US2561099A - Insulation cutter - Google Patents

Description

July 17, 1951v J. F. coAsTELow 2,561,099

' INSULATION CUTTER Filed Jan. 15, 1947 IN VEN TOR.' A .Jam 00s eZow,

Y 1MM Patented uly 17, 1951 f INSULATION GUTTER John F Costelow, Kansas CtyQMo.

yApplication* January 15, 1947,?Serial No. 722,121

(clito-91) My invention relates to.'devices forl cutting linsulating sheaths or coverings of cableslong'ituv"-:dinally at theire'nds, so that access Imaybehad `to thefenclose'd conductors, for*the*p'urposefof 'connecting thefends thereof tofvarious electrical instruments r 'for splicing4 them tof the endsof y 'other conductors.

` My device iscapable-of=eut`ting' sheaths ofdifferent thicknesses fand diameters y"made from V"variouskinds ofnaterial, such, for'example, as abrics, lead, or rubber.

The present invention is an improvement lon the insulation cutterdisclos'ed'by my copending `fzalpplication, lSerial tNo."624`,'82`0,` "led' October "26, 1945, vnow PatentNo. '22452,734, issuedfNoVember 2, 1948. Objects of the'y instant inventionlv areto Aimprove and' reduce the number 'ofi-'parts' entering-into vthe constructionofthe device by `com- -"bining the: frame and. handle thereof'in 'al single -1 streamlined casting'and 'dispensingLI with a v-num- `lberof other parts, to enclose mo'st'of'theworking Aparts in the frame-'of the'- device" where'theywill 'fbel protected'fromdamage'due to the rough 'usage 'towhich tools fv this 'characteraresubjected to' provide a blade with a ldullf-end thatcan be forced into afsheath to'thefenclosed 'individual *conductors withoutcuttingthe respective insula- Itioncoverings of the latter, means for adjusting 'fthe blade to "accommodate cables vof different diameters, and' to provide I`a 'sat''which can'be iadjusted to support cables of"variousfsizes,one at 'a' time, whileA being actedupon'b'y'the'blade.

'fther objects will hereinafter `appear' fand `in "order vthat the invention may j Abe `ful1y`under "stood," reference will now be iliadtothexaccomfpanying drawing, in which: v I

lFigt 1`is' ajside elevation of the-devicejwith LApart of a cable vlocated therein and-partly k'slit "'near one'end by the blade.

isa brokenftop'plan view of the'device. nFig. 3 vis abroken longitridinaltsection 'on line TE3--3 of Fig. 2, Ywitirtheaddition ofpart ff'a r"cable, y

Fig-f 4 isla cross" section on' line 4 14 fir'igf'z,

""vvith'theadditionof a cable' in cross' section.`

"ing, one at atime,cables-of'differentdiameters AIn order to avoid confusion in the following '-ds'crption and vclaims asto the lposition 'and direction o'f l niovement'of'paits, it )will be! assumed '.give the device a streamline appearance.

vthat-the device vis-disposed in-a horizontal posiitionas-disclosedbyFig. 1.

In carrying loutthe invention I providea frame Zf'withan integral handlel, having `a longitudi- :nal groove 6, registering at its forward end with a bore' 8, extending longitudinally through the lower portion ofthe frame 2 and which cooperates 'with the `groove'I in guiding and supporting an insulated cable such, for example, as thefcablefA,

covered by -van insulatingl sheath B enclosing a pluralityofwire conductorsfC, with individual ycoverings'of insulation D. Thesides of the frame 2 andthe handle Ailffare preferablyV flush with each 'otherand' the front and rear edges ofthe frames taper upwardlyl as 'disclosed-by Fig. 1, to The frame-2 includes a pair of vspaced'side walls I0 r giris of the side walls I0 to opposite'sides of ya I2 which extend vdownward-'from the -upper `marrecess I4 formed in the lower portion of the 'framefand communicating with 'the bore 8.

The arms I8 are providedat theirupper The set screws 22 toclampthe louter-"surface of the arms I8 and thus firmly hold theU-member I6 :at any4 point of'its vertica'adjustme'nt. Preferably the'slots 520 have lopen-'upper ends 'as shown, to permit 'necessitating'removal*of' theset screws 22 from thefsidewalls- IIJ. The .U-member `I6 is'provided at itslower-i-nner'porftion with a VV-seat 24-"for *supporting-cables of diierent diameters, one'at va time. each ycable-placed therefrom fromv 'shifting laterally-while ta blade 26 fisibeing forced downto i"penetrate the upper thicknessof the sheath.

removal fof4 the 4U-'me'mber I6v ifdesired, Without TheVV-seat -24 is adapted to prevent Thefibladel26-is1secured to a blade" holderf 30 Aby suitable A.means "such, for instance, asf screws *'32. 4'Ihe'f-blade has two Icutting or sharp'dgs 33; tapering downward tota dull orblunt--end 38 insulation ywhile y; the V`blunt vvend 'f 38 pushes `-the inner conductors Cdown'ward and away from the "cuttin'g'edges33 The' blunt end'38 also-performs the foregoing Voperation d uring slitting f `of y'the insulation longitudinally, thereby --avoiding *the necessity of using the fingers of the worker to pull the sides of the slit portion apart to observe the condition of the insulation on the conductors C. Thus danger of cutting the nger on the sharp edges 33 is avoided and the time and labor heretofore required in frequent inspections of the conductors C during slitting of the outer insulation B is saved. A slot 34 extending through the upper wall 36 of the bore 8 permits the blade 26 to enter said bore and act on the insulation B f the cable.

The blade 26 is actuated by a hand lever 40 extending forwardly between the spaced walls l0 and mounted at its forward end upona Apivot 42 extending transversely through axially alined holes in the walls I8. The hand lever 40 is provided at its forward portion with a loop 44, Fig, 2, to receive the lower part of the blade holder 38 which is connected by a pivot 48 to opposite sides of the loop 44, Fig, 4. The blade holder 30 operatesbetweenthe spaced walls I0 and is provided at its upper portion with shoulders 48, projecting in wardly from the blade holder 38 and provided with a rotatable member 54 bearing on'top of the side walls l0 of the frame 2 and adapted when rotated in one direction to force the threaded member 52 and blade holder 3D downward, or lift them when the rotatable member 52 is turned in a reverse direction. AV coiled spring 56, surrounding the threaded member 52 and interposed between the blade holder 30 and rotatable member 54, exerts suicient pressure on the latter to p-revent accidental rotation thereof. A scale 58 on one side of the frame 2 and an index 60 on the adjacent arm I8 are provided to assist the operator in locating the lower end 38 of the blade 26 with respect to the cable resting upon the underlying seat 24, so that downward movement of the blade may be checked on penetration of the upper thickness of the sheath.

In practice, a cable such as A, may be inserted in the bore 8, through either end of the latter, Assuming that the cable is inserted through the left end of the bore, it is pushed inward past the seat 24 and the blade 26 a distance equal tothe length of the slot which it is desired to cut in the sheath B. The hand lever 48 is then pushed downward to force the dull terminal 38 of the blade 26 through the upper thickness of the sheath B and against one of the upper conductors C or between two upper conductors. Downward movement of the lever 40 is then checked by the rotatable member 54 contacting the top of the frame 2. The handle 4 is then firmly grasped with one hand and the cable A is grasped with the other hand and pulled from the left end of the bore 8, thereby completing the slit D, partly completed as shown by Fig. 3.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be understood that one improvement of the present invention resides in combining the frame 2 and the handle 4 in one streamlined member with alined groove 8 and bore 8, instead of two members which are separately produced and assembled for use. The adjustable U-member I8 with seat 24 also constitutes other improvements as they may be adjusted vertically relative to the upper wall 36 of the bore 8, to accommodate cables of different diameters and thus dispense with the use of tubular inserts of various diameters. Other improvements reside in the blade holder 38 and double cutting edged blade 26 with the dull terminal 38, to avoid cutting the insulation on the inner conductors C. A further improvement resides in the loop 44 ofthe lever 48 and pivotally f connecting the blade holder 48 thereto, thus dispensing with link connections and forked ends of the former located on the outside of the frame where they were liable to damage.

While I have illustrated and described a pre- -ferred form of my device, I reserve all rights to such changes and modifications thereof as properly fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An insulation cutter comprising a frame with a bore extending longitudinally therethrough, a blade adjustably mounted in lthe frame, a blade holder adjustably mounted` in the frame and to which the blade is secured', a lever extending into an opening in the frame and provided with a loop throughwhich the blade holder extends, and independent means pivotally connecting the lever to the frame and the blade holder whereby the latter and the blade may be adjusted relative to an insulated cable inserted in the bore.

2. An insulation cutter comprising a frame with a bore extending longitudinally therethrough, a blade `adjustably mounted in the frame, a blade holder adjustably mounted in the frame and to which the blade is secured, a lever extending into an opening in the frame and provided with a loop through which the blade holder extends, independent means pivotally connecting the lever to the frame and the blade holder whereby the latter andY the blade maya-be quickly adjusted relative to the bore, and means associated with the frame and the blade holder for micrometrically adjusting the blade holder and the blade relative to the passageway. v

3. An insulation cutter comprising a frame including two spaced side walls and a longitudinal bore, a blade in the frame, a blade holder carrying the blade and slidably mounted in confronting grooves in the side walls, a hand lever ex.- tending between thek spaced walls of the frame, a transverse member secured in the spaced walls and upon which the hand lever is operably mounted, a loop on the handlever through which the blade holder freely extends, and pivotal means connecting the blade holder to theloop for movement of the blade holder and the blade relative to the frame and to an insulated cable inserted in the bore and adapted to vbe grasped and withdrawn from the bore and thereby slit the insulation.

4. An insulation cutter comprising a frame including two spaced side walls and a longitudinal bore, a blade in the frame, a blade holder carrying the blade and slidably mounted in confronting grooves in the side walls, a hand lever extending between the spaced Walls of the frame, a transverse member secured in the spaced Walls and upon Which the hand lever is operably mounted, pivotal means connecting the blade'. holder to the hand lever whereby rapid adjustment of 5 A the blade holder and the blade relative to the bore may be had, and micrometer adjusting means whereby ne adjustment of the blade holder and the blade relative to the bore may be had, said micrometer adjusting means comprising a member threaded into the blade holder, a rotatable member mounted upon said threaded member and bearing upon the spaced walls, and an expansible spring encircling the threaded member and interposed between the blade holder and said rotatable member.

5. In an insulation cutter comprising a frame having two spaced side walls united by a bottom portion of the frame, said bottom portion having a bore extending longitudinally therethrough and a recess communicating with the bore, a U- member having a pair of spaced arms vertically slidable on the spaced side walls of the frame and its lower portion movably arranged in the recess, adjustable means for securing the U- member to the frame at any point of its vertical movement, a blade in the frame adapted to project through a slot in the lower portion of the frame and which communicates with the bore at a point above the bottom of the U-member, and means in the frame for adjusting the blade vertically relative to an insulated cable inserted in the bore and resting upon the bottom of the U-member, said cable being adapted to be grasped and withdrawn from the bore, thereby slitting the insulation on the cable.

6. In an insulation cutter comprising a frame having two spaced side walls united by a bottom portion of the frame, said side walls having grooves extending downward from their upper margins to opposite upper margins of the recess, said bottom portion havinga bore extending longitudinally therethrough and a recess communicating with the bore, a U-member slidable in the grooves and the recess and provided in its lower portion with a seat, adjustable means for securing the U-member to the frame at any point of its vertical movement, a blade in the frame adapted to project through a slot in the lower portion of the frame and which communicates with the bore at a point labove the seat in the U-member, and means inthe frame for adjusting the blade vertically relative to an insulated cable inserted in the bore and resting upon the bottom of the U-member, said cable being adapted to be grasped and Withdrawn from the bore, thereby slitting the insulation on the cable.

JOHN F. COSTELOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 111e of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,353 Demetropoulos July 1l, 1944 1,692,030 Friedman Nov. 20, 1928 2,385,368 Montgomery Sept. 25, 1945 2,452,734 Costelow Nov. 2, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 555,099 Great Britain July 29, 1943

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