Fiber optic cable stripper

A kit for use with a fiber optic cable stripping device, the kit comprising:

• a pair of stripping blades, each including an edge with a generally semi-circular notch configured for stripping the fiber optic cable, each blade including a mounting hole for mounting the blades to the device at a left side and a right side of the device respectively,
• a spacer including a generally rectangular body, the body of the spacer including a mounting hole for mounting the spacer to the device adjacent one of said two blades;
• and
• a centering structure including a generally rectangular body with a first end and a second end spaced apart in a horizontal direction and a top end and a mounting hole for mounting the centering structure to the device adjacent the other one of said two blades and opposite said spacer, the top end including a downwardly angled portion adjacent said second end, the second end including a tongue protruding outwardly in an offset configuration with respect to a rest of the second end, wherein the tongue defines the endmost point of the second end, wherein the tongue defines a top contact surface extending substantially all the way to the endmost point of the second end for providing a vertical stop for the fiber optic cable laid on the top contact surface, the centering structure including an elongate groove formed at the second end of the body, the groove extending in a direction generally from the second end toward the first end, the groove including an open end facing toward the second end of the body and a closed end facing toward the first end of the body, at least a portion of the groove formed by the top contact surface of the tongue, wherein the groove defines a lower contact surface formed by the top contact surface of the tongue, the groove also defining an upper contact surface opposing the lower contact surface formed by the top contact surface of the tongue for vertically retaining the fiber optic cable within the groove, wherein the lower contact surface of the groove and the top contact surface of the tongue extending substantially all the way to the endmost point of the second end are vertically aligned, and wherein at least a portion of the upper contact surface of the groove is parallel to the lower contact surface formed by the top contact surface of the tongue.

A method of stripping a fiber optic cable comprising:

• providing a fiber optic cable having a layer immediately surrounding an optical fiber;
• providing a fiber optic cable stripping device including a pair of stripping blades, each including an edge with a generally semi-circular notch configured for stripping the fiber optic cable, each blade including a mounting hole for mounting the blades to the device at a left side and a right side of the device respectively, the device further including a spacer having a generally rectangular body, the body of the spacer including a mounting hole for mounting the spacer to the device adjacent one of said two blades, the device further including a centering structure configured to position the fiber optic cable in a correct orientation both vertically and horizontally for stripping blades of the fiber optic cable stripping device as the stripping blades of the device come together in a horizontal direction to strip the layer surrounding the optical fiber, the centering structure further comprising a generally rectangular body with a first end and a second end spaced apart in a horizontal direction and a top end and a mounting hole for mounting the centering structure to the device adjacent the other one of said two blades and opposite said spacer, the top end including a downwardly angled portion adjacent said second end, the second end including a tongue protruding outwardly in an offset configuration with respect to a rest of the second end, wherein the tongue defines the endmost point of the second end, wherein the tongue defines a top contact surface extending substantially all the way to the endmost point of the second end for providing a vertical stop for the fiber optic cable laid on the top contact surface and an elongate groove formed at the second end of the body, the groove extending in a direction generally from the second end toward the first end, the groove including an open end facing toward the second end of the body and a closed end facing toward the first end of the body, at least a portion of the groove formed by the top contact surface of the tongue, wherein the groove defines a lower contact surface formed by the top contact surface of the tongue, the groove also defining an upper contact surface opposing the lower contact surface formed by the top contact surface of the tongue for vertically retaining the fiber optic cable within the groove, wherein the lower contact surface of the groove and the top contact surface of the tongue extending substantially all the way to the endmost point of the second end are vertically aligned;
• laying the layer immediately surrounding the optical fiber on the top contact surface of the centering structure;
• and
• moving the layer surrounding the optical fiber toward the elongate groove by bringing the stripping blades of the fiber optic cable stripping device together in the horizontal direction and capturing the layer surrounding the optical fiber between the stripping blades.