US 4,168,026 AGranted

Apparatus for breaking an optical fibre

AssigneeNorthern Telecom Limited

InventorsHelmut H. Lukas, Jack F. Dalgleish

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Abstract

A tool for breaking an optical fibre comprises an elongate base member and an elongate top member pivotally connected at a rear end. An elongate cam member slides longitudinally in the base member, being actuated by pivotting of the top member. At the front end of the base member are a front pair of opposed gripping jaws and a further, rear, pair of gripping jaws are spaced from the front jaws. A bending member is positioned between the two pairs of jaws. Pivotting of the top member towards the base member actuates the cam member which in turn first closes the front jaws, then the rear jaws. The rear jaws then pivot backwards to tension the fibre and then the bending member moves up to cause the fibre to bend over an arcuate top surface. Finally a pivotally mounted scoring member in the top member is actuated to sweep a sharp edge across the fibre to initiate a crack, which propagates across the fibre.

Claims16

Dependent claims

Apparatus for breaking an optical fibre, comprising:

a base member of elongate plan form;
an elongate cam member longitudinally slidable in said base member;
a top member extending over said base member and pivotally attached at a rear end to a rear end of said base member;
means extending between said top member and said cam member, whereby pivotal movement of said top member slides said cam member longitudinally;
a front gripping means on said base member at a front end;
a rear gripping means spaced from said front gripping means towards said rear end;
bending means positioned between said front and rear gripping means;
actuating means extending between said cam member and each of said front gripping means, said rear gripping means and said bending means, whereby longitudinal sliding of said cam member actuates said front and rear gripping means and said bending means in a predetermined sequence;
and scoring means pivotally mounted in said top member, said scoring means arranged to move across a fibre extending over said bending means, on closure of said top member on to said base member, to score said fibre and generate a break therein.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.