Cable braid flare mechanism for cable preparation machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10840680-B2
Application number	US-201816112846-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2018
Priority date	Aug 27, 2018
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

A cable preparation machine includes a blade assembly having a plurality of arms and braid blades mounted to the corresponding arms. The arms and the braid blades are disposed about a cable opening configured to receive an end of a cable therein along a cable axis. The arms are movable relative to each other between retracted positions and advanced positions. The arms move the braid blades closer to each other within the cable opening as the arms are moved from the retracted positions to the advanced positions. The braid blades have edges configured to engage a cable braid of the cable. The braid blades are driven inward by the arms moving to the advanced positions to pinch the cable braid inward against an inner insulator of the cable and flare outward an end of the cable braid forward of the braid blades.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable preparation machine comprising:
a blade assembly having a plurality of arms and braid blades mounted to the corresponding arms, the arms and the braid blades being disposed about a cable opening configured to receive an end of a cable therein along a cable axis;
the arms being movable relative to each other between retracted positions and advanced positions, the arms moving the braid blades closer to each other within the cable opening as the arms are moved from the retracted positions to the advanced positions;
the braid blades having edges configured to engage a cable braid of the cable, the braid blades being driven inward by the arms moving to the advanced positions to pinch the cable braid inward against an inner insulator of the cable and flare outward an end of the cable braid forward of the braid blades.

2. The cable preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein the braid blades are configured to cut the cable braid after the end of the cable braid is flared outward.

3. The cable preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein each braid blade is a roller blade configured to spin relative to the corresponding arm to flare the end of the cable braid.

4. The cable preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein the braid blades are rotated about the cable axis around the cable braid to flare the end of the cable braid.

5. The cable preparation machine of claim 4 , wherein the braid blades are rotated in at least one of a forward direction and a rearward direction to flare the end of the cable braid.

6. The cable preparation machine of claim 4 , wherein the blade assembly is translated rearward, parallel to the cable axis, relative to the end of the cable as the braid blades are rotated about the cable axis to flare the end of the cable braid.

7. The cable preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein the blade assembly is translated rearward, parallel to the cable axis, relative to the end of the cable to flare the end of the cable braid.

8. The cable preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein the braid blades are disposed equidistant around the cable opening to center the cable within the cable opening.

9. The cable preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein positioning of the arms is electronically controlled to control a depth of pinching of the braid blades on the cable braid.

10. The cable preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein the arms are pivoted inward to the advanced positions to close the braid blades on the cable braid.

11. The cable preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein the arms include a first arm and a second arm pivotably coupled together at a pivot.

12. The cable preparation machine of claim 11 , further comprising a return spring biasing the first and second arms towards each other.

13. The cable preparation machine of claim 11 , wherein the first arm includes a handgrip and the second arm includes a handgrip, the handgrips being hand squeezed together to retract the braid blades away from the cable braid.

14. The cable preparation machine of claim 1 , wherein the arm includes a first arm and a second arm pivotably coupled to a pulley rotated about the cable axis, the first and second arms being rotated with the pulley about the cable axis.

15. A cable preparation machine comprising:
a frame forming a cable cutting zone, the frame having a cable opening along a cable axis at the cable cutting zone receiving an end of a cable;
a pulley assembly rotatably coupled to the frame about the cable axis;
a drive assembly operably coupled to the pulley assembly to rotate the pulley assembly about the cable axis; and
a blade assembly operably coupled to the pulley assembly and rotated with the pulley assembly about the cable axis, the blade assembly includes a plurality of arms and braid blades mounted to the corresponding arms, the arms and the braid blades being disposed about the cable opening, the arms being movable relative to the pulley assembly between retracted positions and advanced positions, the arms moving the braid blades closer to each other within the cable opening as the arms are moved from the retracted positions to the advanced positions, the braid blades have edges configured to engage a cable braid of the cable, the braid blades being driven inward by the arms moving to the advanced positions to pinch the cable braid inward against an inner insulator of the cable and flare outward an end of the cable braid forward of the braid blades.

16. The cable preparation machine of claim 15 , wherein the pulley assembly includes a front pulley and a rear pulley movable relative to each other by the drive assembly to actuate the blade assembly, the front pulley being rotated faster than the rear pulley to actuate the arms toward the advanced positions, the front pulley being rotated slower than the rear pulley to actuate the arms toward the retracted positions.

17. The cable preparation machine of claim 15 , wherein the braid blades are rotated about the cable axis around the cable braid to flare the end of the cable braid.

18. The cable preparation machine of claim 15 , wherein the blade assembly is translated rearward, parallel to the cable axis, relative to the end of the cable to flare the end of the cable braid.

19. A cable preparation machine comprising:
a frame having a first arm and a second arm forming a cable opening along a cable axis configured to receive an end of a cable, the first arm being pivotably coupled to the second arm at a pivot; and
a blade assembly coupled to the frame, the blade assembly having a first braid blade mounted to the first arm and a second braid blade mounted to the second arm, the first and second braid blades being disposed about the cable opening;
wherein the first and second arms are pivoted between retracted positions and advanced positions to move the first and second braid blades closer to each other as the first and second arms are moved from the retracted positions to the advanced positions, the first and second braid blades have edges configured to engage a cable braid of the cable, the first and second braid blades being driven inward by the first and second arms moving to the advanced positions to pinch the cable braid inward against an inner insulator of the cable and flare outward an end of the cable braid forward of the first and second braid blades.

20. The cable preparation machine of claim 19 , wherein the first arm includes a handgrip and the second arm includes a handgrip, the handgrips being hand squeezed together to retract the braid blades away from the cable braid.

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Houser Matthew Steven
• Deck Gary Lee
• Morris Michael
• Gavlak Christopher John

Classifications

• H02G1/1265 Primary

  the cutting element rotating about the wire or cable (making longitudinal and transverse or helical cut H02G1/1268) · CPC title

• H02G1/1297 Primary

  Removing armouring from cables · CPC title