Metal clad cable cutting machine
A machine forms a whip from a length of cable. The machine includes a clamping assembly, a notching assembly, and a cutting assembly. The clamping assembly includes a pad which can be move into and out of a cable travel space. The notching assembly includes a notching saw which cuts an outer jacket of the cable in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. Movement of the pad also causes movement of the notching saw to move into the cable travel space or into a raised position. The cutting assembly includes a cutting tool which transversely cuts the conductors of the cable.
1. A machine configured to form at least one whip from a length of a cable having an outer jacket, and one or more conductors enclosed by the outer jacket, comprising:
an input into which the cable is fed into the machine and an output through which the whip exits the machine, wherein a cable travel space is defined along a longitudinal axis between the input and the output;
a feed assembly configured to receive the cable from the input, the feed assembly including a feed roller, and a first motor operatively connected to the feed roller, the first motor configured to rotate the feed roller in a first direction to advance the cable along the cable travel space from the input toward the output;
a clamping assembly configured to receive the cable from the input, the clamping assembly comprising:
a pad, and
a second motor operatively connected to the pad, wherein a first activation of the second motor causes the pad to move into the cable travel space and a second activation of the second motor causes the pad to move out of the cable travel space;
a notching assembly comprising:
a notching saw, and
a third motor operatively connected to the notching saw, wherein activation of the third motor causes the notching saw to cut the outer jacket of the cable in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis to form a notch in the cable,
wherein the second motor is operatively connected to the notching assembly and movement of the second motor causes the notching saw to move into the cable travel space or into a raised position wherein the notching saw is out of the cable travel space; and
a cutting assembly configured to receive the cable having the notch therein from the notching assembly, the cutting assembly comprising:
a cutting tool having at least one cutting edge, and
a fourth motor operatively connected to the cutting tool, wherein activation of the fourth motor causes the at least one cutting edge of the cutting tool to completely cut the conductors of the cable in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis to form a whip, and
wherein the output is configured to receive the whip from the cutting assembly.
2. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the clamping assembly further comprises:
a stamping affixed to a motor shaft of the second motor, and a plate attached to the stamping, the plate being movable relative to the stamping, the pad being attached to the plate, the pad being movable relative to the plate.
3. The machine of claim 2 , wherein the pad is biased relative to the plate by at least one spring to bias the pad into the cable travel space.
4. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the pad has an elongated slot therethrough through which the notching saw is configured to travel.
5. The machine claim 1 , wherein the clamping assembly further comprises:
a stamping affixed to a motor shaft of the second motor, and a plate attached to the stamping, the plate being movable relative to the stamping, the pad being attached to the plate, the pad being movable relative to the plate, and
wherein a motor shaft of the third motor extends through an aperture in the plate, the aperture being larger than the motor shaft of the third motor, the motor shaft of the third motor being movable within the aperture.
6. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the clamping assembly further comprises: a stationary positioning block underneath the pad and under the cable travel space, the positioning block having a generally V-shaped groove therein.
7. The machine of claim 1 , further comprising: a shelf configured to be moved into the cable travel space and out of the cable travel space.
8. The machine of claim 7 , wherein the shelf is attached to the pad, the shelf having a feed end and a discharge end, the shelf being angled relative to horizontal such that the feed end is spaced a greater distance from the pad than the discharge end.
9. The machine of claim 7 , wherein a first activation of the third motor causes the shelf to move into the cable travel space and a second activation of the third motor causes the shelf to move out of the cable travel space.
10. The machine of claim 1 ,
wherein the feed assembly further includes an idler roller mounted on a feed stamping, the idler roller and the feed stamping being pivotable relative to the feed roller.
11. The machine of claim 10 , the feed assembly further includes a handle attached to the feed stamping, wherein rotation of the handle causes pivoting of the feed stamping.
12. The machine of claim 11 , wherein the feed assembly, the clamping assembly and the cutting assembly are mounted with a cabinet, and the handle extends through a wall of the cabinet, wherein movement of the handle is configured to pivot the feed stamping relative to the feed roller.
13. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the cutting tool comprises one of a single cutting blade, a pair of cutting blades, and a rotary saw.
14. The machine of claim 1 , further comprising a labeling device configured to apply a label.
15. The machine of claim 1 , further comprising a coiling device configured to receive the cable from the cutting assembly.
16. The machine of claim 1 , further comprising: a controller configured to control operation of all the motors.
17. The machine of claim 16 , wherein the feed assembly further includes an idler roller mounted on a feed stamping, the idler roller and the feed stamping being pivotable relative to the feed roller, and a sensor mounted on the feed stamping which is configured to communicate information to the controller regarding presence, and/or size, of the cable.
18. The machine of claim 16 , wherein the clamping assembly further comprises a sensor configured to communicate information to the controller regarding an amount of force of the clamping assembly when the clamping assembly is moved to various positions.
19. The machine of claim 16 , wherein the notching assembly includes a sensor which is configured to communicate information to the controller regarding an amount of travel of the notching saw when the notching saw is moved to various positions.
20. The machine of claim 16 , wherein the cutting assembly includes a sensor which is configured to communicate information to the controller regarding an amount of travel of the cutting assembly when the cutting assembly cuts the cable into the whip or an amount of force of the cutting assembly.