Concrete reinforcement cage lock with minimal intrusion into the concrete cover
AssigneeHawkeyepedershaab Concrete Technologies, Inc.
InventorDave Strabala
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A first lock formed on the first end portion configured for attachment by torsion to a first reinforcement wire mesh cage of the two reinforcement wire mesh cages with a first spacer cover extending from the first lock away from the intermediate portion. A second lock formed on the second end portion comprising the same to hold two reinforcement wire mesh cages a fixed distance apart from each other with the first spacer cover and the second spacer cover being less than a distance between respective reinforcement cages and spaced apart inner surface of the form.
Claims20
A spacer for positioning an inner cage with respect to an outer cage for reinforcing a concrete product, the inner cage and the outer cage each have a plurality of parallel spaced-apart horizontal wires joined to a plurality of parallel spaced-apart vertical wires and the inner cage and the outer cage are positioned in a form that has spaced-apart inner surfaces, said spacer comprising:
- a continuous length of material comprising a diameter, a first end portion, a second end portion, and an intermediate portion therebetween;
- an inner cage, first wire lock formed by a first bend in the first end portion of the continuous length of material wherein the first bend in the first end portion is defined by a first radius having a first center and a first circumference;
- an inner cage, second wire lock formed by a second bend in the first end portion of the continuous length of material, wherein the inner cage, first wire lock and the inner cage, second wire lock are attachable by torsion on to the inner cage, wherein the second bend in the first end portion is defined by a second radius having a second center and second circumference;
- a first spacer cover connecting the inner cage, first wire lock and the inner cage, second wire lock of the first end portion, with the first spacer cover extending outward from the first circumference of the first radius of the first bend a distance at least the diameter of the continuous length of material and less than or equal to a pre-determined maximal protrusion into a concrete cover defined by a distance between the inner cage and the inner surface of one side of the form, wherein the first spacer cover is oriented on a plane perpendicular to the intermediate portion of the continuous length of material;
- an outer cage, first wire lock formed by a first bend in the second end portion of the continuous length of material wherein the first bend in the second end portion is defined by a first radius having a first center and a first circumference;
- and
- an outer cage, second wire lock formed by a second bend in the second end portion of the continuous length of material, wherein the outer cage, first wire lock and the outer cage, second wire lock are attachable by torsion on to the outer cage, wherein the second bend in the second end portion is defined by a second radius having a second and second circumference;
- a second spacer cover connecting the outer cage, first wire lock and the outer cage, second wire lock of the second end portion, with the second spacer cover extending outward from the first circumference of the first radius of the second bend a distance at least the diameter of the continuous length of material and less than or equal to the pre-determined maximal protrusion into the concrete cover defined by a distance between the outer cage and the inner surface of the other side of the form.
A spacer for combining two reinforcement wire mesh cages in a concrete product inside a form with two spaced-apart inner surfaces and having a concrete cover defined by a distance between respective reinforcement wire mesh cages and their corresponding spaced-apart inner surfaces, the spacer comprising:
- a continuous length of material comprising a first end portion, a second end portion, and an intermediate portion therebetween;
- a first lock formed on the first end portion configured for attachment by torsion to a first reinforcement wire mesh cage of the two reinforcement wire mesh cages with a first spacer cover extending from the first lock away from the intermediate portion;
- a second lock formed on the second end portion configured for attachment by torsion to a second reinforcement wire mesh of the two reinforcement wire mesh cages with a second spacer cover extending from the second lock away from the intermediate portion;
- and wherein the first end portion and the second end portion of the continuous length are bent such that the two reinforcement wire mesh cages are held a fixed distance apart from each other, wherein a length of the first spacer cover is less than a distance from the corresponding reinforcement cage and the corresponding spaced apart inner surface of the form.
A spacer for securing an inner reinforcement cage relative to an outer reinforcement cage within a form for a concrete product, the spacer comprising:
- a continuous length of material having a first end portion, a second end portion, and an intermediate portion therebetween;
- a first wire lock and a second wire lock combined to the first end portion and formed by bends in the material, the first wire lock and second wire lock having centers aligned on a common axis transverse to the intermediate portion and configured to torsionally attach to the inner reinforcement cage;
- a first spacer cover connecting the first wire lock and the second wire lock of the first end portion, wherein first spacer cover is oriented on a plane perpendicular to the intermediate portion of the continuous length of material;
- a third wire lock and a fourth wire lock combined to the second end portion and formed by bends in the material, the third wire lock and fourth wire lock having centers aligned on a common axis transverse to the intermediate portion and configured to torsionally attach to the outer reinforcement cage;
- a second spacer cover connecting the third wire lock and the fourth wire lock of the second end portion;
- and
- wherein each of the first spacer cover and the second spacer cover extends outward from the respective cage a distance less than a concrete cover distance defined between the respective cage and an adjacent inner surface of the form.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.