Method and apparatus for untwisting and cutting twisted cable

Claim 1

An apparatus for untwisting and shearing a length of twisted conductive strands, the apparatus comprising: first and second strand receivers having front and rear surfaces and guide bores for receiving the strands, each of the guide bores being sized to receive one conductive strand and having an opening on the front surface of its respective strand receiver with the guide bores in said first strand receiver converging from their openings to a common point sized to receive the twisted conductive strands and the guide bores in said second strand receiver diverging from their openings, said bores and openings being in alignment when the strand receivers are located in a first position; means for locating the front surfaces of said strand receivers in spaced facing relationship and disposing the bores in their first position; and means for displacing one strand receiver with respect to the other strand receiver so as to displace the bore openings from their first position to a second position where the bore openings are nonaligned, said twisted conductive strands being constrained into said bores upon being urged against said common point, untwisted when passed through the bores radiating outwardly therefrom and into the bores in the other receiver and sheared when the receivers are moved.

Claim 2

An apparatus for untwisting and shearing a length of twisted conductive strands, the apparatus comprising: first and second strand receivers having front and rear surfaces and guide bores for receiving the strands, each of the guide bores being sized to receive one conductive strand and having an opening on the front surface of its respective strand receiver with the guide bores in said first strand receiver converging from their openings to a common point sized to receive the twisted conductive strands and the guide bores in said second strand receiver diverging from their openings, said bores and openings being in alignment when the strand receivers are located in a first position; means for locating the front surfaces of said strand receivers in spaced facing relationship and disposing the bores in their first position; and means for displacing one strand receiver with respect to the other strand receiver so as to displace the bore openings from their first position to a second position where the bore openings are nonaligned, said twisted conductive strands being constrained into said bores upon being urged against said common point, untwisted when passed through the bores radiating outwardly therefrom and into the bores in the other receiver and sheared when the receivers are moved.

Claim 3

An apparatus as recited in claims 1 wherein said locating means includes means for fixedly mounting said first strand receiver and means for movably mounting said second strand receiver.

Claim 9

A method of untwisting a plurality of twisted conductive strands and cutting the untwisted strands, the strands being enclosed by a jacket of insulation of a multi-stranded conductor cable having a generally circular outer cross section, the method comprising the steps of: removing a forward portion of the insulation to expose a forward end of the twisted conductive strands; providing first and second strand receiving members of the type having at least one confrontable surface, the first strand receiving member being provided with a wire passage sized to receive the exposed forward end of the twisted strands and a plurality of strand guide bores sized to receive one wire strand, the wire passage extending inwardly from one end thereof and the plurality of guide bores extending inwardly from the confrontable surface and interconnecting with the wire passage and the second strand receiving member having a like plurality of strand guide bores extending inwardly from its confrontable surface and therethrough to another end thereof, the guide bores of each strand receiving member being adapted to be in alignment when the members are in a first position and out of alignment when the members are in a second position; positioning the confrontable surfaces of the strand receiving members in the first position so that the guide bores are aligned; inserting the forward end of the twisted strands into the wire passage of the first strand receiving member; progressively pushing the forward end into the wire passage whereby the strands are directed to the guide bores of the first strand receiving member; forcibly urging the strands into, through and outwardly of the guide bores in the first strand receiving member and into the guide bores of the second strand receiving member, thereby untwisting the conductive strands; moving the second strand receiving member relative to the first strand receiving member from the first position and into the second position to displace the confrontable surfaces, the displacement thereby shearing the strand portion disposed in the second member from the cable and strands disposed in the first member; and removing the cable having untwisted and sheared strand ends from the first strand receiving member.

Claim 10

A method of untwisting a plurality of twisted conductive strands and cutting the untwisted strands, the strands being enclosed by a jacket of insulation of a multi-stranded conductor cable having a generally circular outer cross section, the method comprising the steps of: removing a forward portion of the insulation to expose a forward end of the twisted conductive strands; providing first and second strand receiving members of the type having at least one confrontable surface, the first strand receiving member being provided with a wire passage sized to receive the exposed forward end of the twisted strands and a plurality of strand guide bores sized to receive one wire strand, the wire passage extending inwardly from one end thereof and the plurality of guide bores extending inwardly from the confrontable surface and interconnecting with the wire passage and the second strand receiving member having a like plurality of strand guide bores extending inwardly from its confrontable surface and therethrough to another end thereof, the guide bores of each strand receiving member being adapted to be in alignment when the members are in a first position and out of alignment when the members are in a second position; positioning the confrontable surfaces of the strand receiving members in the first position so that the guide bores are aligned; inserting the forward end of the twisted strands into the wire passage of the first strand receiving member; progressively pushing the forward end into the wire passage whereby the strands are directed to the guide bores of the first strand receiving member; forcibly urging the strands into, through and outwardly of the guide bores in the first strand receiving member and into the guide bores of the second strand receiving member, thereby untwisting the conductive strands; moving the second strand receiving member relative to the first strand receiving member from the first position and into the second position to displace the confrontable surfaces, the displacement thereby shearing the strand portion disposed in the second member from the cable and strands disposed in the first member; and removing the cable having untwisted and sheared strand ends from the first strand receiving member.

Claim 24

An apparatus for untwisting twisted conductive strands of a multi-stranded electrical cable and for shearing the untwisted ends, the apparatus comprising: a first plate having top and bottom surfaces, a wire passage sized to receive the twisted conductive strands and a plurality of guide bores sized to receive one untwisted conductive strand, the wire passage extending from a rear surface to an interior location and the guide bores radiating from the interior location and outwardly to the front surface; a second plate having top and bottom surfaces, and a like plurality of guide bores extending between front and rear surfaces, the front surfaces being complementary and the guide bores in the second plate being aligned with the guide bores in the first plate in at least one position; a frame for fixed mounting the first plate relative to the second plate; said second plate being mounted in the frame for sliding movement relative to the first plate to sever at least one length of wire extending through the first plate to form a plurality of wire terminals; and means to slide the second plate relative to the first plate from first to second positions, whereby the strand is sheared.

Claim 25

An apparatus for untwisting twisted conductive strands of a multi-stranded electrical cable and for shearing the untwisted ends, the apparatus comprising: a first plate having top and bottom surfaces, a wire passage sized to receive the twisted conductive strands and a plurality of guide bores sized to receive one untwisted conductive strand, the wire passage extending from a rear surface to an interior location and the guide bores radiating from the interior location and outwardly to the front surface; a second plate having top and bottom surfaces, and a like plurality of guide bores extending between front and rear surfaces, the front surfaces being complementary and the guide bores in the second plate being aligned with the guide bores in the first plate in at least one position; a frame for fixed mounting the first plate relative to the second plate; said second plate being mounted in the frame for sliding movement relative to the first plate to sever at least one length of wire extending through the first plate to form a plurality of wire terminals; and means to slide the second plate relative to the first plate from first to second positions, whereby the strand is sheared.