Cable splitter

A simplified cable splitter for use with flat multi-conductor ribbon cables is disclosed. The disclosed cable splitter has an opposed jaw system which confines and aligns the cable and the conductors therein. A plurality of finger-like splitting blades are moved into the longitudinal axis of the cable thereby separating selected conductors among the plurality of conductors in the ribbon cable. The result is a ribbon cable having a plurality of conductors in a separated condition available for a termination in an insulation displacement contact.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The disclosing invention resides broadly in the field of ribbon cable 
splitting and is particularly adapted for use in splitting 
telecommunications or data communication-type ribbon cable. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
There are a number of prior art devices suitable for splitting ribbon 
cable. The most common prior art devices employ opposed rollers through 
which the cable is fed. The rollers, either through calendering means or 
cutting wheels, separate the conductors within the cable. The problem with 
prior art devices is frequent conductor insulation damage or misalignment 
of the conductors within the insulation. These problems are caused by the 
failure to maintain constant cable control and conductor alignment during 
cable splitting. The need for controlled separation of the conductors is 
particularly important in today's high density, close center line mass 
termination-type insulation displacement connectors. It is, therefore, a 
purpose of the present invention to remove these prior art infirmities by 
providing a true to center splitting which results in a product having the 
proper conductor insulation as well as the proper conductor alignment 
within the insulation. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention comprises a compact apparatus for rapidly separating 
the plurality of conductors within the ribbon cable while maintaining 
conductor tolerances and insulation integrity. The apparatus has a set of 
upper and lower clamping jaws which gain control over the ribbon cable in 
the horizontal and vertical planes and assures alignment of the conductors 
within the ribbon cable. An operator simply places the ribbon cable 
between the upper and lower jaws. Upon clamping the jaws together, the 
conductors are aligned within the clamping means. The series of 
finger-like splitting blades are then moved into the longitudinal axis of 
the conductors and split the cable. The splitting is done in such a manner 
that those conductors which engage the fingers are moved out of the plane 
of the ribbon cable while the remaining conductors are maintained in the 
plane of the ribbon cable. 
It is an object of this invention to provide a simplified apparatus which 
may be operated with equal efficiency in a plant or field environment. 
It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which can be 
manually or automatically operated. 
It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which will 
separate conductors while causing a minimum of damage to both the cable 
and the insulation surrounding the individual conductors 
It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which may be 
operated without special training of the technician. 
It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which may be 
programmed by simply removing the splitting blades to allow flexibility in 
the splitting of ribbon cable.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now, in detail, to the FIGS. 1 through 9, there is shown a 
preferred embodiment according to the instant invention of an apparatus 
for splitting ribbon cable. The apparatus shown in these figures is 
powered by an air cylinder and incorporates a self-closing clamping 
device. 
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown the apparatus 10, in a mid-stroked 
condition, having a cable 2 with a plurality of conductors 4 located in 
the cable clamping and alignment portion 14. Splitting blade assembly 60 
is in a half-forward position and is powered by the said cylinder 18 which 
is attached to the splitter assembly 16. The apparatus consists generally 
of a base 12 on which is mounted a cable clamp comprised of a lower jaw 20 
and an upper jaw 30, rocker arms 54 are for closing the upper and lower 
jaws and a cutter assembly 60 is for splitting the cable. The lower jaw 20 
has mounted thereon a forward guide 28 and rear guide 29 which guide the 
upper jaw 30 in a vertical manner as it is moved into and out of a 
clamping position about the cable 2. 
The upper jaw 30 is a solid piece of metal in a preferred embodiment which 
has been slotted at 32 through the top center portion thereof. Shaft 38 is 
retained in slot 32 by a retaining plate 50 which is attached by a 
plurality of suitable fasteners 52. Shaft 38 is received in bore 53 of 
each rocker arm 54. The upper jaw 30 is moved in and out of contact with 
cable 2 by means of the rocker arms 54 which are pivotablly pinned via 
pins 56 to upstanding side plate 55. Side plates 55 are stationarily 
mounted to base 12. Rocker arms 54 are free to pivot about pins 56 and are 
caused to move jaw 30 in a vertical manner via cooperating camtrack 58 and 
shaft 62. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown an apparatus according to the 
instant invention of the splitter assembly 16 fully retracted Shaft 62 
rides in a linear track 61 located in each of the side plates 55. Camtrack 
58 and linear track 61 are parallel throughout most of their length until 
reaching the rearward portion of camtrack 58 which has an upward slanted 
elbow 59. Thus shaft 62 moves the rearward portion of rocker arm 54 down, 
causing rocker arms 54 to pivot about pins 56 and lift upper jaw 30 to 
provide clearance for cable insertion. Note that the lower jaw 20 extends 
fully rearward to a position substantially under the beginning of the 
upward slant of track 58. The purpose of this lower jaw will be more fully 
explained hereinafter. 
Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown in a section taken through the 
lines 3--3 of FIG. 1, the apparatus again in a half-forward position. The 
lower jaw 20 is comprised of a plurality of upstanding teeth 22 which 
define a plurality of blade tracks 26. The upper jaw 30 has a plurality of 
downward disposed teeth 40 which are on center line with the teeth 22 of 
lower jaw 20 and a plurality of grooves 44 defined by the teeth 40 which 
are on center line with the blade tracks 26 of lower jaw 20. The forward 
guide 28 and the rear guide 29 are clearly shown fastened to lower jaw 20. 
Thus it can be seen that the guide plates will serve to keep upper jaw 30 
moving in a vertical position without regard to the movement of rocker 
arms 54. 
Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a section through the lines 4--4 of 
FIG. 3 which clearly show the cooperation of the upper and lower jaws. 
Note that each of the teeth 22 has a V-shaped notch 24 which extends for 
the length of the teeth 22 of lower jaw 20. Teeth 40 of the upper jaw 30 
have a similiar notch 42 which cooperates with the notch 24 to surround 
the conductor 4 of the cable 2 and to cause a pinching of the insulation 
on either side of the confined conductor. It sould be noted at this point 
that the side walls 21 of lower jaw 20 define a cavity having a nominal 
width less than the nominal width of the cable to be inserted therein. 
This is to assure that the cable located therein will be compressed 
somewhat and the conductors moved over the respective teeth. This insures 
that as the conductors are split they are properly aligned and confined 
along the desired center line spacing. Fragmentary 4A shows the 
confinement of the cable between the upper and lower jaws in addition to 
the vertical and horizontal alignment forces which are exerted by the 
clamping devices of the jaws as they are brought into contact with the 
cable. 
Referring again to FIG. 4, it can be seen that the upper jaw 30 has two 
spring seats 34 which are designed and dimensioned in the preferred 
embodiment to accept Belville washer assembly 36. The purpose of the 
Belville washer assembly 36 is to permit some override when the cable is 
fully clamped and the shaft 38 is contunued in its downward motion. This 
compression of the Belville washer assembly assures that the cable and the 
conductors will not be crushed by the force of clamping. 
Referring briefly to FIG. 5, a section through the lines 5--5 of FIG. 3, it 
is possible to see the splitting sequence. The blades 80 gradually contact 
the captured conductors as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and move selected 
conductors out of the plane of the cable as shown in FIG. 5. The 
differential shown in FIG. 5 is sufficient to achieve complete separation. 
Referring again to FIG. 3, the section taken through the lines 3--3 of FIG. 
1, there is clearly shown the structure of splitter assembly 16. Splitter 
assembly 16 comprises a drive shaft 70 attached to a drive means 18, yoke 
72 attached to pawl 74 by way of wrist pin 76 and splitter blade assembly 
60. Pawl 74 is attached to a splitter blade assembly 60 via shaft 62. 
Splitter blade assembly comprises a frame member 78 which has been 
hollowed to accept a plurality of L-Shaped blades 80. Blades 80 are 
positioned within the tracks 26 of lower jaw 20. The plurality of blades 
are attached to frame 78 via pin 82 which extends for the entire width of 
frame 78 and through each of the respected blades. Note that the blades 80 
are loosely confined within the frame 78 and are positioned via the track 
26. The blades 80 will slide in track 26 with a forward and rearward 
motion to achieve splitting of the cable. Track 26 has been opened at the 
far end thereof, which permits the fall away or removal of waste material 
which may gather in the blade tracks. The blades 80 are confined as to 
sideways movement by the teeth 22 and as to vertical movement at one end 
thereof by frame member 78 and at the end of 86 thereof by rear guide 29. 
Note that the blades 80 have a taper 88 which is designed to permit a 
gradual contact with the conductor confined by the clamping of the jaws 20 
and 30 and to avoid conductor damage on entry of the blades 80 into the 
splitting area. 
Turning now to FIG. 6, there is shown the lower jaw 20 and upper jaw 30 
removed from the apparatus 10. Note that the upper jaw 30 is dimensioned 
to be received within the cavity defined by walls 21. It can be clearly 
seen that the teeth 22 of lower jaw 20 extend rearward beyond the cable 
clamping area of jaws 20 and 30. The resulting tracks provide guidance and 
stability for the respective splitting blades. Note also that the far end 
of the blades are open, as previously mentioned, to permit removal of 
waste materials. 
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section of the opposed teeth 22 and 40. As 
previously stated, the opposed teeth have opposed notches 24 and 42 for 
conductor centering and insulation gripping. In addition, it is possible 
to see the configuration of teeth 40 more clearly. Teeth 40 have a tapered 
surface 46 which extends from the external edges of notches 42 to the 
ridges 48. Ridges 48 are of a height at least equal to the height of the 
splitting blade 80 plus the conductor diameter. The relief formed by taper 
46 and ridges 48, while not essential, permit easy withdrawl of the 
conductor and cables after splitting. 
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section of the opposed teeth 22 and 40 and show an 
alternative embodiment of teeth 22 which has been found to have advantage 
on splitting cable having a flat surface. 
OPERATION 
It can be seen that in operation, the drive shaft 70 will move splitter 
assembly 16 in a forward direction, thereby causing the rocker arms 54 to 
capture a ribbon cable between jaws 20 and 30. This capture is achieved by 
movement of shaft 62 down the elbow 59 and along camtrack 58. As the 
camtrack 58 is brought into a parallel relationship with the track 61 of 
side plates 55, it can be seen that the jaw 30 is moved downward. After 
capture has been achieved, the continued forward movement of the drive 
shaft 70 will move the splitter assembly into contact with the conductors. 
Those conductors which were disposed directly over the splitting blades 
will be pushed out of the plane of the cable, as shown in FIG. 3, 
effectively shearing the individual conductors from the cable for the 
length of contact with blades 80.