 are shown inset to disclose their detail.

They may have a number of shapes, two suitable shapes being shown. The teeth will preferably be made from steel or other suitably hard material.

The operation of this embodiment is that the guide 70 is adjusted to send the cable 610 to be stripped. This cable 610 may comprise the segments 606 of cable 60 or may comprise the cable 60. The guide 70 is usually adjusted to strip several lengths of cable 610 by trial and error. The guide 70 forces cable 610 to be gripped by the drive members 80,90 and to be drawn therethrough. As it is drawn the teeth 84 cut through the insulation of the cable leaving the core intact. Because there are a plurality of teeth and because the teeth vary in size, increasing as the distance between the driving members increases it will be seen that all cables whether large or small will normally have their insulation cut through in at least two places and most probably four or more since they will be drawn against at least two teeth on both members 80,90.

The insulation therefore tends to fall off the core as opposed to a single cut in which the insulation tends to re-wrap around the core, requiring hand stripping to remove the insulation.

The angle 8 (Figure 8) which the driving members subtend is selectable dependent on the range of cable sizes which the machine can handle. The angle should be selected such that the pinch effect between the rollers is reasonable in relation to the size of cable and strength of the guide 70 or 30. As the angle 8 increases so the drive members 10,20 and 80,90 exert a stronger outward pressure on the cable to be stripped thus forcing guide 20 to have to withstand more pressure and also tool 40 and fish tail 50 in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2.

If angle 0 is decreased to small angle then the outward pressure exerted by drive members 10,20,80,90 on the cable is lessened but the conical members wither have to be substantially elongated or the machine is not able to cope with such a wide range of cable sizes.

Thus, the selection of angle 0 depends on the use for which the machine is designed.

Generally an angle of greater than 30C is too large creating too great on outward force in the cable and an angle of less than 10 is too small limiting the range of sizes of cable which can be stripped. A preferred range of angle is between 10 and 25C for a practical machine.

The advantage of the machine is that there is no adjustment required for conical members 10,20 or 80,90.

Thus these can be mounted in substantial bearings in a solid frame. The guides 30-,70 ensure that even if the cable to be stripped is twisted it must be fed to the members 10,20, 80,90 at a central position. The use of the cutting members 40 and 84,94 at the guide exit ensures that the cable cannot twist and escape as is often the case where a single cutting wheel is used.

In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 the open slotted structure copes well with very dirty cables allowing debris to pass completely through the conical driving members 10,20. It must be appreciated that many cables have been buried in the ground for tens of years and can be extremely corroded and dirty.

Claims (10)

1. A wire and cable stripping machine for stripping insulation from wires or cables including two frustroconical shaped driving members, including guide means for guiding wire or cable to be stripped into contact with the frustro-conical shaped driving members and including insulation cutting means operative to cut insulation from the wire or cable as it passes through the frustro-conical shaped driving members guided by the guiding means

2. A wire and cable stripping machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the insulation cutting means comprises a cutting tool mounted adjacent to the guide means.

3. A wire and cable stripping machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the guide means includes a fish tail arrangement mounted adjacent to the cutting tool to splay the insulation and/or armouring of the cable being stripped.

4. A wire and cable stripping machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which each conical shaped driving member is provided with circumferential teeth which cooperate with the guide means to slice through the insulation of a cable.

5. A wire and cable stripping machine as claimed in claim 4, in which the circumferential teeth vary in size along the axial length of each frustro-conical shaped driving member with the smaller teeth at the largest diameter of the frustro-conical shaped driving member.

6. A wire and cable stripping machine as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 5, in which the guide means is mounted on an adjustable sliding member which may be locked into a position to accommodate a size of cable to be stripped.

7. A wire and cable stripping machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the wire and cable stripping machine is double ended and which has two frustro-conical driving members and associated guide means on either side of a central drive arrangement.

8. A wire and cable stripping machine as claimed in claim 3, in which the guide, fish tail and cutting tool are all separately adjustable with respect to each other.

9. A wire and cable stripping machine as claimed in claim 2, in which the guide means is mounted to be slidable across the front edge of the cutting tool to allow the cutting tool to be cleared of any entangled material.

10. A wire and cable stripping machine substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.