Patent ID: 8721223

Claim:
A cable retention and release mechanism configured to releasably engage a cable, the cable retention and release mechanism comprising: one or more segments of a pipe splitting apparatus including a cable passage, the cable passage including a substantially tubular portion and a tapered portion, the one or more segments including a spring pocket disposed proximally from the cable passage; a segmented collet disposed within the tapered portion of the cable passage, the segmented collet including tapered segments, each tapered segment including: an outer bearing surface configured to abut the tapered portion of the cable passage; and an inner channel surface, wherein the channel surfaces of the tapered segments together form a cable channel through the segmented collet, the cable channel configured to widen with proximal motion of the segmented collet within the tapered portion to allow the cable to pass through the cable channel in a disengaged position of the segmented collet, the cable channel configured to narrow with distal motion of the segmented collet within the tapered portion to grip the cable in an engaged position of the segmented collet; a spring disposed within the spring pocket of the one or more segments, the spring configured to bias the segmented collet distally in the engaged position; and a segment extractor disposed within the substantially tubular portion of the cable passage.