Tool for stripping the insulation from electrical conductors

Claim 1

A tool for stripping the insulation from electrical conductors, comprising: a housing frame; a clamping device to clamp the conductor including two clamping jaws movable with respect to each other, one of said clamping jaws being substantially fixedly attached to said housing frame, the other of said clamping jaws being pivotally supported by said housing frame; two blades which are movable toward each other for cutting the insulation of the conductor; a carriage mounted to said housing by a pair of generally parallel and pivotable links, said carriage movable relative to said clamping device and supporting said blades, one of said blades being substantially fixedly attached to said said carriage, and the other of said blades movably mounted on said carriage; a toggle joint operatively connecting said housing frame and said movable clamping jaw; and a motor-driven control system for transferring said clamping device and said blades from initial positions in which the conductor is released to a working position in which the conductor is clamped and the blades cut into the insulation, said control system including first and second cams, said first cam acting on said toggle joint and said second cam acting on one of said parallel links, said cams being shaped such that as said toggle joint is expanded said movable clamping jaw and said movable blade are transferred to said working position while said carriage is at rest, and thereafter said carriage is moved while both said clamping device and said blades remain in the working position, and thereafter said movable clamping jaw and said movable blade are returned to the initial position while, at the same time, said carriage is returned.