Abstract:
A compression tool having a pin assembly with at least two driver pins attached to allow compression of different sized connectors onto wires. The driver pins are attached to prevent loss of equipment use due to misplaced or loose connectors.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is related to U.S. patent application ______ filed on ______ entitled compression tool with rotating, multiple cable cradle, the contents of which is incorporated in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention is in the field of compression tools used for compressing connector ends onto wire or cable for the production of connector cables.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     The electronics, telecommunications, and cable television industries have used a variety of cables and wires to perform various jobs. The cables tend to be jacketed and shielded to minimize signal distortion. Each cable or wire has various size and shaped connectors based upon either an industry standard or in some cases a proprietary manufacturing standard. The industry has used compression tools to attach various size and types of connectors onto wires. Many known compression tools utilize a universal compression head in combination with an appropriate adapter to attach a connector of a specific length, diameter or other dimension.  
         [0004]     This type of compression tool with an adjustable adapter to vary connector size is compact because it is designed to fit only one connector at a time. This is great for ease of handling and storage of the tool unless the spare pins are kept within the tool, which can result in bulkiness. Initially, in the early stages of a universal compression tool&#39;s life span the tool works as intended, but there are many drawbacks as the tool ages. One drawback is that the adapters can be lost or damaged. Another drawback is that depending on the design the additional moving parts create wear, looseness of the insert and eventual failure of the compression tool. The instant invention addresses the abovementioned drawbacks of the universal connector compression tool.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     A first embodiment of an adjustable or multiple drive pin size compression tool comprises a body having an interior; a handle, wherein the handle is movably attached to the body; at least one compression chamber portion within the interior of the body that is configured for receiving a connector; a cable cradle having at least one cable receiving portion, wherein the cable cradle is affixed to the body; an driver pin assembly having at least two driver pins operatively coupled to the handle wherein said assembly has a first driver pin position and a second driver pin position; and at least two different dimensioned driver pins affixed to the driver pin assembly.  
         [0006]     In another embodiment a multiple driver tip compression tool comprises a body having an interior, a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side each side having a guidance portion therein; a handle, wherein the handle is pivotally attached to the body between the first side and the second side; a sliding head having a guidance component, wherein the guidance component of the sliding head is both retained and movable within the retainer portion of the body; a toggle lever affixed to the handle; a driver pin assembly having at least two differently dimensioned driver pins operatively coupled to the sliding head wherein said assembly has a first driver pin position and a second driver pin position; an compression channel portion configured to receive a first connector when the driver pin assembly is in the first driver pin position, and a second connector when the driver pin assembly is in the second driver pin position; and, a cable cradle, wherein the cradle is affixed to the body between the first side and the second side.  
         [0007]     Another embodiment is a method of affixing a cable connector to a wire comprising: providing a body having an interior, a handle, wherein the handle is movably attached to the body, at least one compression chamber portion within the interior of the body that is configured for receiving a connector, a cable cradle having at least one cable receiving portion, wherein the cable cradle is affixed to the body, an driver pin assembly having at least two driver pins operatively coupled to the handle wherein said assembly has a first driver pin position and a second driver pin position, and at least two different dimensioned driver pins affixed to the driver pin assembly; providing a cable connector; providing a wire; inserting the cable connector and the wire and selecting an appropriately sized driver tip in the body that corresponds to the driver tip position; rotating the driver pin assembly to the appropriate driver tip position; moving the sliding head to drive the cable connector onto the wire forming a connector cable; and, removing the connector cable from the body.  
         [0008]     A still further embodiment is a multi-pin compression tool comprising: a body; a driver pin assembly having a means of adjusting driver pin size within the body; and a means of moving the driver pin from an uncompressed position to a compressed position.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a side view of the tool;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  shows a top view of the tool with the handle raised;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  shows the cross sectional view of the tool with a connector compressed onto a cable;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  shows a cutaway view of the tool with the handle raised;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  shows the tool with the handle raised;  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  shows a cutaway view of the tool with the handle raised in a different driver pin configuration;  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  shows a cutaway view of the tool with the handle lowered;  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  shows an external view of the driver pin moved to the unlocked position when removed from the tool;  
         [0017]      FIG. 9  shows a hidden internal view driver pin assembly removed from the tool and in an unlocked position; and  
         [0018]      FIG. 10  shows a hidden internal view driver pin assembly removed from the tool and in a locked position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     The tool addresses the prior art problems associated with looseness or loss of drivers pins by having a pin assembly in the tool having different size driver pins attached. A multiple drive pin size compression tool  100  as shown in  FIGS. 1-10  comprises a body  10  having an interior  12 . The body is a rigid material such as a metal or plastic that would be of sufficient torsional rigidity to not flex during the compression of the connector  200  onto the wire  210 . The body  10  could be stamped metal or injection molded plastic.  
         [0020]     To provide the force to compress the connector  200  on the wire  210  a handle as shown in  FIG. 1 , wherein the handle  14  is movably attached to the body  10 . The handle  14  may be made of the same material as the body as long as it is formed of sufficiently rigid enough material, such that it does not flex during the compression of the connector. The handle  14  or any other possible means of moving the driver pin from an uncompressed position to a compressed position, may be affixed pivotally or hinged  16  between the handle  14  to the body  10  or moveably attached to the body  10  by rivets, screws, bolts, hinges or any other mechanism that would allow the handle to move from a first position to a second position a sufficient distance to generate the force required to compress the connector  200  onto the wire  210 . Examples of a means of moving the driver pin from an uncompressed position to a compressed position are hydraulic pistons, any form of levers or screw mechanism.  
         [0021]     The body  10  of the tool  100  forms at least one compression chamber portion  20  within the interior  12  of the body  10  that is configured for receiving a connector  200 .  FIG. 3  shows the connector  200  in the compression chamber  20  when in the fully compressed position. At one end of the compression chamber  20  is a cable cradle  30  having at least one cable receiving portion  35 , wherein the cable cradle  30  is affixed to the body  10  so as to receive and align the connector within the compression chamber  20 .  
         [0022]     At the other end of the compression chamber  20  is a driver pin assembly  40  having at least two driver pins  41 ,  42  operatively coupled to the handle  14 , either directly or through other elements, such as a toggle lever  70  affixed between the handle  14  and the sliding head  50 . The assembly has a first driver pin position  44  and a second driver pin position  45  selected according to the connector  200  compressed.  FIG. 3  shows the driver pin assembly  40  in the first driver pin position  44 , wherein driver pin  42  is positioned next to the compression chamber  20  and there is at least two different dimensioned driver pins  41 ,  42  affixed to the driver pin assembly  
         [0023]     The driver pin assembly  40  may be coupled to a sliding head  50  having a protruding component  52 , such as a pin or dowel that is configured to interact with the driver pin assembly  40  and the handle  14 . A receiving portion  41  within the driver pin assembly  40  accepts the protruding component  52  of the sliding head  50 . The receiving portion  41  may be an “L-shaped” groove or any other shaped channel that allows the driver pin assembly  40  to be guided from the first pin position  44  to the second pin position  45 , for example a star, a circle or a straight section. The protruding component and the receiving portions could be swapped onto the opposite components as long as the movement between the driver pins is retained.  
         [0024]     As displayed in  FIG. 3 , the full compression of the connector  200  onto the wire  210  is important and the choice of driver pin is defined by its compressed length. If the compressed length is too long or too short for the connector  200  it will either become damaged or fail to be fully compressed and may fail early. Thus the driver pin assembly  40  is moved to the first pin position  44  where it forms a first compressed length  60 , which is defined by the distance from the cable cradle  30  to the driver pin assembly  40  When, as displayed in  FIG. 7 , a second compressed length  61  is needed, the driver pin assembly  40  may be moved to the second driver pin position  45  or swapped with a different pin assembly.  
         [0025]     The driver pin assembly  40  has protrusions or tabs  66 ,  67  that interact with the sliding head  50  to lock the driver pin assembly  40  in the proper position to compress the connector  200  onto a wire  210 . The driver pin assembly  40  has a first driver pin locking tab  66  associated with the first driver pin position  44  and a tab receiver  58  on the sliding head  50 . The tab receiver  58  may be a groove, notch or corresponding feature, either male or female that interlocks with the locking tabs  66 ,  67  of the driver pin assembly  40 . Other forms of reverse-able or release-able mechanical interlocking that may be envisioned is possible such that any male/female combinations would suffice as long as the pin remained releseably secured.  
         [0026]     With a driver pin assembly having a means of adjusting driver pin size within the body to change from the first driver pin  41  to second driver pin  42  the tab  66  may be slid out of the tab receiver  58 .  FIGS. 8-10  show driver pin assembly  40  with the direction  80  to release the tab  66 , which is opposite from the direction of compression  81  to prevent unintended release or misalignment during the compression stroke. Once tab  66  is free from the receiver  58  the driver pin assembly is rotated about the protrusion  58  within groove  41  until a second driver pin locking tab  67  associated with the second driver pin position  45  is aligned properly and inserted.  
         [0027]     When the driver pin assembly  40  is oriented so that the first driver pin  41  is in place it forms a first compression channel portion  60  adjacent the sliding head  50  for receiving a connector  200  of a first dimension formed when the driver pin assembly  40  is locked in the first driver pin position  44 . A second compression channel portion  61  is formed adjacent the sliding head  50  for receiving a connector  200  of a second dimension formed when the driver pin assembly  40  is in the second driver pin position  45  as displayed in  FIGS. 5-7 .  
         [0028]     Another embodiment of the multiple driver tip compression tool also according to  FIGS. 1-10  comprises a body  10  having an interior  12 , a top  8 , a bottom  5 , a first side  6  and a second side  7  each side having a guidance portion  9  therein. The body is made of any sufficiently rigid material as described above to prevent twisting during the compression of the connector.  
         [0029]     A handle  14  is attached to the body  10 , wherein the handle  14  is pivotally attached  16  to the body  10  between the first side  6  and the second side  7 . The handle  14  may be raised or extended away from the body  10  to enlarge the compression chamber to insert an uncompressed connector  200 . A toggle lever  70  may be affixed to the handle  14  that, when the handle is raised or lowered, in turn linearly moves a sliding head  50 .  
         [0030]     The sliding head  50  has a guidance component  54 ,  55 , wherein the guidance component  54 ,  55  of the sliding head  50  is both retained and movable within the retainer or guidance portion  9  of the body  10 . The guidance component  54 ,  55  works in conjunction with the retainer portion and they can either be male or female in that a groove or indent works in conjunction with a protrusion to ensure proper alignment of the sliding head  50  and the drivers tip  41 ,  42  with the connector  200 .  
         [0031]     Connected to the sliding head  50  is an adjustable driver pin assembly  40  having at least two differently dimensioned driver pins  41 ,  42  operatively coupled to the sliding head  50  wherein said assembly has a first driver pin position  44  and a second driver pin position  45 . The driver pins  41 ,  42 , may have different lengths and diameters from each other to correspond to different sized connectors.  
         [0032]     The body interior  12 , which may be formed by the first side  6  and the second side  7  forms a compression channel portion  60  configured to receive a first connector  42  when the driver pin assembly  40  may be in the first driver pin position  44 , and a second connector  41  when the driver pin assembly  40  may be in the second driver pin position  45 . A cable cradle  30  may be at the other end of the compression channel portion  60 , wherein the cradle  60  accepts the force from the driver pin and may be affixed to the body  10  between the first side  6  and the second side  7 .  
         [0033]     To make the driver pin assembly  40  adjustable there may be a protruding component  52  of the sliding head  50  that works with a receiving portion  41  of the driver pin assembly  40 . The receiving portions may be “L shaped” with a two driver pin option or it may be a “sideways T” with three pins installed. Another option as shown in  FIG. 3  is to have a driver tip unit  40  that is removably affixed within the body  10  or to sliding head  50  for exchange with a second driver tip unit  40   b  having two different dimensioned driver tips from the first driver tip unit  40   a.    
         [0034]     When the driver pin assembly  40  is in the first driver tip position  44 , as in  FIGS. 2-4 , there is a first compressed length  60  that corresponds to the compression channel portion  20  adjacent the cable cradle  30 . To get a second compressed length  61 , as shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , that corresponds to the compression channel portion  20  the driver pin assembly  40  should be in the second driver tip position  45 . The protruding component  52  on the sliding head  50  may be a post that retains the driver tip unit  40  rotatably and slidably attached to the sliding head  50  to allow repositioning of the driver pins.  
         [0035]      FIGS. 2, 5  and  6  show handle  14  in a raised position, which allows the loading of the uncompressed connector  200  into the compression chamber  20  with the driver pin  41  in the second position  45 . The raising of the handle  14  pulls the toggle member  70  that is hingedly and pivotally attached to both the body  10 , in the retaining groove  9  and with the same member  55  the toggle member  70  is affixed to the sliding head  50 , which is in turn releasably attached to a driver pin assembly  40 . The uncompressed length  62 ,  63  is sufficient sized to allow removal after the compression of the connector.  
         [0036]     The driver pin assembly  40  is shown removed in  FIGS. 8-10  from the tool where either the individual pins  41 ,  42  can be removed from the driver pin assembly  40 . The driver pins may be made removable and retained by such method as screw threads  95 . The driver pin may be hollow or have a receiver hole  90  to prevent damage of the center electrodes of the connector or the center wire section of the cable during the compression process.  
         [0037]     A method of affixing a cable connector to a wire comprises providing a body  10  having an interior  12 , a handle  14 , wherein the handle  14  is movably attached to the body  10 , at least one compression chamber portion  20  within the interior  12  of the body  10  that is configured for receiving a connector  200 , a cable cradle  30  having at least one cable receiving portion  35 , wherein the cable cradle  30  is affixed to the body  10 , an driver pin assembly  40  having at least two driver pins  41 ,  42  operatively coupled to the handle  14  wherein said assembly has a first driver pin position  44  and a second driver pin position  45 , and at least two different dimensioned driver pins  41 ,  42  affixed to the driver pin assembly  40 . To make a connector cable start by providing an uncompressed cable connector  200  a wire  210 . Then, inserting the cable connector  200  and the wire  210  and selecting an appropriately sized driver tip  41 ,  42  in the body  10  that corresponds to the driver tip position  44 ,  45  and then rotating the driver pin assembly to the appropriate driver tip position. Once in position finish by moving the sliding head  50 , which may include compressing the handle, to drive the cable connector  200  onto the wire  210  forming a connector cable  215 . Then finish by removing the connector cable  215  from the body  210 .  
         [0038]     If neither of the driver pins  41 ,  42  are the appropriate size then it can be remedied by providing a second driver tip assembly  40   a , wherein you are removing the first driver tip assembly  40  and inserting a second driver tip assembly  40   a  having an appropriately sized driver tip onto the sliding head  50  in the body  10 .  
         [0039]     While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the invention as set forth above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. The claims provide the scope of the coverage of the invention and should not be limited to the specific examples provided herein.