Orbital Technologies Corporation

Other

Schleuniger Holding Ag

Carpenter Manufacturing Co., Inc.

Orbital Technology, Inc.

David J Palmowski

Thomas S Carpenter

David D Hand

Beat Locher

Markus Widmer

Apparatus for supporting a coaxial cable, or the like, and effecting cutting and stripping operations to remove a portion of one or more layers which concentrically cover a central conductor. A single blade, having a circular cutting edge, is moved in an orbital path about the cable with rotary motion of a motor translated to orbital motion of the blade through a plurality of plates relatively movable on crossed, linear, roller bearings and a shaft eccentrically affixed to the motor with the shaft and motor axes at an acute angle to one another. The shaft extends through a spherical bearing mounted in one of the plates, thereby translating nutational motion of the shaft to orbiting motion of the plate which is directly attached to the blade. A unique clamping assembly includes a pair of jaws having respective gear racks engaging a single pinion gear on a motor output shaft for linear movement of the jaws by equal distances in opposite directions. A microprocessor controls the level of current to the motor, thereby adjusting the clamping force applied to the cable, and increases this force during the stripping operation, when maximum axial force is applied to the cable. A guide bushing establishes the radial position of the cable axis and is stationary during blade movement, thereby permitting the opening in the bushing to closely approximate the cable diameter. The position of the bushing is adjustable to align the central axis of the bushing opening with that of the blade cutting edge. The bushing is also movable to an inoperative position to permit unobstructed access to the blade for replacement thereof. A pair of gripping members are movable to engage the severed portion of the covering layer to assist in the stripping operation, and a unique combination of hardware and software is provided for calibrating the position of the gripping members at equal distances from the axis of the cable.

Orbiting blade coaxial cable cutter/stripper

Wire processing apparatus (). The apparatus () includes an electronic memory for storing values commensurate with the lengths from a terminal end of the wire () to the positions of cuts to be made through the plurality of coating layers (X,Y,Z), and a mechanical store for controlling the depths of each cut. Threaded shafts () are mounted upon a turret which is movable both rotationally and axially with respect to the wire being processed. The electronic memory is preferably adapted to receive inputs representing parameters of sequential steps in each of two processing operations, and to perform such operations alternately, upon different wire ends, upon successive actuation's of the apparatus (). A further feature of the apparatus is an arrangement permitting the force exerted on the wire () by a pair of gripping members () to remain substantially constant over a range of different wire diameters. A motor () is mechanically linked to the gripping members () to bring the gripping members to the wire-engaging position.

Semi-automatic wire processing apparatus

A cutting/stripping apparatus, and methods of operation thereof, which include at least one first blade for rotary motion about the central axis of a multi-layered workpiece, and at least two, second members/blades reciprocally movable along essentially linear axes, toward and away from the one another while remaining equally spaced on opposite sides of the central axis. The general structure of the apparatus may be a single, orbiting blade to provide cutting of the outer layer about its entire periphery and a pair of members movable toward and away from one another to engage the outer layer. The pair of members may have linear, opposed edges, or may have a V-shaped or radiused (curved) cutting edges. Electronic controls and software, together with selective operator inputs which define operation of the apparatus, permit cutting the outer layer of the workpiece by either the rotary blade or the reciprocating blades.

Apparatus and method for cutting and stripping covering layers from a filamentary core including both rotary and reciprocating cutting blades

Wire processing apparatus particularly adapted to perform operations on wires having a central conductor with multiple, coaxial covering layers. The apparatus includes an electronic memory for storing values commensurate with the lengths from a terminal end of the wire to the positions of cuts to be made through the plurality of coating layers, and a plurality of threaded shafts individually movable by manual manipulation of mechanical elements to control the depths of each cut. The threaded shafts are mounted upon a turret which is movable both rotationally and axially with respect to the wire being processed. The electronic memory is preferably adapted to receive inputs representing parameters of sequential steps in each of two processing operations, and to perform such operations alternately, upon different wire ends, upon successive actuations of the apparatus. A further feature of the apparatus is an arrangement permitting the force exerted on the wire by a pair of gripping members to remain substantially constant over a range of different wire diameters. A stepper motor is mechanically linked to the gripping members and is indexed from a fixed starting position by a selectively variable number of steps to bring the gripping members to the wire-engaging position.

A keypad structure includes a printed circuit board with a plurality of miniature push-button switches mounted thereon in a predetermined array with the operating surfaces of the buttons substantially in a common plane. An array of holes is formed in a layer material termed a spacer member which is releasably secured to the pcb with the wall defining each hole surrounding a corresponding switch. A plurality of openings is formed in a template sheet which is adhesively secured to the spacer member. The openings in the template sheet are of larger diameter than the holes in the spacer member and provide a positioning guide for dome-type spring members which are supported on the spacer member and overlie the respective operating surfaces of the switch buttons. A flexible, outer sheet is adhesively secured to the outer surface of the template sheet, capturing the springs between the spacer member and the outer sheet. The switches are individually operable by manual pressure applied to selected areas of the outer sheet and repairs may be performed by detaching the pcb from the spacer member.

Keypad structure including switches with external metal dome like spring

Apparatus for feeding an insulated electrical wire, or the like, axially with respect to a transverse plane in which a single pair of blade cutting edges are supported for movement toward and away from the axis of the wire. Each blade has a continuous cutting edge forming the periphery of an opening through the blade. The wire is advanced a predetermined distance through the aligned blade openings by a pair of conveyors on opposite sides of the plane of the blade edges. The blades are moved in opposite directions to sever a premeasured length of wire from the supply by first portions of each blade edge. The severed wire portion is then moved by the conveyors to a second axial position and the blades are again moved to cause second portions of the cutting edges to pass partially through the layer of insulation, stopping before contacting the conductor. Axial movement of the wire then causes the engaged blades to sever a slug of insulation and strip it partially or fully from the conductor. The rollers of both conveyors which are nearest the plane of the blade edges are of smaller diameter than the distal rollers, thereby permitting the conveyors to extend and support the wire at positions closer to the blades than otherwise possible.

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Syracuse, NY, United States of America

David J Palmowski