Patent ID: 7891273

Claim:
A knife arrangement for a pliers-type insulation stripping tool operable to strip the outer insulation layer from an insulated conductor, said stripping tool including a pair of pivotally-connected handles having adjacent clamping jaw portions, comprising: (a) knife holder means including a pair of opposed generally parallel knife holders ( 2 , 3 ) respectively connected with said stripping tool jaw portions for initial displacement by said jaw portions between a separated disengaged position and an adjacent insulation-cutting position, and for subsequent longitudinal displacement relative to said jaw portions from said insulation-cutting position toward an insulation-stripping position; (b) a pair of opposed knives ( 4 , 5 ) respectively carried by said knife holders and extending toward each other from the adjacent surfaces of said knife holders, at least one of said knives comprising a stack of parallel lamellar cutting blades ( 13 ) each connected for independent pivotal displacement relative to the associated knife holder, said cutting blades having knife edges ( 13 a ) arranged to define a first cutting profile, said lamellar cutting blades being connected with the associated knife holder for pivotal displacement about a first pivot axis ( 9 ) parallel with the tool handle pivot axis; and (c) blade adjustment mechanism ( 6 , 7 ) for adjusting the positions of said cutting blades relative to the associated knife holder to define a second cutting profile corresponding with the cross-sectional configuration of the insulated conductor, said blade adjustment mechanism including a generally cylindrical blade support member ( 6 , 7 ) mounted for rotation about an axis parallel with said first pivot axis, said support members having a circumferential surface arranged to support said cutting blades, said blade support member circumferential surface including a plurality of support segments ( 16 , 17 ) for defining different cutting profiles, respectively.