Cable stripping tool

A cable slitting tool comprising:

• a tool body having a threaded opening;
• a cable guide mounted on the tool body, the tool body and the cable guide defining a guide channel parallel to the threaded opening for receiving a cable to be slit longitudinally, the cable guide being movable between an open position to receive a cable and a closed position to bring the cable into a slitting position;
• a blade carriage mounted on the tool body for motion perpendicular to the guide channel;
• a slitting blade mounted on the blade carriage and projecting a distance into the guide channel;
• an adjustment screw having a smooth conically tapered portion defining an axis, the adjustment screw being threaded into the threaded opening of the tool body parallel to the guide channel, the blade carriage being driven in motion perpendicular to the guide channel by single point contact with the tapered portion of the adjustment screw as the adjustment screw is rotated, the adjustment screw being rotatable in a first direction to increase the distance the slitting blade projects into the guide channel and in an opposite direction to decrease the distance the slitting blade projects into the guide channel;
• and
• a backlash prevention mechanism cooperating with the adjustment screw to prevent backlash as the adjustment screw changes from rotating in the first direction to rotating in the opposite direction, the backlash prevention mechanism including:
• an adjustment screw spring in contact with the adjustment screw, the adjustment screw spring applying a spring force to the adjustment screw parallel to the axis of the adjustment screw, and
• a blade carriage spring in contact with the blade carriage, the blade carriage spring applying a spring force to the blade carriage perpendicular to the axis of the adjustment screw.