US2714817A - Spacer - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 9, 1955 T. w. GRIFFITHS 2,714,817

SPACER Filed July 14, 1947 -29 4 6 Fig.5

i INVENTOR, e 52 7/?0/VA5 MzmMfiwFF/ms 4 54 34 52 BY W ATTORNEY United States Patent SPACER Thomas William Grifliths, Alhambra, Calif. Application July 14, 1947, Serial No. 760,871

4 Claims. (Cl. 72122) The present invention relates to spacer.

The invention has for an object the provision of a spacer which is adapted to hold a reinforcing rod or bar, of a concrete structure, in a pre-selected position within said structure.

In reinforced concrete structures utilizing rods or bars, haphazard positioning of the rods and bars results in a weakened concrete structure. Such a structure does not resist forces efliciently. My invention is adapted to position a rod or bar, or a series thereof, in a selected location in concrete.

The invention has particular applicability for use with runner blocks. Such blocks may be formed of tile, cement, concrete, or other material, and are generally formed with voids. Runner blocks are laid in what is termed a stretcher course with the blocks in breakjoint relationship. This results in the voids being in substantial axial alignment. If the voids are to be filled with concrete so as to give stability to the block structure, it is customary to position in the voids, one or more steel rods or bars, of which there are many types, such as ovoid, monotype, rib, corrugated, diamond, and twisted. If a single rod or bar is passed through the voids in a built-up runner block construction, it is essential that the rod or bar be centered in said voids. If the reinforcement shifts from one side to the other, and is not maintained in substantial alignment Within the voids, the concrete, when poured, will be thin so far as the rod is concerned, at one portion t ereof, which results in a weakened structure, and one that is not properly reinforced. Concrete should be symmetrically disposed about a reinforcement when a single row of reinforcement is used and the possibility exists of lateral forces normal to the wall in either direction.

The present invention is adapted to maintain a rod or bar within the voids of runner blocks in a built-up runner block construction so that said reinforcement is maintained in a definite position with relationship to the voids. v

A further object is the provision of a. spacer adapted to cooperate with a reinforcing rod in such a manner as to permit the rod and the spacer to be moved vertically in two directions, to-wit, upwardly or downwardly.

A further object is the provision of a spacer for reinforcement rods which efiects a saving not only in the cost of material, but in labor costs as well. With respect to the aforesaid object, it may be pointed out that it is standard practice where the reinforcement rod is required to be centered in the block voids to provide horizontal bars in the wall with the vertical rods tied to the horizontal bars. This tying is usually accomplished by breaking out certain of the blocks in the wall to afford access to the horizontal bar to effect a tie between said horizontal bar and a vertical rod. Use of the present invention eliminates the need of the horizontal bar, thus affording a labor saving. Furthermore, when a block or blocks must be broken from the Wall for the purpose mentioned, the wall is blemished be- 2,714,817 Patented Aug. 9, 1955 cause of the patching that must be resorted 'to when a block is replaced. If the method just outlined is not followed, it is customary to tie lengths of vertical rods together. These vertical rods are placed in approximately 5 foot lengths, and the workman is required to lift one or more of the blocks upwardly and to drop the same over the vertical rod through the void in the block. Thus, when near the top of the '5 foot height of rod, a new rod is lapped approximately two feet past the first bar, followed by raising the blocks in each-instance for passage over a rod or rods. This is a tedious process and requires considerable time. With the use of the present invention, full length bars may be installed, thus eliminating the need for intermediate splices.

A further object is the provision of a spacer or tie for reinforcement, which is inexpensive in cost of manufacture, easily applied to a reinforcing rod or bar, effectively holds the rod or bar in a predetermined position within an object, such as a runner block, and which is superior to devices for effecting alignment of a rod or bar now known to the inventor.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction, association, and relative arrangement of parts, members, and features, all as shown in certain embodiments in the accompanying drawing, described generally, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly *in section, of a wall structure utilizing runner blocks and incorporating the invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevation of one of the rod spacers of the invention,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale, and taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation of a modified form of spacer shown cooperating with a rod or bar,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevation of a further modified form of spacer adapted to secure a pair of rodsor bars,

Figure 7 is a plan view of a runner block having two voids, one void of which has therein a spacer of the type shown in Figure 2, and the other void of which has a spacer of the type shown in Figure 6, and.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevation of a further modi fied form of spacer.

Referring now with particularity to the drawing, I have shown in Figure 1 a wall 1 made up of concrete blocks 2, commonly known as runner blocks, and which blocks are laid in stretcher courses, with the blocks of one course in break-point or overlapped relationship with respect to the blocks in a second stretcher course. This results in a wall of any height and wherein voids 3 and 4 are in alignment, that is, the void 3 of one block will lie directly over a void 4 of a block therebeneath and directly under a void 4 of a block thereabove. Thus, all voids are in alignment. I do not confine the invention to a block of any particular form, or one that must have two voids, it being understood that the wall structure is illustrative only. Such a runner block type of wall is reinforced by pouring concrete into the voids to fill the same and thus interlock the different blocks against shifting. It is customary to reinforce the concrete, and this is accomplished by providing rods or bars of steel which are embedded within the concrete either before or after the concrete has been poured. As stated in the preamble, it is essential, in order to obtain maximum strength in the poured concrete structure, that the rods or 3 bars be properly centered in the voids; otherwise, the rods or bars will be closer to one side of a void than the other, assuming a rectangular shaped void, and this shift of position may continue throughout the voids of the otherblocks. When the concrete is poured, thereinforcement therein does not give full strength to the structure. Accordingly, I have provided an inexpensive and efficient series of spacers which cooperate with the rods or bars in such a manner as to maintain the rods or bars in a selected position in the voids of the blocks,'to the end that when concrete is poured, the rods or bars are prevented from any shift of position.

The rods or bars 5 may take any form desired, whether round or square, or whether provided with surface configurations. r

I have illustrated four different types of spacers in the several figures, and which are designated as 6, 7, 8 and 9. The form shown at 6 includes two flexible and resilient arms 10 andll'of equal length and strength and which extend outwardly from a loop or clip 12, the loop or clip beingof the form shown in Figure 4. Such a clip is conveniently formed by providing a substantially threeor bar, a pair of arms 22 and 23 which diverge from said clip, the arms being curvedly bent at 24 and 25 to provide downwardly and inwardly-extending portions 26 and 27, which portions are again curvedly bent so as to provide .two upwardly extending portions 28 and 29, which are convergently related and terminate with clips 30 and 31. In this form of the invention, the clips 21, 30 and 31 engage the rod or bar, and the curved portions 24 and 25 are adapted to transversely or diametrically engage the wall bounding a void in a block so as to center the rod therein. v 7

That form of the invention shown in Figure 6, and

designated as 8, is adapted to engage a pair of spaced quarter half-round portion 13 which interconnects the arms 10 and 11. To stabilize the structure, I provide a brace 14 which is provided with an intermediate clip 15 and two arms 16 and 17, the arms being welded or otherwise secured to the arms 10 and 11. The spacer may be formed of wire, and when it is desired to use a spacer of this form, the clips 12 and 15 snap engage the rod or bar 5, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. Generally, the spacers are arranged at different points on the rod or bar 5, as illustrated in Figure 1 at 18. When the spacers are so arranged, the rod, with the spacers thereon, may be passed downwardly through the aligned voids of the blocks, the ends of the arms 10 and 11 flexing inwardly as, for instance, illustrated by the dotted line positions for said arms shown in FigureZ. Consequently, the ends of the arms have a spread greater than the diagonal dimension of a void. This is illustrated in Figure 1, wherein the diagonal of a void is projected in dotted lines to show that the ends of the two arms have a spacing greater than the diagonal. When the rod and spacers, as shown at 18, are passed downwardly through the voids, the ends of the arms flex inwardly, as shown in Figure 2, so that the spacers engage the wall surfaces bounding the, voids and thereby'hold the rod centered within the void, as

see Figure 1 at 19. The brace 14 assures that the' arms will continue to engage the wall bounding the voids in the blocks during a concrete pouring operation, as for instance'illustrated at 20. 7

As before mentioned, the arms of a spacer are of the same length and strength. As a consequence, the arms will deflect evenly and, in this manner, maintain a rod or bar properly centered within a void. The arms 16 and 11 form a wing member on one side of the alined clips 12.and 15 while the arms 17 and 10 form a similar and symmetrical wing member on the other side of the clips, so the two wing members extend radially in opposite Y directions from the centerline of the alined clips which coincides with the axis of the rod 5. It might be mentioned that whereas the present voids in the blocks are shown as rectangular, it is obvious that any other configuration of void may be used, such as circular. However, the result is the sarne so far as the spacer is concerned. Furthermore, in the type of the invention shown, the' concrete may be poured through the voids prior to inserting the reinforcement therein, spacers of the invention passing through the concrete, and correctly positioning the reinforcement rod therein. The arms, due to their construction, readily pass minor obstructions in the concrete block, such as mortar joints.

The forms of the invention shown at 7, 8, and 9 all operate on the same principle, and only differ as to form of the wires. That form shown at 7 in Figure 5 includes a lower clip 21 adapted to have engagement with a rod reinforcing rods or bars. In this form, the spacer is provided with a transverse piece 32 formed with a pair of clips 33 and 34, with arms 35 and 36 extending upwardly and outwardly so that the pair of arms are divergently related, said arms terminating in ends 37 and 38, which are substantially parallel. The arms are braced by member 39 which includes a transverse piece 40 provided with a pair of clips 41 and 42, and with arms 43 and 44 which are secured to arms 35 and 36. It will be observed that the clip engaging portions are in sub-. stantial parallelism and of identical spacing. In this form of the invention, the clips for the brace 39 engage a pair of bars, and the clips 33 and 34 likewise engage the same bars. properly spaced within voids, as illustrated in Figure 7, for the void 4. a V a The spacers shown in Figure 8 and designated by reference as 9, include two arms 45 and 46, which are bent to have parallel portions 47 and 48, two divergently related portions, and terminal projections 49 and 50 whichare substantially parallel. The parallel portions 47. and 48 are interconnected by transverse pieces 51 and 52, both of which are centrally formed with clips 53 and 54. These clips take the same'form asishown for the clip in Figure 4. The spacer may be formed of Wires of difierent size; in fact, the transverse pieces 51 and 52 may be of relatively light weight wire, whereas the arms 45 and 46 may be of heavier wire. The transverse members are secured to the arms inany approved manner, such as by Welding. By making the transverse members of lighter material, a saving in the cost of fabricating a spacer is effected. This type of spacer, as well as the type shown inFigure 6, permits ready insertion of. a rod containing a spacer or spacers within a void, and likewise the removal of the rod with the spacer. The parallel ends 49 and 50 allow the spacer to move upwardly.

The operation, uses, and advantages of the invention are as follows: i

a In any form of the spacer, it will be observed that the arms are capable of flexing to accommodate for difierent sized. voids in a block. Not all blocks are of the same size, and within a given range, the spacers of the invention will fit within said voids. the ends of the arms of said spacersare free for flexing,

or are of the enclosed type, such as shown in Figure .5, a

the construction is such as to'permit flexibility of the arms. 1 e a r In the case of the spacer shown in Figure '5, the curved portions 24 and 25, when engaging a wall bounding a void in a block, will flex the arm portions inwardly. That form of the invention shown in Figures 6 and 8 operates on the same principle as that form shown in Figure 2, save and except that the ends 37 and 38, and 49 and 50, flex upwardly, which permits the spacers to be raised or lowered within a void., 7 7

' All forms of the invention, however, accommodate perfectly rods or bars which are utilized for reinforcing a structure so that the reinforcement is held properly centered or at a defined position within concrete. Strength of wall is thereby assured. 1 r

I claim: 1. Aspaced for. accurately positioning a reinforcing This form of the invention will hold two bars.

In every instance, whether .5 rod in chosen position in an elongated void to be filled with concrete, comprising two spaced and axially alined snap-on clips adapted to grip a reinforcing rod, and two wing members each with a flexible void-wall-engaging portion, and joining both of the spaced clips, one wing member on one side of each clip and the other wing member on the opposite side of each clip, to hold the clips a fixed distance apart, said wing members, each consisting of two anns one of which extends at an acute angle to the centerline of the spacer, extending radially in opposite directions from the centerline of the alined clips, so

that the rod and both wing members lie in substantially the same plane, whereby a rod with a number of such spacers ataached thereto may readily be inserted in a void whose diameter or greatest cross sectional dimension is less than the distance between the wall-engaging portions of the wing members, and so that the reinforcing rod is held in a selected location, usually centrally of the void.

2. A spacer for accurately positioning a reinforcing rod in a chosen position in an elongated void to be filled with concrete, comprising a metal cross piece having centrally a rod engaging snap-on clip, asecond snap-on clip spaced from and alined with said first mentioned clip, a flexible wall-engaging arm arranged at an acute angle to the axis of the two clips on both sides thereof and each connected to the lower clip and to the cross piece at one end of the latter, the arms being free from the junction of the cross piece to their wall-engaging ends, whereby the cross piece acts as a brace and when the reinforcing rod and its attached spacers is pushed into a void smaller than the normal distance between the free ends of the arms.

3. A spacer for accurately positioning a reinforcing rod in chosen position in an elongated void to be filled with concrete, comprising a V-shaped resilient strip having at its vertex a snap-on clip, and a brace having centrally a snap-on clip, said brace being permanently secured at both ends to an intermediate portion of the V-shaped strip in position to align the two clips for gripping a reinforcing rod, and being substantially at right angles to the center line of the clips.

4. The spacer of claim 1 in which both wing members and both clips are formed from a single piece of wire, one clip being at the center of the piece of wire and the other clip being in two parts formed at the ends of the Wire, the wall-engaging portions each being curved.

eferences Cited in the file of this patent NIT ED STATES PATENTS 815,409 Cummings Mar. 20, 1906 875,983 Clayton Jan. 7, 1908 1,005,289 ONeil Oct. 10, 1911 1,365,125 Schroeder, Jr Jan. 11, 1921 1,422,157 White July 11, 1922 1,592,357 Harden July 13, 1926 1,616,977 Koivu Feb. 8, 1927 1,641,109 Wilson Aug. 30, 1927 1,645,766 McCulloch et al Oct. 18, 1927 1,812,913 White July 7, 1931 2,216,676 Ragland Oct. 1, 1940 2,219,555 Burwell Oct. 29, 1940 2,253,224 Bleakley Aug. 19, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 532,236 Great Britain Jan. 20, 1941

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