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US 5,181,363 AGranted
Spacer for concrete reinforcing fabric
AssigneeCam Sales, Inc.
InventorsChristopher B. Leach, deceased, John L. Kaines
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeCam Sales, Inc.
InventorsChristopher B. Leach, deceased, John L. Kaines
Estimating the term…
A spacer is provided for locating a reinforcing cage or fabric, with respect to a form, when manufacturing reinforced concrete articles such as piping, manhole sections, walls and the like. The spacer is formed from a single length of heavy gauge steel wire, and includes a mounting section which wraps around a longitudinal rod of the reinforcing framework and abuts a transverse rod at its junction with the longitudinal rod. An intermediate section of the spacer extends transversely from the mounting section and is approximately parallel to the transverse rod. A hook at the end of the intermediate section remote from the mounting section is positioned to latchingly engage the transverse rod responsive to elastic deformation of the spacer, thereby to securely maintain the spacer on the reinforcement framework. A spacing loop of a predetermined dimension is provided along the intermediate section.
An apparatus suited for removable attachment to a concrete reinforcing framework, said framework including a plurality of parallel and spaced apart longitudinally directed first frame members and a plurality of parallel, spaced apart and generally transverse second frame members, said frame members connected to one another at a plurality of junctions, said apparatus including:
A spacer for removable attachment to wire fabric that comprises a planar framework of a plurality of spaced longitudinal wires connected to a plurality of spaced transverse wires at intersection points, the spacer comprising a unitary member formed of a resilient material, the spacer having a mounting section at one end and a latching means at a second end, with an intermediate section connecting the two ends, the spacer lying generally in the plane of the wire fabric but having a spacer projection comprising a U-shaped portion of the spacer extending out of the plane of the spacer at a point between the ends so as to serve as a means for spacing the fabric from a surface, the mounting section being transverse to the intermediate section and having spaced apart inner and outer ends, the inner end being connected to the intermediate section, the inner and outer ends of the mounting section wrapping around a first of two intersecting fabric wires, both ends of the mounting section being on one side of the fabric wire intersection, with the outer end of the mounting section abutting a side of the intersection such that the intersection restrains movement of the mounting section toward the intersection, the mounting section resisting compression and resiliently restraining the intermediate section against pivotal movement in a first direction toward a second fabric wire forming the intersection, the mounting section permitting pivotal movement of the spacer in a direction opposite to the first direction, such that the mounting section can be disengaged from the fabric wire for mounting and dismounting the spacer from the wire fabric, the latching section including latch means that extends from the second end of the intermediate section toward but not to the second fabric wire, the spacer being resiliently deflectable in a direction toward the second wire when the outer end of the mounting means is in abutment with a side of the intersection and the latching means is urged toward the second wire, the latching means engaging the second fabric wire so as to hold the spacer in its deflected position and serving to prevent the spacer from deflecting back to its unflexed position until the latching means is released, the residual force of the deflection urging the spacer to remain tightly engaged in a fixed position on the fabric wire, the spacer being formed such that the mounting section can be mounted on either fabric wire forming an intersection and on either side of the fabric while still remaining securely fixed to the fabric when mounted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.