Locator for vertical reinforcing bars

Abstract

A fixture for precisely locating the vertical reinforcing steel bars in a hollow block wall at the exact positions specified by the design engineer. The fixture comprises one or more steel wires forming a horizontal supporting structure that is adapted to be laid on the top surfaces of the blocks at various levels as the blocks are being laid. In the preferred form, the horizontal supporting structure is a ladder-like structure made up of two laterally spaced, parallel wires connected together at intervals by cross wires. Certain of the cross wires have circular rings formed therein or attached thereto, and all of the cross wires have downwardly projecting legs that extend down into the cavities of the hollow blocks and engage the inner surfaces thereof to locate the ladder-like structure with respect to the blocks. The rings are positioned in vertical alignment with respect to one another, and the vertical bars are lowered into the block cavities from the top of the wall, with the bar being inserted through each of the rings, in turn, at the different levels. After the steel bars have been placed, the cavities are filled with cement grout, which embeds the bars. The rings can be located at various points to locate the vertical steel bars at the exact positions specified by the design engineer, and in some cases, one set of rings may be provided to receive the stub steel bars projecting upwardly from the concrete footing, while another set of rings receives the vertical reinforcing bars.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.