Patent ID: 7055361

Claim:
A pliers-type crimping handtool for crimping an electrical connector onto an insulated conductor, comprising: (a) a fixed member including a housing ( 5 ) having a first end defining a fixed handle portion ( 6 ); (b) a movable member including a first end defining a movable handle portion ( 7 ), said fixed and movable members having second ends, said members being pivotally connected intermediate their ends for relative displacement about a pivot axis between open and closed conditions; (c) a crimping drum ( 3 ) connected with said fixed member second end for rotation about an axis ( 4 ) parallel with said pivot axis between first and second positions, said crimping drum being operable to transport an electrical connector from said first position to said second position; and (d) rotating means for rotating said crimping drum from said first position toward said second position as said fixed and movable members are pivoted from said open condition toward said closed condition, said rotating means including: (1) a drum pin ( 11 ) extending axially from one end of said drum parallel with and radially spaced from said drum axis; (2) an actuating transport lever ( 10 ) connected with said movable member for reciprocatory movement in a plane normal to said drum axis, said actuating lever having a first end pivotally connected with said movable member, and a second end containing a slot ( 12 ) opposite and extending normal to said drum pin, said slot including a bottom portion ( 12 b ) having a width that corresponds generally with the diameter of said drum pin, said slot including a divergent top portion ( 12 a ) having a width that is greater than the diameter of said drum pin; and (3) means for pivoting said actuating lever about said first end to cause said drum pin to be displaced laterally downwardly toward the bottom of said slot as said fixed and movable members are pivoted from said open condition toward said closed condition, said lever pivoting means including: (a) fixed abutment ( 20 ) carried by said fixed member adjacent said actuating lever second end on the opposite side thereof from said crimping drum, (b) said abutment including an inclined guide surface ( 13 ) that is operable during displacement of said first and second members toward the closed condition to pivot said actuating lever in a direction causing relative lateral displacement of said drum pin downwardly into said slot.