Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1050Z53
The present invention relates to compression tools and in parti-
cular tools for crimping electrical connectors to the ends of cables.
It is known, from United Kingdom patent No. 1057515, (AMP Ref.
7106~, for a crimping tool to include two handle assemblies pivotally connected
together and each pivotally connected to an individual lever jaw plate for
controlling the movement of the lever ja~ plates towards and away from each
other, the lever jaw plates being held in spaced opposed relationship by a tie
plate to which they are both pivotally connected. The handles forming part of
the handle assemblies are made very long for heavy duty applications in order
to provide sufficient mechanical advantage at the lever jaw plates for crimping
heavy duty connectors to the ends of heavy duty cables. For example, such a
; tool is used for crimping connectors to the ends of cables having a diameter
of 16 millimetres.
! It has been found necessary, on occasions, not only to terminate
heavy duty cable but also to sever such cable and the present invention is
concerned with a tool similar to that disclosed in U.K. patent 1057515 but also
having cutter blades for permitting the severance of heavy duty cable.
According to the present invention, a compression tool comprises
two handle assemblies pivotally connected together and each pivotally connect-
ed to an individual lever jaw plate for controlling the movement of the lever
jaw plates towards and away from each other, the lever jaw plates being held
in spaced, opposed relationship by a tie plate to which they are both pivotal-
ly connected, and first and second cutter blades, the first cutter blade being
pivotally connected to one lever jaw plate and having a cutting edge which
extends beyond the second lever jaw plate, the second cutter blade being fixed
relative to the second lever jaw plate for movement therewith and having a
cutting edge facing the cutting edge of the first cutter blade so that on
squeezing together the handle assemblies, the cutting edges move relatively
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towards each other to sever a workpiece when operatively positioned between
the cutting edges.
In a preferred embodiment, two pairs of spaced lever jaw plates
are provided, each pair being pivotally connected to one end of an individual
link forming part of a handle assembly, the link being connected at an oppos-
ite end to its respective handle, the first cutter blade being pivotally
mounted on a pin extending between a first pair of lever jaw plates and pass-
ing between the second pair of lever jaw plates, the second cutter blade being
fixed between the second pair of lever jaw plates by a lug on the cutter
blade which engages in a corresponding hole in one jaw plate of the second
pair and having an arcuate recess in the second cutter blade which engages over
a pin extending between the second pair of lever jaw plates, the first cutter
blade being a slide fit between the second cutter blade and a lever jaw plate
of the second pair.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of
example, reference being made to the Figures of the accompanying diagra~matic
drawings in which:-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a compression tool in its closed
position;
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the tool of Figure 1 showing
parts of the tool in an open position;
Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and
Figure 4 is a cross-section on the line line 4-4 of Figure l;
The tool of the present invention is similar in many respects to
the tool disclosed in U.K. patent 1057515, but for convenience the relevant
parts of the tool will be described below.
The compression tool as shown in the Figures is for crimping
electrical connectors to the ends of cables and includes a first pair of
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spaced lever jaw plates 4 and a second pair of spaced lever jaw plates 2.
The ]ever jaw plates 2, 4 are held in spaced, opposed relationship by tie
plates 6 (only one of which is shown) to which both pairs of lever jaw plates
are pivotally connected by bolts 8, 10. Lever jaw plates 2, 4 are pivotally
connected by pivot joints 12, 14 at their respective lower end portions to -
one end of links 16, 18 each of which forms part of a handle assembly. The
links 16, 18 in turn are connected by fasteners 20, 22 to handles 15, 17 also
forming part of the handle assemblies. The handle assemblies are centrally
connected one to the other by a pivot joint 24.
The handles 15, 17 control the movement of the jaw plates 2, 4
towards and away from each other. When the handles 15, 17 are moved apart,
(see Figure 2), the links 16, 18 will cause the respective lever jaw plates
2, 4 to pivot about the bolts 8, 10 so that the upper end portions of the
lever jaw plates 2, 4 will move apart. Conversely, when the handles are
squeezed together the lever jaw plates 2,4 will be caused to pivot about the
bolts 8, 10 so that the upper end portions of the leYer jaw plates 2, 4 will
move together. A more detailed description of the parts of the compression
tool mentioned above can be found in U.K. patent No. 1057515.
A pivot pin 30 extends between the first pair of lever jaw plates
4 and is held in place by a lock washer 31. Pivotally mounted on the pin 30
is a first cutter blade 32. The cutter blade 32 extends from the first pair
of lever jaw plates 4 across the face of the tool and between the second pair
of lever jaw plates 2 and has a cutting edge 36 which is arranged laterally
outwardly beyond the lever jaw plates 2. A second cutter blade 38 is fixed
relative to the lever jaw plates 2 for movement therewith, by means of a
cylindrical lug 42 and an arcuate recess 44. The lug 42 is located in a
, cylindrical hole in the front (as shown) lever jaw plate 2 and the arcuate
recess 44 engages over a pin 46 extending between the second pair of lever jaw
- 3 -
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plates 2. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cutter blade 32 extends behind the
cutter blade 38 and is a slide fit between the cutter blade 38 and the rear
one (as shown) of the jaw plates 2. The cutter blade 38 has a cutting edge
48 facing the cutting edge 36.
When the handles 15, 17 are squeezed together the cutting edges
36, 48 of the cutter blades 32, 38 will move relatively towards each other to
sever a cable when operatively positioned between the cutting edges. When the
handles 15, 17 are in their open position it is possible to pivot the cutter
blade 32 about the pin 30 upwardly as shown in Figures 1 and 2 to enlarge the
space between the opposed cutting edges 36, 48. This facilitates entry of a
cable between the cutting edges.
An advantage of the embodiment described above is that the
mechanical advantage offered at the lever jaw plates 2, 4 by the long handles
15, 17 for crimping a connector to the end of a cable is utilized to sever
cables by means o~ the cutter blades 32, 38. Purther, the cutter blades can
quickly and easily be assembled to an existing tool and in the case of the
tool disclosed in U.K. patent 1057515, the tool requires no or substantially
no modification. A still further advantage is the fact that one cutter blade
32 is pivotally mounted, which enables large work pieces such as thick cables
to be inserted between the cutting edges 36, 48 when the handles 15, 17 are
in their open position.
Although both cutting edges 36, 48 have been shown as having a
radial cutting profile it is envisaged that straight chamfered cutting edges
could be used.
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