US2742698A - Cable cutting and swaging tool - Google Patents

Description

April 1956 F. L. M GARY ETAL 2,742,598

CABLE CUTTING AND SWAGING TOOL Filed Nov. 27, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS BY WWW ATTORNEY April 24, 1956 MCGARY ETAL CABLE CUTTING AND SWAGING TOOL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 27, 1951 INVENTOR5 fiwwzls Z./%c6k7' L'MrlesZZ/Zckfg. BY J? MM M ATTORNEY April 24, 1956 E MCGARY ETAL 2,742,698

CABLE CUTTING AND SWAGING TOOL Filed Nov. 27, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS ATTORNEY V of the character described with improved means 'Francis McGary and Gharles Our invention relates toa cable cutting and swaging tool here shown as in the form commonly known as pliers, and his an object of the same to providev a tool of this character that-is designed particularly-[for use in airplane service and production lines,-though"it-is highly useful also in any other field wherein'wire or wire'ca'ble is used'or manipulated, such as electrical work','telephone and telegraph installation and'service, etc.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool of the character described, with: improved means for cutting off wires and wirecables.

Another object of the invention is to p rovide a to'ol ing a cable into position to be severed. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide pliers of improved shape, such that'they can be inserted among wires or other objects with a minimum of 'resistanc'e to such insertion. I II Another object is to provide a tool that will cut off a cable consisting {of numerous wires twisted together, without crushing the cable, and in such manner as to leave the cut ends twisted together-as a round .cable.

Referring to the drawings, which are madeafpart' of this application and in which similar parts are indicated by similar reference characters: 1

..Fig. 1 is a view of a tool of the'iinventi'on above referred to, showing one face thereofif Fig. 2; a similar view showingthe oppo'site face of thetool. y

Fig. 3, a view showing one' edge face of the; tool,

Fig. 4, a view showing the upper end of the tool, with the .jaws in open and in partially closed-positions, respectively.v I 1 Fig. 5, an end view of the tool in opehposition, with parts omitted, i

Fig. 6, a view of the inner face of one of the two lever members of the tool,

Fig. 7, a like view of the other lever member, I Fig. 8, a face view of another format the'invention,

I Fig. 9, a similar view of the opposite face of said form, V

Fig. 10, a view showing one edge face of the same,

Fig. 11, a side view; of the same with itsijaws open,

Fig. 12, a view showing the opposite face of the tool, with its jaws open, and l I s Fig. 13, a view like Fig. 11, but with the tool nearly closed. I

In the drawings, reference characters and 11- indicate respectively the two crossing lever members of the tool which are pivotally connected by a bolt 12. The lever members 10 and 11 have opposed inner facesabove and below the pivot as shown at x, x in Fig. 4 on ,member 11 and at y, y'in said figureon member 10, these faces refining the median plane or center line of the tool 2,742,693 Patented Api 24, 195 6 ice oppositely placed approximately semi-circular slots 5 and 16 that serve to swage wires to straighten them.

These slots may beof various sizes to act on wires differing in diameter. t 7 I Therbody portion or head of each member 110 and 11 of the set nearest the handle end of said members, or

that portion lying between the unlettered parallel cross' 1 lines respectively above and below the pivot of the tool f members as shown in Fig. 2, where the distance b .is the length ofsaid body-portion above the axis of members 10 and"11 while distancec is the length of the body portionbelow the axis, as shown in said figures. If a'line bedrawn horizontally across Fig. l or Figq2midway' between said parallel lines, the intersection of'said line 3 with "the vertical line is 'the center of the body portion or head of eachof members 10 and 11.

As clearly shown in the drawings, the body of the tool is ovate, the tool being tapered or stream-lined at its jaw end from the widest part of its body portion at line d--d in Fig."2"to a very small width near the extremity of the jaws,v so that it can readily be inserted among tangled wires or other obstacles. The handles may diverge somewhat beyond the slots 16"for better fitting in the usershand. The lever member 11 has 'a slot 18' that extendsinwardly and slightly upward from the outer edge of its body portion to a'point approximately as far from the center line a-Jz of the tool as is the axis of bolt 12, providing an inclining shear edge at 19 iudined-slightly upward toward the jaw end of member 11 in the drawings.

The lever member 10 has an inclined slotat 20, extending inwardly and downwardly from a point near the upper endof its body portion, or near the base of its tapered jaw 14, toward the handle end ofsaid member at line a-a in Figs. 1 and 2, which faces meet when the tool isclosed, as in Figs. 1 and 2. The faces at x and ,y are corrugated transversely of the tool to form gripping faces adjacent the outer endsof the jaws 14, as is comnearly to line d fd in Fig. 1 and past vertical center line a-a in said figure or 'very nearly to the level of bolt 12 in Fig.1, saidslot providing a shear edge at 21. The

shape of the bodyportion of members 10 and 11 and the;

relation of the slots 18 and 20 is such that when the tool .isjopenedto-the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 4

(or nearly to fully open position), the slots 18 and 20 willregister, the shear edges 19 and 21 will be parallel and separated, and the'lip'22 and adjacent jaw 14 will project laterally beyond the normal outline of the tool so as to hook over an adjacent cable that is to be cut and guide it toward the center line aa of the tool, which tool for the most effective action is pulled or drawn toward the user, but whether drawn toward or moved away from the user it is urged in a direction to move the closed ends of the shear slots toward such a cable, i. e., to the right in Fig. 4, and is then closed. As the tool approaches closed position, the parts again assume the normal streamlined position of Figs. 1 and 2. The shape of slot Zii is such that the under face of lip 22 is a continuation of the shear'edge 19 of slot 18 in the position of Fig. 4 to facilitate entry of the cable into the slots. The wall of the slot adjacent edge 19.,is beveled, and the wall of the slot adjacent edge 21 is still more strongly beveled to increase their ,cutting action.

The pivot of the lever members is displaced laterally away from the median plane of the tool as indicated by linen-a toward that edge of the tool at which the slots open out of the body portion of the same (the left hand side in. Fig. 1), said plane being determined by the faces at x, qt andjy, y, and said pivot isalso displaced longitudin'ally of the tool toward the jaw end of the same, as

' shown by the relative. lengths of lines b andc in Fig.2,

which indicate the position of said pivotrelatively to;

upper and lower ends of the body portion of each of the lever members and 11.

The efiect of the lateral displacement is to cause the adjacent jaw to swing laterally away from the normal outline of the closed tool as the tool is opened,.i. extoward the position iudicated in solid lines in Fig. 4, and cause the upper end of lever member 11 to swing into the full-line work-guiding position of ,Fig. 4 as the tool is opened and to returnto normal stream-lined position when the tool is closed. The elfect of locating the axis of the jawsnear an end of the tool is, first, to cause every point on the .cutting edges to travel in an :are about the 1ongitudinally otfset pivot of the lever members in the closing movement of the tool, thereby causing each shear edge to twist or wind the wires of arable about the axis of the .cable as it is being severed, leaving'the cut ends smooth and avoiding crushing of the cable; second, to increase the efiiciency of theltool by decreasing the length of the weight arm of each lever to a minimum by locating the shear edges close to their fulcrum (the jaw pivot of ,said levers) relatively to their power arms; and, third, to render the cutter more effective by reason of the draw cut had because of the movement of the translation of said edges acrossthe work, in addition to their circumferential movement about the work. The double draw action of .the cutting edges (i. e., the wiping action of each shear edge relatively to the other) enhances the cutting action of the jaws, so that the cutter will sever cables and the such as disclosed in the patent to Hardy et al., No.

777,412, December 13, 1904, and having cutting edges at the opposite side from the handles and approximately in line with said handles, so positioned that the shear edges lie in the same plane at opposite sides of the work and meet along their entire length as the work is severed.

The position of the shear-edged slots is such that they terminate near the pivot 12, but the slots are set toward the forward end of the tool so as to lie between the said forward end and a line drawn transversely of ,the tool through the axis at the center of the pivot. The shearedges terminate as close to the pivot as is possible while leaving the necessary space for the work to be received in the slots and thus the length of the weight arm of each lever member, is reduced to a minimum to enhance the cutting efficiency of the tool, while the location of the pivot at one side of the median plane of the too] and the location of the shear edges in oifsetrelation to the pivot lengthwise of the tool cause the shear edges at every point to move in an are about the axis of the tool .to give them a wiping ordrawaction with respect to the work and to the other shear edge, thus both increasiug the elliciency of the cutter in severing the work and also rotating or twisting the individual wires about the axis of a cable to cause the end to he smoothly rounded. It should be noted in Fig. 4 that when the jaws are in the solidline position, the work (indicated as a Wire w) can encounter the lip 22 .at .a point considerably to the right of any other part of the tool, and is then guided toward the closed end of each slot 19 and 20. Then as the tool is being closed, the slots move out of registry as shown by the dotted line position of slot 20. Now the work is trapped at the closed ends of the slotsand usually it is so trapped beyond possibility of escape before any cutting action takes place, depending somewhat on the diameter and cross-sectional shape of the work. The-cutting edges, of course, move in parallel'planes immediately adjacent to each other. 7

As will be seen in Fig.4, the jaw 14 of lever member lllextends far outward beyond the parts of levermember 11 lying immediately below it when the tool is held upright in fully-open, work-receivingposition, this being due to the relation of the slots with reference to the shape of the body portions of the lever members and to the location of the pivot connecting said body parts so that the tool can readily be hooked over a wire that is to be cut, which is a matter of great convenience to a telephone lineman, a fire fighter dealing with burning aircraft, etc. Desirably, as best shown in Figs. ll and 12, the ,tool may be hung upon .a wire located deep in the slots near their closed end, and, if a tool be so suspended and thenp artly closed, the wire will be trapped as indi- Cated a w in iEiz. 4- This trapping feature is of importance in the ordinary use of the tool since the wire or cable or the like is thus prevented from escaping out of the toolby accident as the tool is being closed, or before closing it.

It should be noted that the lip 22 extends far out from one side of the tool in its open position by reason of the location of the pivot 12 in laterally offset relation to he .medianline of the tool. which enables this part of the tool to .move far out from its normal position, and to return ,to normal position when the tool is closed.

The form :above described is the preferred form, and

the toolshown in Figs. 8-1?! is generally similar to that hownin'Figs..1 -7,'but1he shape of the teeth 30 on jaws 14, :14 differs .slightly:and the :median plane of the tool (or the medianline, of Figs. 8 and 9) is defined by the meetingline of Contact of the cutting edges 31, 32.

, As in the .form first described, the slots 33, 34 are open at the same side of the tool and have shear edges 35,,36 but :shear. edge.;35 is crossed at right angles by narrow grooves 37 dividing that ,part of the jaw into separate teeth somewhat .like ;saw teeth, for better cutting action. The ;slot 34 in this .form of the invention is located in :lever member 10' in slightly inclined position, slantingdownward :toward the handle end of the tooland terminating at such a point that its shear edge .35 llies lower Ron the tool than the pivot, the closed inner end 0f1the slot 33 lying below the bolt 12' and close to it. Theslot 3311's ,so located in its lever member 11' as to register twith;s1ot;34 'when the .toolis open (Figs. 11 and 1-2), :the :sheartedge .35 being at the opposite side of a cable-or wire ilying :in said slots, and said edges moving in a plane close to that of edge 36.

In .both of rillustrated forms of the invention, the two work-receiving slots open at the same side of the tool and .extend inward in .nonradial direction with re spect to the pivot of the tool, i. e., toward a point spaced from said pivot. Thus, .inthe form of Figs. 1-7, the slots 18 and 20 .are located in the jaw end of the respective lever members beyond'thebolt 12, or, otherwise expressed, the pivot is oltset toward the handle end with respect to the slots.

In the second form of the invention, a similar double drawaction :takes place as in the tool of Figs. 1-7, the slots 33 and 34 being located between the pivot and the handle endo'f the tool:(or .where the pivot is offset toward the .jaw :endof tthe tool). Here the slots register when in an open position of the tool, and every point on each shear edge nwipes past the opposed shear member, not moving -Wllh a mere movement of rotation or ordinary shear .action past points on the opposed shear member or past points on the work, but exhibiting also a movement of translation across the work, Le, a so-called draw cutting action, one result of which is a smooth tightlywrapped end on a cut-off cable instead or a crushed flattened end.

Thisapplication is a'continuation-in-part of our appli cations "Nos. 606,390, filed July 1, 1945; and 772,682, filed September 6, 1947 (both now abandoned).

As a matter of convenience, the jaw end of the tool is referred to herein as the upper end, while the handle end is referred to as the lower end, in correspondence with the showing in the drawings. The jaw end may also be referred to as the forward end because of the usual It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many changes may be made in the devices herein disclosed, and I that the improvements disclosed can be embodied in other 1 tools and devices, all without departing from the spirit of the invention; and, therefore, we do not limit ourselves to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A plier type tool having crossed lever members, each having a handle at one end and a head at the other, a pivot connecting said members, a shear-edged slot in each head, said slots each extending inward from the same side of the tool and having cutting edges in non-radial relation to the pivot, said slots being so located in their respective heads as to register when said lever members are in substantially the maximum open position of the tool, the forward edge of one of said slots being ,concavely curved from its inner to its outer end whereby said edge in cooperation with one of the edges of the complementary slot traps the work at the start of the closing movement of the tool.

2. A device as in claim 1, wherein said slots are oppositely inclined with reference to the length of the tool.

3. A device as in claim 1, wherein said slots are located between the forward end of the tool and said pivot.

4. A device as in claim 1, wherein one of said slots is inclined from its open end toward the handle end of its lever member and the other slot is inclined from its open end toward the head end of its lever member.

5. A device as in claim 1 with an overhang on one of said heads for guiding the work into the registering slots, which overhang returns to normal position behind the head end of the other lever member when the tool is closed. Y

6. A device as in claim 1, wherein the slots are located between the rearward end of said tool and said pivot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 529,488

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