US 5,628,105 AGranted

Impact tool with multi-wire cutting head

AssigneeHarris Corporation

InventorsMichael M. Fallandy, Edward J. Zoiss

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Abstract

An impact tool for seating and cutting plural wires in a telephone wire termination block includes a movable cutter containing guide and shear elements having a spacial periodicity which differs slightly from that of terminals of the termination block. A force release mechanism in the tool handle includes a plunger translatable along the axis of the handle that engages a shaft for a stationary cutting head. The plunger passes through a bore of hammer which has a transverse bore sized to receive plural balls that are urged against and retain the plunger with the hammer. A main spring within the handle urges the hammer axially toward the shaft. The hammer passes through a ball-collar, which is axially translatable to remove retention between the hammer and the plunger, allowing the plunger to pass through the hammer bore, so that the hammer is rapidly axially translated by a main spring and strikes the plunger, imparting an impact force to the shaft. A force translation lever then linearly translates a movable cutter, which cuts the wires in rapid sequence.

Claims53

Dependent claims

An impact tool for use with a utility device, comprising a generally hollow handle having a first end that is provided with an axial bore therethrough sized to accommodate the translation of a shaft element along a longitudinal axis of said handle, said shaft element having a first, head portion which is engaged by a moveable plunger that is disposed within said handle and is translatable along a longitudinal axis of said handle, and a second, end portion to which said utility device is mounted, said plunger passing through a bore of hammer, that is axially translatable within said handle, said hammer having a transverse bore which is sized to receive a plurality of balls, such that said balls are urged against and retain said plunger with said hammer, a main spring supported within said handle and urging said hammer axially toward said shaft element, said hammer passing through a ball-collar, which is axially translatable within said handle, said ball collar having an interior groove that is sized to receive said balls when said transverse bore of said hammer is axially translated adjacent to said interior groove of said ball collar, thereby removing retention between said hammer and said plunger provided by said balls and allowing said plunger to pass through said bore of said hammer, so that said hammer may be rapidly axially translated by said main spring to strike said head portion of said moveable plunger and thereby impart a striking force to said shaft element, which is coupled to said utility device mounted to said second, end portion of said shaft element.

A force release mechanism for an impact tool, said impact tool having a generally hollow handle, a first end of which is provided with an axial bore sized to accommodate translation along a longitudinal axis of said handle of a shaft element of said handle, said shaft element having a utility device mounted thereto, said force release mechanism comprising a moveable plunger configured to be disposed within and translatable along said longitudinal axis of said handle, said plunger engaging said shaft element and passing through a bore of a hammer, that is axially translatable within said handle, said hammer having a transverse bore which is sized to receive at plurality of balls, such that said balls are urged against and retain said plunger with said hammer, a main spring supported within said handle and urging said hammer axially toward said shaft element, said hammer passing through a ball-collar, which is axially translatable within said handle, said ball collar having an interior groove that is sized to receive said balls when said transverse bore of said hammer is axially translated adjacent to said interior groove of said ball collar, thereby removing retention between said hammer and said plunger provided by said balls and allowing said plunger to pass through said bore of said hammer, so that said hammer may be rapidly axially translated by said main spring to strike said head portion of said moveable plunger and impart a striking force to said shaft element, and thereby to said utility device mounted thereto.

A wire cutting head for use with a force impact tool, said impact tool having a handle containing a force release mechanism, which is operative to impart an impact force to a shaft element that is translatable through an axial bore of one end of said handle along a longitudinal axis of said handle, said wire cutting device having a cutting head, that is mounted to said shaft element, and a movable cutter, mounted for linear translation relative to said cutting head in a direction that is generally transverse to said longitudinal axis of said handle, and a force translation mechanism coupled between said handle and said movable cutter and being operative to translate an impact force imparted along said longitudinal axis of said handle to said movable cutter, wherein said movable cutter has a plurality of wire shear and guide elements, that are configured to be placed against wire-receiving terminals of a wire terminal block.

A wire cutting and seating device, comprising a force impact tool, said impact tool having a handle containing a force release mechanism, which is operative to impart an impact force to a shaft element that is translatable through an axial bore at one end of said handle along a longitudinal axis of said handle, a wire cutting head mounted to said shaft element, a movable cutter, mounted for linear translation relative to said wire cutting head in a direction that is generally transverse to said longitudinal axis of said handle, and a force translation mechanism coupled between said handle and said movable cutter and being operative to translate an impact force imparted along said longitudinal axis of said handle to said movable cutter.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.