Shielded conduit cutting device

Claim 1

A hand-held device for cutting the shielding of a shielded conduit, comprising: a first elongated handle member; a radial cutter head carried by said first member and arranged to cut parallel to the longitudinal axis of said member; a second elongated handle member hingeably connected to said first member, whereby said members are positionable longitudinally adjacent one another, said second member having a shielded conduit-receiving cavity therein, the wall of said cavity adjacent said first member having a slit therethrough for passage of said cutter head into cutting contact with the shield of a shielded conduit in said cavity; a stop member to limit the extent of passage of said cutter head through said slit; means for rotating said cutter head; and clamping means comprising a screw in said wall of said cavity, said screw being adapted for advancement on a line generally parallel to the cutting plane of said cutter head and for contact with said conduit at a point offset from both said cutting plane and the center of said conduit, said wall having a first wall portion and a second wall portion, said first wall portion sloping on a plane inwardly of said cavity to define an apex at the junction of said first and second wall portions, said apex being positioned in proximity to said cutting plane on the opposite side thereof from said point of contact of said conduit with said screw such that the center of any conduit wedged in said cavity is generally on a line bisecting said apex, whereby said conduit can be tightly wedged into said cavity in proximity to said cutting plane and said shielded conduit is maintained in cutting contact with said cutter head upon closing together of said handle members.