Patent Publication Number: US-2015082639-A1

Title: Cable stripper

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/882,816, filed on Sep. 26, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Cable strippers for stripping a sheath of a cable from the wires within the cable are known. A coaxial cable is generally constructed with a single inner copper conductor having an inner insulation, and a very thin aluminum ground shield surrounding the inner insulation. A tough metal braid surrounds the shield in order to protect the shield and to provide further shielding for the inner conductor. The cable further includes an outer jacket which is normally made of polyethylene. 
     The end of the cable must be stripped down to the inner conductor to terminate the end of the cable to an electrical connector. A sharp blade is used to cut tend of the cable must be stripped down to the inner conductor. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A cable stripper in accordance with some example embodiments includes a first and second bodies which can be moved relative to each other in a ratcheting movement or in a non-ratcheting movement in order to clamp a cable therebetween. The bodies of such embodiments may include ball bearings for engaging with the cable when clamped therebetween. 
     This Summary is provided merely for purposes of summarizing some example embodiments so as to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above described example embodiments are merely examples and should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the disclosure in any way Other embodiments, aspects, and advantages of various disclosed embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the described embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The organization and manner of the structure and operation of the disclosed embodiments, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, wherein like reference numerals identify like elements in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cable stripper which incorporates the features of some example embodiments; 
         FIG. 2  is side elevation view of the cable stripper; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the cable stripper; 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of a first body of the cable stripper; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the first body; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a second body of the cable stripper; 
         FIG. 7  is a side elevation view of the second body; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the second body; 
         FIG. 9  is a side elevation view of a grip of the cable stripper; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the grip; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a portion of the cable stripper; and 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of another portion of the cable stripper. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS 
     While the invention may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and herein will be described in detail, a specific embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to that as illustrated and described herein. Therefore, unless otherwise noted, features disclosed herein may be combined together to form additional combinations that were not otherwise shown for purposes of brevity. It will be further appreciated that in some embodiments, one or more elements illustrated by way of example in a drawing(s) may be eliminated and/or substituted with alternative elements within the scope of the disclosure. 
     While the terms upper, lower, front, rear and the like are used herein, these are used for ease in description and do not denote a required orientation for use. 
     A cable stripper  20  is provided for stripping a sheath of a cable from the wires within the cable. The cable stripper  20  includes a first body  22 , a second body  24  which is moveable relative to the first body  22 , a grip  26 , a slide bar  28 , a first locking friction plate  30  and its compression spring  32 , a second unlocking friction trigger or plate  34  and its compression spring  36 . 
     The first body  22  is formed of metal and includes a handle  38 , a mount  40  and a block  42  which are integrally formed together. The mount  40  is between the handle  38  and the block  42 . 
     The handle  38  is elongated having upper and lower ends  38   a,    38   b,  front and rear surfaces  38   c,    38   d,  and side surfaces  38   e,    38   f  such that a user&#39;s hand can wrap therearound. The handle  38  provides an ergonomic feel for the user to grip. The front surface  38   c  is generally arcuate. The rear surface  38   d  has an upper section  38   d ′ and a lower section  38   d ″, the lower section  38   d ″ is spaced farther away from the front surface  38   c  than the upper section  38   d′.    
     The mount  40  is generally square-shaped with front and rear walls  40   a,    40   b  and upper and lower walls  40   c,    40   d  which are connected together. The walls  40   a - d  define a pair of side surfaces. The upper wall  40   c  extends between and connects the front and rear walls  40   a,    40   b . The lower wall  40   d  is divided into a front section  40   d ′ which extends at an angle from the front wall  40   a,  and a rear section  40   d ″ which extends at an angle from the rear wall  40   b;  the upper end  38   a  of the handle  38  spans the distance between the front and rear sections  40   d ′,  40   d″.    
     An aperture  44  is defined by the walls  40   a - d , the upper end  38   a  of the handle  38 , and a flange  46  which extends rearwardly from the front wall  40   a  a predetermined distance. A centerline  48  is defined by the mount  40  and extends through the front and rear walls  40   a,    40   b . The flange  46  has an arcuate front end  46   a  which extends from the front wall  40   a,  a planar rear edge  46   b  and opposite planar side walls  46   c  which define a width therebetween. The rear edge  46   b  is perpendicular to the centerline  48 . The width of the flange  46  is less than the front wall  40   a,  such that a pocket is formed by the flange  46  and the front wall  40   a.  One pocket is formed by the rear side of the front wall  40   a  and the side wall  46   c  of the flange  46 ; the other pocket is formed by the rear side of the front wall  40   a  and the opposite side wall  46   e  of the flange  46 . 
     A front passageway  50  extends through the front wall  40   a  and through the flange  46  and is in communication with the aperture  44 . A rear passageway  52  extends through the rear wall  40   b  and is in communication with the aperture  44 . The front and rear passageways  50 ,  52  are aligned with each other and are aligned on the centerline  48  of the mount  40 . The front passageway  50 , aperture  44  and rear passageway  52  form a slide bar passageway into which the slide bar  28  as described herein. A blind bore  53  is provided in the front wall  40   a  and extends rearwardly a predetermined distance. A rear end of the compression spring  36  seats within the blind bore  53 . 
     The block  42  is generally formed as a cube and extends upwardly and forwardly from the upper wall  40   c  of the mount  40 . The block  42  includes front and rear surfaces  42   a,    42   b,  a lower surface  42   c  which extends from the mount  40 , an upper surface  42   d  and a pair of side surfaces  42   e,    42   f.    
     The front surface  42   a  has a central flat section  42   a ′ which is perpendicular to the centerline  48  of the mount  40 , an upper curved section  42   a ″ extending upwardly from the central flat section  42   a,  and a lower section  42   a ′″ extending downwardly at an angle from the central flat section  42   a ′. An elongated slot  54  is provided the front surface  42   a,  extends between the side surfaces  42   e,    42   f,  and is perpendicular to the centerline  48  of the mount  40 . The slot  54  is formed from an elongated front opening  54   a,  and a generally cylindrical recess  54   b  extending rearwardly from the front opening  54   a.  The ends of the slot  54  are closed by suitable means, such as a wall  56  formed by a portion of the block  42  at side surface  42   f  and a tab  61  which is fastened into the side surface  42   e.    
     A plurality of side-by-side ball bearings  60  are mounted in the slot  54 . The ball bearings  60  are formed as spheres and a portion of each ball bearing  60  extends outwardly from the front opening  54   a  of the slot  54  and the front surface  42   a  of the block  42 , but the ball bearings  60  cannot escape through the front opening  54   a  of the slot  54 . The ball bearings  60  are slightly smaller than the diameter of the recess  54   b  so that the ball bearings  60  move freely within the slot  54 . The ball bearings  60  may be formed of any suitable material, such as by way of non-limiting example, plastic or metal, and some of the ball bearings  60  in the slot  54  may be formed of plastic and others formed of metal. 
     The conventional cable cutter/stripper  58  has a blade  59  and an adjustment mechanism  62  for adjusting how far the blade  59  extends outwardly from the front surface  42   a  of the block  42 . 
     The lower surface  42   c  of the block  42  has a recess  64  therein which is proximate to the mount  40  and which extends between the side surfaces  42   e,    42   f.  The unlocking friction plate  34  seats therein as described herein. 
     Covers  66  are attached to the side surfaces of the walls  40   a - d  by suitable means, such as fasteners. 
     A revolving ball knob  68  can be attached to the mount  40 . 
     The slide bar  28  is formed of an elongated metal bar, which preferably has a generally oval cross-section. The slide bar  28  has front and rear ends  28   a,    28   b,  upper and lower surfaces  28   c,    28   d,  and opposite side surfaces  28   e,  each of which are planar. The slide bar  28  seats within the aligned passageways  50 ,  52  of the mount  40  and extends through the aperture  44 . The slide bar  28  can be slid relative to the first body  22 , along the centerline  48 . Markings  70  are provided along the slide bar  28 . 
     A ring  72  may be attached to the rear end  28   b  of the slide bar  28  to provide a means for hanging the cable stripper  20  on a bench or other work surface. 
     The second body  24  mounts on the front end of the slide bar  28 . The second body  24  is formed of metal and has a V-shaped block  74  attached to a mount  76 . 
     The block  74  is formed of an upper portion  78  and a lower portion  80  which are angled relative to each other to form a V-shaped face. In some embodiments, the upper and lower portions  78 ,  80  are preferably angled relative to each other at an angle of 100 degrees, or substantially equal thereto. It will be appreciated that the upper and lower portions  78 ,  80  may be angled relative to each other at angles other than 100 degrees to form a V-shaped face within the scope of the disclosure. 
     The upper portion  78  has front and rear surfaces  78   a,    78   b,  an upper surface  78   c,  a lower edge  78   d,  which is joined to the upper edge  80   d  of the lower portion  80 , and a pair of side surfaces  78   e,    78   f.  A pair of elongated slots  82  are provided the rear surface  78   b  of the upper portion  78 , each slot  82  extends between the side surfaces  78   e,    78   f,  and each slot  82  is perpendicular to the centerline  48  of the mount  40 . Each slot  82  is formed from an elongated rear opening  82   a,  and a generally cylindrical recess  82   b  extending forwardly from the rear opening  82   a.  The ends of the slots  82  are closed by suitable means, such as a wall  84  formed by the upper portion  78  and a cover  86  which is secured to the side surface  78   e  of the upper portion  78 . 
     A plurality of side-by-side ball bearings  88  are mounted in each of the slots  82 . The ball bearings  88  are formed as spheres and a portion of each ball bearing  88  extends outwardly from the respective rear opening  82   a  of the respective slot  82  and the rear surface  78   b  of the upper portion  78 , but the ball bearings  88  cannot escape from the slots  82 . The ball bearings  88  are slightly smaller than the diameter of the recess  82   b  so that the ball bearings  88  move freely within the slots  82 . The ball bearings  88  may be formed of any suitable material, such as by way of non-limiting example, plastic or metal, and some of the ball bearings  88  in the slots  82  may be formed of plastic and others formed of metal. 
     The lower portion  80  has front and rear surfaces  80   a,    80   b,  a lower surface  80   c,  an upper edge  80   d,  which is joined to the lower edge  78   d  of the upper portion  78 , and a pair of side surfaces  80   e,    80   f.  A pair of elongated slots  90  are provided the front surface  80   b  of the lower portion  80 , each slot  90  extends between the side surfaces  80   e,    80   f,  and each slot  90  is perpendicular to the centerline  48  of the mount  40 . Each slot  90  is formed from an elongated rear opening  90   a,  and a generally cylindrical recess  90   b  extending forwardly from the rear opening  90   a.  The ends of the slots  90  are closed by suitable means, such as a wall  92  formed by the lower portion  80  and a cover  94  which is secured to the side surface  80   e  of the lower portion  80 . 
     A plurality of side-by-side ball bearings  96  are mounted in each of the slots  90 . The ball bearings  96  are formed as spheres and a portion of each ball bearing  96  extends outwardly from the respective rear opening  90   a  of the respective slot  90  and the rear surface  78   b  of the upper portion  78 , but the ball bearings  96  cannot escape from the slots  90 . The ball bearings  96  are slightly smaller than the diameter of the recess  90   b  so that the ball bearings  96  move freely within the slots  90 . The ball bearings  96  may be formed of any suitable material, such as by way of non-limiting example, plastic or metal. In some embodiments, different respective ball bearings  96  in the slots  90  may be formed of different materials, such that, for example, in some embodiments some ball bearings  96  may be formed of plastic and others may be formed of metal 
     A joint  98  is formed between the upper and lower portions  78 ,  80  along the rear surfaces  78   b,    80   b.  A centerline  100  extends along this joint and is perpendicular to centerline  48 . The joint  98  may be curved. The slots  88 ,  90  are symmetrical about centerline  100 . 
     The mount  76  extends from the lower surface  80   c  of the lower portion  80 . The mount  76  has a pair of legs  102   a,    102   b  which define a space  104  therebetween. The space  104  is slightly wider than the width of the slide bar  28 . The slide bar  28  seats within the space  104  and the legs  102   a,    102   b  are attached to the slide bar  28  by suitable means, such as fasteners, so that the block  74  extends upwardly from the slide bar  28 . 
     When the second body  24  is attached to the slide bar  28 , the rear surfaces  78   b,    80   b  of the second body  24  face the front surface  42   a  of the block  42  of the first body  22 . As such, the row of ball bearings  60  on the block  42  face the joint  98  between the upper and lower portions  78 ,  80  of the second body  24 . The lower curved section  42   a ′″ aligns with the lower portion  80 . 
     The grip  26  attaches to the mount  40  and is rotatable relative to the first body  22 . The grip  26  includes an elongated handle  106  integrally formed with a head  108  at the upper end thereof. The handle  106  is generally U-shaped, with a pair of legs  106   a,    106   b  and a curved base wall  106   c  that defines an elongated recess  110 . The base wall  106   c  is contoured to enable a user to easily grip the grip  26  with his/her fingers. A vertical centerline  111  is defined by the handle  106 . The recess  110  is sized to be slightly wider than the width of the handle  38  of the first body  22 . The head  108  is formed of two portions  108   a,    108   b  which extend upwardly from the respective legs  106   a,    106   b  of the handle  106  and are separated from each other by a space  112 . Each portion  108   a,    108   b  has a curved front surface  114  and a rear surface  116 ; the centerline  111  extends through the head  108 . 
     The flange  46  of the mount  40  seats in the space  112  between the portions  108   a,    108   b  of the head  108 , such that side surfaces of the portions  108   a,    108   b  abut against the side walls  46   c  of the pockets formed by the flange  46 . The curved front surface  114  of each portion  108   a,    108   b  seats in the arcuate front end  46   a  of the respective pocket formed by the flange  46 . The head  108  is attached to the mount  40  by a pivot, which may be formed by pegs on the inner surface of the covers  66  that fit into blind holes  118 . The handle  38  is partially seated in the recess  110 . 
     The locking friction plate  30  and its compression spring  32  are mounted on the slide bar  28  and within the aperture  44  in the first body  22 . The locking friction plate  30  is preferably rectangular in cross-section and has opposite front and rear surfaces. The locking friction plate  30  has an aperture  120  therethrough, having a top wall  120   a,  a bottom wall  120   b  and opposite side walls  120   c.  The aperture  120  has a dimension between the top wall  120   a  and the bottom wall  120   b  which is sized to be slightly larger than the slide bar  28  which seats therethrough. An upper portion  30   a  of the locking friction plate  30  extends upwardly from the slide bar  28 , and a lower portion  30   b  of the locking friction plate  30  extends downwardly from the slide bar  28 . 
     The compression spring  32  encircles the slide bar  28 . The compression spring  32  seats in the aperture  44  between the locking friction plate  30  and the front surface of the rear wall  40   b.    
     The unlocking friction plate  34  seats on the slide bar  28  and is positioned between the mount  76  of the second body  24  and the front surface  40   a  of the mount  40  of the first body  22 . The unlocking friction plate  34  is formed of an elongated member having an upper end  34   a,  a lower end  34   b,  a planar upper portion  34   c  extending from the upper end  34   a  to a lower portion  34   d  which is curved relative to the upper portion  34   c.  The upper portion  34   c  has an aperture  122  therethrough, having a top wall  122   a,  a bottom wall  122   b  and opposite side walls  122   c.  The aperture  122  has a dimension between the top wall  122   a  and the bottom wall  122   b  which is sized to be slightly larger than the slide bar  28  which seats therethrough. The upper end  34   a  of the unlocking friction plate  34  seats in the recess  64  in the block  42  of the first body  22 . The lower portion  34   d  of the unlocking friction plate  34  extends downwardly from the slide bar  28  and is proximate to the grip  26 . 
     The rear end of the compression spring  36  seats within the blind bore  53  and the front end abuts against the upper portion  34   c  of the unlocking friction plate  34 . The front end of the compression spring  36  presses against the unlocking friction plate  34 . 
     In an at-rest condition (the grip  26  is not depressed), the centerline  111  of the grip  28  is perpendicular to the centerline  48  of the first body  22 , the locking friction plate  30  is generally perpendicular to the slide bar  28  and abuts against the planar rear edge  46   b  of the flange  46  and abuts against the head  108  of the grip  26 , the upper portion  34   c  of the unlocking friction plate  34  is angled relative to the slide bar  28 , and the compression springs  32 ,  36  are in their expanded states. The upper edge  120   a  of the aperture  120  through the locking friction plate  30  is engaged with the upper surface  28   c  of the slide bar  28 . Since the aperture  120  through the locking friction plate  30  is slightly larger than the slide bar  28 , the lower edge  120   b  of the aperture  120  through the locking friction plate  30  is not engaged with the lower surface  28   d  of the slide bar  28  such that a gap is provided therebetween. The angle of unlocking friction plate  34  causes the rear upper edge  122   a  and the front of lower edge  122   b  to make contact with the slide bar  28 . This contact, in addition to the contact of surface  34   c  with opening  64  prevents the movement of the slide bar  28  in the forward direction. The frictional engagement is easily overcome if the user moves the slide bar  28  in the rearward direction due to the same angle of the unlocking friction plate  34 . 
     When the first body  22  and the second body  24  are separated from each other, the cable (not shown) to be stripped is inserted between the blocks  42 ,  74 . 
     In use, the grip  26  is depressed to rotate and move the grip  26  toward the handle  38  of the first body  22 . When this rotation occurs, the curved front surface  114  of each portion  108   a ,  108   b  rotates in the arcuate front end  46   a  of the respective pocket formed by the flange  46 , and the handle  38  enters into the recess  110  in the grip  26 . The head  108  of the grip  26  engages the lower portion  30   b  of the locking friction plate  30  and moves the lower portion  30   b  rearwardly, away from the rear edge  46   b  of the flange  46 , thereby moving the locking friction plate  30  at an angle relative to the rear edge  46   b  of the flange  46 , and compressing the spring  32 . 
     Upon continued depression of the grip  26 , the lower portion  30   b  of the locking friction plate  30  continues to move rearwardly. When the locking friction plate  30  reaches a predetermined angle, the slide bar  28  fills the space in the aperture  120  of the locking friction plate  30  such that the locking friction plate  30  and the slide bar  28  become wedged together. The frictional engagement between the unlocking friction plate  34  and the slide bar  28  is overcome by this force so that the slide bar  28  can slide relative to the unlocking friction plate  34 . Further depression of the grip  26  causes the slide bar  28 , and the second body  24  mounted thereon, to move rearwardly with the rearward movement of the locking friction plate  30  and further compression of the compression spring  32 , such that the second body  24  moves toward the first body  22 . When the grip  26  is released, the compression springs  32 ,  36  returns to their expanded states, thereby disengaging the locking friction plate  30  from the slide bar  28  and frictionally re-engaging the unlocking friction plate  34  with the slide bar  28 , and returning the locking friction plate  30  and the unlocking friction plate  34  to the at-rest positions. This can be repeated over and over again to move the second body  24  toward the first body  22  to clamp the cable in a ratcheting-type movement. This configuration allows a user to easily clamp the cable using a single hand. 
     When the cable is clamped between the blocks  42 ,  74 , the cable contacts the ball bearings  60 ,  88 ,  96  along all three lines of ball bearings  60 ,  88 ,  96 . The contact between the ball bearings  60 ,  88 ,  96  and the cable centers the cable with the center of the block  74 . The blocks  42 ,  74  can freely rotate and translate along the length of the cable while maintaining the position of the cable center relative to the joint  98  of the block  74  as a result of the engagement of the ball bearings  60 ,  88 ,  96  with the cable. Additional slots with bearings can be added to the block  74  in order to sufficiently capture a cable that would make contact with the bearings  88 ,  96  too far from the 100 degree optimum retainment angle. As the cable diameter increases or decreases, the cable is constrained by the ball bearings  60 ,  88 ,  96 , except for cables under approximately one inch which may not make contact with the ball bearings  88 ,  96  in block  74 , but rather make contact with ball bearings  60  with surfaces  78   b,    80   b  so that the cable remains centered. 
     During the stripping of the cable with the cable stripper  20 , the cable stripper  20  is rotated around the cable to cut the sheath of the cable using the cutting blade  59 . This may be accomplished by the user placing one hand on the cable and his/her hand on the revolving ball knob  68 . The ball bearings  60 ,  88 ,  96  in the blocks  42 ,  74  reduce the friction during the cable stripping process. The use of ball bearings  60 ,  88 ,  96  provides advantages over rollers. The use of the ball bearings  60 ,  88 ,  96  reduces friction during rotation around the cable, and reduces the friction of axial movement. The use of ball bearings  60 ,  88 ,  96  also provides greater redundancy in the event that environmental contaminates prevent a rolling element from rolling freely. 
     When the cable has been stripped using the cable stripper  20 , the second body  24  is quickly and easily moved away from the clamped position (proximate to the first body  22 ) in a non-ratcheting movement by using the unlocking friction plate  34  to resize the cable stripper  20 . With the grip  26  released, the user depresses the unlocking friction plate  34  to move the lower portion  34   d  to be proximate to the grip  26 , thereby compressing the spring  36 . This depression of the unlocking friction plate  34  disengages the frictional engagement between the unlocking friction plate  34  and the slide bar  28  and allows the user to grasp the block  74  and pull the slide bar  28  forwardly such that the second body  24  moves away from the first body  22 . When the desired position of the second body  24  is achieved, the user releases the unlocking friction plate  34 , which causes the spring  36  to expand, and move the unlocking friction plate  34  back to the at-rest position. As a result, the slide bar  28  is frictionally engaged with the unlocking friction plate  34  so that another cable to be stripped can be positioned between the blocks  42 ,  74 . 
     The second body  24  can be quickly and easily moved toward the clamped position. The user pushes the bodies  22 ,  24  together which moves the slide bar  28  rearwardly until the second body  24  abuts the cable. The unlocking friction plate  34  is overcome during this pushing. Thereafter, the grip  26  is depressed to ratchet the second body  24  toward the first body  22  as described herein to securely clamp the cable for stripping. 
     In use, the major thumb pad of the user&#39;s hand engages the lower section  38   d ″ of the rear surface  38   d  and the user&#39;s thumb wraps around the upper section  38   d ′ of the rear surface  38   d.  The thumb of the user engages against the rear section  40   d ″ of the lower wall  40   d  of the mount  40 . The fingers of the user wrap around the base wall  106   c  of the grip  26 . This provides a comfortable grip for the user. 
     As a result of the structure, the cable stripper  20  is easy to use, it can be quickly resized for a wide range of cable sizes, and it can be secured or released from a cable with one-handed operation. The blocks  42 ,  74  provides additional leverage so that a user can secure a tool to a cable that may be deformed. The added leverage helps to straighten the cable and hold the cutting blade  59  at a consistent cutting depth when the cable stripper  20  is rotated around the cable. 
     While the conventional cable cutter/stripper  58  is shown as described as being secured to the side surface  42   e  of the block  42  of the first body  22 , the conventional cable cutter/stripper  58  could instead be attached to the second body  24 . 
     While particular embodiments are illustrated in and described with respect to the drawings, it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the scope of the disclosure and the appended claims is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated in and discussed with respect to the drawings and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure and appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosure and the appended claims.