ROTARY WIRE STRIPPER

• US 3,881,374 A
• Filed: 05/24/1974
• Issued: 05/06/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ragnar Gudmestad
• Original Assignee: Ragnar Gudmestad
• Inventors: Gudmestad, Ragnar
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Al Lawrence
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parker, Roscoe V.
• Application Number:
  US05/473,274
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: 81/9.51 29/33.5,628
• US Class Current: 81/9.51
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/1265 the cutting element rotating about the wire or cable making longitudinal and transverse or helical cut H02G1/1268

Abstract

A rotary wire stripping machine for stripping a predetermined length of insulation from the end of a wire and, in the case of stranded wire, twisting the strands to form a finished end. The machine provides for accurate adjustment of the depth of cut of the insulation and of the twisting mechanism to accommodate a variety of wire and insulation diameters. The machine operates at very high speed in repeated cycles with provision being made for holding the wire stationary during the time that the insulation is being cut and removed from the wire and during the time that the wire strands are being twisted during each cycle of operation.

Claims

1. A rotary wire stripping machine comprising:

a support for releasably positioning an insulated wire member in a stationary position with an end portion projecting from said support, lock means movable from one position to a position in engagement with said support to lock said insulated wire in a stationary position, a table continuously reciprocating between a first position spaced a predetermined distance from the end of said wire to a second position adjacent to the end of said wire, a head member supported on said table for movement with the latter and for rotation about an axis in general alignment with the axis of said wire, said head forming a chamber receiving a predetermined part of the end portion of said wire when said table is in said second position, a pair of opposed blade members supported in said chamber of said head for rotation therewith and being movable from an initial position when said table is in the first position to a cutting position radially inward to engage and sever insulation material at a point spaced from the end of said wire when said table is in a second position, and guide elements movable with each of said blade members to guide the wire member between the end thereof and said blade members, said guide elements and said blade members engaging the severed insulation material as said table is moved from said second to said first position to remove said insulation material from said wire member.

2. The rotary wire stripping machine of claim 1 in which said guide elements associated with each of said blade members are adjustable radially of the axis of rotation relative to said blade members.

3. The rotary wire stripping machine set forth in claim 2 in which said guide elements form surfaces engageable with diametrically opposed surfaces of the insulation material on said wire member.

4. The rotary wire stripping machine set forth in claim 3 in which said surfaces are formed to grip the insulation material on said wire member and to rotate said insulation material when it is severed by said blade members and being removed from said wire member.

5. The rotary wire stripping machine set forth in claim 3 in which each of said guide elements form notches and said notches form said surfaces.

6. The rotary wire stripping machine of claim 1 and further comprising means for simultaneously moving said blade members a predetermined distance to said wire cutting position.

7. The rotary wire stripping machine of claim 6 in which said means for moving said blade members include a pair of arms connected to said blade members, said arms being pivotally connected to said head, and a cam mechanism movable axially for engagement with said arms to move the latter and said blade members radially of said axis of rotation.

8. The rotary wire stripping machine of claim 7 and further comprising means to move said cam member axially a selected distance to move said blade members to said cutting position.

9. The rotary wire stripping machine set forth in claim 8 in which said means for moving said cam member includes a reciprocating actuator having a rod portion operably connected to said cam mechanism for moving the latter axially, said rod portion being of adjustable length.

10. A wire stripping machine for removing insulation from the end of an insulated wire comprising:

a support releasably positioning a wire member with an end portion projecting a predetermined amount from said support, a carriage movable in a predetermined path longitudinally of said wire between first and second positions, a rotatable head mounted on said carriage for continuous rotation about an axis aligned with said wire, said head normally being spaced from the end of said wire when said carriage is in said first position and receiving a predetermined length at the end of said wire when said table is in the second position, a pair of opposed blade members supported in said rotatable head for movement radially inwardly from a position spaced from the axis of rotation of said rotatable head, said blade members being movable to engage and cut insulation on said wire at a predetermined point spaced from the end of said wire when said carriage is in said second position, clamp means engageable with said support to prevent release of said wire from said support, first means to move said table between first and second positions, second means to reciprocate said clamp means between clamping and released positions and being operative to move said clamp means into engagement with said support upon movement of said table toward said first position, third means responsive to movement of said table to said second position to move said blade members to a working position in engagement with said wire to cut insulation thereon, and control means responsive upon movement of said blade members into engagement with said wire to maintain said carriage in said second position a predetermined time before said carriage moves toward said first position, said blade means being operative to remove insulation from said wire upon movement of said carriage from said second toward said first position.

11. The wire stripping machine of claim 10 in which said first, second and third means are air operated actuators, and further comprising a source of air for operating said actuators.

12. The combination of claim 10 and further comprising second control means operative during movement of said carriage a predetermined distance toward said first position to maintain said clamp means in engagement with said support and said blade members in said working position.

13. A wire stripping machine for removing insulation material from the end of an insulated wire member comprising:

conveyor means, a plurality of support means associated with and movable by said conveyor means to hold a plurality of insulated wire members with end portions projecting from said support means, said conveyor means being periodically operated to advance said wire members to a working position, lock means movable from one position to a position in engagement with said support in said work position to lock said insulated wire in a stationary position, a carrier continuously reciprocating between a first position spaced from the end of said wire to a second position adjacent the end of said wire, a head member supported on said carrier for movement with the latter and for rotation about an axis in general alignment with the axis of sAid wire in said work position, said head forming a chamber receiving a predetermined length of the end portion of said wire when said carrier is in said second position, a pair of opposed blade members supported in said chamber of said head member for rotation therewith and being movable from an initial position when said carrier is in said first position to a position radially inward to engage and sever insulation material on said wire when said table is in said second position, wire guide elements movable with each of said blade members to guide said end portions of said wire during severing of insulation material, said blade members and guide elements engaging said severed insulation material as said table is moved from said second towards said first position and while said lock means is in engagement with said support to remove said severed insulation material from said wire member.

14. A combination of claim 13 in which said lock means includes a clamp element and an actuator to reciprocate said clamp element into and out of engagement with said wire support to lock and unlock the latter.

15. The combination set forth in claim 13 in which said clamp element and actuator is pivotally supported relative to said conveyor means for swinging movement of said clamp element and actuator upon movement of said conveyor when said clamp element is in engagement with said support.

16. The combination of claim 14 and further comprising guide means movable with said clamp element to engage and position the end of said wire member projecting from said support in alignment with the axis of rotation of said head member.

17. An apparatus for stripping insulation from wire including a rotatable head member reciprocating relative to a supported wire between initial and wire receiving positions, a clamp member reciprocating relative to said supported wire between a wire clamping position and a wire released position, a wire working member reciprocating between wire receiving and wire working positions, fluid pressure operated actuator means to reciprocate said members in timed relationship to each other and including valve means controlling communication between a source of fluid pressure and said actuator means and having a first position to reciprocate said head member to a wire receiving position and simultaneously to reciprocate said clamp member to said clamping position and having a second position to move said head member to said initial position, auxiliary valve means normally being closed to said source and being movable to an open position when said head member reaches said wire receiving position to communicate said source of fluid pressure with said actuator means reciprocating said clamp and said wire working members to maintain said clamp member in said clamping position and to simultaneously move said wire working member to said wire working position, said actuator means associated with said clamp and said wire working members being maintained in said clamping and wire working positions, respectively, during movement of said actuator means associated with said head member from said wire receiving position toward said initial position.

18. The combination of claim 17 and further comprising pressure responsive means to move said valve means to its said first position in response to pressure moving said actuator means associated with said wire working member to said wire working position of the latter.