Insulation-slitting and stripping machine

Claim 2

A machine for slitting, splaying and stripping electrical cable means having a plurality of side-by-side insulated electrical conductors secured together comprising: frame means; slitting means provided by said frame means; splaying means provided by said frame means, said slitting means and said splaying means being in alignment; feed means on said frame means forward of said slitting and splaying means, said feed means adapted to feed said cable means into said slitting and splaying means with said slittinG means slitting an end of the cable means to separate the ends of the insulated electrical conductors from each other and said splaying means spacing the slitted free ends of the insulated electrical conductors from each other as said cable means is fed therealong; stripping means provided by said frame means in alignment with said slitting and splaying means; and operating means provided for said stripping means for operating said stripping means for stripping insulation from the separated free ends of the insulated electrical conductors.

Claim 3

A machine according to claim 1 wherein said feed means includes means to operate said feed means for a limited period of time to feed a predetermined length of cable means into said machine.

Claim 4

A machine according to claim 1 wherein said stripping means includes a carriage means having movable and stationary stripping and shearing members, said operating means including means for actuating said movable stripping and shearing members.

Claim 5

A machine according to claim 3 wherein guide means are disposed adjacent said stripping and shearing members for guiding the separated electrical conductors during the stripping and shearing operations thereon.

Claim 6

A machine according to claim 3 wherein said operating means includes driving means connected to said carriage means for driving said carriage means along the separated insulated electrical conductors so that said movable stripping and shearing members engage said actuating means.

Claim 7

A machine according to claim 5 wherein said operating means includes carrying means having cam means thereon.

Claim 8

A machine according to claim 1 wherein said slitting and splaying means comprise stacked block members having opposed groove means defining first channel means having parallel grooves and second channel means having grooves directed outwardly from a central axis of said block members separated by spacers having sharp edges spaced inwardly from rear ends of said block members.

Claim 9

A machine for slitting, splaying, stripping and shearing electrical cable means having a plurality of side-by-side insulated electrical conductors secured together comprising: frame means; feed means disposed on said frame means; slitting means provided by said frame means and disposed adjacent said feed means for slitting an end of the cable means to separate the ends of the insulated electrical conductors from each other; splaying means in alignment with said slitting means in said frame means for spacing the slitted free ends of the insulated electrical conductors from each other; stripping means in alignment with said splaying means in said frame means for stripping insulation from ends of the free ends of the insulated electrical conductors; shearing means adjacent said stripping means in said frame means for shearing the free ends of the insulated electrical conductors to provide the insulated electrical conductors with predetermined lengths; operating means connected to said feed means for operating same to thereby feed the electrical cable means into and along said slitting and splaying means for slitting and splaying the insulated electrical conductors thereby; and further operating means connected to said stripping and shearing means for operating same to strip insulation from the free ends of the insulated electrical conductors and to shear the free ends to predetermined lengths.

Claim 10

A machine for slitting, splaying, stripping and shearing electrical cable means having a plurality of side-by-side insulated electrical conductors secured together comprising: frame means; feed means disposed on said frame means; slitting means provided by said frame means and disposed adjacent said feed means for slitting an end of the cable means to separate the ends of the insulated electrical conductors from each other; splaying means in alignment with said slitting means in said frame means for spacing the slitted free ends of the insulated electrical conductors from each other; stripping means in alignment with said splaying means in said frame means for stripping insulation from ends of the free ends of the insulated electrical conductors; shearing means adjacent said stripping means in said frame means for shearing the free ends of the insulated electrical conductors to provide the insulated electrical conductors with predetermined lengths; operating means connected to said feed means for operating same to thereby feed the electrical cable means into and along said slitting and splaying means for slitting and splaying the insulated electrical conductors thereby; and further operating means connected to said stripping and shearing means for operating same to strip insulation from the free ends of the insulated electrical conductors and to shear the free ends to predetermined lengths.

Claim 11

A machine according to claim 6 wherein said carrying means and said cam means include means to enable said cam means to be disposed at selected positions along said carrying means to provide stripped electrical conductors of varying lengths.

Claim 12

A machine according to claim 9 wherein said cam means have first sections for moving said movable stripping members to a stripping position and second sections for moving said movable stripping members to a shearing position when said movable stripping members engage first and second sections.