WO1999060224A2

WO1999060224A2 - Chair for wire mesh used with poured concrete

Info

Publication number: WO1999060224A2
Application number: PCT/US1999/010962
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tom Nicol
Original assignee: Tom Nicol
Priority date: 1998-05-19
Filing date: 1999-05-18
Publication date: 1999-11-25
Also published as: WO1999060224A3

Abstract

A chair (10) for use in positioning wire mesh (100) within a concrete slab including a base (12), a pillar (14) and a top portion. Positioned on the top portion are at least one pair of horizontally oriented clips (18, 20) which are caused to engage the wires of the wire mesh (100) by turning the chair (10) while holding its top portion against the wire mesh (100).

Description

Title: CHAIR FOR WIRE MESH USED WITH POURED CONCRETE

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/085,985 filed May 19, 1998. FIELD

The present invention pertains to chairs used with poured concrete; more particularly, the present invention pertains to chairs used to position wire mesh fabric within concrete as it is being poured into a mold. BACKGROUND

To strengthen poured concrete, a network of reinforcing rods or a preformed wire mesh fabric is used. In large projects such as highways, the network of reinforcing rods or rebar is actually constructed over the roadbed and set upon chairs to hold the network in position a predetermined distance over the roadbed. The cement used for the highway is then poured so that the network of reinforcing rods and the chairs are within the poured concrete . Examples of such chairs are found in U.S. Patent Nos . 1,613,351; 3,105,423; 3,673,753; 3,788,025; 4,835,933; 5,400,562; and 5 , 893 , 252.

In smaller projects typically associated with residential or light commercial construction as floors within buildings, patios or driveways, a pre-formed wire mesh fabric is used instead of a constructed network of reinforcing bars constructed on site. The pre-formed wire mesh fabric must be suspended over the ground much like the network of reinforcing bars if it is to add strength to the poured concrete. A variety of different methods have been used for supporting the wire mesh fabric in the poured concrete to include sticks, bricks, or other miscellaneous materials.

If the wire mesh fabric falls or is not properly positioned within the poured concrete, the poured concrete will not have the same strength as concrete with a properly positioned layer of wire mesh fabric.

Prior art chairs used in highway construction are too large to use on small projects and these prior art chairs do not provide an adequate attachment system to assure that they stay in position under the wire mesh as the concrete is being poured.

There is therefore a need in the art to provide a chair system for properly positioning a preformed wire mesh fabric at a construction site where concrete is to be poured. SUMMARY

Disclosed herein is a chair system for properly positioning a preformed wire mesh fabric at a construction site where concrete is to be poured. The disclosed chair for upholding a variety of different sizes of preformed wire mesh fabric within poured concrete includes a base, a substantially vertical portion or pillar, and a top planar portion. The top planar portion supported by the substantially vertical portion includes at least two flexible clips which attach the chair to the wire mesh. Attachment of the chair to the wire mesh is effected by positioning the top planar portion of the chair against the intersection of two wires in the wire mesh fabric and simply turning the chair about its own long axis so that at least two flexible clips engage the wire. When complete the wire mesh and attached chairs may be positioned in the space into which the concrete is to be poured. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

A better understanding of the chair for wire mesh of the present invention may be had by reference to the drawing figures wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view; and

Fig. 3 is a partial front elevational view. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

As shown in the drawing figures, the chair 10 for upholding a layer of preformed wire mesh fabric within a layer of poured concrete rests on a bottom base 12. In the preferred embodiment a circular bottom base 12 is used; however, a variety of other bottom base designs may be used. The base design should enable the chair 10 to stand on its own without falling over. Emanating upwardly from the bottom base 12 is a vertical member or pillar 14. Shown in the drawing figures is a segmented vertical member or pillar 14 having four joined together leg sections. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous vertical member or pillar designs 14 are possible without departing from the scope of the instant invention. Such other designs may include a single square vertical member or pillar, a round vertical member or pillar and a host of different hollow or solid designs having a regular or irregular cross section. It is important that the pillar not entrap air, as entrapped air may cause the chair to actually float within the poured concrete. The height of the pillar 14 is selected to position the wire mesh within the central portion of the layer of poured concrete. Thus, for a slab that is approximately four inches thick, the preferred height for the chair will be approximately two inches. Further, as shown in the drawing figures, at the top of the vertical member or pillar 14 are four arms 16 which provide support for the two pair of substantially horizontally oriented flexible clips 18, 20 positioned thereon. While four arms 16 are shown, it will be understood that by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention will still be operable if a disk or other planar shape is used to support the two pair of flexible clips 18, 20 instead of the substantially circular disk 16. The advantage obtained from the use of arms over a disk is minimizing the chance for the formation of an air bubble under the disk.

The two pair of flexible clips 18, 20 are sized and positioned so that the top of the chair 10 may be placed under the wire mesh 100, at the junction 102 of an upper wire 104 and a lower wire 106, and then rotated in a counter clockwise fashion. This counter clockwise rotation will cause the flexible clips 18, 20 to first slide over the wires 104, 106 and then position and hold the chair 10 to the wire mesh 100. If desired, one of the arms 16 may have a central channel 22 to help position the lower most of the two wires 106 on the top of the chair 10. All that is needed is to set the wire mesh 100, with the chairs 10 attached thereto, into the space where the concrete is to be poured and the wire mesh 100 will be held in position for the pouring of the concrete.

As best seen in Figure 3 , the heights of the two pairs of flexible clips 18, 20 are at different levels. This is because typical wire mesh fabric used with poured concrete is made by laying one wire 104 over another wire 106 and attaching the wires together at the points where they cross. Thus, one wire 104 will be higher than the wire 106 it crosses. Accordingly, there is a need to put one pair of clips 18 above the level of the adjacent pair of clips 20. The chair device 10 of the present invention will still be operable if but one pair of clips is used and the chairs 10 are attached to the wire mesh fabric 100 between the wire junctions 102.

Because the clips 18, 20 are flexible, they will be usable with a wide variety of different size, or gauges of wire mesh fabric. Those of ordinary skill in the art will also understand that the disclosed invention may also be used with a network of reinforcing bar.

While the foregoing invention has been described by reference to its preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous other embodiments of the instant invention are possible without departing from its scope and meaning. Such scope and meaning shall be included in the appended claims.

Claims

I Claim: 1. A chair for upholding wire mesh to be used within a layer of poured concrete, said chair comprising: a bottom base; a substantially vertical member projecting upwardly from said bottom base; a top portion connected to said substantially vertical member; said top portion further including flexible means for attaching said top portion of the chair to the wire mesh.

2. The chair as defined in claim 1 wherein the height of said substantially vertical member is selected to position the wire mesh within the central portion of the layer of poured concrete .

3. The chair as defined in claim 1 wherein said top portion includes four arms.

4. The chair as defined in claim 3 wherein said flexible means for attaching said top portion of the chair to the wire mesh includes at least two clips positioned at the end of at least two of said four arms .

5. The chair as defined in claim 1 wherein said flexible means for attaching said top portion to the wire mesh are substantially horizontally oriented flexible clips.

6. The chair as defined in claim 5 wherein said clips are constructed and arranged to receive a variety of different gauges of wire .

7. A method for positioning a wire mesh so that it is located in the midst of layer of poured concrete, said method comprising the steps of: placing the top portion of a plurality of chairs against at least one wire in the wire mesh; turning said each one of said plurality of chairs so that the clips on the top portion of each of said plurality of chairs engage at least one wire in the wire mesh; placing the combination of the plurality of chairs and the wire mesh so that the bottoms of said plurality of chairs rest on the surface over which the layer of concrete is to be poured.

8. A slab for use in residential or light commercial construction, said slab comprising: a layer of poured concrete; a wire mesh positioned in the midst of said layer of poured concrete; a plurality of chairs attached to said wire mesh; said chairs including: a bottom base; a substantially vertical member projecting upwardly from said bottom base; a top portion connected to said substantially vertical member; said top portion further including flexible means for attaching said top portion of said chair to the wire mesh.

9. The slab as defined in claim 8 wherein the height of said substantially vertical member is selected to position the wire mesh within the central portion of said layer of poured concrete ;

10. The slab as defined in claim 8 wherein said top portion of said chair includes four arms.

11. The slab as defined in claim 10 wherein said flexible means for attaching said top portion of said chair to the wire mesh includes at least two clips positioned at the end of at least two of said four arms .

12. The slab as defined in claim 8 wherein said flexible means for attaching said top portion of said chair to the wire mesh are substantially horizontally oriented flexible clips.

13. A building comprising: at least one slab; said at least one slab including: a layer of poured concrete; a wire mesh positioned in the midst of said layer of poured concrete; a plurality of chairs attached to said wire mesh; said chairs including: a bottom base; a substantially vertical member projecting upwardly from said bottom base; a top portion connected to said substantially vertical member; Said top portion further including flexible means for attaching said top portion of said chair to the wire mesh.

14. The building as defined in claim 13 wherein the height of said substantially vertical member is selected to position the wire mesh within the central portion of the layer of poured concrete .

15. The building as defined in claim 13 wherein said top portion of said chair includes four arms.

16. The building as defined in claim 13 wherein said flexible means for attaching said top portion of said chair to the wire mesh includes at least two clips positioned at the end of at least two of said four arms .

17. The building as defined in claim 13 wherein said flexible means for attaching said top portion of said chair to the wire mesh are substantially horizontally oriented flexible clips.