GB2169150A - Cable salvaging equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

Cable-salvaging equipment adjustable to accommodate scrap cable of different diameters, including small-diameter cable, comprises opposed sets of parallel wheel discs at 1 and 2, between which a cable is initially guided by guide 3 for passage onwards to a splitting knife (4 Fig 4). Positive lateral guidance for the cable is provided by side guides 7 and 8 movable inward toward the cable surface but without touching the wheels 1,2. Guides 7,8 can be mounted for mutually equal and opposite lateral movement and wheels 1 and 2 can likewise be mounted for mutually equal and opposite vertical movement; if desired these diameter-adjustment movements can themselves be further operatively linked to a single control. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cable stripping equipment This invention concerns improvements to machines for stripping cables.

Electric telephone cables consist of several conductors, insulating material and various products providing mechanical protection or a seal. Some ofthe materials making up these cables have a commercial value and it is therefore of financial interest to recover these when the cables are scrapped. Cable strippers have therefore been developedto cutthe cable at one location, orat more than one location simultaneously so that it can be stripped. Thus, the stripper of French Patent 2346885 has has at least two wheels to rotate in opposite directions in orderto drive a cable gripped between them, with the cable thus travelling between a guide located upstream ofthewheels and a device situated downstream which is intended to split the cable.The above-mentioned wheels are mounted in bearings with axes parallel but at a variable distance from each other, in order to adapt to cables of differing cross-sections. Therefore, in accordance with the possibilities, either the upper wheel is fixed and the lower wheel is movable orthe upper wheel is movable and the lower wheel is fixed.

The above equipment works well on cables with cross-sections in excess of about 15 millimetres. With cables ofsmaller cross-sectio n, which constitute a considerable proportion of all cables there is a tendencyforthe cable to move away from the cutting plane and to slip in relation to the gripping and driving effect of the wheels towards the cutting tool or tools.

This detrimental problem is in fact encountered with all equipment currently available. Also, maintenance and inspection work on the machines is too costly and reduces productivity. In practice, therefore, smalldiameter cables are not stripped, but are thrown away.

The aim ofthe present invention is therefore to resolve this size problem in a simple manner, permitting use of a stripperfor much smaller sizes of cable, including very small ones. The solution provided by the invention is particularly elegant and convenient. It makes it possible to handle very large quantities of cables which have hitherto been abandoned and to recovertons of material e.g. copper, aluminium, and lead sheaths, of appreciablevaiue.

The invention accordingly consists in cable-stripping equipment ofthe type in which: two wheels provided with drives for counter-rotation about spaced parallel axes wherebytheirsurfaces grip and convey a cable, the spacing ofthe axes being capable of variation to accommodate different cable sizes, are combined with a cable guide upstream of the wheels and a cable-splitting cutter dowmstream ofthe wheels; characterised in that additional laterally movable guide means, one to each side ofthe cable, are shaped and mounted for insertion into the space between the wheels without touching the surfaces of either wheel but so asto provide positive side guidance to the moving cable.

Each wheel may be formed as two parallel wheel discs, atthe same spacing on each axis, whereby cable can be gripped between both opposite wheel disc parts.

Means may be provided, as described in more detail below, to synchronise the opening or closing move ments away from or towa rds the cable path, of the laterally movable guide means.

Means may also be provided to permit simultaneous movement of the parallel wheel axes towards or away from each other so as to varytheir spacing in orderto accommodate different sizes of cable.

As described more fully below, the guide adjustment means and the wheel-adjustment means may be operatively linked.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa diagrammatic view illustrating the main devices on a cable stripper.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic end view of the device of Figure 1 illustrating, in particular, a connection for setting simultaneous opening and approach of the wheels.

Figure 3 is a like diagrammatic end view, illustrating the cable stripper with a lateral cable guiding device.

Figure 4 is an end view similarto that of Figure 3 but with a gap between the wheels and the lateral cable guiding device.

Figure5 is a diagrammatic plan view of the lateral guiding device; and Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views illustrating the main devices on the machine in one non-restrictive embodiment of the invention.

The machine illustrated has two wheels generally indicated at 1 and 2, connected to driving devices to rotate in opposite directions around horizontal axes.

Wheel 1 is located above wheel 2. The external cylindrical surface of each wheel has rough points, such as teeth, slots or any other impressions likely to increase adhesion to both sides of a cable cfed between the said wheels in the direction of arrow F (Figure 1). These wheels having the general references 1 and 2 each comprise a pair of wheel discs designated 11, 11 and 22.22 mounted in each case on a common shaft. A guide 3, for example of a vex shape (see Figure 6) is arranged upstream ofthe wheels to ensurethatthe cable is centred. The guide 3 is preferably made in one piece with the bearing ofthe lower wheel 2.

One or two cutters 4 is or are provided downstream of the wheels. These cutters are positioned on a support in a vertical plane along the median axis of each ofthewheels i.e. between the constituent coupled wheel discs (Figure 3). The cutter or cutters ensure that the cable is cut at one or two diametrically opposite points.

The upperwheel 1 can be in a fixed position and the lower wheel 2 movable, with axes remaining in the same plane and parallel. Arrow F1 has been used to illustrate the possibility of moving the relevant wheel 2 away. As a variant, upperwheel 1 can be movable and lowerwheel 2 fixed (arrow F2).

According to one importantfeature, the bearings for the upper and lower wheels can also be moved simultaneously (in accordance with arrow F3) either by pivoting or by movement parallel to a direction orthogonal to the axes ofthewheels. A control wheel 5 with a suitable transmission 6 permits the simul taneousopening orapproach ofthetwowheels in orderto adaptto the diameter ofthe cable being handled. Each ofthetwocutters,thesupportsof which are connected to the wheel bearings, is also movable with its corresponding wheel.

According to another importantfeature ofthe invention and with reference to Figures 3 to 5, the cable stripper is equipped with a device ensuring positive guiding ofthe cables past the driving and cutting means. This device has guiding mechanisms generally referred to as 7 and 8 located one to each side ofthe cable movement axis and cutter axes. The two mechanisms are generally located in a horizontal plane at the level ofthecableto be gripped. Each has a protrusive end, 71 and 81 respectively, in a front section, movable in and out ofthe space between the circumferential facing wheels 1 and 2 aboutw'lere the cable passes through. The protrusive sections 71, 87 are never in contact with the wheels.Theirfunction is to serve as a means of guiding and retaining a cable 9c ofverysmall cross-section, e.g. around 5 millimetres.

The movement ofthe two guiding mechanisms 7,8 can be synchronised by any suitable form of linkage connected to a single control mechanism actuated by an operator.

Synchronisation ofthe movements as between the guiding mechanism 7,8 and the parting ofthe wheels 1,2 by any appropriate forms of manual or automatic single control and transmission isalsoa possible feature of the present invention.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a non-limitative embodi ment ofthe invention, in diagrammatic perspective view.

The wheels 1 and their drive mechanisms are suitably arranged in a frame. Upstream ofthe wheels is shown the cable entry guide 3 fixed to the frame in a suitable manner. The cutters are arranged behind the wheels 1 and 2 and between the wheel discs. The lateral guiding mechanisms 7,8 are designed in the form of cranked arms in theirfrontsection and hinged together in their rear section by a means of a connecting mechanism 10. The protruding sections 71, 81 arranged at the front of the arms are opposite each other and pass between the wheel 2 ensuring thatthe cables are guided and retained and preventing them from slipping.

The front arm 7 also has in its cranked section a boss in which engagesthethreaded end 111 of a connection rod 11 connected to a control wheel 12, which is itself arranged on asupport 13 oftheframe control panel.

Support 13 has a channel, section 14to guide and hold the arm 7 with a free, controlled sliding motion. In a symmetrical manner, arm 8 is also arranged with an extension sliding freely and in a controlled fashion in a supporting section 15 within one of the walls of the frame.

Thetwo arms are designed attheirrear end for connection and transmitting movements intheform of a rod, an inverted rack or other means to ensure their synchronised, regular opening or approach whilethecontmlwheel 12 is being actuated.

Attention is drawn to the simplicity of production of the lateral cable guiding device and the rapid adaptation ofthe machine, without tricky manoeuvres, to handle all types of cables.

Claims (9)

1. Cable-stripping equipment ofthe type in which: two wheels provided with drives for counter-rotation about spaced parallel axes whereby their surfaces grip and convey a cable, the spacing ofthe axes being capable of variation to accommodate different cable sizes, are combined with a cable guide upstream ofthe wheels and a cable-splitting cutter downstream ofthe wheels; characterised in that additional laterally movable guide means, one to each side ofthe cable, are shaped and mounted for insertion into the space between the wheels without touching the surfaces of eitherwheel but so asto provide positive side guidance to the moving cable.

2. Cable-stripping equipment as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that each wheel isformedastwo parallel wheel discs, at the same spacing on each axis, wh by cable can be gripped between both opposite wheel disc parts.

3. Cable-stripping equipment as claimed in claim 1 or2 characterised in that means are provided to synchronisethe opening or closing movements, away from ortowardsthe cable path, ofthe laterally movable guide means.

4. Cable-stripping equipmentasclaimed inclaim3 characterised inthateach laterally movable guide means has a rearwardly extending pivot arm and a rounded front guide region for guiding the cable, and inthatone arm has an internally threaded boss engaging the threaded end of a rod turnable about its longitudinal axis to alterthe position ofthe arm.

5. Cable-stripping equipment as claimed in claim 4, in which channel-section guides support and slidably control the movement ofthe laterally movable guide means.

6. Cable-stripping equipment as claimed in claim 4 or5 in which a toothed rack or the like extends between pin ions at each arm pivot point whereby movement of one pivot pinion moves the rack to cause equal and opposite movement ofthe other pivot pinion.

7. Cable-stripping equipment as claimed in any one preceding claim characterised in that means are provided to permit simultaneous movement ofthe parallel wheel axes towards or away from each other so asto vary their spacing in orderto accommodate different sizes of cable.

8. Cable-stripping equipment as claimed in claim 7 as dependent on any one of claims 3 to 6 characterised in that itfurther comprises means operatively linking thesynchronised opening and closing movements of the laterally movable guide meanswiththevariation of wheel axis spacing, whereby both adjustments to differing cable sizes can be made by a single control operation.

9. Cable-stripping equipment as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.