US2468122A - Wire stripper - Google Patents

Description

April 26, 1949.

c. c. SHEPARD 2,468,122

WIRE STRIPPER Filed March 12, 1945 2-K I I 2 5- INVENTOR.

CHESTER C. SHEPARD ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 26, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April '30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) 2 Claims.

The invention describedherein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to wire strippers for removing the covering of covered wires.

In the use of electrical conductors, particularly flexible conductors such as are used in communication systems in telephony, telegraphy, signalling, etc. there is continuous need for stripping the outer covering, usually of insulation, from various lengths of the wire used.

A large number of devices have been developed for this purpose. Some are machine operated and some hand operated.

Th main objects of the present invention are to provide a hand operated stripping device of the character described which will be simple, efficient, compact, readily firmly grasped in the hand for use and capable of quantity production at moderate cost.

In order to more clearly disclose the construction, operation, and use of the invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of the present application.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings, like reference characters designate the same parts in the different views.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view, with stripping blade shown dotted;

Fig. 12 is an end view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 .is a front view of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross section showing :1

the blade in place, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I indicates a metal block of which there are two, made as complementary to each other or as cooperating members of a pair. Preferably the ends and rear edges are rounded as at 2 and the top and bottom are dished as at 3. This, when the two blocks have been assembled as a unit provides a complete smooth surfaced device readily and efficiently gripped in the hand of the user and equally for right handed or left handed use.

Th front edge, in assembled relation, of each block is bevelled from end to end rearwardly from its outer to its inner face, as at 4, so that, in assembled position, the two bevels 4 combine to form a V with its greatest depth along the center of the front edge and the inclines or bevels 4 extending outwardly therefrom.

Each block I is also provided with a shallow stripper blade groovefi, of such width as to freely receive a stripper blade 6. Since each block is provided with such a groove, th depth of each groove will be approximately equal to one half of the thickness of the blade 6. Only very slightly greater increase in depth is required and used to provide free sliding movement of blade 6 in groove 5 for adjustments. Blade 6 may be secured in various adjusted positions by a set screw '1 or any other well known and acceptable means.

Preferably, though not necessarily, each groove 5 extends completely through its respective block from front to rear, providing ready insertion of the blade for change, renewal, sharpening, etc.

Intersecting each bevel 4 is a V-notch 8. The bottom of this notch is approximately perpendicular to the plane of groove 5 of the respective block l, extending inwardly or backwardly from the front edge toward the rear of the block and so disposed as to fall in line with the longitudinal center of groove 5, when assembled. Thus, as shown in Fig. 1, th two V-notches 8, in assembled relation, are aligned and substantially continuous. Also, the bottoms of V-notches 8 form a line or channel perpendicular to grooves 5 at the longitudinal center of said grooves. Preferably, the side walls or faces of the v-notches 8 are each at inclines of approximately 45 degrees .so that the two faces, at their intersection 01' at the bottom of the V-notch, are at :90 degrees or form a right angle.

Stripper blade 6 is provided with a taper-ed or pointed stripping end having two stripping edges 9 each at approximately 45 degrees incline or angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the blade. They are disposed to intersect at, approximately, an angle of 90 degrees in a point 10. When assembled, point it, the bottoms of notches 8, the longitudinal center of blade .6 and the longitudinal centers of grooves 5 are all in the same plane which is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the inner or contacting faces of blocks I Each stripping edge 9 is equally bevelled oppositely to place the edge at the center of or midway between the faces of the blade. Blades so made, when one edge 9 becomes dull, may be turned over to substitute the other edge, as will be readily understood. Or either edge may be used indifferently, or one edge may be used by a right-handed person and the opposite edge by a left-handed person, as will be clear. Such construction, mounting and interchangeability greatly increase the versatility or range of use of the stripper as a whole.

Placing the blade near one end, in combination with the features above set forth make it possible to change the stripper over from right to left hand and vice-versa, at will. With the stripper gripped in the closed palm of the right hand, the notches 8 and blade 6 will be adjacent the right hand end of the device. By turning the device over or inverting it, the same notches and blade are, in effect, carried to the opposite end of the device and are in proper position, without other change, by a left-handed person. The device thus becomes equally usable by right and left-handed people.

In operation, when it is desired to strip a length of Wire, the wire is placed in the stripper V- notches 8 with the edge 9 contacting the wire diametrically at the point corresponding to the length to be stripped. It is rotated against the blade edge 9 to cut through the covering at that point. Then the length of wire above that point is drawn through the longitudinal V-groove with the point of the blade splitting the covering lengthwise throughout the part to be stripped. Next, the part to be stripped is drawn through the V-notches 8 in the usual stripping action, blade 6 removing or stripping the covering from the wire.

' While blocks I have been shown as welded along their adjoining edges it is to be understood that they may be otherwise connected. They may be detachably secured together as by screws, 7

bolts and nuts, clamps, dove-tail and groove, etc. Welding along edges of contacting faces is found to be most practical and is preferred. However the two blocks are or may be connected and, when :3.

securely connected, they provide a unitary structure.

As will be obvious, the angle between the edge 9 and the respective adjacent face or wall of the corresponding V-notch 8 provides the restricted passage through which the wire is drawn for stripping. While this angle will remain constant, stripper 6 may be adjusted to project edges 9 and point It) any desired degree outwardly from blocks 1 into the aligned Vs 8, thereby bringing the stripping action correspondingly forward or rearward relative to blocks 1 and the device, as a whole.

It is thought thatthe construction, operation and use of the invention will be clear from the preceding detailed description.

Changes may be made in the construction, arrangement and disposition of the various parts of the invention within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the field of the invention.

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

1. In a stripper for removing the covering from covered wire, for both right and left hand use, a body which is substantially symmetrical so that it may be gripped by either the right or left hand,

a substantially flat exterior operating surface on said body, said surface being cut by two grooves which are substantially perpendicular to each other, each of said grooves being substantially 5 V-shaped in transverse cross section, a stripping blade extending at least partly through said body and adjustably securable relative thereto, said blade being provided with a pointed end having two cutting edges angulated relative to each '10 other and in a plane substantially parallel to a first of said grooves and perpendicular to the second thereof, said end extending from said body into said grooves substantially through the apexes thereof so that the cutting edges of said blade are so positioned relative to the grooves that they may cut the covering on a Wire lengthwise when said wire is drawn axially through the first of said grooves, and may out said covering circumferentially when said wire is rotated about its axis 30 while positioned in the second of said grooves, and may strip said covering from said wire when said Wire is drawn axially through the second of said grooves.

2. In a wire stripper, a body, a substantially I fiat exterior operating suface on said body, two grooves traversing said surface substantially perpendicular to each other, each of said grooves being substantially V-shaped in transverse cross section, said body being provided with a blade channel extending at least partly therethrough and opening into said grooves substantially at the intersection of their apexes, an elongated substantially flat blade disposed at least partly in said channel and longitudinally adjustable therein, a pointed substantially V-shaped cutting edge on one end of said blade and extending into said grooves substantially at their intersection, so that the plane of said cutting edge is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of one of said grooves and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the other of said grooves.

CHESTER C. SHEPARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the .file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 50 Number Name Date 562,097 Rieckel June 16, 1896 1,062,310 Waite May 20, 1913 1,165,17 6 Hornor Dec. 21, 1915 1,692,030 Friedman Nov. 20, 1928 55 1,725,114 Van Gelderen Aug. 20, 1929 2,292,729 Woodward Aug. 11, 1942 2,410,252 'I'orrence Oct. 29, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 50 Number Country Date 69,402 Switzerland June 16, 1915

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