Wireworking – Joining wire – Implements
Patent
1996-10-01
1998-04-28
Larson, Lowell A.
Wireworking
Joining wire
Implements
140 57, B21F 0902
Patent
active
057433097
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for automatically binding or joining two or more reinforcement bars with the use of a joining tool that includes a two-section annular body, the method including a first step wherein an endless binding wire with a free end is fed to a track in the annular body, the binding wire being fed to a length determined by the tool structure, a second step wherein the free end of the wire is retained, a third step wherein the retained binding wire is cut, a fourth step wherein a rotation head ties the wire around the reinforcement bars.
The invention also relates to a joining tool for use by the method, the joining tool consisting of a housing in which a channel is formed for guiding an endless binding wire from a supply to a rotation head connected with a shaft that rotates around an axis of rotation, the rotation head being mounted in the upper part of the housing, a two-section annular body being also mounted at the upper part of the housing, the annular body being connected pivotally to the housing by at least one shaft, the annular body including of a first section and second section both of which are provided with a lateral open track, the track being open towards the centre of the annular body, the joining tool being provided with retention members for retaining the binding wire and cutting members for cutting the binding wire.
THE PRIOR ART
It has been known to join reinforcement bars of concrete structures manually. However, this is a lengthy operation and, therefore, associated with high salary expenses. Furthermore, the working postures used during the joining operation are not always sound and, consequently, may be injurious to a person who is frequently joining reinforcement bars.
An attempt to solve this problem was made in U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,192 which describes a joining tool for joining reinforcement bars in concrete elements. The joining tool functions by advancing a predetermined length of endless binding wire inside the joining tool to a track in an annular head. When the wire has been brought all around the annular head, the wire is retained and cut by means of a cutting member and a disc being pressed against each other. After cutting, the two now free ends are twisted until the desired binding has been provided.
A joining tool of the known type has the disadvantage, however, that the binding cannot be done without leaving a considerable amount of binding wire remnants which will remain in the surface of the concrete in the finished structure, thus causing the strength of the concrete to be deteriorated or causing the concrete to be discoloured due to corrosion of the binding wire remnants. This means that after the binding of a structure of reinforcement bars, it is necessary to do a collection of wire remnants.
A joining tool of this type further has the disadvantage that the advancement of the wire takes place in a predetermined length, which means considerable waste of binding wire in the form of the mentioned binding wire remnants, particularly when the tool is used for joining reinforcement bars having great variation in thickness and numbers since the length of the binding will consequently vary considerably.
Furthermore, a joining tool of this type is disadvantageous in that it has no automatic regulation of the tightening of the binding, which may cause the strength of the joined reinforcement bars to be very heterogeneous.
From EP-B-388,350 it is known to feed the binding wire in a not predetermined length in a tool structure which grips the reinforcement bars. The movement of the wire is stopped as the wire encounters a flexible axis which activates a contact by which the movement of the wire is stopped. Thereafter the wire is held at its free end and the joining tool is opened, and the reinforcement bars are pushed forward by a holder to contact the binding wire. The binding wire is then cut at its not free end. Finally, the inside of the holder rotates and the wire is twisted around the reinforcement bars.
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REFERENCES:
patent: 4252157 (1981-02-01), Ohnishi
patent: 4362192 (1982-12-01), Furlong et al.
patent: 4508030 (1985-04-01), Grenon
patent: 4655264 (1987-04-01), Dilley
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