Fastener to secure rebar rods and associated methods

Abstract

A fastener for securing rebar rods that is a generally planar, elongated main body selectively deformed into a closed loop. The fastener can also include a head end integrally formed with the main body having a buckle and an opening. A tail end depends from the main body that has a plurality of substantially flat, spaced-apart, and staggered engaging members, or barbs. The rods are secured by folding the tail end around the rods and inserting the tail end into the opening of the buckle and twisting the tail end so that a barb engages an edge of the buckle.

That claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fastener to secure rebar rods comprising:
 a substantially planar elongate and metallic main body having a first end portion, a second end portion, a third portion extending between the first end portion and the second end portion to define a medial portion, and a centerline substantially parallel to a length of the elongated main body;   an opening having an opening length and an opening width and being formed through the first end portion so that the first end portion and the opening collectively define a head end;   a first aligning tab that is substantially flat and a second aligning tab that is substantially flat, each of the first and second aligning tabs also having a proximal end adjacent and connected to the medial portion of the main body and a distal end being distal from the medial portion of the main body, the first aligning tab extending outwardly in a lateral direction opposite a lateral direction than the second aligning tab, so that the first and second aligning tabs and an integrally formed section of the medial portion together define a guide member, the guide member being spaced axially away from the first end portion and the second end portion; and   at least two pairs of barbs, each pair of the at least two pairs of barbs depending from opposing lateral edges of the second end portion, each of the barbs of the at least two pairs of barbs having a lagging surface oriented oblique to the centerline and generally facing the head end, and each of the barbs of the at least two pairs positionally staggered along a length of the lateral edges as compared to another barb of the at least two pairs of barbs.   
     
     
         2 . A fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two pairs of barbs comprises a plurality of barbs extending along the main body from the second end portion toward a head end to define a body barb-extending length, and wherein the body barb-extending length has a length that is greater than a length of a portion of the medial portion between the body barb-extending length and a head, and wherein the portion of the medial portion between the body barb-extending length and the head defines a non-barb extending length of the main body. 
     
     
         3 . A fastener of  claim 1 , wherein a first width of a tail end of the fastener extends in a lateral direction from a distal end of a first barb to a distal end of a second barb, the second barb being positioned on an opposite lateral side of the main body from the first barb to thereby define a tail width; and
 wherein the opening width exceeds the tail width so that the tail end of the fastener inserts into the opening.   
     
     
         4 . A fastener of  claim 3 , further comprising a buckle in the head end and wherein the tail width exceeds the opening length so that when inserted in the head end of the fastener and then twisted rotationally with respect to the centerline, the tail end of the fastener engages the head end of the fastener to thereby prevent a withdraw of the tail end. 
     
     
         5 . A fastener of  claim 1 , wherein a predefined angle from the centerline to a leading surface on the barbs is between about 30 and 60 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . A fastener of  claim 4 , wherein the tail end being twisted rotationally with respect to the centerline is rotated between about 30 degrees and about 105 degrees at the one of the plurality of barbs of the tail end of the fastener that engages the buckle to form a closed loop. 
     
     
         7 . A fastener of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a fourth width for the medial portion of the main body extends in a lateral direction from opposing lateral edges of the medial portion to define a medial width; and   wherein a fifth width for the guide member extends in a lateral direction from the distal end of an aligning tab to a distal end of the opposite aligning tab to thereby define a guide width, the guide width exceeding the medial width.   
     
     
         8 . A fastener of  claim 7 , wherein the guide member is positioned along the medial portion, so that when the guide member is located at an upper portion of the rebar rods, the guide member positions the fastener so that when the fastener is folded to substantially surround the at least two rebar rods, the tail end extends below an upper portion of the rebar rods for a predetermined plurality of sizes of rebar rods. 
     
     
         9 . A fastener of  claim 1 , further comprising a substantially rectangular buckle formed on the head end;
 wherein the opening is formed in the buckle and is a first opening; and   wherein the buckle further comprises one or more second openings formed in the buckle of a head end of the fastener so that when the main body is folded to substantially surround the rebar rods, a tail end of the fastener inserts into the first opening for a first predetermined size of rebar rods, and so that when folded to substantially surround the rebar rods, the tail end of the fastener inserts into one of the one or more second openings formed in the buckle of the head end of the fastener for a second predetermined size of rebar rods to thereby allow the fastener to form a closed loop for more than one size of rebar rods.   
     
     
         10 . A fastener of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of barbs has a substantially parallelogram shape and has rounded corners adjacent where the lagging surface adjoins a leading surface.