Coaxial cable termination tool

#Not applicable

#This invention relates to a tool for removing the insulation from a coaxial cable and installing a coaxial cable connector to the end.

#Scissors-like wire strippers are well known. They typically include a pair of lever members having handles and opposing jaws. The lever members are joined together by a pivot pin so that the jaws close by squeezing the handles together. Each jaw includes an oblique cutting edge having one or more semi-circular recesses aligned with corresponding recesses of the opposing jaw. The insulation can be stripped from an insulated conductor by inserting the wire into the appropriate recess, squeezing the handles together and pulling the wire away from the stripper. The recesses allow the insulation to be stripped away without the conductor being cut. A non-notched, bladed section may be provided to cut the conductor and/or insulation.

#FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a wire stripper of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a front view of the wire stripper with the jaws fully open;

#FIG. 3 is a front view of the wire stripper with the jaws locked closed;

#Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a hand-held wire stripper 10 includes two lever members 12 and 13 pivotally connected at a fulcrum 11 (see FIG. 1) by a suitable fastener 14. The lever members 12 and 13 have elongated handles 16 and 17 and jaws 18 and 19, respectfully, offset from the handles 16 and 17 about a centerline 15 (see FIG. 4) extending longitudinally through the fulcrum 11. A compression spring 20, secured at its ends to tabs 22 and 23 extending inwardly from the handles 16 and 17, respectively, biases the handles 16 and 17 apart so as to open the jaws 18 and 19, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Pressing the handles 16 and 17 together compresses the spring 20 and pivots the jaws 18 and 19 about the fulcrum 11 until their working edges 24 and 25, respectively, are brought adjacent one another with some overlap, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8. A latch 26, attached to handle 16 by a suitable pin connector 28, can be used to lock the jaws 18 and 19 in this position. Specifically, the latch 26 has a projecting finger 30 that can engage a notch 32 in a corner of jaw 19 to prevent the jaws 18 and 19 from pivoting about the fulcrum 11.

#The jaws 18 and 19 include conventional wire stripping and cutting features at the working edges 24 and 25. In particular, referring to FIG. 8, the working edges 24 and 25 have oblique surfaces 34 and 35 defining a curved if cutting section 36 nearest the fulcrum 11 and a notched stripping section 38 for stripping insulation from electrical wires and cable. Referring to FIG. 7, at the tips of each jaws 18 and 19 are a plurality of teeth 40 and 41 defining a pliers section 42 for gripping and crimping the wire or cable.

#Referring to FIG. 3, the stripper section 38 has a plurality of semi-circular recesses 44 and 45 paired to form a plurality of circular openings when the jaws 18 and 19 are closed. The openings are sized to accommodate standard wire gauges of coaxial cables so that the oblique surfaces 34 and 35 surrounding the openings cut through insulation around the wire or cable but does not cut into the conductor. With the three sets of stripper recess provided, the insulation can be stripped from both RG59 and RG6 cable.