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US 2002/0170182 A1Published application
Cable cutter/crimper mechanism
AssigneeGreenlee Textron Inc.
InventorWilliam F. Nordlin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tool for cutting/crimping a workpiece, such as a cable, includes an automatic rapid blade advance such that a blade on a movable jaw of the tool advances toward cutting the cable every time the handles of the tool are closed. The automatic rapid blade advance also advances the blade on the movable jaw toward cutting the cable every time the handles of the tool are opened up until the blade on the movable jaw first encounters a resistive force from the cable. The tool also includes an automatic blade return such that the blade on the movable jaw will automatically return to its original position after the blade has cut through or crimped the cable.
Claims36
A tool for cutting or crimping a workpiece comprising:
- a first lever having first and second ends;
- a second lever having first and second ends;
- first means for pivotally fastening said first and second levers to one another;
- a fixed jaw connected to said first means;
- a movable jaw having a blade portion formed along an inner edge thereof and a plurality of teeth formed along an outer edge thereof;
- second means for pivotally fastening said second jaw to said fixed jaw, said blade portion of said movable jaw being adapted to be placed about the workpiece and moved toward said fixed jaw to envelope the workpiece between said fixed and movable jaws;
- a first member being adapted to engage with said plurality of teeth;
- means for attaching said first member to said first means, said first member being capable of moving relative to said first means;
- a second member adapted to engage with said plurality of teeth, said second member being pivotally connected to said first means;
- and
- a third member adapted to engage with said plurality of teeth, said third member being pivotally connected to said first means.
8 more elements
A tool for cutting or crimping a workpiece comprising:
- a pair of handles;
- a fixed jaw associated with said pair of handles;
- a movable jaw having a blade portion formed along an inner edge thereof, said movable jaw being pivotally mounted to said fixed jaw;
- means for advancing said movable jaw from an open position to a closed position wherein said blade portion of said movable jaw is distal to said fixed jaw in said open position and is proximate to said fixed jaw in said closed position;
- and
- means for automatically returning said movable jaw from said closed position to said open position.
3 more elements
A tool for cutting or crimping a workpiece comprising:
- a pair of handles;
- a fixed jaw associated with said pair of handles;
- a movable jaw pivotally mounted to said fixed jaw, said movable jaw having a blade portion formed along an inner edge thereof and a plurality of teeth formed along an outer edge thereof;
- first means for selectively engaging said plurality of teeth of said movable jaw, said first means advancing said movable jaw toward said fixed jaw by a predetermined number of tooth spaces each time said handles are moved toward each other;
- and
- second means for selectively engaging said plurality of teeth of said movable jaw, said second means advancing said movable jaw toward said fixed jaw by more tooth spaces than said predetermined number of tooth spaces each time said handles are moved away from each other until said movable jaw meets resistance with the workpiece.
3 more elements
A tool for cutting or crimping a workpiece comprising:
- a pair of handles;
- a fixed jaw associated with said pair of handles;
- a movable jaw having a blade portion formed along an inner edge thereof and a plurality of teeth along an outer edge thereof, said movable jaw being pivotally mounted to said fixed jaw;
- means for advancing said movable jaw from an open position to a closed position wherein said blade portion of said movable jaw is distal to said fixed jaw in said open position and is proximate to said fixed jaw in said closed position, said advancing means including first and second members for selectively engaging said plurality of teeth of said movable jaw, said first member advancing said movable jaw toward said fixed jaw by a predetermined number of tooth spaces each time said handles are moved toward each other, said second member advancing said movable jaw toward said fixed jaw by more than said predetermined number of tooth spaces each time said handles are moved away from each other until said movable jaw meets resistance with said workpiece;
- and
- means for automatically returning said movable jaw from said closed position to said open position.
3 more elements
A tool for cutting or crimping a workpiece comprising:
- a first lever having first and second ends, said first lever having a handle portion at said first end thereof;
- a first member having first and second ends and a middle portion, said middle portion of said first member having a slot therethrough, said second end of said first lever being fixedly connected to said middle portion of said first member;
- a second member having first and second ends, said second end of said second member being connected to said second end of said first member;
- a third member having first and second ends, said second end of said third member being connected to said second end of said first member;
- a second lever having first and second ends, said first lever having a handle portion at said first end thereof, said second end of said second lever being fixedly connected to said first end of said third member;
- a fixed jaw having a blade portion formed along an inner edge thereof, said fixed jaw being connected to said second end of said second member;
- a movable jaw having a blade portion formed along an inner edge thereof and a plurality of teeth formed along an outer edge thereof, said movable jaw being pivotally connected to said fixed jaw;
- a fourth member having first and second ends, said first end of said fourth member being connected to said second end of said third member;
- a first pawl adapted to engage with said plurality of teeth, said first pawl being slidably connected to said first member within said slot of said member;
- a first normally expanded spring positioned between said first lever and said first member, said first normally expanded spring abutting against said first pawl such that said first pawl is biased toward said plurality of teeth;
- a second pawl having teeth thereon which are adapted to engage with said plurality of teeth, said second pawl having a first indent and a second indent provided therein, said second pawl being connected to said second end of said first member;
- a third pawl having teeth thereon which are adapted to engage with said plurality of teeth, said third pawl being connected to said fixed jaw;
- a torsion spring positioned between said third pawl and said fixed jaw, said second end of said third member and said third pawl being connected to said torsion spring;
- a fifth member having first and second ends, said first end of said fifth member being connected to said second end of said first member, said second end of said fifth member being connected to said second end of said fourth member;
- a sixth member having first and second ends, said first end of said sixth member being connected to said second end of said first member, said second end of said sixth member being connected to said fixed jaw;
- a normally contracted spring positioned between said fixed jaw and said movable jaw;
- a reversing member having first and second ends, said second end of said reversing member being connected to said second end of said fifth member and to said movable jaw;
- a second normally expanded spring positioned between said reversing member and said movable jaw;
- a pin attached to said second normally expanded spring, said pin being selectively engageable with one of said first indent of said second pawl and said second indent of said second pawl;
- and
- first and second stops connected to said movable jaw.
18 more elements
A method of advancing a movable jaw of a tool toward a workpiece comprising the steps of:
- a) providing said tool, said tool having a pair of handles, a fixed jaw associated with said pair of handles, said movable jaw pivotally mounted to said fixed jaw, said movable jaw having a plurality of teeth formed along an outer edge thereof, a first member operatively associated with one of said handles and having teeth thereon, and a second member operatively associated with one of said handles and being biased toward said plurality of teeth of said movable jaw;
- b) moving said handles toward each other such that said first member advances said movable jaw toward said fixed jaw by a predetermined number of tooth spaces;
- and
- c) moving said handles away from each other such that said second member advances said movable jaw toward said fixed jaw by more tooth spaces than said predetermined number of tooth spaces.
1 more element
A method of automatically returning a movable jaw of a tool from a closed position to an open position, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing said tool, said tool having a fixed jaw, said movable jaw being pivotally mounted to said fixed jaw, a first member engageable with said movable jaw and having a first indent and a second indent, a pair of stops provided on said movable cutting jaw, a second member having a first end and a second end, said first end being pivotally mounted to said movable jaw, a normally expanded spring attached to said second member, a pin attached to said normally expanded spring and selectively engageable with one of said first indent of said first member and said second indent of said first member, and a normally contracted spring attached to said movable jaw and said fixed jaw;
- b) positioning said movable jaw to said closed position such that said normally contracted spring is expanded, said pin is engaged with said first indent of said first member, and said second member abutting against one of said stops provided on said movable jaw;
- c) pushing said second member against said one of said stops;
- d) forcing said pin from said first indent to said second indent;
- e) contracting said normally contracting spring;
- f) moving said movable jaw from said closed position to said open position;
- and
- g) forcing said pin from said second indent to said first indent.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.