Wire stripper

Claim 2

A wire stripper comprising a blade, guide means for said blade for permitting movement thereof in a predetermined path, resilient means biasing said blade in one direction in said predetermined path, stop means for limiting the movement of said blade in said one direction, said stop means including a plurality of elements individually positionable in operative relationship with said blade for so limiting said movement of said blade, said elements being individually adjustable for permitting successive strokes of said blade of different distances in said predetermined path, lateral wire support means adjacent said blade such that a wire supported thereby is engageable by said blade upon said movement of said blade in said one direction, and wire positioning means for axially positioning such a wire relative to said blade, said wire positioning means including a plurality of elements individually positionable adjacent said lateral wire support means for individual engagement thereof by a wire for so axially positioning the same, said elements of said wire positioning means being individually adjustable for positioning such a wire at different axial positions relative to said blade.

Claim 3

A device as recited in claim 1 in which said resilient means biasing said blade in one direction includes a member engaging said blade for causing said blade to move therewith, means pivotally mounting said member, and a spring engaging said member and biasing said member pivotally in a direction in which said member biases said blade in said one direction.

Claim 4

A device as recited in claim 2 in which said member is pivotal in the opposite directiOn in opposition to said spring for moving said blade in a direction opposite to said one direction.

Claim 5

A wire stripper comprising a blade, guide means for said blade for permitting movement thereof in a predetermined path, resilient means biasing said blade in one direction in said predetermined path, said resilient means including a member engaging said blade for causing said blade to move therewith, means pivotally mounting said member, and a spring engaging said member and biasing said member pivotally in a direction in which said member biases said blade in said one direction, stop means for limiting the movement of said blade in said one direction, said stop means including a rotatable element, and a plurality of angularly spaced abutment means on said rotatable element, said abutment means being adjustable for varying the distances thereof from the axis of rotation of said rotatable element, said abutment means upon rotation of said rotatable element being individually positionable adjacent said member for engagement thereby upon said pivotal movement of said member in said one direction, for thereby limiting the pivotal movement of said member and the distance of the stroke said member imparts to said blade, lateral wire support means adjacent said blade such that a wire supported thereby is engageable by said blade upon said movement of said blade in said one direction, and wire positioning means for axially positioning such a wire relative to said blade, said wire positioning means being adjustable for positioning such a wire at different axial positions relative to said blade.

Claim 6

A wire stripper comprising a blade, guide means for said blade for permitting movement thereof in a predetermined path, resilient means biasing said blade in one direction in said predetermined path, said resilient means including a member engaging said blade for causing said blade to move therewith, means pivotally mounting said member, and a spring engaging said member and biasing said member pivotally in a direction in which said member biases said blade in said one direction, stop means for limiting the movement of said blade in said one direction, said stop means including a rotatable element, and a plurality of angularly spaced abutment means on said rotatable element, said abutment means being adjustable for varying the distances thereof from the axis of rotation of said rotatable element, said abutment means upon rotation of said rotatable element being individually positionable adjacent said member for engagement thereby upon said pivotal movement of said member in said one direction, for thereby limiting the pivotal movement of said member and the distance of the stroke said member imparts to said blade, lateral wire support means adjacent said blade such that a wire supported thereby is engageable by said blade upon said movement of said blade in said one direction, and wire positioning means for axially positioning such a wire relative to said blade, said wire positioning means being adjustable for positioning such a wire at different axial positions relative to said blade.

Claim 7

A device as recited in claim 4 in which said abutment means includes a plurality of threaded members, said rotatable element having generally radial openings threadably receiving said threaded members, said threaded members having outer surfaces engageable by said pivotal member when positioned adjacent said pivotal member.

Claim 8

A device as recited in claim 4 in which said wire positioning means includes a plurality of additional abutments spaced outwardly from said wire support means, said additional abutments being individually positionable adjacent said wire support means for engagement by the end of a wire supported by said wire support means, said additional abutments being adjustable for varying the distances thereof from said blade when so positioned in adjacency with said wire support means for thereby adjusting the axial position of a wire so engaged thereby relative to said blade.

Claim 9

A device as recited in claim 6 in which said additional abutments are carried by said rotatable element.

Claim 10

A device as recited in claim 7 in which said wire support means includes a body having an elongated opening therein adapted to receive a wire, said opening having an end adjacent said blade for permitting a wire to be projected beyond said end for engagement by said blade.

Claim 11

A device as recited in claim 8 in which said additional abutments include a plurality of substantially parallel additional threaded members, said rotatable element threadably receiving said additional threaded members, said additional threaded members being individually positionable in axial alignment with said opening in said body upon predetermined rotational positioning of said rotatable element.

Claim 12

A device as recited in claim 9 including indicia on the exterior of said rotatable element for facilitating the adjustment of said additional threaded members relative thereto.

Claim 13

A device as recited in claim 10 in which for said indicia said rotatable element has a plurality of individual circumferential segments on the outer periphery thereof, said segments being of predetermined length and interconnected to provide a stepped exterior for said rotatable element.

Claim 14

A wire stripper device comprising a body, said body having an opening extending from a first end to a secoNd end thereof, a flat blade, said first end having a recess therein receiving said blade for guiding the same in a path transverse to said opening, a lever, means pivotally connecting said lever to said body, said blade having an opening therethrough, one end portion of said lever on one side of said pivotal connecting means extending through said opening in said blade, whereby pivotal movement of said lever causes movement of said blade toward or away from said opening in said body, a spring engaging said lever on the opposite side of said pivotal connecting means and biasing said lever in one pivotal direction so as to urge said blade toward said opening in said body, a rotatable means, means rotatably mounting said rotatable means adjacent said first end of said body, a plurality of first threaded members carried by said rotatable means, means for indexing said rotatable means so as to selectively hold the same in different predetermined rotational positions relative to said body, one of said first threaded members being positioned adjacent said one end portion of said lever in each of said predetermined rotational positions for engagement by said one end portion and limiting said movement of said lever in said one pivotal direction, thereby limiting said movement of said blade toward said opening in said body, each of said first threaded members being adjustable in position for adjusting the limit of said movement of said lever in said one direction, and a plurality of second threaded members carried by said rotatable means, one of said second threaded members being positioned substantially in alignment with said opening in said body in each of said predetermined rotational positions for engagement by the end of a wire extending through said opening in said body for thereby axially positioning said wire, said second threaded members being adjustable in position for varying the axial position of said wire.

Claim 15

A wire stripper device comprising a body, said body having an opening extending from a first end to a secoNd end thereof, a flat blade, said first end having a recess therein receiving said blade for guiding the same in a path transverse to said opening, a lever, means pivotally connecting said lever to said body, said blade having an opening therethrough, one end portion of said lever on one side of said pivotal connecting means extending through said opening in said blade, whereby pivotal movement of said lever causes movement of said blade toward or away from said opening in said body, a spring engaging said lever on the opposite side of said pivotal connecting means and biasing said lever in one pivotal direction so as to urge said blade toward said opening in said body, a rotatable means, means rotatably mounting said rotatable means adjacent said first end of said body, a plurality of first threaded members carried by said rotatable means, means for indexing said rotatable means so as to selectively hold the same in different predetermined rotational positions relative to said body, one of said first threaded members being positioned adjacent said one end portion of said lever in each of said predetermined rotational positions for engagement by said one end portion and limiting said movement of said lever in said one pivotal direction, thereby limiting said movement of said blade toward said opening in said body, each of said first threaded members being adjustable in position for adjusting the limit of said movement of said lever in said one direction, and a plurality of second threaded members carried by said rotatable means, one of said second threaded members being positioned substantially in alignment with said opening in said body in each of said predetermined rotational positions for engagement by the end of a wire extending through said opening in said body for thereby axially positioning said wire, said second threaded members being adjustable in position for varying the axial position of said wire.

Claim 16

A device as recited in claim 12 in which said indexing means includes at least one pin projecting outwardly from said one end of said body, the adjacent face of said rotatable means having a plurality of openings each of which is adapted to receive said pin in a predetermined rotational position of said rotatable means, and resilient means biasing said rotatable means toward said one end of said body for normally holding said pin in one of said openings in said rotatable means.

Claim 17

A device as recited in claim 13 in which there are four of said first threaded members and four of said second threaded members for providing a substantially large range of adjustments.

Claim 18

A device as recited in claim 14 including in addition a tube positionable in said opening in said body for supporting wires of relatively small sizes.

Claim 19

A device as recited in claim 15 in which said tube includes a segment projecting outwardly from said one end of said body and opposite from said blade for enhancing the support provided by said tube.