Device for removing insulation from cables

Claim 1

A TOOL FOR REMOVING INSULATING AND SEMI-CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL FROM AN ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR, SAID TOOL COMPRISING: (A) A BODY COMPRISING TWO HINGEDLY CONNECTED SEMICYLINDRICAL PARTS PROVIDED WITH MEANS TO CLAMP THEM TOGETHER, SAID BODY HAVING AN APERTURE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND INCLUDING COAXIAL, LARGE AND SMALL DIAMETER END PORTIONS AND A FRUSTO-CONICAL INTERMEDIATE PORTION, AN ADAPTER COMPRISING TWO SEMICYLINDRICAL PARTS REMOVABLY SECURED IN SAID LARGE END PORTION AND HAVING AN APERTURE COAXIAL WITH SAID APERTURE IN THE BODY AND ONLY SLIGHTLY GREATER IN DIAMETER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE INSULATED CONDUCTOR, THE DIAMETER OF THE SMALL END PORTION OF THE APERTURE IN THE BODY BEING ONLY SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THAT OF THE BARE CONDUCTOR, (B) THE BODY HAVING A SLOT IN SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE APERTURE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY FROM THE SMALL END PORTION TO ADJACENT TO THE LARGE END PORTION OF THE APERTURE, (C) AND A BLADE REMOVABLY SECURED TO THE BODY AGAINST MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO, SAID BLADE BEING POSITIONED ALONG ONE SIDE OF SAID SLOT AND HAVING A CUTTING EDGE EXTENDING INTO THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE APERTURE BETWEEN THE ADJACENT SIDE OF THE SLOT AND A PLANE PASSING THROUGH THE AXIS OF SAID APERTURE AND THROUGH THE SLOT, SAID EDGE BEING TANGENT TO A CIRCLE HAVING A RADIUS WHICH IS LESS THAN THE RADIUS OF THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE APERTURE BY THE DESIRED THICKNESS OF INSULATION TO BE REMOVED IN ONE CUT, SAID EDGE EXTENDING FROM ADJACENT TO THE LARGE END APERTURE TO WITHIN A SHORT DISTANCE OF THE SMALL END APERTURE, THE SPACE BETWEEN THE END OF THE BLADE AND THE SMALL END PORTION OF THE APERTURE SERVING AS AN ESCAPE HATCH FOR SEMI-CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL AS IT IS REMOVED FROM A CONDUCTOR BY SAID CUTTING EDGE.