Hand tool for terminal connection of electrical cable to an electrical connector

A hand tool for assembling an insulated electrical cable to a terminal connector or the like which has a receptacle portion and an insulation piercing contact for receiving the cable, comprising:

• a pair of handle operated opposing jaws for movement toward and away from each other, one of said jaws having means defining bearing surface means for engaging the terminal connector and the other jaw having a stuffer portion for engaging the cable and inserting the cable into the insulation piercing contact in the receptacle portion, said bearing surface means comprising a bearing plate mounted on said one jaw with said bearing surface facing the opposing jaw, the bearing plate being fabricated of generally rigid material, a resiliently yieldable backing member in the form of a cushion pad sandwiched between said bearing plate and said one jaw providing yielding movement therebetween to accommodate variable sized terminal connectors positioned between the jaws and to prevent damage to the electrical cable due to excess pressure applied when assembling the cable to the connector, said cushion pad being fabricated of a material providing sufficient back-up to permit the contact to pierce the insulation of the cable but being sufficiently resilient to prevent the contact from damaging the conductive wire of the cable, said bearing plate and said yieldable backing member being mounted to said one jaw by a post member rigidly secured at one end to said bearing plate and extending through said yieldable backing member, and lost motion means connecting the other end of said post member to said one jaw to accommodate yielding movement of said bearing plate relative to said one jaw.