Attaching clip

An improved attaching clip for initially connecting the leading end of a first roll of steel wire mesh reinforcing to the remaining portion of the first roll so as to prevent the unrolling of the fist roll during storage, handling and shipment to a place where the first roll is to be applied about pipes to form negative buoyancy coatings about the pipes and then for subsequently connecting the leading end of the first roll to the trailing end of a second, similar roll of steel wire mesh reinforcing so that the first and second rolls form a continuous strip of steel wire mesh reinforcing as they are applied about the pipes, the leading end of the first roll including a plurality of evenly spaced pairs of mesh defining wires, the improved attaching clip comprising:

• a body formed from wire and having a transverse portion whose longitudinal axis extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of the first roll of steel wire mesh reinforcing so that one end of the transverse portion is disposed adjacent to one side edge of the first roll and so that the other end of the transverse portion is disposed adjacent to the other side edge of the first roll and whose length is greater than the transverse distance between two adjacent pairs of mesh defining wires;
• means for securing the transverse portion to the first roll, adjacent to the leading end of the first roll, by wrapping two adjacent pairs of mesh defining wires about the transverse portion;
• the body also having first and second arm portions, each of these arm portions including a first end and a second end, with the first end of the first arm portion being connected with the one end of the transverse portion so that the longitudinal axis of the first arm portion is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transverse portion, with the first end of the second arm portion being connected with the other end of the transverse portion so that the longitudinal axis of the second arm portion is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transverse portion, and with the second ends of the first and second arm portions projecting forwardly beyond the leading end of the first roll;
• first and second curved crook portions which are connected at their one ends with the second ends of the first and second arm portions, respectively, and which generally define curved loops such that the other ends of the first and second crook portions are bent rearwardly toward the transverse portion and are disposed generally adjacent to the first and second arm portions, respectively, intermediate their first and second ends;
• and first and second distal end portions that are connected at their one ends to the other ends with the first and second crook portions, respectively, and that extend rearwardly toward the transverse portion, with each of the first and second distal end portions being disposed at an angle with the longitudinal axis of their respective adjacent arm portions and with the other, free ends of the first and second distal end portions being spaced from the first and second arm portions, respectively, and being adapted to engage the mesh defining wires of a roll of steel wire mesh reinforcing.