Method of cutting shielding conductor of a high voltage cable and apparatus to be used therefore

A method of cutting a shield conductor of a high voltage shielded electrical cable, comprising:

• flaring a free end of the shield conductor outwardly from the high voltage shielded electrical cable;
• placing the shielded electrical cable in an aperture of a two-piece clamping die, a side surface of the clamping die serving as a cutting surface;
• moving at least one of the two pieces of the clamping die toward the other of the two pieces of the clamping die in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the shielded electrical cable, thereby clamping the shielded electrical cable within the aperture of the clamping die;
• disposing an end of the shielded electrical cable within a cutting tube;
• moving the clamping die in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the shielded electrical cable towards the cutting tube;
• pressing the cutting tube against a cutting surface of the clamping die with the flared shield conductor disposed between the cutting tube and the cutting surface;
• rotating the cutting tube relative to the cutting surface of the clamping die;
• and
• cutting through the flared shield conductor with an edge of the cutting tube as it is pressed against the cutting surface of the clamping die.

An apparatus configured to cut a shield conductor of a shielded electrical cable that is flared outwardly from the shielded electrical cable, said apparatus comprising:

• a die comprising a cutting surface on a side of the die and an aperture extending therethrough, the aperture being configured to receive an end of the shielded electrical cable;
• a cutting tube having two parts that are configured to be closed around the shielded electrical cable and pressed against the cutting surface while the flared shield conductor is disposed between the cutting tube and the cutting surface on the side of the die, thereby cutting a portion of a free end of the flared shield conductor;
• and
• a cutting tube rotation mechanism connected to a lever configured to rotate the cutting tube around a longitudinal axis of the shielded electrical cable.