Insulation stripper for ribbon cable

Claim 2

Apparatus for stripping insulation from conductors in a ribbon cable comprising a base, a drive plate adjacent said base, means for moving the drive plate toward and away from the base, cutting means for severing the insulation surrounding the conductors of a ribbon cable without severing the conductors including a part on said base and an opposed part on said drive plate, one of said parts of said cutting means having a sharp insulation cutting edge facing said other part with sharp edged conductor receiving recesses formed therein, the other part having a ribbon cable support opposite said edge whereby said parts cooperate to at least partially sever the insulation surrounding the ribbon cable conductors without severing the conductors upon movement of the drive plate least one of said blades including a number of sharp base to bring said parts together, ribbon cable holding means on the base, conductor alignment means for aligning the insulated conductors in a ribbon cable in said holding means relative to said recesses prior to closing of said parts, and means for moving the holding means away from the cutting means to pull the conductors past said parts when closed to strip the insulation from the conductors.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1 including trimming means for severing the conductors in the ribbon cable.

Claim 4

Apparatus as iN claim 1 wherein said conductor alignment means comprises an alignment plate on both said drive plate and base, each such alignment plate having a number of conductor receiving recesses arranged therealong to receive and orient the conductors in the ribbon cable on the base, each of said conductor receiving recesses in each alignment plate being aligned with one of said sharp edged recesses.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said conductor receiving recesses are generally V-shaped having a maximum width greater than the lateral dimensions of the conductors and a bottom adapted to confine the conductors in alignment with said sharp edged recesses.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said means for withdrawing the conductors comprises a moveable slide on said base, and tape cable mounting means on said slide.

Claim 7

Apparatus for stripping insulation from around the conductors of a ribbon cable comprising a press having a base, a support and means for moving the base and support toward and away from each other, a conductor alignment plate on each of said base and support, each plate including a row of aligned conductor orienting recesses with each recess in the plate on the support positioned above a recess in the plate on the base whereby movement of the support toward the base brings said plates together so that the conductors are accurately confined in the bottoms of said recesses at known locations, opposed insulation cutter blades mounted on said support and said base to one side of said plates, each blade including a sharp cutting edge, and at a number of sharp sharp edged recesses, said recesses being located along such edge in alignment with the recesses in said plates, and means for mounting a ribbon cable on said base so that the insulated conductors thereof extend between said plates and said cutter blades when separated whereby upon movement of said support toward said base, said insulated conductors are accurately aligned in said plate recesses and said cutters close to at least partially sever the insulation surrounding said conductors without severing the conductors.

Claim 8

Apparatus for stripping insulation from around the conductors of a ribbon cable comprising a press having a base, a support and means for moving the base and support toward and away from each other, a conductor alignment plate on each of said base and support, each plate including a row of aligned conductor orienting recesses with each recess in the plate on the support positioned above a recess in the plate on the base whereby movement of the support toward the base brings said plates together so that the conductors are accurately confined in the bottoms of said recesses at known locations, opposed insulation cutter blades mounted on said support and said base to one side of said plates, each blade including a sharp cutting edge, and at a number of sharp sharp edged recesses, said recesses being located along such edge in alignment with the recesses in said plates, and means for mounting a ribbon cable on said base so that the insulated conductors thereof extend between said plates and said cutter blades when separated whereby upon movement of said support toward said base, said insulated conductors are accurately aligned in said plate recesses and said cutters close to at least partially sever the insulation surrounding said conductors without severing the conductors.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 6 including means for moving said mounting means away from said plates and blades when closed so as to pull said conductors from between said plates and strip insulation from said conductors.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 7 including cutting means for trimming the ends of said conductors.