Abstract: A device and method for the removal of a metal-sheath layer from a metal-sheathed structure using capacitive discharge in conjunction with step-up and step-down transformers to create a low voltage, high current pulse to remove a selected portion of the metal-sheath layer from the metal-sheathed structure.

Abstract: A compact dispensing tube opener for accessing contents of a dispensing tube having a dispensing tip and an inner seal. The opener includes a housing with first and second passageways therein meeting at an angle at an intersection. A blade carriage is movable in the second passageway and across the intersection at one end thereof, a manually accessible portion at an opposite end thereof extending from the housing. A cooperative guide structure at the housing and the blade carriage maintains carriage slidability within the housing during use without binding. Return springs are maintained in the housing for returning the carriage after use. A dispenser tube tip locator is slidably maintained at the housing adjacent to an opening to the first passageway and has plurality of angled passages therethrough each with a different diameter. A lance is mounted at the housing for puncturing the seal, and is pivotable into and out of a channel defined crosswise in the housing.

Abstract: A cable stripping pliers has facingly disposed arcuate cutting edges formed at the ends of transversely oppositely disposed arcuate surfaces. The pliers are adjustable to two positions for the jaws to engage differently sized cables. The resilient insulation is disposed away from the arcuate surfaces when the cutting edges cut the resilient insulation for readily removing the insulation from the core material.

Abstract: An automatic wire stripper comprises a knife unit (40) having a knife holder (41) and a knife carriage (45) articulated on the knife holder; A clamping arm unit (30) is pivotally mounted on a clamping arm bearing (30). A handle lever unit (60) is pivotally connected to a housing base (20) on a handle lever bearing (61). An articulated lever (70) has a first and second articulated lever arm (72, 75) connected in a pivotable manner by an articulated lever center axis (73). The first articulated lever arm (72) is guided with a first articulated lever axis (71) in a guiding connecting link (32) of the clamping arm unit (30). The second articulated lever (75) is fixed in an articulated manner to the knife unit (40) with the articulated lever center axis (73) guided in the handle (60).

Abstract: A winding machine for winding wire on a stator stack for a dynamo-electric machine including a wire supply, a stripper station for selectively stripping wire at predetermined locations, a wire feed mechanism and winding station including a winding spindle movable in reciprocating and oscillating movement. The feed mechanism is capable of conveying plural wires to the winding spindle including three pairs of wires to respective exit apertures on the winding spindle. The winding station includes twisting assemblies, where a twisting assembly is provided for each pair of wires for twisting the pair of wires together and for gripping and manipulating the wires during a winding operation.

Abstract: The cable insulation stripping machine is adapted for mounting to a machine with a motor having a reversible rotating chuck and is operable to remove the outer insulating jacket from a multi-conductor cable. The cable insulation stripping machine has a stripping spindle rotated by the chuck. At one end of the stripping spindle is a stripping and take up spool. The spool contains a self-adjusting slot, which grips a flap cut into the outer jacket at the end of a multi-conductor cable. As the spindle is rotated, the pinching action of the spool slot removes the insulation from the cable and the stripped insulation winds onto the body of the spool. A pair of cable guides is provided, the first guide for support incoming cable on and feeding the cable to the stripping and take up spool, the second guide for receiving the stripped conductors as they exit the machine.

Abstract: A hand-held coaxial cable stripper made up of first and second jaws pivotally connected to a body portion including a channel for insertion of a cable end, the channel containing blade members and a blade adjustment member for precise and accurate adjustment of the cutting depth of the blade.

Abstract: A multi-function pliers for installing various hanging light fixtures and electrical connections needed for the installation of the hanging light fixtures. The multi-function pliers includes a pivot pin member; first and second movable jaw members rotatably mounted about the pivot pin member; and a pair of first and second movable handles detachably connected to the first and second movable jaw members, respectively, for pivotal movement of the first and second handles relative to the pivot pin member. Each of the first and second movable jaw members includes an interior side wall and an exterior side wall. Each of the interior side walls includes a recess aperture therein; each of the recess apertures are for detachably receiving a wire cutter member therein; and the wire cutter members cooperate to form a wire cutter assembly. Each of the wire cutter members includes a plurality of different sized cutters, respectively, for cutting and stripping electrical wire.

Abstract: A pliers-type stripping tool includes a base, a pair of pivot levers pivotally connected with the base, a pair of clamping members connected for relative longitudinal displacement on one of the pivot levers, a pair of cutting members connected for relative longitudinal displacement on the other of the pivot levers, a first spring biasing the clamping jaws apart, a second spring biasing the cutting jaws apart, and a first operating arrangement operable by a pair of pivotally-connected handles to displace the clamping and cutting jaws together from their normal separated conditions toward adjacent positions in clamping and insulation-piercing engagement with an insulated conductor positioned therebetween. The cutting members sever a length of the insulation layer that extends concentrically around the conductor, and a second operating arrangement is operable by the handles to separate the pivot levers, thereby to strip the severed insulation layer from the bare conductor.

Abstract: A wire stripper having at least two resiliently flexible blades each of which terminate in an insulator stripper disposed in opposed relation operably responsive to a slidly engaged insulated wire to release the insulator from the wire.

Abstract: A device for cleaving optical fibers having a housing with an internal chamber, a fiber alignment member removably connected to the housing and a fiber cutting member supported by the housing. The alignment member has an opening sized to receive the ferrule of a fiber optic connector and has a stop proximate to the inward end of an opening to engaged the ferrule distal end. The alignment member is quickly interchangeable with another sized and arranged to handle the ferrule of a different type or size connector. The opening is sized to receive ferrule with an optical fiber to be cleaved, and permits the fiber to extend inward beyond the inward end of the opening and into the housing internal chamber.

Abstract: A cable-stripping tool includes two parts that can be moved linearly in relation to each other, each of the parts including an opening which can accommodate a cable when the openings are in mutual alignment. The first part carries a cutting blade and has a support arrangement with a ring that, when rotated about an axis, adjusts a cutting depth of the blade. A spring element functions to bias the parts in a direction away from each other, while enabling the two tool parts to be brought together against the spring bias by a user squeezing with only one hand so that the cable to be stripped can be inserted into the tool intermediate the two ends to which force is applied.

Abstract: An apparatus to cleave an optical fiber includes a base plate, a jig slidably provided on the base plate and holding the optical fiber, a stripper provided near the jig, and including a hot plate heating a sheath of the optical fiber, a sheath cutter cleaving the sheath of the optical fiber to be stripped, a cleaning part cleaning the optical fiber after the sheath of the optical fiber is stripped according as the jig slides, and a cleaver provided on the base plate and cleaving the optical fiber whose sheath is stripped by the stripper. With this configuration, an apparatus is provided to cleave an optical fiber, in which stripping and cleaning processes are simultaneously performed in a stripper, so that the whole process of cleaving the optical fiber is decreased, and the structure of the apparatus is simplified without the conventional cleaning part.

Abstract: This invention relates to pipe preparing tools, and more particularly to a novel pipe preparing tool suitable for cutting, scoring or penetrating a surface of a plastics pipes.

Abstract: An apparatus for stripping an insulated wire includes a resistive heater element having a first end, a second end, and a coil formed between the first end and the second end. The coil has an inner diameter that is large enough to receive a section of the insulated wire. The apparatus further includes an electronic circuit connected to the first and second ends to deliver power to the resistive heater element such that the coil uniformly distributes heat about the section of the insulated wire to thermally decompose insulation on the section of insulated wire.

Abstract: A metal tube slitter is presented. A housing includes a drive shaft for moving cable through the housing and a blade truck. The blade truck houses a blade used for penetrating the cable. A shoulder screw adjusts the blade truck and as a result adjusts the penetration of the blade into the cable. The drive shaft is attached to a drive knob. As the drive knob is rotated the drive shaft also rotates and moves the cable through the metal tube slitter. After the blade penetrates the cable, the blade cuts the cable as the cable is moved through the metal tube slitter by the drive shaft.

Abstract: A wire processing apparatus includes a microwave generator, a microwave transmitter, a waveguide coaxial converter and a wire insertion pipe, and the wire insertion pipe is disposed in the wireguide coaxial converter. In wire recycling process, after a tip end of a coated wire is inserted into the wire insertion pipe, microwave is launched into the inside of the waveguide coaxial converter. The tip end of the coated wire is separated into a decomposed coating insulator and a molten electric conductor by microwave. In wire cross-linking process, after microwave is launched into the inside of the waveguide coaxial converter, the coated wire is inserted into the wire insertion pipe. The coated wire is cross-linked by high frequency heat and a coating insulator is adhered well to an electric conductor by heat shrinking.

Abstract: A method of stripping electric cables (C) is disclosed comprising the following steps: arranging the end (E1, E2) of a cable (C) to be stripped inside a stripping unit (1); cutting circumferentially the sheath (C1, C2) covering the end (E1, E2) of the cable (C) for at least a portion of the thickness and at least a portion of the perimeter of the sheath (C1, C2); separating the sheath (C1, C2) covering the end (E1, E2) of the cable (C). The circumferential cut of the sheath (C1, C2) is carried out by combining an action of incision of the sheath (C1, C2) with an action of rotation of the cable (C).

Abstract: An apparatus for stripping an insulated wire includes a resistive heater element having a first end, a second end, and a coil formed between the first end and the second end. The coil has an inner diameter that is large enough to receive a section of the insulated wire. The apparatus further includes an electronic circuit connected to the first and second ends to deliver power to the resistive heater element such that the coil uniformly distributes heat about the section of the insulated wire to thermally decompose insulation on the section of insulated wire.

Abstract: A wire stripper has a pair of elongated frames pivotably joined together by a pivot pin and defining handles and jaws. The handles are covered by sleeves which include thumb wells which cover the ends of the pivot pin. A mechanical interlock is provided between the handles and the sleeves. The sleeves have slots for receiving the handles. The slots are offset so the front and rear surfaces of opposite sleeves are coplanar. The sleeves have a core and cushion grip overmolded on the core. A molding projection on the core allows precise placement of the core in a mold during formation of the cushion grip. A spring biases the frames to an open position. Legs of the spring are fastened to the sleeves.

Abstract: A coaxial cable stripper, consisting of:—a cutting unit (1) comprising cutting means (7) for a plurality of sheaths, said cutting unit (1) being designed to surround a cable (5) and cut its sheaths simultaneously by rotation of said cutting means (7) about the cable (5),—an intermediate unit (2) designed to surround said cable (5) and comprising means (6, 29-31) for adjusting the rotation of said cutting means (7),—a fixing unit (3) comprising fixing means (8) for said cable (5), the three units (1-3) being adjacent to one another and aligned along a common axis defined by said cable (5).

Abstract: A cable sheathing slitter attachment for a wire stripper tool. The cable sheathing slitter attachment is preferably integrally formed of sheet metal and a blade member and a guard member. The blade member includes a blade portion having first and second oppositely facing knife-edges and a mounting portion having an opening that facilitates the mounting of the blade member to a jaw of the wire slitter tool. The guard member includes a mounting portion with a hole therethrough and a U-shaped guard portion. A fastener passes through the hole in the mounting portion of the guard member, the elongated opening in the mounting portion of the blade member and through the hole in the respective jaw to mount the guard and blade members to the jaw of the wire stripper tool. The guard is rotatable with respect to the knife-edges to expose the knife-edges when it is desired to use the same for the slitting of non-metallic sheathed cables.

Abstract: A wire stripper has a pair of elongated frames pivotably joined together by a pivot pin and defining handles and jaws. The handles are covered by sleeves which include thumb wells which cover the ends of the pivot pin. A mechanical interlock is provided between the handles and the sleeves. The sleeves have slots for receiving the handles. The slots are offset so the front and rear surfaces of opposite sleeves are coplanar. The sleeves have a core and cushion grip overmolded on the core. A molding projection on the core allows precise placement of the core in a mold during formation of the cushion grip. A spring biases the frames to an open position. A locking member can be set by a sliding motion toward the handle end to hold the handles in a closed position. A curved shoulder on the edge of a handle wipes across a screw hole opening in the opposite jaw to provide a screw cutting function with a slicing action.

Abstract: A handheld stripper includes a handheld housing having a chamber configured to hold a volume of pressurized combustible gas. Combustion of the gas occurs at an output nozzle. A filter is disposed between the output nozzle and fiber and is configured to radiate heat in the direction of the fiber, while preventing a combustion flame from contacting the fiber.

Abstract: A coaxial cable stripper includes an upper lid, a base, a blade seat, a lower lid, and a blade rotation rod. In use, the user's finger presses the upper lid to open the front end of the stripper. The cable is placed on the recess of the base. Then, the upper lid is released and the front end of the stripper close and grip the cable. Next, the screw at the bottom of the base is adjusted to control the spring force of the spring so as to force the blade to cut deep into the inner insulation layer to the central conductive core. Next, the screw at the blade body hole is adjusted to control the cutting depth of the blade body so as to force the blade to cut into the outer sheath of the cable. Then the inner insulation layer and the outer sheath can be cut.

Abstract: Apparatus for stripping a coating from a coated optical fiber. The apparatus has a pair of opposed blade holders, one end of each blade holder being adapted to releasably receive and retain a blade. The opposed ends of the blade holders are joined with a flexible member. The opposed blade holders are movable from an open position to a closed position. In the closed position edges of the blades are in a parallel spaced apart position, spaced to grip a coated optical fiber between the plastic blades. The plastic blades are selected and positioned to grip and to effect cracking of the coating while minimizing damage to the optical fiber when a coated optical fiber is placed and moved between the closed blades.

Abstract: The present invention is a hand-held stripping tool. The tool is adapted for cutting an outer sheath of a first electrical cable. Inside the sheath is parallel spaced apart insulation covered wires and a core member containing an uncovered ground wire between the insulation covered wires. The sheath has spaced apart curved sides conforming to the covered wires. The tool has spaced apart first and second jaw members adapted to be pressed together. The jaw members have cutting edges that receive a portion of the first cable along its length. The cutting edges define an opening configured to cut the sheath and the core without significantly cutting the insulation on the wires or the unsheathed ground wire when the jaw members are pressed together to form the opening. The portion of the sheath is then removed in one continuous process.

Abstract: The invention relates to stripping tools for coaxial cables with a corrugated outer conductor and a hollow inner conductor. The tool comprises three main parts: a jacket cutting part for removing a certain predetermined length of the jacket of the cable, a guide part to be placed around the end of the cable after the jacket has been removed by the jacket cutting part, and a second cutting part to be placed on the guide part during a final preparation of the end of the cable during which the inner conductor, the outer conductor and the dielectric material between inner- and outer conductor are being cut off to appropriate lengths. The guide part is provided with a portion for determining a well-defined longitudinal position of the tool on the cable relative to the pattern of valleys and crests of the corrugation on the outer conductor.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for stripping the insulation or dielectric housing from a cable or wire. The cable stripping device includes a wire guide block having a bore extending transversely therethrough and a slot which extends from an end of the block to the bore. An elongated holder is provided for receiving the wire guide block within a hollow portion of the holder. A rotary knife is disposed on a linkage assembly connected to the holder and is pivotable between an unengaged position to an engaged position, wherein the engaged position the blade extends through the slot and extends at least partially into the bore to engage with the cable or wire located within the bore, whereby in the engaged position, the knife blade is positioned to cut the insulation housing from the cable or wire as the cable or wire is pulled through the bore. A spring may be provided for biasing the wire guide block outwardly from the elongated holder.

Abstract: A tool for stripping a microcoaxial cable having an outside diameter of four millimeters or less. The tool is operable for precisely stripping the jacket, shield and dielectric layers of the microcoaxial cable under field conditions. The tool comprises a fixed gripping portion that holds and supports the cable both proximal and distal to the portion to be stripped. A blade portion rotatably mounted to the fixed gripping portion has a double action. When the blade portion is depressed, a plurality of blades mounted thereon cuts into the microcoaxial cable to precise and adjustable depths. A 360° rotation of the blade portion relative to the fixed gripping portion cleanly severs the respective layers of the cable. The respective severed layers of the cable are removed by hand to expose the underlying layer and the central conductor thereby providing a stripped portion of microcoaxial cable to which a microcoaxial cable connector can be attached.

Abstract: A cable cutting and stripping tool is disclosed. The tool has a pair of pivotally connected levers relatively moveable between open and closed positions. Each lever includes a handle portion and a jaw portion disposed on opposite sides of the pivot. The levers have coacting cable severing blades adapted to sever a cable in a shearing action. The levers further include a pair of coacting shield insulation cutting and stripping cutters. The levers also include a coacting pair of sheath and conductor insulation cutting and stripping cutters. A process of preparing a coaxial cable for attachment of a connector is also disclosed.

Abstract: A wire stripper has a pair of elongated frames pivotably joined together by a pivot pin and defining handles and jaws. The handles are covered by sleeves which include thumb wells which cover the ends of the pivot pin. A mechanical interlock is provided between the handles and the sleeves. The sleeves have slots for receiving the handles. The slots are offset so the front and rear surfaces of opposite sleeves are coplanar. The sleeves have a core and cushion grip overmolded on the core. A molding projection on the core allows precise placement of the core in a mold during formation of the cushion grip. A spring biases the frames to an open position. A locking member can be set by a sliding motion toward the handle end to hold the handles in a closed position. A curved shoulder on the edge of a handle wipes across a screw hole opening in the opposite jaw to provide a screw cutting function with a slicing action.

Abstract: A plier tool for cutting multi-conductor electrical cables is disclosed. The tool has a pair of levers having pivotally connected boss portions. The levers also having coacting handle and jaw portions on opposite sides of the boss portions such that upon manipulation of the handles toward one another the jaw portions close to perform a work operation. The jaw portions include coactable cutter sections each having stepped parts oriented such that on closure on a multi-conductor cable a first pair of the parts will substantially sever a first conductor before a second pair of the parts commences to sever a second conductor.

Abstract: A method of peeling off a coating of an elliptical cross sectional insulated conductive wire has a groove forming process of forming a groove nearly perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the insulated conductive wire at given positions within a peeling region thereof, a first peeling process of peeling off the coating by moving a pair of first cutting edges in a longitudinal direction of the insulated conductive wire and perpendicularly to a longer diameter direction of the cross section thereof toward the groove from opposite ends of the peeling region, and a second peeling process of peeling off the coating at the peeling region by moving a pair of second cutting edges in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and in parallel with the longer diameter direction of the cross section thereof. As a result, the coating all around the outer circumference of the insulated conductive wire at the peeling region may be completely peeled off.

Abstract: A cable sheathing slitter attachment for a wire stripper tool. The cable sheathing slitter attachment is preferably integrally formed of sheet metal and a blade member and a guard member. The blade member includes a blade portion having first and second oppositely facing knife-edges and a mounting portion having an opening that facilitates the mounting of the blade member to a jaw of the wire slitter tool. The guard member includes a mounting portion with a hole therethrough and a U-shaped guard portion. A fastener passes through the hole in the mounting portion of the guard member, the elongated opening in the mounting portion of the blade member and through the hole in the respective jaw to mount the guard and blade members to the jaw of the wire stripper tool. The guard is rotatable with respect to the knife-edges to expose the knife-edges when it is desired to use the same for the slitting of non-metallic sheathed cables.

Abstract: An improved cable preparation tool and an accompanying method which, when utilized concurrently, prepare fully shielded cables for termination into connecting devices. A preferred embodiment of the tool has hinged first and second tool handles biased together about a hinge by a resilient member. One end of a tool handle is fitted with a receptacle to receive and mount a detachable blade cartridge assembly which cuts the cable jacket and shielding metallic foils wrapped around individual pairs of insulated wires. A second receptacle is provided in either tool handle to receive a detachable template cartridge assembly which is used to properly position wires for termination into a connector. An exemplary method of cable preparation using the tool includes removing a cutting a cable jacket, cutting a plurality of foils and aligning wires using a single cable preparation tool.

Abstract: A mechanical stripping apparatus for displacing resin from a resin covered filament by forming a removable sleeve portion between opposing filament ends. The mechanical stripping apparatus comprises a first clamp for holding a filament at a first location and a second clamp having a separation from the first clamp and in axial alignment therewith for holding a filament at a second location. A first set of cutting blades adjacent to the first clamp is positioned for cutting into resin around a resin covered filament proximate to the first location. The mechanical stripping apparatus also includes a second set of cutting blades adjacent to the second clamp for cutting into resin around a resin covered filament proximate to the second location, such that a distance separates the first set of cutting blades from the second set of cutting blades. The distance between sets of cutting blades is less than the separation between the clamps.

Abstract: When stripping an optical fiber ribbon (7) from its polymer coating the ribbon is clamped at some distance from its end in a cutting and tension unit (3). When the lid (23) of this unit is folded down knifes are pressed into the coating at a side of the unit. The end portion of the ribbon (7) is then clamped in a heating unit (1) which before this clamping operation is moved, against the force from an elastically biased rod (31) extending from the cutting and tension unit, the movement being guided by guide rods (11), to be located directly at the side of the cutting and tension unit (3). The end of the ribbon in the heating unit is heated by a heating plate (5). When the end has become sufficiently hot and the coating is softened, the cutting and tension unit (3) automatically starts to move away from the heating unit (1) by the action of the elastically biased rod (31). Then the knifes start to separate the coating on the end portion from the rest of ribbon.

Abstract: A tool for removing insulation from coaxial cable includes a fixed double-edged cutting blade mounted on the tool body and a planar cutting blade that is mounted on a cassette to move perpendicular to the axis of the cable between a cutting position and a non-cutting position. The double-edged cutting blade includes a transverse cutting edge and a longitudinal cutting edge, the transverse cutting edge lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to an axis of the cable and the longitudinal cutting edge lying in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the cable. The planar cutting blade has a cutting edge lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the cable. The blades may be mounted on the same end of the tool, requiring that the coaxial cable be inserted only once into the tool, or on opposite ends of the tool.

Abstract: The device is provided with a heating jaw, which softens the protective layers of optical fibers in order to be able to cut them more easily and to pull them off. For particularly thick optical fibers, the heating jaw is provided with a longitudinal groove with which the contact surface to the optical fiber is enlarged and the heating of the protective layer is accelerated.

Abstract: An adjustment mechanism for a wire stripper that sets the initial minimum opening between cutter jaws so that the jaws close snugly around a wire, and then adjusts the opening to provide a clearance distance so that the wire is not damaged when the jaws cut through the insulation.

Abstract: A cable stripping tool, for stripping insulation from a cable that includes a stripper cord, includes a cylindrical mandrel having first and second ends, with a cord end receptacle formed in at least one end. The receptacle is dimensioned to receive the exposed end of a stripper cord. In use, the exposed end of the stripper cord is inserted into the receptacle, and the mandrel is rotated about its longitudinal axis, thereby pulling the stripper cord through the insulation layer. When the desired point is reached along the length of the cable, the cord is cut. The coil of cord that becomes wrapped around the mandrel may be cut axially to remove the cord from the tool. In a preferred embodiment, the mandrel is formed as a hollow tubular extrusion, with a longitudinal slot along its entire length. Alternatively, the mandrel can be formed as a solid rod of material, with a longitudinal slot formed along its length.

Abstract: The present invention is a cable preparation tool which allows the preparation of a coaxial cable having a corrugated outer conductor to receive a connector in one step. The tool allows for the control of trim dimensions for each component of the cable without measuring. No matter whether the end of the cable before preparation is at the crest or valley of the outer conductor, the tool provides the correct trim dimensions for each component and stops cutting when these dimensions are reached. The cable preparation tool includes a main body having a cable receiving end, cable receiving area for stripping of the cable such that the crests and valleys are exposed, and a crest and valley locating system as part of the main body for locating the exposed crests and valleys of the corrugated conductor. The crest and valley locating system includes at least one valley locator unit extending into the cable receiving area and a spring that biases the valley locator unit into the cable receiving area.

Abstract: An apparatus for, and method of, stripping insulation from an electrical wire. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes: (1) a stripping member having a curved, irregular surface thereon that is frictionally engageable with the insulation to apply a stripping force thereto and (2) a handle, coupled to an end of the stripping member, that allows a stripping force to be applied to the stripping member.

Abstract: A method for mechanically stripping the protective coating from a silica or glass optical fiber using a polymeric or soft metal blade having a hardness less than that of the glass optical fiber but greater than the protective coating. The blade is preferably selected from a group of polymeric materials, or alternately a soft metal, which is selected or treated so as to not detrimentally oxidize in conventional operating environments. For a silica-containing optical fiber, the blade has a hardness of less than approximately 125 on the Knoop hardness scale, and preferably less than approximately 60 on the Knoop hardness scale. A method of inhibiting damage to the exposed region of the silica-containing optical fiber comprises applying a substance that forms a protective layer to provide a barrier to particulates and moisture, and which does not inhibit subsequent processing of the optical fiber, selected from a group of silane-containing compounds.

Abstract: A handheld coaxial cable trimmer tool has a removable and replaceable blade cartridge. The blade cartridge snaps into the tool with a hook engagement and is easily removed from the tool by pressing on a flexible lever on the top of the tool. The flexible lever has limited motion to protect it and the cartridge from being overstressed.

Abstract: An apparatus for stripping a section 54 of insulation covering from an insulation-covered wire at a predetermined location along an insulation-covered wire 50. The apparatus includes a circumferential cutting portion 10 for circumferentially cutting the predetermined insulation-covering section 54 at both ends thereof, a slitting portion 20 for slitting the predetermined insulation-covering section 54 in the axial direction, and a stripping portion 36 for stripping the predetermined insulation-covering section 54 from the core 52 of the wire 50. The slitting portion 20 includes a twin-blade cutter device 23 located in parallel with a longitudinal direction of the insulation-covered wire, and an ultrasonic vibration horn portion 27 located above the twin-blade cutter device 23. An insulation-covered wire 50 is placed between the ultrasonic vibration horn portion 27 and the twin-blade cutter device 23, and is vibrated at the frequency of an ultrasonic wave generated by the ultrasonic vibration horn portion 27.

Abstract: An auto-aligning ribbon splitter which can be used on any size optical fiber ribbon made by any manufacturer. The auto-aligning ribbon splitter centers an optical fiber ribbon over a first splitting edge so that it can be split into two sub-units each having an equal number of optical fibers therein. The auto-aligning ribbon splitter includes a bottom plate having a channel. The channel includes a first splitting edge. Two movable plates are disposed on the bottom plate so that they are parallel to, and are centered about, the first splitting edge. A mechanism, such as an adjustment rod, is connected to the movable plates to change their position relative to the first splitting edge, but maintain each plate at an equal distance from the first splitting edge. A second splitting edge, on a top body, may then be pressed against the centered ribbon to cause an initial split between two sub-units, as the top body pushes half of the ribbon into the channel on the bottom plate.