Hand tool such as a wire stripper or combination pliers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016294168-A1
Application number	US-201615089025-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 1, 2016
Priority date	Apr 2, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hand tool and a wire stripper. The hand tool may include a first jaw portion and a second jaw portion having a spring constant more than about 2,225 lbs./in., measured when a force is applied in a direction parallel to the pivot axis to an associated jaw tip with a pivot member being held. The hand tool may include a jaw portion having a gripping surface and an angled wall connected to a side wall and defining a wire stripping portion, the wire stripping portion including a cutting edge and a recess defined in the angled wall, the recess extending from the cutting edge to an end at the one of the side walls, the angled wall being arranged non-parallel to the gripping surface and non-perpendicular to the side wall. The wire stripper may be a forged wire stripper including jaws defining a stripping aperture for Romex® NM wire.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hand tool comprising:
a first jaw assembly including a first handle portion, a first jaw portion, and a first pivot portion, the first jaw portion having a first jaw tip; a second jaw assembly including a second handle portion, a second jaw portion, and a second pivot portion, the second jaw portion having a second jaw tip; and a pivot member coupling the first pivot portion and the second pivot portion for pivoting movement of the first jaw assembly and the second jaw assembly about a pivot axis between an open position and a closed position; wherein each of the first jaw portion and the second jaw portion has a spring constant more than about 2,225 lbs./in., measured when a force is applied in a direction parallel to the pivot axis to an associated jaw tip with the pivot member being held.

2 . The hand tool of claim 1 , wherein each of the first jaw portion and the second jaw portion has a spring constant of up to about 3,200 lbs./in.

3 . The hand tool of claim 2 , wherein each of the first jaw portion and the second jaw portion has a spring constant of between about 2,900 lbs./in. and about 3,000 lbs./in.

4 . The hand tool of claim 1 , wherein each of the first jaw portion and the second jaw portion includes a cooperating gripping portion.

5 . The hand tool of claim 1 , wherein each of the first jaw portion and the second jaw portion includes a cooperating wire stripping portion.

6 . A hand tool comprising:
a first jaw assembly including a first handle portion, a first jaw portion, and a first pivot portion; a second jaw assembly including a second handle portion, a second jaw portion, and a second pivot portion; and a pivot member coupling the first pivot portion and the second pivot portion for pivoting movement of the first jaw assembly and the second jaw assembly about a pivot axis between an open position and a closed position; wherein the first jaw portion has a gripping surface extending in a plane parallel to the pivot axis, side walls perpendicular to the plane, and an outer wall connecting the side walls, the first jaw portion having an angled wall connected to one of the side walls and defining a wire stripping portion, the wire stripping portion including a cutting edge and a recess defined in the angled wall, the recess extending from the cutting edge to an end at the one of the side walls, the angled wall being arranged non-parallel to the gripping surface and non-perpendicular to the one of the side walls.

7 . The hand tool of claim 6 , wherein the second jaw portion has a gripping surface extending parallel to a plane parallel to the pivot axis, side walls perpendicular to the plane, and an outer wall connecting the side walls, the second jaw portion having an angled wall connected to one of the side walls and defining a wire stripping portion, the wire stripping portion including a cutting edge and a recess defined in the angled wall, the recess extending from the cutting edge to an end at the one of the side walls, the angled wall being arranged non-parallel to the gripping surface and non-perpendicular to the one of the side walls.

8 . The hand tool of claim 7 , wherein a longitudinal plane extends perpendicular to the pivot axis, and wherein the wire stripping portion of the first jaw portion is on one side of the longitudinal plane and the wire stripping portion of the second jaw portion is on an opposite side of the longitudinal plane.

9 . The hand tool of claim 6 , wherein the recess is a first recess extending to a first end, and wherein the wire stripping portion further includes a second recess defined in the angled wall and extending from the cutting edge to a second end at the one of the side walls, the second recess being spaced along the first jaw portion from the first recess.

10 . The hand tool of claim 9 , further comprising, on the one of the side walls, a first indicator proximate the end of the first recess and a second indicator proximate the end of the second recess.

11 . The hand tool of claim 6 , wherein the second jaw portion defines an open area opposite the angled wall.

12 . The hand tool of claim 6 , wherein the first jaw portion has a first jaw tip and the second jaw portion has a second jaw tip, and wherein each of the first jaw portion and the second jaw portion has a spring constant more than about 2,225 lbs./in., measured when a force is applied in a direction parallel to the pivot axis to an associated jaw tip with the pivot member being held.

13 . The hand tool of claim 12 , wherein each of the first jaw portion and the second jaw portion has a spring constant of up to about 3,200 lbs./in.

14 . The hand tool of claim 13 , wherein each of the first jaw portion and the second jaw portion has a spring constant of between about 2,900 lbs./in. and about 3,000 lbs./in.

15 . A wire stripper comprising:
a forged first jaw assembly including, as a first single piece of material, a first handle portion, a first jaw portion, and a first pivot portion, the first jaw portion defining a first wire stripping portion; a forged second jaw assembly including, as a second single piece of material, a second handle portion, a second jaw portion, and a second pivot portion, the second jaw portion defining a second wire stripping portion, the first wire stripping portion and the second stripping portion cooperating to define an elongated stripping aperture operable to strip sheathing from a wire including more than one separate conductors in the sheathing; and a pivot member coupling the first pivot portion and the second pivot portion for pivoting movement of the first jaw assembly and the second jaw assembly about a pivot axis between an open position and a closed position.

16 . The wire stripper of claim 15 , wherein the stripping aperture is a first stripping aperture operable to strip a first wire of a first size, and wherein the first wire stripping portion and the second stripping portion cooperate to define an elongated second stripping aperture operable to strip a second wire of a second size different than the first wire, the second wire including more than one separate conductors in sheathing.

17 . The wire stripper of claim 15 , wherein the stripping aperture is a first stripping aperture operable to strip a first wire of a first configuration, wherein the first wire stripping portion and the second stripping portion cooperate to define a second stripping aperture operable to strip a second wire of a second configuration different than the first wire, the second wire including one conductor in sheathing.

18 . The wire stripper of claim 15 , wherein the first jaw portion has a first jaw tip and the second jaw portion has a second jaw tip, and wherein each of the first jaw portion and the second jaw portion has a spring constant more than about 2,225 lbs./in., measured when a force is applied in a direction parallel to the pivot axis to an associated jaw tip with the pivot member being held.

19 . The wire stripper of claim 18 , wherein each of the first jaw portion and the second jaw portion has a spring constant of up to about 3,200 lbs./in.

20 . The wire stripper of claim 19 , wherein each of the first jaw portion and the second jaw portion has a spring constant of between about 2,900 lbs./in. and about 3,000 lbs./in.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Hoppe Christopher S
• Cors Mark W
• Hyma Steven W
• Squiers Grant T
• Stearns Michael

Classifications

• B25B7/22 Primary

  Pliers provided with auxiliary tool elements, e.g. cutting edges, nail extractors (for removing insulation or armouring from electric cables H02G1/12) · CPC title

• H02G1/1214

  not using wire or cable clamping means · CPC title

• B25B7/02

  Jaws · CPC title

• B25F1/003

  of pliers'-, scissors'- or wrench-type with at least one movable jaw (B25F1/006 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B25B7/14

  Locking means {(B25B7/123 takes precedence)} · CPC title