Jacket marking and scoring system and method
AssigneeEncore Wire Corporation
InventorsRyan J. Maxwell, Kevin D. Rodgers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for marking and scoring an insulated wire or cable is disclosed. The apparatus includes a housing enclosing a portion of a wire path, wherein the insulated wire or cable moves along the wire path through the housing; an upper splined gear rod and a lower splined gear rod within the housing; an actuator connected to the upper splined gear rod, wherein the actuator raises and lowers the upper splined gear rod; and wherein the actuator when lowered presses the insulated wire or cable between the upper and lower splined gear rods.
Claims20
An apparatus for marking and scoring an insulated wire or cable, the apparatus comprising:
- an upper splined gear rod offset along a wire path for the insulated wire or cable from a lower splined gear rod;
- and
- an actuator connected to the upper splined gear rod, wherein the actuator is configured to raise and lower the upper splined gear rod;
- wherein the upper splined gear rod when lowered by the actuator is configured to press the insulated wire or cable between the offset upper and lower splined gear rods to perform said marking and scoring respectively on a top and bottom of the insulated wire or cable.
A method of scoring a jacketed and insulated wire or cable, the method comprising the steps of:
- pulling a jacketed and insulated wire or cable along a wire path comprising an upper splined gear rod connected to an actuator and offset from a lower splined gear rod along the wire path;
- and
- activating the actuator to lower the upper splined gear rod relative to the jacketed and insulated wire or cable so as to imprint scoring marks by the upper and lower splined gear rods respectively on a top and bottom of the jacketed and insulated wire or cable.
A jacketed and insulated wire or cable manufacturing system, the system comprising:
- a first extruder, wherein the first extruder applies an insulating material on an internal conductor;
- a tester in contact with the insulated internal conductor, wherein the tester determines defects or damage to the insulated internal conductor;
- a timing device connected to the tester;
- and
- a marking and scoring apparatus downstream of the tester and electronically connected to the tester, the marking and scoring apparatus further comprising:
- an upper splined gear rod offset along a wire path for the insulated internal conductor from a lower splined gear rod;
- and
- an actuator connected to the upper splined gear rod, wherein the actuator is configured to raise and lower the upper splined gear rod relative to the insulated internal conductor in response to a signal received from the tester;
- wherein the upper splined gear rod when lowered by the actuator is configured to press the insulated internal conductor between the offset upper and lower splined gear rods to perform said marking and scoring respectively on a top and bottom of the insulated internal conductor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.