US3520101A

US3520101A - Welded wire fabric support

Info

Publication number: US3520101A
Application number: US753939A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alvin G Casto
Original assignee: ALVIN G CASTO
Current assignee: ALVIN G CASTO
Priority date: 1968-08-20
Filing date: 1968-08-20
Publication date: 1970-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 1987-07-14

Description

July 14, 1970 A. G. CASTO WELDED WIRE FABRIC SUPPORT Filed Aug. 20, 1968 Subgrade Wire Fabric Alvin G. Casfo [NI 'lfNTOR.

United States Patent 3,520,101 WELDED WIRE FABRIC SUPPORT Alvin G. Casto, P.0. Box 317, Cambria, Calif. 93428 Filed Aug. 20, 1968, Ser. No. 753,939 Int. Cl. E04c 5/18; E04b 5/32 US. Cl. 52-681 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Support means for welded wire fabric such as is currently used to reinforce concrete slabs resting atop a suitably compacted fill or subgrade. These slabs are commonly used in the construction of sidewalks, garage, barn and enclosure floors, highways, airport runways and the like. A unique spike coacts with an equally unique sill plate which resides firmly atop the subgrade and elevates, supports and anchors the wire fabric at the prescribed level above the slabs bottom and below its top. The grade level sill plate is separate from the companion spike. This makes for compactness and convenience in shipping, handling and storage and makes the task of assembling and installation relatively simple and easy.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in that field of endeavor which has to do with welded wire fabric, heretofore classified as wire mesh, embodying stout transverse and longitudinal wires which are electrically arc Welded and thus securely united, and prefabricated in sheet-like form and customarily shipped in rolls. Welded wire fabric of the prefabricated type herein under consideration is regularly used for reinforcing and stabilizing concrete slabs such as are located and retained for use on an appropriate fill or a compacted highway subgrade.

For background information it should perhaps be pointed out at the inception that Welded wire fabric is fabricated from high strength handwires. The fabric comes in many types. A common type is 6 x 6 6/6 which means No. 6 wire transverse and No. 6 wire longitudinal spaced 6" on center transversely and longitudinally. The present trend is for heavier reinforcement in the form of mats so heavy that the members approach the size of light bars.

Briefly the invention is characterized by support means which is expressly designed and adapted for use in association with the aforementioned welded wire fabric and which functions to expedite completion of the step of embedding and effectually reinforcing concrete slabs. Persons conversant with the state of the art to which the invention relates are aware that these slabs are superimposed on the subgrade and are commonly used for sidewalks, floors in garages, houses, barns, factories and warehouses, highways, and airport and like runways. One of the two component parts functions, broadly construed, as limit stop means and preferably takes the form of a sill plate and is set in position at a prescribed locale on the subgrade. The preferred sill plate is characterized by like rectangular half-portions one of which is placed flatwise atop the subgrade and the other one of which assumes an up-angled position oblique to the plane of the subgrade. This up-angled portion is provided with an opening to permit passage therethrough of a reduced anchoring stake which constitutes the reduced bottom portion of a spike. The spike is of requisite vertical height and preferably substantially V-shaped in transverse cross-section. The extreme upper end portion is provided with a slot at right angles to the lengthwise dimension of the spike. This slot is closed at its ends and serves 3,520,101 Patented July '14, 1970 as a keeper for a portion of the wire which is aligned therewith and secured therein.

As will be hereinafter more clearly appreciated the combination metal or equivalent spike and companion metal or equivalent sill plate constitute novel support means. One such means is required for approximately each four square feet of the aforementioned welded wire fabric. It is recommended in the interest of structural stability that the support means be alternatively placed on longitudinal and transverse wires of the above stated fabric. The sill plate should be approximately set in location on the subgrade. The spike has a wire inserted in the slot at the upper end of the spike after which the lower anchor portion of the spike is driven into final position, that is, by way of the special hole or opening provided therefor in the sill plate. This driving step will amply close the wire accommodation slot which will in turn clench and bind the wire tightly in the slot in the manner and for the purposes described.

In carrying out the principles of the invention the sill plate is preferably rectangular in plan and is provided mid-way between longitudinal edges with a fold line. It is this fold line which transforms the plate into rectangular half-portions one of which is flat and seats itself firmly atop the subgrade and the other one of which is bent up at an oblique angle and is provided with a triangulate hole. The lower V-shaped reduced portion of the over-all V-shaped spike constitutes an anchoring stake which passes with requisie nicety through the triangular adapter hole and provides shoulders which come to rest atop the sill plate, whereby the sill plate becomes a limit stop.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing a fragmentary portion of the aforementioned welded wire fabric and, what is more important, the two-part support means, namely, the sill plate and spike.

FIG. 2 is a view which may be said to be taken approximately on the plane of the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view at right angles taken on the plane of the vertical section line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

And FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the two-parts, that is, the sill plate and spike before these parts are bent into their cooperatively usable form.

Referring now to the views of the drawing the welded wire fabric is designated, generally construed, by the numeral 6 and embodies longitudinal wires 8 and transverse wires 10 Welded in place as at 12. It should be pointed out here that the terms longitudinal and transverse are merely used for convenience and may be considered in reverse relationship preferably with the wires 8 atop the wires 10 rather than being in alternative form and relationship.

With reference now to the limit stop means this, more specifically, comprises a sill plate 14 which can be construed as normally flat and substantially rectangular in form (FIG. 4). The plate is preferably provided centrally with a longitudinal fold line 16 thus transforming the plate into a first rectangular half-portion 18 and a companion or second rectangular half-portion 20. The halfportion 20 is provided with an adapter opening 22 which is preferably triangular in form and is centrally arranged proximal to the fold line 16. When in use the half-portion 18 is placed flatwise atop the subgrade as brought out in FIGS. 1 to 3 in particular. The half-portion 20 is bent up at an oblique angle. The spike is designated, generally stated, by the numeral 24. This spike is made from appropriate strip metal and it is centrally provided with a fold line 26 which provides like half-portions or flanges 27 and when the over-all spike is bent into the desired V-shaped form it appears in the manner illustrated inFIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive. The lower portion 28 is reduced in width as and defines an anchoring portion whose extreme lower end 30 has a centralized ground-penetrating point 32. This reduced portion 28 also provides a pair of coplanar limit stop shoulders 34 which come to rest when the anchoring portion 28 passes through the opening 22. The

upper edge 36 is provided with a straight across closed ended slot 38 which is close to and parallel with the edge and has enlarged terminal end portions 39.

It will be evident from the views of the drawing that FIG. 4 shows the component parts, that is the sill plate 14 and spike 24 in fiat or blank form. However the essence of the invention is thought to reside in the formation of the parts wherein when in use the half-portion 18 resides fiatwise atop the subgrade and the flange-like half-portion 20 is tilted or up-angled to assume the oblique angle particularly brought out in FIGS. 2 and 3 and to permit satisfactory passage therethrough of the reduced pointed anchoring portion 28. The triangular opening 22 serves to permit satisfactory passage of the anchoring portion and results in the shoulders 34 coming to rest atop the limit stop surface provided by the sill plate.

In practice the wire of the welded wire fabric is inserted and lodged in the slot 38 at the upper end portion 36 of the spike 24 which in turn is placed in the cutout portion in the sill plate before the spike is driven with a hammer. This driving operation will slightly close the slot and lock the coacting wire of the welded wire fabric in place. The location of the welded wire fabric in the slab is automatically set by the shoulders '34 of the spike bearing on the sill plate. The location of the spike will be ap proximately four feet on center. In actual practice both the spike and plate are made from appropriate strip metal. The thickness of the metal will be governed by the height of the spike. The spike and sill plate should be rugged enough to support the weight of an average man.

It is submitted that a careful consideration of the specification in conjunction with the views of the drawing will enable the reader to obtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the subject matter of the invention and the features and advantages and manner of use. A more extended description is deemed to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a rigid sill plate adapted when inuse to reside for support atop a compacted fill or subgrade for a reinforced concrete sidewalk highway or equivalent concrete slab, said plate having a centralized longitudinal .f e dividing saidp at n o o a i nan ularlylrez lated, flat half-portions, one-flat half-portion being adapted to rest in a fla-twise position on said subgrade with the other half-portion projecting angularly upwardly from said subgrade at an acute angle thereto, said other half-portion having a generally triangular spike adapter opening therein contiguous to said fold line, and a vertically elongated supporting, spacing and holddown spike for prefabricated welded wire fabric such as is adapted for reinforcing concrete slabs, said spike beingcomplementalto said sill plate and adapted to assume a vertical position'perpendicular'to said first named half portion, said spike having a pointed end being substantially V-shaped in transverse cross-section, the end portion of said spike opposite'jsaid pointed end being straight across and at right angles to the lengthwise axis of the spike and a wire seating keeper slot in said,

spike adjacent said straight acros end.

2. The combination defined in and according to clairn 'l 1, and wherein a significant lower portion of said spikeis proportionally decreased in width in a manner to define,

a subgrade anchoring section, said section being adapted; to pass downwardly through and beyond said adapter opening in a manner to penetrate the subgrade, that por tion of the spike at the juncture of the upper body portion? and upper end of said anchoring section having coplanar stop shoulders, said stop shoulders adapted to abut upper surface portions of said upwardly pitched half-portion.

3. The combination'defined in and according to clainr 1 and wherein said slot is closed at its respective ends, is straight and parallel with and is adjacent to said extreme upper end portion, is of a width proportional to the crosssection of the wire which is adapted to be seated and lodged therein and has its respective terminal ends enlarged in a.

manner to assist one in forcibly hammering and pounding a median portion of said upper end portion to bendably deform said median portion and to retentively clamp the wire within the confines of said slot and enlarged terminal ends of said slot.

References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Parrish 25648 HENRY c. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.