Longitudinally guided cable slitting tool

Abstract

A cable slitting tool for longitudinally slitting the web of an aerial interduct cable has preferably two guide rollers fitting with their circumference into a groove of the cable's longitudinal web such that the rollers are guided along the groove while they are pressed against the groove by a circular blade penetrating the web from opposite side. The rollers are rotationally free held in a top body and the blade is held in a base body. Both bodies are slide ably adjustable and tightened with respect to each other by a screw. The bodies are held in alignment to each other and the blade's cutting edge is pointing in slitting direction with a wedge angle providing pressure contact between rollers and web groove during slitting. A sliding guide provides additional guidance against eventual roller run out in case of excessive cable bend.

1 . A longitudinal cable web slitting tool comprising: 
 a. a guide roller having a rotational roller axis and a roller circumference shaped in conjunction with a groove of said cable web such that said roller is guided along said groove while said roller is pressed against said groove;    b. a cutting means having a cutting edge facing at least one of said roller circumference and having a cutting plane substantially parallel with a roll direction of said guide roller;    c. a tightening means for adjusting a distance between said cutting edge and said at least one roller circumference such that: 
 i. while said tightening means is being tightened, said cutting edge is forcibly brought into dose proximity to said at least one roller circumference;  
 ii. said cable web placed between said guide roller and said cutting means is said pressed against said groove;  
   
   
   
       2 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 1 , further comprising two of said guide roller substantially aligned with respect to each other, and wherein said cutting means is positioned such that said cutting means penetrates said cable web between said two guide rollers.  
   
   
       3 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 1 , wherein said cutting edge is configured with a majority of its portion that operationally penetrates said cable web being in a wedge angle more than zero degrees and less than ninety degrees with respect to an operational slitting direction of said cable such that said cable web is wedged between said guide roller and said cutting means during slitting of said cable in said slitting direction.  
   
   
       4 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 1 , further comprising a sliding guide at least loosely corresponding to at least to one profile portion of said cable.  
   
   
       5 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 4 , wherein said tightening means comprises a base body and a top body, wherein both bodies are said adjustable with respect to each other, and wherein said sliding guide is provided by said base body and said top body such that said at least one profile portion is loosely trapped between said top body and said base body while said tightening means is said tightened.  
   
   
       6 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 5 , wherein said sliding guide said loosely traps said at least one profile portion along one and a half axes.  
   
   
       7 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 5 , wherein said sliding guide said loosely traps said at least one profile portion along two axes.  
   
   
       8 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 5 , wherein said sliding guide features a flat contact face.  
   
   
       9 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 8 , wherein said flat contact face is horizontal.  
   
   
       10 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 8 , wherein said flat contact face is vertical.  
   
   
       11 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 1 , wherein said tightening means comprises a base body and a top body, wherein both bodies are said adjustable with respect to each other, and wherein said guide roller is rotationally free held in said top body and wherein said cutting means is held in said base body.  
   
   
       12 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 11 , wherein said base body is aligned with respect to said top body in a direction of said adjusting via an alignment feature fitting in a corresponding alignment feature fit, said alignment feature being part of one of said bodies and said alignment feature fit being part of one other of said bodies.  
   
   
       13 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 11 , wherein said bodies are said tightened with respect to each other via a screw.  
   
   
       14 . The cable slitter of  claim 13 , wherein said screw has a knob.  
   
   
       15 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 1 , wherein said cutting edge is provided by a circular blade.  
   
   
       16 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 15 , wherein said circular blade is rotatable held with respect with a symmetry axis of said circular blade.  
   
   
       17 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 16 , wherein said symmetry axis is parallel to said roller axis and perpendicular to a direction of said adjusting.  
   
   
       18 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 15 , wherein said circular blade is fixed adjustably around a symmetry axis of said circular blade such that portions of said circular blade are alternately brought into cutting orientation.  
   
   
       19 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 15 , further comprising a blade cover covering a peripheral portion of said circular blade.  
   
   
       20 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 1 , further comprising an attachment line configured for attachment at an operator's body while providing uninhibited operation of said cable cutter within said operator's reach.  
   
   
       21 . The cable slitting tool of  claim 20 , wherein said attachment line comprises a snap hook on its peripheral end.  
   
   
       22 . An aerial hand tool comprising an attachment line configured for attachment at an operator's body while providing uninhibited operation of said hand tool within said operator's reach.  
   
   
       23 . The aerial hand tool of  claim 22 , wherein said attachment line further comprises a snap hook on its peripheral end.