Method of Attaching Reinforcing Bars

• US 20080271409A1
• Filed: 07/15/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dayton Superior Corporation (White Cap Supply Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Kodi Klip Corporation
• Inventors: Kodi, Jon R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,900,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/745.21
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 5/163 the reinforcements running in one single direction
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 5/167 Connection by means of clips or other resilient elements
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 5/20 of material other than metal or with only additional metal parts, e.g. concrete or plastics spacers with metal binding wires E04C5/168 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 52/01 Hand tools for assembling building components

Abstract

A method of attaching and aligning reinforcing bars includes providing a plurality of molded plastic clips having first and second parallel seats and a third transverse seat, all seats of equal size. A lower seat of a clip is pressed over a first reinforcement bar, then a second reinforcement bar is pressed into the upper seat to attach two bars of equal size in parallel. Another identical clip can be used to attach a third bar transverse to the first two bars, all the bars being of equal size.

Claims

1. A method of attaching and aligning reinforcing bars for supporting a concrete matrix, comprising:

(a) providing a plurality of substantially identical molded plastic clips, each clip having first and second parallel seats of equal size for holding two reinforcement bars of equal size in a parallel orientation relative to each other, and each clip having a third seat oriented perpendicular to said first and second seats, said third seat being equal in size to said first seat so that said first and third seats may hold two reinforcement bars of equal size in a transverse orientation relative to each other, said first seat being defined by a pair of fingers having outwardly flared guides on lower ends of the fingers;

(b) engaging the flared guides of a first one of said clips with a first reinforcement bar and pressing the clip against the first reinforcement bar and spreading open the fingers sufficiently for insertion of the first reinforcement bar into the first seat of the clip;

(c) positioning a second reinforcement bar of equal diameter as the first reinforcement bar in position above the first one of the clips and in a parallel orientation to the first reinforcement bar held in the first seat, and then engaging the second reinforcement bar with an upper end of the clip and pressing the second reinforcement bar against the clip and spreading open the upper end of the clip sufficiently for insertion of the second bar into the second seat of the clip;

(d) inserting a third reinforcement bar of equal diameter as the first reinforcement bar into the third seat of a second one of said clips; and

(e) positioning the third reinforcement bar transverse to the first and second reinforcement bars with the flared guides of the second clip engaging one of the first and second reinforcement bars and pressing the second clip against said one of the first and second reinforcement bars so that said one of the first and second reinforcement bars is received in the first seat of the second clip and contacts the third reinforcement bar to hold the third reinforcement bar against the third seat of the second clip.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (b), when the first reinforcement bar is received in the first seat, the first seat compressively engages the first reinforcement bar; and

in step (c), when the second reinforcement bar is received in the second seat, the second seat compressively engages the second reinforcement bar.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (a), each clip has a lower gap defined between the fingers and through which the first reinforcement bar must be pressed to engage the first seat, and an upper gap through which the second reinforcement bar must be pressed to reach the second seat, the upper gap being larger than the lower gap when each clip is in an unstressed position prior to steps (b)-(e).

4. A method of attaching and aligning reinforcing bars for supporting a concrete matrix, comprising:

(a) providing a plurality of substantially identical molded plastic clips for alternatively attaching and holding two parallel reinforcing bars of equal diameter or two transverse reinforcing bars of equal diameter, each clip including;

two transverse supports;

two pairs of lower legs extending downwardly from the two transverse supports, the two pairs of lower legs defining spaced lower seats of a first diameter, each pair of lower legs having a lower gap defining an opening from lower ends of the lower legs to the lower seats;

two pairs of upper legs extending upwardly from the two transverse supports, the two pairs of upper legs defining spaced upper longitudinal seats parallel to the lower seats and having diameters equal to the first diameter of the lower seats for receiving an upper parallel reinforcing bar parallel to the lower reinforcing bar;

two longitudinal supports extending between the two pairs of upper legs, the two longitudinal supports joining upper ends of one pair of upper legs to upper ends of the other pair of upper legs, the two longitudinal supports having an upper gap therebetween defining an opening to the upper longitudinal seats; and

two spaced upper transverse seats defined on lower surfaces of the two longitudinal supports, the upper transverse seats being transverse to the lower seats and having diameters equal to the first diameter of the lower seats;

(b) engaging the lower legs of a first one of said clips with a first reinforcement bar and pressing the clip against the first reinforcement bar and spreading open the lower gap sufficiently for insertion of the first reinforcement bar into the lower seats of the clip;

(c) positioning a second reinforcement bar of equal diameter as the first reinforcement bar in position above the first one of the clips and in a parallel orientation to the first reinforcement bar held in the lower seats, and then engaging the second reinforcement bar with the two longitudinal supports and pressing the second reinforcement bar against the clip and spreading open the upper gap sufficiently for insertion of the second bar into the upper longitudinal seats of the clip;

(d) inserting a third reinforcement bar of equal diameter as the first reinforcement bar into the upper transverse seats of a second one of said clips; and

(e) positioning the third reinforcement bar with the lower legs of the second clip engaging the first reinforcement bar and pressing the second clip against the first reinforcement bar so that the first reinforcement bar is received in the lower seats of the second clip.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

in step (a), the upper gap is larger than the lower gap when each clip is in an unstressed position prior to steps (b)-(e).

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

in step (a), each pair of lower legs of each clip has outwardly flared lower ends; and

in step (b), the engaging includes engaging the flared lower ends of the lower legs with the first reinforcement bar.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein:

step (b) includes compressively engaging the first reinforcement bar with the lower legs when the first reinforcement bar is received in the lower seats; and

step (c) includes compressively engaging the second reinforcement bar with the upper legs when the second reinforcement bar is received in the upper seats.