Apparatus for applying deformable metal fastener clips to concrete reinforcement steel and the like
First Claim
1. An apparatus for securing two or more members together using deformable fastener clips, the fastener clips each comprising a generally U-shaped member having an open side defined by first and second deformable legs, the apparatus comprising:
- a frame having a handle for positioning the apparatus relative to the members to be secured together, said-frame comprising an anvil supporting member having an anvil receiving groove;
an anvil received in said anvil receiving groove and secured in place by a fastener means, said anvil having at least one machined groove for guiding the first and second legs of a fastener clip to deform around the members to be secured together; and
a movable blade assembly having a generally U-shaped receptacle for accommodating one of the fastener clips, said U-shaped receptacle having an open side facing said anvil and said anvil receiving groove, said blade assembly being movable relative to said anvil to push a fastener clip held in said U-shaped receptacle against said anvil to cause the first and second legs of the fastener clip to be deformed around the members to be secured together.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hand held applicator tool for applying deformable metal fastener clips to secure together reinforcement steel members used in concrete construction. The concrete reinforcement steel members are used to strengthen concrete structures in a known manner and can be in the form of wire mesh sheets or rebar positioned in a grid pattern. The deformable metal fastener clips are generally U-shaped members that are open on one side before being deformed so that the fastener clips can be easily placed over the reinforcement steel members. The tool comprises a frame, an anvil supported at one end of the frame, a movable blade assembly supported for sliding movement along the frame toward the anvil, and a handle for manipulating and positioning the tool. The movable blade assembly has a generally U-shaped receptacle for holding a fastener clip. The anvil has a pair of machined grooves for guiding the first and second legs of a fastener clip generally toward one another to close the open side of the fastener clip and deform the first and second legs to clamp tightly around the reinforcement members. The steel reinforcement members can thus be secured together in substantially less time than with other conventional methods, and with substantially less cost in both materials and labor. The applicator tool design can also be used for applying deformable fastner rings during the manufacture of automotive seating, upholstery, furniture, bedding, and other applications where hog ring fasteners are conventionally used.
60 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for securing two or more members together using deformable fastener clips, the fastener clips each comprising a generally U-shaped member having an open side defined by first and second deformable legs, the apparatus comprising:
-
a frame having a handle for positioning the apparatus relative to the members to be secured together, said-frame comprising an anvil supporting member having an anvil receiving groove; an anvil received in said anvil receiving groove and secured in place by a fastener means, said anvil having at least one machined groove for guiding the first and second legs of a fastener clip to deform around the members to be secured together; and a movable blade assembly having a generally U-shaped receptacle for accommodating one of the fastener clips, said U-shaped receptacle having an open side facing said anvil and said anvil receiving groove, said blade assembly being movable relative to said anvil to push a fastener clip held in said U-shaped receptacle against said anvil to cause the first and second legs of the fastener clip to be deformed around the members to be secured together. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A system for reinforcing concrete structures, comprising:
-
a plurality of reinforcement members to be embedded in concrete; a plurality of generally U-shaped, deformable fastener clips which are each adapted to be closed about two or more adjacent reinforcement members to secure said reinforcement members together in a pattern, said fastener clips each having an open side defined by first and second deformable legs; and an apparatus for deforming said deformable fastener clips around said adjacent reinforcement members to secure said reinforcement members together, said apparatus comprising; a frame having a handle for positioning the apparatus relative to said reinforcement members; an anvil supported at one end of said frame, said anvil having at least one machined groove for guiding said first and second legs of each fastener clip to deform around said reinforcement members; a movable blade assembly having a generally U-shaped receptacle for accommodating one of said fastener clips at a time, said U-shaped receptacle having an open side facing said anvil, said blade assembly being movable relative to said anvil to push the fastener clip held in said U-shaped receptacle against said anvil to cause the first and second legs of the fastener clip to be deformed around the reinforcement members to secure the reinforcement members together; and a drive means connected to said movable blade assembly for moving said blade assembly linearly toward and away from said anvil; said frame having an opening adjacent one end of said anvil through which two of said reinforcement members can pass simultaneously and be positioned between said anvil and said movable blade assembly; and said anvil has a recess extending from one side of the anvil to the other side of the anvil for receiving at least a portion of one of said reinforcement members, said recess having curvature about a longitudinal axis with a radius approximately equal to a radius of said reinforcement members. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. An apparatus for securing two or more members together using deformable fastener clips, the fastener clips each comprising a generally U-shaped member having an open side defined by first and second deformable legs, the apparatus comprising:
-
a frame having a handle for positioning the apparatus relative to the members to be secured together; an anvil supported at one end of said frame, said anvil having at least one machined groove for guiding the first and second legs of a fastener clip to deform around the members to be secured together, said anvil having a recess extending from one side of the anvil to the other side of the anvil for receiving a portion of one of the members to be secured together, said recess having a curvature about a longitudinal axis thereof, a radius of said curvature being such that two members to be secured together, each having approximately a same radius as said radius of curvature of said recess, can be passed through an entrance opening of said frame simultaneously; a movable blade assembly having a generally U-shaped receptacle for accommodating one of the fastener clips, said U-shaped receptacle having an open side facing said anvil, said blade assembly being movable relative to said anvil to push a fastener clip held in said U-shaped receptacle against said anvil to cause the first and second legs of the fastener clip to be deformed around the members to be secured together; and said longitudinal axis of said recess forms an angle with a plane of the fastener clip held in said U-shaped receptacle of approximately 45 degrees.
-
Specification