Reinforcement bar fastener and tool

Abstract

A reinforcement bar fastener and a tool for securing reinforcement bar members to together to form a metal mesh and a reinforcement bar tool for deforming the reinforcement bar fastener around the reinforcement bar members.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A fastener comprising:
 a pair of legs arranged parallelly, the pair of legs including a first leg having opposite first and second ends and a second leg having opposite first and second ends;   a crossbar having a center section and a pair of projecting ears extending from the center section, the pair of projecting ears including a first ear having a first end connected to the center section and a second end connected to the first end of the first leg and a second ear having a first end connected to the center section and a second end connected to the first end of the second leg.   
     
     
         2 . The fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of legs and the crossbar are formed in the same plane. 
     
     
         3 . The fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the first ear and second ear are angled away from the pair of legs. 
     
     
         4 . The fastener of  claim 3 , wherein the first ear and second ear are angled away from the pair of legs at an angle of about 105 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the center section is configured to be perpendicular to the pair of legs. 
     
     
         6 . The fastener of  claim 5 , wherein the first ear and second ear are angled away from the center section at an angle of about 15 degrees. 
     
     
         7 . The fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the fastener is formed of a metal wire. 
     
     
         8 . The fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the fastener is formed of a material comprising at least one of steel, plastic, and a composite. 
     
     
         9 . The fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of legs and crossbar are integrally formed of a single wire strand. 
     
     
         10 . The fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the fastener is substantially T-shaped. 
     
     
         11 . The fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the length of the crossbar is greater than the length of each of the legs. 
     
     
         12 . A fastening tool comprising:
 a portable housing assembly;   a nosepiece carried by the portable housing assembly, the nosepiece having a drive track, at least a portion of the drive track being defined by a portion of the nosepiece;   a fastener driver movably mounted in the drive track;   a magazine assembly constructed and arranged to feed successive leading fasteners from a supply of fasteners contained therein along a feed track and into the drive track;   a power operated system constructed and arranged to be actuated so as to move the fastener driver through successive operative cycles, each cycle including a drive stroke wherein a fastener in the drive track is deformed around rebar members to be secured together, and a return stroke;   an actuating mechanism including a trigger assembly having a trigger constructed and arranged to actuate the power operated system in response to the trigger being pulled;   a carriage slidably mounted to the nosepiece;   a pair of claws mounted to the carriage for holding one of a plurality of rebar members in position for fastening; and   a pair of anvil arms pivotably connected to the nosepiece, each anvil arm carrying an anvil.   
     
     
         13 . The fastening tool according to  claim 12 , wherein the nosepiece is fixed in the tool. 
     
     
         14 . The fastening tool according to  claim 12 , wherein the carriage circumscribes the nosepiece slides along the longitudinal axis of the nosepiece. 
     
     
         15 . The fastening tool according to  claim 12 , wherein the fastener driver slides along the nosepiece. 
     
     
         16 . The fastening tool according to  claim 12 , further comprising a U-shaped channel on a bottom surface of the magazine assembly for holding at least one rebar member to be fastened. 
     
     
         17 . The fastening tool according to  claim 12 , wherein the anvils include a plurality of grooves for guiding portions of a fastener to deform around the rebar members to be secured together. 
     
     
         18 . The fastening tool according to  claim 12 , wherein the carriage comprises rollers for stopping pivotal movement of the anvil arms. 
     
     
         19 . The fastening tool according to  claim 18 , wherein the anvil arms have cam surfaces disposed on an outer portion thereof configured to engage the rollers on the carriage. 
     
     
         20 . A method of fastening rebar members together using a deformable rebar fastener, the deformable rebar fastener having a generally T-shaped body formed of a pair of legs arranged in parallel to form an open end and a crossbar having an upper portion and a lower portion forming a closed end, the crossbar being arranged to span and be connected to the pair legs, the pair of legs and the crossbar being in the same lateral plane, the crossbar, the method comprising:
 arranging the rebar members to form an upper rebar member and a lower rebar member;   positioning the rebar fastener open end over the arranged rebar members so that the legs straddle the rebar members and the crossbar spans the upper rebar member;   applying a first force to the upper portion of the crossbar in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the legs, to bend the crossbar toward the legs;   applying a second force to each of the legs, the second force being applied in opposing directions perpendicular to the first force,   wherein the legs are bent in a direction extending 45 degrees from the plane of the crossbar with each leg being bent in opposite directions around the arranged rebar members.