US2252891A - Knurling tool - Google Patents

Description

Patented Aug. 19, 1941 KNURLING TOOL Walter A. Heinrich, Richmond Heights, Men, as-

signer to James R. Kearney Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application March 23, 1939, Serial No. 263,653

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to tools adapted for use in splicing together lengths of elon gated material, and more specifically to such a tool which may be employed to connecttogether lengths of electric wire in a manner to produce .whichbecause of its improved construction and arrangement is capable of performing its in. tended function in an improved and highly efficient manner.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved tool.

Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the tool illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation illustratinga part of the mode of using the improved tool.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating a joint between a pair of lengths of electric wires showing said joint as it appears when the operation of making said joint with the aid of the improved tool has been partially completed.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective showing the manner of completing a joint between a pair of lengths of electric wires with the aid of the improved tool.

In the drawing, wherein is shown for the purpose of illustration, merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates the improved tool generally. The tool A comprises a pair of elements I and 2 which are connected together for relative pivotal movement by means of a pivot member 3 which extends through apertures formed through said elements. I At corresponding ends of the elements I and 2 said elements are provided with crimping jaws 4 and 5 which have formed therein arcuate cavities 4 and 5' respectively. The elements I and 2 are provided also with spaced handle portions 6 and I which provide for proper gripping of the tool by a user thereof.

As shown to the best advantage in Fig. 2 the overlapping portions I' and 2' through which the pivot member 3 extends are approximately one-half of the normal thickness of the ele ments, and formed on the thicker portion of the element I is an inclined face 8. .The element 2 is also provided with an inclined face 9 and said faces 8 and 9 are so formed on the elements I and 2 and are so related that a channelway I0 is provided between said inclined faces. Also the elements I and 2 are provided with curved cavities II and I2 opening into said channelway ID in which cavities rollers I3 and I I are arranged, said rollers being mounted for rotary movement on pins I5 and I6 whichare provided with enlarged heads and include shank portions I5 and I6 of reduced diameter that are driven into openings formed in the elements I and 2. The rollers I3 and I I are provided with knurled circumferential faces and said rollers located entirely within the cavities II and I2 so that no portions thereof extend beyond the normal surface of the tool.. Asshown in Figs. 1 and 3 the rollers I3 and I4 are so positioned that an imaginary line extended from the axis of one of the rollers to the axis of the other roller would be extended. at an approximate right angle to the channelway I0, and said channelway is in alinement with the space between the rollers I3 and I4 when said rollers are in their operative positions.

In the use of the improved tool the handle portions 6 and I are spread apart slightly and an end portion of a length of wire W, which is to be connected to another length of wire with the aid of the tool, is extended through the channelway ID as shown in Fig. 3, the insulation of said wire having been stripped from the end portion I of the wire as indicated at W in Fig. 3. The handle portions of the tool are then moved toward each other to cause the rollers I3 and I4 to contact with considerable force against the I stripped end portion of the wire at points inwardly of the outer end thereof. The wire W is then grasped and held while the tool is moved longitudinally of the stripped end portion of the wire toward the outer end thereof, with the knurled circumferential faces of the rollers I3 and I4 maintained in close contact with the stripped end portion of the wire by inward pressure on the handle portions of the tool. Such movement of the tool with respect to the stripped end portion of the wire W will cause the rotating rollers I3 and I4 to roughen surface portions of the stripped end portion of the wire as indicated at I! in Fig. 5. The other length of wire W to be connected with the aid of the tool is then similarly prepared through use of the tool, the stripped end portion W thereof being provided with roughened surface portions IT as shown in Fig. 5.

When the stripped end portions of the two lengths of wire have been prepared as described the stripped ends of the lengths of wire are insorted into opposite ends of a sleeve S formed of copper or other suitable material as shown in Fig. 5, and the tool is employed to crimp the sleeve S at points spaced longitudinally of said sleeve as shown at C in Fig, 6. The crimps C are formed by forcing the handle portions of the tool toward each other to cause the crimping jaws 4 and 5 to engage said sleeve and displace the metal of said sleeve as shown in Fig. 6. some of said displaced metal being forced into portions of the space between the crimping jaws whereby the opposed fin-like extensions C are formed. Due to the crimping of the sleeve S the inner face of said sleeve is caused to contact tightly with the surfaces of the stripped end portions of the lengths of wire being connected with the aid of the tool, and because portions of the surfaces of said stripped end portions have been roughened by contact of the knurled rollers l3 and I4 therewith a better mechanical gripping action between the sleeve and the stripped end portions of the lengths of wire is provided.

'An important feature of the invention disclosed herein is that the elements 6 and l of the tool A are provided with cooperating abutments l8 and H! which contact with each other when the handle portions 6 and l are moved toward each other to the inward limits of their movement. When the abutments l8 and id have moved into contact With each other the crimping jaws 4 and 5 and the knurled rollers 13 and M are still maintamed in slightly spaced relation as shown in Fig. 1. By so maintaining the crimping jaws and the knurled rollers in spaced relation when the handle portions of the tool are brought together battering of the crimping jaws and the surfaces ofthe rollers, which would result from repeated and forcible contact of'said parts in the absence of the abutments l8 and 1! 9 is prevented.

I claim: v

1. A tool of the class described comprising a pair of elements having handle portions, means for connecting said elements together for pivotal movement, knurling rollers supported by said elements for rotary movement, said rollers being completely exposed at a side of the tool and being movable toward and from each other with said pair of elements upon relative movement thereof, and inclined faces formed at outer surfaces of said elements which provide a channelway leading between said rollers which serves to guide an article being knurled by the tool, said channelway being extended at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the tool and said channelway being open at the side of the tool at which the rollers are exposed throughout its entire length so that the entire operation of knurling an article with the aid of the tool may be viewed by a user of the tool.

2. A tool of the class described comprising a pair of elements having handle portions; means for connecting said elements together forpivotal mcvement, knurling rollers supported by said elements for rotary movement, said rollersbeing completely exposed at a side of the tool and being movable toward and from each other with said pair of elements upon relative movement thereof and inclined faces formed at outer'surfaces of said elements which provide-a channelway'leading between said rollers which serves. to guide an article being knurled'by the tool, said chanby a user of the tool, said knurling rollers being disposed in cavities formed in said elements which are in communication with said channelway.

WALTER 'A. HEINRICH.

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