Wire splicer

Abstract

A wire splicer has a disk with opposite first and second faces and a plurality of holes extending through said disk between said first and second faces. A nose protrudes convergently from a central portion of the said first face, and the holes are distributed in an annular array extending around and adjacent said nose. A shank extending from said second face in alignment with said nose can be inserted into the chuck of an electric drill for rotating the wire splicer with the ends of wires inserted through the holes to splice the wire ends together. A method of splicing wires employs such a wire splicer.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to wire splicers and to methods of splicing wires, and is useful in particular, but not exclusively, for the splicing of wires prior to the addition of insulating caps to the wires.

2. Description of the Related Art

When it is required to have wires twisted together, or spliced to enable an insulating cap to be subsequently fitted onto the spliced wires, it is common practise for the person effecting the splicing, for example an electrician, firstly to strip insulation sheathing from end portions of wires, and then to use lineman pliers to twist the wires around one another to form a splice.

However, this twisting operation is awkward and time-consuming to preform.

It has therefore previously been proposed to employ for this purpose a wire splicer comprising a rotatable tool for receiving the wires and then, by rotation of the tool, twisting the wires together.

For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,631, issued Mar. 30, 1999 to Alan D. Eaton, there is disclosed a wire twisting and capping apparatus which has a plurality of wire-reception channels extending into a main body portion parallel to a longitudinal axis. In use, bare ends of the wires are inserted into these wire-reception channels and the main body portion is then rotated by an electric drill.

However, the disadvantage of this prior wire twisting and capping apparatus is that the ends of the wires must be carefully aligned with the wire-reception channels to enable the wire ends to be located simultaneously in the parallel wire-reception channels. Since the wire-reception channels open at a flat end face of the main body portion, it is necessary for each of ends of the plurality of wires to be carefully separately and individually manoeuvred across the flat end face by hand into its respective wire-reception channel, which is obviously an awkward, inconvenient and time consuming operation.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved wire splicer which facilitates the insertion of the ends of wires into the splicer before rotation of the splicer to twist the wires together.

According to the present invention, a wire splicer comprises a wire splicer having a splicer head, with opposite first and second sides, a central portion and a plurality of wire reception holes open at the first side of the splicer head, A wire guide and spreader boss protrudes from the central portion at the first side of the splicer head, the wire reception holes being distributed around the wire guide and spreader boss, and the wire guide and spreader boss has a surface which converges outwardly from the first side of the splicer head. A shank projects from the central portion of the splicer head at the second side of the splicer head.

When this wire splicer is in use, the wires which are to be twisted together are pushed, in a parallel arrangement of the wires towards the head of the splicer. The wire guide and spreader boss gibingly deflects the wires across the surface of the boss towards and into the wire reception holes, which are preferably formed with frusto-conical surfaces for facilitating the passage of the ends of the wires through the holes. The wire splicer is then rotated, for example by an electric drill gripping the shank, so that the wires are twisted together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be more readily understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof given, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a view in perspective of a wire splicer according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a view in perspective of the wire splicer of FIG. 1 gripped in the chuck of an electric drill, with the ends of wires inserted through holes in the wire splicer;

FIG. 3 shows a view in perspective of bared ends of the wires being moved in a substantially parallel array towards the wire splicer;

FIG. 4 show a broken-away view in cross-section through parts of the wire splicer of FIGS. 1 through 3;

FIG. 5 shows a broken-away view in cross-section of parts of the wire splicer of FIGS. 1 through 3; and

FIG. 6 shows a view in perspective of a splice formed from six wires.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown a wire splicer indicated generally by reference numeral 10, which is formed of a splicer head indicated generally by reference numeral 12 and a shank 14.

The splicer head 12 is in the form of a disk 15 having a smooth cylindrical periphery 16, and six counterbored wire reception holes 18.

The shank 14 comprises a length of steel rod, which has an end portion press-fitted into a cylindrical opening in a central portion of the disk 15, the end portion of the shank 20 being formed with a wire guide and spreader boss in the form of a nose 22, which has a frusto-conical shape and a rounded tip 24, as shown on FIG. 5.

The nose 22 protrudes from the central portion of the disk 15 at a first side or face 26 of the disk 15, and the shank 14 extends from the central portion of the disk 15 at an opposite, second side or face 28 of the disk 15.

The wire reception holes 18 are distributed in an annular array close to one another and to the nose 22, and taper convergently from the first side 26 of the disk 15 towards the second side 28.

More particularly, each wire reception hole 18 has a frusto-conical surface 30 extending from the first side to a cylindrical surface 32, which extends from the frusto-conical surface to the second side of the disk 15.

In use of the wire splicer 10, the end of the shank 14 remote from the splicer head 12 is inserted into and gripped by a chuck 40 of a drill (not shown), and wires 34 which are to be twisted together, and which are each provided with a covering of insulation sheathing 36, are firstly prepared by stripping the insulation sheathing 36 from end portions of the wires 34.

The end portions of the wires 34 are then arranged more or less parallel to one another, as shown in FIG. 3, and are displaced axially of the wire splicer 10 towards the first side 26 of the disk 15. As the ends of the wires 34 approach the disk 15, they are spread apart by the nose 22 and are thereby deflected and guided across the surface of the nose towards and towards and into the wire reception holes 18. On entering the wire reception holes 18, the ends of the wires 34 are guided by the frusto-conical surfaces of the wire reception holes 18 towards and past the cylindrical surfaces 32, which are adjacent the second side 28 of the disk 15.

FIG. 6 shows six wires 34 about to be spliced together, to form a splice such a that shown in FIG. 6 for splicing together the wires 34 of two cords, each containing three wires 34. The tool 10 can be used to splice together as few as two wires 34 or as many as six wires 34.

Each cylindrical surface 32 has a cross-sectional area which is sufficient to receive therethrough the respective wire 34, which passes through the second side 28 of the disk 15.

However, the holes 18 each have a minimum cross-sectional area, which is determined by the diameter of the cross-sectional area of wire reception holes 18 at the cylindrical surfaces 32 and which are selected to be less than the cross-sectional area of the insulation sheathing 36, which therefore abuts against the sides of the holes 18 at these minimum cross-sectional areas, so that the passage of the insulation sheathing 36 into the holes 18 is restricted and the insulation sheathing 36 cannot pass through the cylindrical surface portions of the holes 18.

This ensures that only the bared end portions of the wires 34 pass through the wire reception holes 18, thus producing a uniform starting point for the twisting of the wires 34 around one another and also producing an increased friction in the holes 18 between the disk 15 and the wires 34 and thereby producing a tight splicing of the end portions of the wires 34.

The electric drill is then switched on to rotate the shank 14 and thereby the disk 15 of the wire splicer 10, and the ends of the wires 34 inserted in the above-described manner through the wire reception holes 18 are twisted together and thereby spliced. If required, an insulating cap (not shown) can then be fitted onto the splice thus formed.

The provision of the frusto-conical nose 22, with its rounded tip 242, and the counterbored wire reception holes 18, which are closely spaced relative to one another and to the nose 22, allow for easy and quick insertion of the ends of the wires 34 into the splicer head 12 because the wire ends are guided, as described above, by the nose 22 and the frusto-conical surfaces 30 of the counterbored wire reception holes 18, so that it is not necessary for the user to firstly ensure that the wire ends are manually aligned with and guided into the wire reception holes 18. The insulation sheathing 36 of the wires 34, however, is retained by the cylindrical surface portions of the wire reception holes 18, as shown in FIG. 4, which ensures that no unstripped lengths of the wires 34 are left behind the finished wire splice, which might cause hazards.

Once the ends of the wires 34 have been inserted through the wire reception holes 18, as described above and prior to the formation of the splice, the wires 34 will stay in position in the wire reception holes 18 while the wire splicer 10 is operated and until the splice is formed.

The smoother peripheral surface 16 of the disk 15 permits the use of the wire splicer, 10 even at high speeds of rotation, with no sharp points on the disk periphery to cut or otherwise injure the hands of the user.

Also, the frusto-conically shaped nose 22 at the central portion of the disk 18, between the wire reception holes 18, and the counterbores shapes of the holes 18, cause the wires 34 to pass through the holes 18 at an angle to the axes of the holes, so that the wires 18 are frictionally engaged by the sides of the holes 18 adjacent the second surface 28 of the disk 15, which produces additional friction on the wires 34, thus creating a tight and reliable splice, at high speed. In addition, the wires 34 begin to be spliced together beyond the position at which the insulation sheathing 36 is stripped from the wires 34, which also promotes a strong and safe splice.

Instead of being rotated by an electric drill, the wire splicer 10 may for greater convenience be rotated manually, for which purpose the shank 14 may have added to it, or may be replaced by, a manually graspable handle, which may incorporate a ratchet similar to those commonly employed in screwdrivers.

Instead of being provided on the shank 14, the disk may be mounted on a different support, for example the disk may be replaceably mounted in a socket (not shown). Another possibility is to replace the disk 15 by a different tool head, for example a cylinder, provided with counterbored holes corresponding to the holes 18 and a wire guide and spreader boss or nose corresponding to the nose 22.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, various other modifications may be made in the above-described wire splicer and method within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A splicer, comprising;

a splicer head;

said splicer head having opposite first and second sides, a central portion and a plurality of wire reception holes open at said first side of said splicer head;

a wire guide and spreader boss protruding from said central portion at said first side of said splicer head;

said wire reception holes being distributed around said wire guide and spreader boss;

said wire guide and spreader boss having a surface which converges outwardly from said first side of said splicer head; and

a shank projecting from said central portion of said splicer head at said second side of said splicer head.

2. A wire splicer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wire reception holes each taper convergently from said first side of said splicer head.

3. A wire and splicer as claimed in claim 2, wherein said wire reception holes have frusto-conical surfaces.

4. A wire splicer as claimed in claim 3, wherein said wire reception holes are counterbored holes.

5. A wire splicer as claimed in claim 2, wherein said holes extend through said splicer head from said first side to said second side of said splicer head.

6. A wire splicer as claimed in claim 1, wherein an opening extends through said splicer head at said central portion, said shank has an end portion extending through said opening and said boss is formed on said end portion of said shank.

7. A wire splicer, comprising:

a disk;

said disk having opposite first and second faces and a plurality of holes extending through said disk between said first and second faces;

a nose protruding convergently from said first face;

said holes being distributed in an annular array extending around and adjacent said nose; and

a shank extending from said second face in alignment with said nose.

8. A wire splicer as claimed in claim 7, wherein said holes teach taper convergently from said first face.

9. A wire splicer as claimed in claim 7, wherein said holes are counter-bored.

10. A wire splicer as claimed in claim 7, wherein said nose is frusto-conical, with a rounded tip.

11. A wire splicer as claimed in claim 7, wherein said disk has a smooth annular periphery.

12. In combination, a pair of wires and a wire splicer,

the wires each comprising wire wires and an insulation sheathing extending around said wire wires;

the wire splicer comprising;

a splicer head;

said splicer head having opposite first and second sides, a central portion and a plurality of wire reception holes open at said first side of said splicer head;

a wire guide and spreader boss protruding from said central portion at said first side of said splicer head;

said wire reception holes being distributed around said wire guide and spreader boss;

said wire guide and spreader boss having a surface which converges outwardly from said first side of said splicer head; and

a shank projecting from said central portion of said splicer head at said second side of said splicer head,

said wire reception holes each having a shape which tapers towards said second side of said splicer head to a cross-sectional area which is sufficient to receive therethrough one of said wires but which is less than the cross-sectional area of said insolation on said wire.

13. A wire splicer as claimed in claim 12, wherein said wire reception holes are counterbored holes.

14. A wire splicer, comprising;

a splicer head;

said splicer head having opposite first and second sides, a central portion and a plurality of wire reception holes open at said first side of said splicer head; and

a wire guide and spreader boss protruding from said central portion at said first side of said splicer head;

said wire reception holes being distributed around said wire guide and spreader boss; and

said wire guide and spreader boss having a wire guide surface which converges outwardly from said first side of said splicer head.

15. A wire splicer as claimed in claim 14, wherein said wire reception holes each taper convergently from said first side of said splicer head.

16. A method of splicing wires, comprising the steps of:

displacing the wires towards a wire splicer;

deflecting the wires on a nose on said wire splicer towards respective holes in said splicer so as to guide end portions of said wires into said holes; and

rotating said wire splicer to splice said end portions of said wires together.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, which includes providing the holes with minimum cross-sectional areas less than the cross-sectional area of insulation sheathing on the end portions of the wires and restricting the passage of the insulation sheathing into the holes by abutment of the insulation sheathing against sides of said holes at the cross-sectional areas of the holes.