United States Patent (15 3,673,753

Anderson (45) July 4, 1972

54 SUPPORT DEVICE FOR CONCRETE 3,449,882 6/1969 Ott et al................................... 52/689

REINFORCING BARS 3,473,770 10/1969 Edgerton................................. 248/87
72 Inventor: George C. Anderson, 8435 Birchcroft, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS
Dallas, Tex. 75231 1,349,180 12/1963 France..................................... 52/686
22 Filed: March 20, 1970 371,839 4/1932 Great Britain. ...52/686
1490,588 6/1967 France............ .287/54 B
21 Appl. No.: 21,379 264,090 8/1968 Austria.................................... 52.1684
1,040,368 8/1966 Great Britain........................... 621686
52 U.S.C. .................................... 52/685,521680,521686, 1,484,980 1/1969 Germany................................. 521677
52.1719
(51) int. Cl............................................................ E04c 5/16 Primary Examiner-Frank L. Abbott
(58) Field of Search............ ...52/677,678,684, 685, 689, Assistant Examiner-Leslie A. Braun
52/719, 680-683, 686; 248/49, 80, 87 Attorney-Richards, Harris & Hubbard
(56) References Cited 57 ABSTRACT
UNITED STATES PATENTS A concrete reinforcing bar support device is disclosed which
includes a base supporting an upright pedestal. A lower
3,004,370 10/1961 Tinnerman..............................52.1719 clamping portion is supported by the pedestal which has a first
3,255,565 6/1966 Menzel.................................... 52/678 rod-receiving open passageway therethrough. Resilient de
3,393,489 7/1968 Oliver...................................... 521689 tents extend from the lower clamping portion to retain a rein
3,461,536 8/1969 Skold....................................... 29.1212 forcing rod disposed through the first passageway. An upper
1,456,499 5/1923 Fitzgerald................................ 53/200 clamping portion is provided which includes a pair of hook
2,375,361 5/1945 Hillberg..... ...52/686 members extending from the lower clamping portion. Each of
3,471,987 10, 1969 Yelsma.................................... 52/684 the hook members has a mouth opening in the same direction
1,921,538 8/1933 Priest.......................................52/685 to define a second rod-receiving passageway which is normally
1,613,351 1/1927 Klinger et al............................52/684 disposed to the first passageway.
991,736 5/1911 Minnick................................... 248/49
3,430,407 3/1969 Berry....................................... 52.1689 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures
PATENTED JUL4 1972 3, 673, 753

INVENTOR:
GEORGE C. ANDERSON

ATTORNEYS
 3,673,753
SUPPORT DEVICE FOR CONCRETEREINFORCNG
BARS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to support devices for concrete rein
forcing rods, and more particularly to support devices for
clamping a pair of concrete reinforcing rods at right angles to
one another.
THE PROR ART
in the construction of concrete bodies, such as concrete
floors or the like, it is normal to pour the concrete about a net
work of concrete reinforcing bars to increase the strength of
the concrete body. A number of devices have heretofore been
proposed for connecting the reinforcing bar network by
means of clips or wire ties. Examples of such devices are dis
closed in U.S. Pat. No. 1999,508, issued to Mathews and in
U.S. Pat. No. 3,004,370 issued to Tinnerman. Additionally,
devices have been heretofore proposed which includes struc
ture for supporting concrete reinforcing rods at a distance
above the floor or ground while concrete is being poured
thereabout. An example of such a device is disclosed in the
U.S. Pat. No. 1086,732 issued to Schoenthaler. 25
However, the devices previously developed for supporting
concrete reinforcing rods have often not satisfactorily
clamped intersecting rods together, and have often required
the bending of metal members about the rods, thereby in
creasing the complexity of reinforcing rod installation.
Moreover, problems have arisen in attempting to maintain
previously developed reinforcing rod supports in upright posi
tions, due to the fact that the prior supports tend to sink into
sand floors and also due to the fact that the previous support
devices constructed from metal sometimes tend to shift or tilt 35
due to thermal expansion of the metal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a device is pro
vided for support of intersecting reinforcing rods wherein the
rods may be quickly and easily snapped into place within the
device, without the requirement of additional effort in bend
ing or otherwise deforming the device about the rods. The
present support device includes a base portion which securely
supports the device even upon soft surfaces such as sand. In
the preferred embodiment, the device is constructed from
material having relatively low thermal expansion, such as
plastic.
In accordance with a more specific aspect of the invention,
a device is disclosed for support of intersecting rods which in
cludes a clamping portion having opposed walls with free end
extremities defining a first rod receiving passageway which is
open at the free end extremities. Detent structure extends
from the opposed wall for retaining a rod within the first
passageway. The free end extremities each have a hook con
figuration, the mouths of the hook configurations opening in
the same direction to define a second rod receiving
passageway extending at an angle to the first passageway. The
end portions of the hook configuration are resilient to enable
the insertion of a rod into the mouths thereof and to sub
sequently clamp the rod therein.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a device
is provided to support intersecting reinforcement rods which 65 changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the ap
include a base supporting an upright pedestal. A lower clamp pended claims.
ing portion upon the pedestal includes a first rod-receiving
open passageway therethrough, resilient detent structure ex
tending from the upper region of the lower clamping portion
for retaining a rod within the first passageway. An upper 70 a base;
clamping portion includes a pair of hook members extending
from the lower clamping portion, with each hook member
having a mouth opening in the same direction to define a
second rod receiving passageway normal to the first
passageway. 75
2
THE DRAWINGS
For a more complete understanding of the present inven
tion, and for further objects and advantages thereof, reference
may now be had to the following description taken in conjunc
tion with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present device illustrated
as clamping two intersecting concrete reinforcing rods;
FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the device shown in FIG. l;
O FIG. 3 is another elevational view of the device shown in
FIG. 1; and
FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the base for the
device shown in FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERREDEMBODIMENTS
15
Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1-3 illustrate the preferred
embodiment of the device shown generally by the numeral 10.
A circular base 12 supports an upright pedestal 14 which is
comprised of four generally triangular webs 16 oriented at
right angles to one another. The use of the web construction
provides a pedestal of substantial strength but which is rela
tively lightweight. In the preferred embodiment of the inven
tion, the device is constructed from a plastic material such as
high impact styrene configured by injection molding or the
like.
A lower clamping portion 18 extends from the pedestal 14
and comprises a pair of generally circular opposed walls 20a-b
with free end extremities defining a first rod receiving
30 passageway 22 therebetween. The upper portion of the
passageway 22 is open at the free end extremities. Thus, as
shown in FIG. i., a concrete reinforcing rod A may be disposed
within the passageway 22. A pair of detents 24a–b extend from
the opposed walls 20a-b at the upper end thereof in order to
retain the rod A securely within the first passageway 22. In ac
cordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the
device is made from resilient plastic, and thus the reinforcing
rod may be easily snapped into the passageway 22 and secure
ly maintained therein by the force of the detents 24a-b.
40 Reinforcing ribs 26a-b extend from the base 12 along the
edges of opposed webs 16. The free end extremities of the
sidewalls 20a-b extend upwardly into a pair of hooks 28a-b.
The rib portion 26a extends upwardly about one side of the
hook 28a, while an extension of the wall 20a extends upwardly
45 into a rib portion 30a along the other side of the hook 28a.
Similarly, the rib 26b extends upwardly along one side of the
hook 28b, while the wall 20b extends upwardly as a rib 30b
along the other side of the hook 28b. Hooks 28a-b are thus
50 reinforced for strength, yet are resilient. The mouths of each
of the hooks 28a-b open in the same direction in order to
define a second passageway 32 for receiving a second rod B
which extends normally to the rod A. The ends of the hooks
28a-b are resilient to allow the insertion of rod B and then
55 clampfirmly over the rod B to securely hold it in place.
FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of a base for the
present device which includes four outwardly extending feet
34. This configuration of the base allows the saving of some
material in construction, yet also provides a stable base which
60 will not sinkinto a softfloor such as sand or the like.
Whereas the present invention has been described with
respect to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood
that various changes and modifications will be suggested to
one skilled in the art, and it is intended to encompass such
What is claimed is:
1. Apparatus for supporting intersecting reinforcing rods
comprising:
a pedestal extending upwardly from the base and including
a first pair of webs extending in a predetermined direction
and a second pair of webs extending perpendicularly to
the predetermined direction and each having a reinforced
web formed along its outer edge;
 3,673,753
3 4.
an elongate, generally circular portion extending in the and second walls.
predetermined direction and along the upper ends of the 2. The apparatus for supporting intersecting reinforcing
first pair of webs, rods according to claim 1 wherein the entire apparatus com
said circular portion comprising free end extremities and prises a unitary body of a relatively resilient plastic material.
detent means at the upper ends of the free end extremities 5 3. The apparatus for supporting intersecting reinforcing
whereby the circular portion is adapted to receive and rods according to claim 2 wherein the plastic material com
retain a first reinforcing rod extending in the predeter prises high impact styrene.
mined direction; and 4. The apparatus for supporting intersecting reinforcing
a pair of hook-shaped portions positioned above the circu rods according to claim 1 wherein the base comprises a circu
lar portion and opening in the predetermined direction to lar plate formed at the ends of the webs remote from the circu
receive and retain a second reinforcing rod extending lar portion and the hook-shaped portions.
perpendicularly to the predetermined direction, 5. The apparatus for supporting intersecting reinforcing
each of said hook-shaped portions comprising an extension rods according to claim 1 wherein the base comprises four
of one of the free end extremities of the circular portion feet, two extending in the predetermined direction at the
which defines a first wall, an extension of the reinforcing 15 lower ends of the first pair of webs and two extending perpen
rib of one of the second pair of webs which defines a dicularly to the predetermined direction at the lower ends of
second wall, and an extension of one of the second pair of the second pair of webs.
webs which extends between and interconnects the first sk xk k k k

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