Insulation stripping tool with displaceable knife carrier means

Insulation-stripping pliers apparatus (1) for stripping a layer of insulation from an insulated conductor (10), comprising:

• (a) a pair of handle members (2, 3) having first ends that are pivotally connected together for pivotal movement about a horizontal main pivot axis (49), said first end of one of said handle members comprising a hollow shell portion (4) having a pair of parallel spaced vertical side walls (52), and a vertical end wall (4a) connected between the free ends of said side walls, said handle members being relatively pivotally displaceable between open and closed positions, respectively, said side and end walls defining a chamber within said shell portion;
• (b) a clamping jaw (8) arranged in said shell chamber for pivotal displacement about a pivot axis (19) that is parallel with said main pivot axis, said clamping jaw being pivotable between released and clamping positions relative to said shell portion, said clamping jaw having a first end portion (8a) that is adjacent said shell portion end wall when said clamping jaw is in said clamping position;
• (c) a pair of generally rectangular blade holders (15, 16) arranged in superposed relation in said shell chamber in a vertical plane normal to said main pivot axis, said blade holders having first ends remote from said shell end wall that are pivotally connected together, and second ends adjacent said shell portion end wall, said second blade holder ends carrying a pair of opposed cutting and stripping blades (12, 13), respectively, said blade holders being relatively pivotally displaceable between closed and open position;
• (d) biasing means (17) for biasing said handle members and said blade holders toward their open positions, said blade holders in said open position defining therebetween a mouth opening (55) for receiving one end of a longitudinally-inserted insulated conductor;
• (e) displacing means for displacing said blade holders, when in said closed position, longitudinally between positions adjacent and remote from said shell end wall, respectively, said displacing means including:
• (1) a pull rod (29) arranged for longitudinal movement relative to said one handle member;
• and
• (2) connecting means for removably connecting the first ends of said blade holders with the end of said pull rod that is adjacent said shell end wall, each of said blade holders being connected for pivotal movement relative to said pull rod about a horizontal pivot axis parallel with said main pivot axis,
• (f) operating means operable when the end of an insulated conductor is inserted longitudinally into said mouth opening and said handle members are pivoted from said open position toward said closed position for:
• (1) initially pivoting said clamping jaw toward said clamping position, thereby to clamp the insulated conductor against said shell end wall, and for pivoting said blade holders to effect cutting engagement of said blade means with, and severing of, the conductor insulation laver;
• and
• (2) subsequently displacing said pull rod toward said remote position, thereby to strip the severed insulation layer from the conductor;
• and
• (g) depth adjustment means (24) for adjusting the position of one of said blade holders relative to said clamping jaw, thereby to control the depth of cut in the insulation layer by the associate blade means (13), said depth adjustment means including a tapered wedge-shaped slide plate (23) slidably connected with said clamping jaw, said slide plate having laterally extending flexible leg portions (43) that extend outwardly into corresponding guide slots (43) contained in the opposed side walls (51) of said clamping jaw, respectively.