Splice sleeve with elliptical or compound curve cross section

Abstract

A splice sleeve having an elliptical or compound curve cross section for connecting overlapping end portions of reinforcing bars utilized in various types of structures in which steel reinforcing bars are utilized and it is desired to connect the overlapping end portions of the reinforcing bars. The splice sleeve is configured to receive the overlapped end portions of the reinforcing bars and then be filled with hardenable material to resist axial tension and compression exerted on the reinforcing bars. In one embodiment, both ends of the sleeve are provided with an inwardly directed lip to increase the splicing capacity of the sleeve and also to serve as a guide to position the rebars to a minimum of about 3 mm from the inside wall surface of the sleeve.

1 .- 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A splice sleeve comprising a rigid sleeve having an internal space with an elliptical or compound curve cross section configured to receive end portions of a pair of axially extending reinforcing bars that are disposed in said sleeve in overlapping relation and having one or more grout ports in said sleeve to inject cementitious material into the sleeve internal space for enclosing the overlapping ends of the reinforcing bars and filling the sleeve internal space, said reinforcing bars being radially spaced from one another and from an inner surface of said sleeve by said cementitious material, said sleeve having an internal cross-sectional configuration substantially larger than the combined cross sectional area of the overlapping ends of the reinforcing bars positioned within the sleeve, said elliptical or compound curve cross section having a first inner diameter measured across an interior of said sleeve, and a second inner diameter measured across the sleeve interior in a direction perpendicular to said first inner diameter, said first inner diameter being greater than said second inner diameter. 
     
     
         21 . The splice sleeve as defined in  claim 20  wherein both ends of the sleeve are provided with an inwardly directed lip that reduces both the first and second diameters at the sleeve ends. 
     
     
         22 . The splice sleeve as defined in  claim 21  wherein the lip extends inwardly at least about 3 mm. 
     
     
         23 . The splice sleeve as defined in  claim 20  wherein said first inner diameter is measured across a major axis of said sleeve and said second inner diameter is measured across a minor axis of said sleeve. 
     
     
         24 . The splice sleeve as defined in  claim 23  wherein said sleeve includes a pair of grout ports each adjacent a respective end of the sleeve for receiving tubes to supply cementitious material into the interior of the sleeve. 
     
     
         25 . The splice sleeve as defined in  claim 24  wherein said grout ports are generally aligned with the minor axis. 
     
     
         26 . A splice sleeve assembly comprising a rigid sleeve, end portions of axially extending reinforcing bars being disposed in said sleeve in overlapping relation, and cementitious material enclosing the overlapping ends of the reinforcing bars and filling the transverse cross-sectional area of the sleeve for resisting forces perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the reinforcing bars when axial tension or compression is exerted on the overlapping reinforcing bars thereby imposing an opposite force toward the overlapping ends of the reinforcing bars to confine the cementitious material and develop a secure frictional engagement between the reinforcing bars and the cementitious material, said reinforcing bars and an inner surface of said sleeve being separated by a longitudinally extending space that is filled with said cementitious material to keep the bars spaced away from said inner surface, said frictional engagement between the reinforcing bars and the cementitious material and said confinement of said cementitious material within the sleeve securely retaining the overlapping ends of the reinforcing bars in overlapped relation, said sleeve when oriented horizontally having an elliptical or compound curve cross section with a major axis and a minor axis, a first inner diameter of the elliptical or compound curve cross section sleeve as measured along the major axis being greater than a second inner diameter of the elliptical sleeve as measured along the minor axis, the overlapping ends of the reinforcing bars being positioned side by side within said elliptical or compound curve cross section sleeve along the major axis. 
     
     
         27 . The splice sleeve assembly as defined in  claim 26 , wherein at least one end of said elliptical or compound curve cross section sleeve is provided with an inwardly directed lip that reduces both the first and second inner diameters at the sleeve end, said lip defining a width of said longitudinally extending space when said bars are inserted into the sleeve substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of said sleeve. 
     
     
         28 . The splice sleeve assembly as defined in  claim 26 , wherein both ends of said elliptical or compound curve cross section sleeve are respectively provided with an inwardly directed lip that reduces both the first and second inner diameters at both sleeve ends, said lip defining a width of said longitudinally extending space when said bars are inserted into the sleeve substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of said sleeve. 
     
     
         29 . In combination, a pair of axially extending reinforcing bars having peripheral projections thereon, said bars having overlapping ends disposed in adjacent, generally parallel spaced relation, a rigid splice sleeve for receiving said overlapping ends of the axially extending reinforcing bars therein, and hardened medium enclosing the overlapping ends of the reinforcing bars and filling the transverse cross-sectional area of the sleeve to effect a connection of said overlapping bar ends, said hardened medium resisting forces perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the reinforcing bars when axial tension or compression is exerted on the overlapping ends of the reinforcing bars with the sleeve imposing inwardly directed force against the overlapping ends of the reinforcing bars to develop a secure frictional and confining engagement between the reinforcing bars and the hardened medium to securely retain the connection of the overlapping ends of the reinforcing bars in overlapped relation, said sleeve having an elliptical or compound curve cross section, at least one end of said elliptical or compound curve cross section sleeve having an inwardly directed lip that reduces an inner diameter of the sleeve to assist in containing the hardened medium within the sleeve. 
     
     
         30 . The combination as defined in  claim 29  wherein both ends of said elliptical or compound curve cross section sleeve are respectively provided with an inwardly directed lip that reduces an inner diameter of the sleeve at said ends, said lips spacing the ends of the reinforcing bars away from an inner surface of said sleeve, the spacing between the bars and the sleeve inner surface being filled with the hardened medium and increasing strength of the connection. 
     
     
         31 . The combination as defined in  claim 29  wherein said sleeve when oriented horizontally has an elliptical cross section with a major axis that is horizontal and a minor axis that is vertical, a first inner diameter of the elliptical sleeve as measured along the major axis being greater than a second inner diameter of the elliptical sleeve as measured along the minor axis, the overlapping ends of the reinforcing bars being positioned side by side within said elliptical or compound curve cross section sleeve along the major axis. 
     
     
         32 . The combination as defined in  claim 31 , wherein both ends of said elliptical or compound curve cross section sleeve are respectively provided with an inwardly directed lip that reduces both the first and second inner diameters at both sleeve ends, said lips spacing the ends of the reinforcing bars away from an inner surface of said sleeve, the spacing between the bars and the sleeve inner surface being filled with hardened medium and increasing strength of the connection. 
     
     
         33 . The combination as defined in  claim 32 , wherein each overlapping rebar end extends a full length of said sleeve and a width of the spacing between the bars and the sleeve inner surface is defined by an inward extension of the lips. 
     
     
         34 . A method of interconnecting the end portions of a pair of axially extending reinforcing bars using a rigid splice sleeve having an elliptical or compound curve cross section configured to receive the end portions in overlapping relation and to be filled with cementitious material to enclose the overlapping ends of the reinforcing bars and fill the transverse cross-sectional area of the sleeve, said sleeve having an internal cross-sectional configuration substantially larger than the combined cross sectional area of the overlapping ends of the reinforcing bars positioned within the sleeve, said elliptical or compound curve cross section having a first inner diameter measured across an interior of said sleeve, and a second inner diameter measured across the sleeve interior in a direction perpendicular to said first inner diameter, said first inner diameter being greater than said second inner diameter, the method comprising:
 providing a pair of reinforcing bars to be joined and a splice sleeve having an elliptical or compound curve cross section;   inserting one end of each reinforcing bar into a respective end of the splice sleeve to bring the ends of the two bars into an overlapping relationship within the splice sleeve; and   filling the splice sleeve with cementitious material.   
     
     
         35 . The method as set forth in  claim 34 , wherein the step of inserting the bar ends includes overlapping the bar ends over a length that is between 50% and 80% of an overall length of the sleeve. 
     
     
         36 . The method as set forth in  claim 34 , wherein the step of inserting the bar ends includes overlapping the bar ends over a length that is approximately equal to an overall length of the sleeve. 
     
     
         37 . The method as set forth in  claim 36 , wherein the step of inserting the bar ends includes aligning the bar ends along a radial axis corresponding with said first inner diameter. 
     
     
         38 . The method as set forth in  claim 37 , wherein said step of aligning the bar ends includes placing said bar ends to be at least about 3 mm from the interior of the sleeve along the radial axis. 
     
     
         20 . The splice sleeve as defined in  claim 22  wherein the end portions of the pair of axially extending reinforcing bars are disposed within and substantially parallel with an inner surface of said sleeve, the inward extension of the lip spacing the reinforcing bars away from said inner surface of the sleeve to define a longitudinally extending space between the inner surface of the sleeve and the reinforcing bars, said space being filled with said cementitious material to keep the bars spaced away from said sleeve inner surface.