Portable splicing tool

• US 4,531,283 A
• Filed: 05/04/1983
• Issued: 07/30/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Augat National Incorporated
• Original Assignee: National Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Kitchens, Roy A., DeGroff, Charles K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goldberg, Howard N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arbes, Carl J.
• Application Number:
  US06/491,567
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 29/755, 29/745, 29/872, 29/868, 29/873, 29/753, 174/84 C
• US Class Current: 29/753
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/0427 fluid actuated hand crimping tools
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49201 with overlapping orienting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53235 Means to fasten by deformation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53243 Multiple, independent conductors

Abstract

A hand held splicing gun for splicing together exposed portions of a number of wires. The gun includes a frame and a trigger actuated valve that routes compressed air to two drive cylinders mounted to the frame. A first cylinder drives a pair of forming bars against a strip of splicing material. Working in conjunction with a shear block and a forming post, the bars first shear a band from the splicing material and then bend the band into a U-shape about the wires. The second drive cylinder drives a crimping bar against the band, causing the band to bend around the wires, securing them together.

Claims

1. A portable hand-held splice tool for joining wires by crimping a splice band around a plurality of wires, comprising:

a frame;

a handle connected to the frame for maneuvering said splice tool;

a crimping anvil on the frame;

parallel forming bars spaced laterally and movable longitudinally on the frame relative to the anvil between first and second positions for shearing a splice band from strip stock extending into the frame laterally of the bars and for moving the band to the anvil;

a forming post carried by the frame with a portion located between said first and second positions and constructed to fit between the bars;

a crimping member on the frame located between and movable longitudinally of the bars toward and away from the anvil; and

two single-acting pneumatic cylinders, one connected to said forming bars and the other to said crimping member, for moving the bars and member toward and away from the anvil in a predetermined sequence;

flow control means for operating said cylinders and for delaying operation of the cylinder that moves the crimping member relative the cylinder that moves the forming bars; and

a retractable suspension for said tool, said suspension including means to counterbalance the weight of said tool.

2. A portable hand-held splice tool for joining wires by crimping a splice band around a plurality of wires, comprising:

an elongated frame;

a handle connected to one end of the frame for maneuvering said frame in relation to the wires;

a crimping anvil mounted to an opposite end of the frame, said frame and anvil defining a splice opening into which said wires are inserted for crimping, said splice opening facing in the same general direction as the handle extends from the frame;

means carried by and movable relative to the frame for forming a splice band into a partial loop and for subsequently crimping the partial loop against the anvil about wires positioned on the anvil;

first and second air actuated drive cylinders carried by the frame to impart separate motion to said means for forming and crimping;

valve means connected to said handle for selectively routing air to said first and second drive cylinders;

means mounted to the handle in fluid communication with the valve means to couple a source of compressed air to the air cylinders;

a valve actuator mounted to a surface of the handle facing the splice opening to allow an operator to actuate crimping of the wires while positioning the tool in relation to the wires; and

a retractable suspension having a counterbalance for facilitating the maneuvering of said tool in relation to said wires.