Rebar support rings

Abstract

Structures for supporting and aligning a reinforcing bar (“rebar”) during the construction of a column, beam or other structure in which the rebar is laid out in parallel to an axis. One such structure includes a support structure having a square ring, where the corners of the square ring include a rebar receptacle configured to receive a reinforcing bar. The rebar receptacle includes an opening through which the reinforcing bar can be inserted, where the opening is configured to allow the reinforcing bar to enter the rebar receptacle and further configured to retain the reinforcing bar after the reinforcing bar has been seated due to the width of the opening being less than a diameter of the reinforcing bar.

1 . A structure for supporting and aligning a reinforcing bar comprising:
 a support structure, wherein corners of said support structure comprise:
 a rebar receptacle configured to receive a reinforcing bar, wherein said rebar receptacle comprises an opening through which said reinforcing bar can be inserted, wherein said opening is configured to allow said reinforcing bar to enter said rebar receptacle and further configured to retain said reinforcing bar after said reinforcing bar has been seated due to the width of said opening being less than a diameter of said reinforcing bar. 
   
     
     
         2 . The structure as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said support structure is configured as a square ring. 
     
     
         3 . The structure as recited in  claim 2  further comprising:
 one or more arms extending across said square ring to provide support to sides of said square ring. 
 
     
     
         4 . The structure as recited in  claim 3  further comprising:
 one or more additional rebar receptacles located at one or more ends of said one or more arms. 
 
     
     
         5 . The structure as recited in  claim 4 , wherein each of said one or more additional rebar receptacles comprises curved fingers forming an opening to receive and retain a second reinforcing bar. 
     
     
         6 . The structure as recited in  claim 3  further comprising:
 one or more feet located at one or more ends of said one or more arms. 
 
     
     
         7 . The structure as recited in  claim 6  further comprising:
 one or more additional rebar receptacles located along said one or more arms. 
 
     
     
         8 . A structure for supporting and aligning a reinforcing bar comprising:
 a support structure having a circular ring;   arms extending outwardly from said circular ring; and   a bar receptacle disposed at an end of one of said arms, wherein said bar receptacle comprises fingers that are shaped so that said reinforcing bar can be pressed into said bar receptacle, wherein said fingers can close after said reinforcing rebar enters said bar receptacle so that a width of an opening of said bar receptacle is smaller than a diameter of said reinforcing bar thereby retaining said reinforcing bar, wherein said bar receptacle acts as a snap-fit based on a spring action of said structure to provide feedback to a user when said user inserts said reinforcing bar.   
     
     
         9 . A structure for supporting and aligning a reinforcing bar comprising:
 a support structure having a circular ring;   arms extending outwardly from said circular ring; and   a bar receptacle disposed at an end of one of said arms, wherein said bar receptacle comprises a closed circle configuration configured to retain said reinforcing bar.