Apparatus for cable processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9966742-B2
Application number	US-201414445642-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2014
Priority date	Jul 29, 2014
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for processing a cable including an insulating member, a shielding layer, and a conductor, the apparatus includes a frame forming a housing having an aperture configured to receive an end portion of the cable; a first gripping member disposed within the housing and being configured to grip the cable; and a second gripping member disposed within the housing and being configured to grip the cable; wherein the second gripping member is mounted within the housing so as to be movable relative to the first gripping member to effect fanning and cutting of a portion of the shielding layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for processing a cable including an insulating member, a shielding layer, and a conductor, the apparatus comprising:
a frame forming a housing having an aperture configured to receive an end portion of the cable;
a first gripping member disposed within the housing and being configured to grip the cable; and
a second gripping member disposed within the housing and being configured to grip the cable;
the second gripping member being mounted within the housing so as to be movable relative to the first gripping member to effect fanning and cutting of a portion of the shielding layer; and
a controller configured to
move the second gripping member toward the first gripping member to fan and cut the portion of the shielding layer, and
move both the first gripping member and the second gripping member along a longitudinal axis of the cable so that the cable is removed from the first gripping member and the second gripping member, and the cut portion of the shielding layer, gripped by at least one of the first gripping member and the second gripping member, is removed from the cable.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
couple the first gripping member to the insulating member;
couple the second gripping member to the shielding layer; and
effect relative movement between the first gripping member and the second gripping member towards each other to fan and cut the shielding layer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to effect relative movement between the first gripping member and the second gripping member away from each other to remove the shielding layer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first gripping member includes a shearing portion and the second gripping member includes a mating shearing portion configured to cut the shielding layer when the shearing portion is mated with the mating shearing portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first gripping member and the second gripping member are each formed in two or more portions such that when the portions are mated an aperture, configured to grip the cable, is formed where a cable interface surface of the aperture includes a cable gripping member.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a shielding fanner that is configured for relative movement with the cable, the shielding fanner including a fanning surface configured for insertion between the conductor and the shielding layer for effecting fanning of the shielding layer.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a shielding folder that is configured for relative movement with the cable, the shielding folder including an aperture having a folding surface, the aperture being configured for insertion of the fanned shielding into the aperture such that the folding surface folds the fanned shielding over the insulating member.

8. An apparatus for cable processing comprising:
a frame forming a housing; and
a clamping system including a first gripping member, a second gripping member, and a controller,
the controller being configured to:
move the second gripping member relative to the first gripping member to automatically fan and cut a shielding layer of a cable inserted into the apparatus and through the first gripping member and the second gripping member, and
remove a cut portion of the shielding layer from the cable by moving both the first gripping member and the second gripping member along a longitudinal axis of the cable so that the cable is removed from the first gripping member and the second gripping member where the cut portion of the shielding layer, gripped by at least one of the first gripping member and the second gripping member, is removed from the cable.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the first gripping member is disposed within the housing and is configured to grip the cable; and
the second gripping member is disposed within the housing and is configured to grip the cable;
wherein the second gripping member is mounted within the housing so as to be movable relative to the first gripping member to effect fanning and cutting of a portion of the shielding layer.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second gripping member is configured to remove the cut portion of the shielding layer from the cable.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to:
couple the first gripping member to an insulating member or the shielding layer;
couple the second griping member to the shielding layer; and
effect relative movement between the first gripping member and the second gripping member towards each other to fan and cut the shielding layer.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first gripping member includes a shearing portion and the second gripping member includes a mating shearing portion configured to cut the shielding layer when the shearing portion is mated with the mating shearing portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first gripping member and the second gripping member are each formed in at least two portions such that when the portions are mated an aperture, configured to grip the cable, is formed where a cable interface surface of the aperture includes a cable gripping member.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the cable gripping member includes one or more of a resilient coating and an inflatable bladder, both of which are configured to conform to a cross-sectional shape of the cable.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a shielding fanner that is configured for relative movement with the cable, the shielding fanner including a fanning surface configured for insertion between the conductor and the shielding layer for effecting fanning of the shielding layer.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a shielding folder that is configured for relative movement with the cable, the shielding folder including an aperture having a folding surface, the aperture being configured for insertion of the fanned shielding into the aperture such that the folding surface folds the fanned shielding over an insulating member.

17. A method for processing a cable having an insulating member, a shielding layer and one or more conductors, the method comprising:
positioning a first shielding gripper and a second shielding gripper, disposed within a frame forming a housing, relative to the cable, which is extending into the housing, so that each of the first and second shielding gripper grip at least the shielding layer;
moving the first and second shielding grippers relative to each other, within the housing, so that one or more of the first and second shielding gripper moves along a longitudinal axis of the cable towards the other one of the first and second shielding gripper to fan a portion of the shielding layer gripped by the first and second shielding grippers;
shearing the portion of the shielding layer from the cable with the first and second shielding grippers through the relative movement of the first and second shielding grippers within the housing; and
removing the cable from the housing by moving both the first gripping member and the second gripping member along the longitudinal axis of the cable so that the cable is removed from the first gripping member and the second gripping member, and a cut portion of the shielding layer, gripped by at least one of the first gripping member and the second gripping member, is removed from the cable.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising smoothing a shea

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Evans Nick S
• Mitchell Bradley J
• Callahan Kevin

Classifications

• Y10T29/49123

  Co-axial cable · CPC title

• H02G1/1297

  Removing armouring from cables · CPC title

• H02G1/1256 Primary

  using wire or cable-clamping means · CPC title