Hand Tool Such as a Wire Stripper or Combination Pliers

Abstract

A hand tool and a wire stripper. The hand tool may include a first jaw portion and a second jaw portion having a spring constant more than about 2,225 lbs./in., measured when a force is applied in a direction parallel to the pivot axis to an associated jaw tip with a pivot member being held. The hand tool may include a jaw portion having a gripping surface and an angled wall connected to a side wall and defining a wire stripping portion, the wire stripping portion including a cutting edge and a recess defined in the angled wall, the recess extending from the cutting edge to an end at the one of the side walls, the angled wall being arranged non-parallel to the gripping surface and non-perpendicular to the side wall. The wire stripper may be a forged wire stripper including jaws defining a stripping aperture for Romex® NM wire.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hand tool comprising:
 a lower jaw assembly including a lower handle portion, a lower jaw portion, a first pivot portion, and a lower jaw tip;   an upper jaw assembly including an upper handle portion, an upper jaw portion, a second pivot portion, and an upper jaw tip;   a pivot pin coupling the first pivot portion and the second pivot portion for pivoting movement of the lower jaw assembly and the upper jaw assembly about a pivot axis between an open position and a closed position; and   a longitudinal plane extending perpendicular to the pivot axis;   the lower jaw portion comprising:
 a first side wall; 
 a second side wall; 
 a first angled wall extending between the first and second side walls; and 
 a first plurality of wire stripping recesses defined in the first angled wall and extending between the first and second side walls, the first plurality of wire stripping recesses forming a lower wire stripping portion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The hand tool of  claim 1 , the upper jaw portion comprising:
 a third side wall;   a fourth side wall;   a second angled wall extending between the third and fourth side walls; and   a second plurality of wire stripping recesses defined in the second angled wall and extending between the third and fourth side walls, the second plurality of wire stripping recesses forming an upper wire stripping portion;   wherein the third and fourth side walls are substantially planar and vertical.   
     
     
         3 . The hand tool of  claim 2 , wherein the lower wire stripping portion and the upper wire stripping portion cooperate to define a first plurality of stripping apertures, the first stripping apertures extending along the first angled wall and wherein the lower wire stripping portion and the upper wire stripping portion cooperate to define a second plurality of stripping apertures, the second stripping apertures extending along the second angled wall wherein the position of the first and second angled walls makes visible an outer end of the first stripping apertures and an outer end of the second stripping apertures. 
     
     
         4 . The hand tool of claim of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first gripping surface positioned on the lower jaw tip and extending in a plane parallel to the pivot axis; and   a second gripping surface on the upper jaw tip and extending in the plane parallel to the pivot axis.   
     
     
         5 . The hand tool of claim of  claim 4 , wherein the first angled wall is arranged non-parallel to the first gripping surface and wherein the second angled wall is arranged non-parallel to the second gripping surface. 
     
     
         6 . The hand tool of  claim 1 , wherein each of the lower jaw portion and the upper jaw portion has a spring constant more than about 2,225 lbs./in., measured when a force is applied in a direction parallel to the pivot axis to an associated jaw tip with the pivot pin being held. 
     
     
         7 . The hand tool of  claim 1 , wherein the lower jaw portion and the upper jaw portion define a jaw length, wherein the lower wire stripping portion defines a first wire stripping portion length, wherein a ratio of the first wire stripping portion length to the jaw length is in the range of 0.4 to 0.55. 
     
     
         8 . The hand tool of  claim 1 , wherein the lower jaw portion and the upper jaw portion define a jaw width, wherein the jaw width is about 0.33 inches. 
     
     
         9 . The hand tool of  claim 3 , further comprising an indicator of the a wire to be stripped by the corresponding aperture, the indicator positioned on the first or second side walls proximate the outer end of the first and second stripping apertures. 
     
     
         10 . The hand tool of  claim 3 , further comprising an indicator of the a wire to be stripped by the corresponding aperture, the indicator positioned on the third or fourth side walls proximate the outer end of the first and second stripping apertures. 
     
     
         11 . A wire stripper comprising:
 a first jaw assembly formed from a first single piece of forged metal material, and comprising a first handle portion, a first jaw portion, and a first pivot portion, the first jaw portion defining a first wire stripping portion;   a second jaw assembly formed from a second single piece of forged metal material, and comprising a second handle portion, a second jaw portion, and a second pivot portion, the second jaw portion defining a second wire stripping portion, the first wire stripping portion and the second stripping portion cooperating to define an elongated stripping aperture operable to strip sheathing from a wire including more than one separate conductors in the sheathing; and   a pivot member coupling the first pivot portion and the second pivot portion for pivoting movement of the first jaw assembly and the second jaw assembly about a pivot axis between an open position and a closed position, a longitudinal plane extending perpendicular to the pivot   wherein the first jaw portion has a first gripping surface extending in a gripping plane parallel to the pivot axis, first side walls perpendicular to the gripping plane, and a first outer wall connecting the first side walls, the first jaw portion having a first angled wall connected to one of the first side walls and defining a first wire stripping portion, the first wire stripping portion including a first cutting edge and a first recess defined in the first angled wall, the first recess extending from the first cutting edge to an end at the one of the first side walls, the first angled wall being arranged non-parallel to the gripping surface and non-perpendicular to the one of the first side walls, the first cutting edge being proximate the longitudinal plane and spaced from the other of the first side walls, the first jaw portion including a first wall portion extending from the first cutting edge to the other of the first side walls, the first wire stripping portion being on one side of the longitudinal plane and the first wall portion being on an opposite side of the longitudinal plane; and   wherein the second jaw portion has a second gripping surface extending parallel to the gripping plane, second side walls perpendicular to the gripping plane, and a second outer wall connecting the second side walls, the second jaw portion having a second angled wall connected to one of the second side walls and defining a second wire stripping portion, the second wire stripping portion including a second cutting edge and a second recess defined in the second angled wall, the second recess extending from the second cutting edge to an end at the one of the second side walls, the second angled wall being arranged non-parallel to the second gripping surface and non-perpendicular to the one of the second side walls, the second cutting edge being proximate the longitudinal plane and spaced from the other of the second side walls, the second jaw portion including a second wall portion extending from the second cutting edge to the other of the second side walls, the second wire stripping portion being on the opposite side of the longitudinal plane and the second wall portion being on the one side of the longitudinal plane.   
     
     
         12 . The wire stripper of  claim 11 , wherein the stripping aperture is a first stripping aperture operable to strip a first wire of a first size, and wherein the first wire stripping portion and the second wire stripping portion cooperate to define an elongated second stripping aperture operable to strip a second wire of a second size different than the first wire, the second wire including more than one separate conductors in sheathing. 
     
     
         13 . The wire stripper of  claim 11 , wherein the stripping aperture is a first stripping aperture operable to strip a first wire of a first configuration, wherein the first wire stripping portion and the second wire stripping portion cooperate to define a second stripping aperture operable to strip a second wire of a second configuration different than the first wire, the second wire including one conductor in sheathing. 
     
     
         14 . The wire stripper of  claim 11 , wherein the first jaw portion has a first jaw tip and the second jaw portion has a second jaw tip, and wherein each of the first jaw portion and the second jaw portion has a spring constant more than about 2,225 lbs./in., measured when a force is applied in a direction parallel to the pivot axis to an associated jaw tip with the pivot member being held. 
     
     
         15 . The wire stripper of  claim 14 , wherein each of the first jaw portion and the second jaw portion has a spring constant of up to about 3,200 lbs./in. 
     
     
         16 . The wire stripper of  claim 15 , wherein each of the first jaw portion and the second jaw portion has a spring constant of between about 2,900 lbs./in. and about 3,000 lbs./in. 
     
     
         17 . A method for using a wire stripper comprising:
 providing a wire stripper having:
 a first jaw assembly including a first handle portion, a first jaw portion, and a first pivot portion, the first jaw portion having a having a first angled wall defining a first wire stripping portion, the first wire stripping portion including a first cutting edge and a first recess defined in the first angled wall; 
 a second jaw assembly including a second handle portion, a second jaw portion, and a second pivot portion, the second jaw portion having a having a second angled wall defining a second wire stripping portion, the second wire stripping portion including a second cutting edge and a second recess defined in the second angled wall; 
 wherein the first wire stripping portion and the second stripping portion cooperate to define a first plurality of stripping apertures and a second plurality of stripping apertures; and 
 a pivot pin coupling the first pivot portion and the second pivot portion for pivoting movement of the first jaw assembly and the second jaw assembly about a pivot axis between an open position and a closed position; 
   rotating the wire stripper about a longitudinal axis to an angle 15 degrees or less from vertical; and   viewing the first and second plurality of stripping apertures from above while rotating the wire stripper to an angle 15 degrees or less from vertical.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising a step of viewing an indicator associated with the first and second plurality of stripping apertures from above while rotating the wire stripper to an angle 15 degrees or less from vertical. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the step of rotating further comprises rotating the wire stripper about the longitudinal axis to an angle about 10 degrees from vertical. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the step of viewing the first and second plurality of stripping apertures from above further comprises rotating the wire stripper to an angle about 10 degrees from vertical.