Safety cap retainer

Abstract

Methods, compositions and combinations for securing a protective rebar cover to the end of a segment of exposed reinforcing bar.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A combination comprising
 a) a protective cover for a metal reinforcing rod having a substantially hollow elongated collar defining a bore oriented substantially parallel to the axis of elongation of said elongated collar and comprising an open end at a first end of said collar and an integral closed cap comprising an impact surface at a closed second end of said collar, and   b) a polymeric insert component securely retained within the bore of the elongated collar, the polymeric insert component having a first end surface substantially flush with the open end of the bore and a second end facing the integral closed cap;   said polymeric insert component comprising an axial slit or cross formed in said first end surface, sized and structured to receive and securely retain an exposed end of the metal reinforcing rod within the polymeric insert component; said axial slit or cross having a depth less than the length of the polymeric insert component and the depth of said slit or cross extending partly through said polymeric insert component and being oriented substantially parallel to the axis of elongation of said elongated collar.   
     
     
         2 . The combination of  claim 1  in which the impact surface of said integral cap is substantially perpendicularly to axis of elongation of said elongated collar. 
     
     
         3 . The combination of  claim 1  in which the polymeric foam insert component has a cross-sectional profile approximately matching, but larger than, the cross-sectional profile of the interior cross-sectional dimensions of the bore of the open-ended collar of the rebar cover. 
     
     
         4 . The combination of  claim 1  in which the polymeric insert component comprises a closed cell polyethylene foam having an average density of about 24-48 kg/m 3 , a compression recovery of about 95% per minute or greater, a compression deflection of about 38.2 kPa, a tensile strength of greater than about 200 kPa and a water absorption of about 0.03 g/cc or less. 
     
     
         5 . The combination of  claim 1  in which the polymeric foam insert component has a substantially cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         6 . The combination of  claim 1  in which the polymeric foam insert component has a cross-sectional profile substantially similar to, but about 4% to about 25% larger, or about 5% to about 20%, or about 6% to about 15%, or about 6% to about 10%, greater than the interior cross-sectional dimensions of the bore. 
     
     
         7 . The combination of  claim 1  in which the protective rebar cover contains a series of 3 or more concentrically arranged flexible thin fins or ribs projecting from the sides of the collar, facing the interior void of the bore and structured to grip the sides of the rebar end, said fins or ribs being located near the interior of the closed end of the collar. 
     
     
         8 . The combination of  claim 7  in which the polymeric foam insert component is about equal to the total depth of the bore, minus half the depth of the bore measured from the top of the fins or ribs to the closed end of the collar. 
     
     
         9 . A composition comprising
 a polymeric insert component sized to be securely retained within a bore of a protective rebar cover for an end of a metal reinforcing rod, said protective rebar cover having an elongated collar defining an internal bore oriented substantially parallel to the axis of elongation of said elongated collar and comprising an open end at a first end of said collar and an integral closed cap comprising an impact surface at a closed second end of said collar,   said polymeric insert component having a cross sectional profile substantially similar to, but about 4% to about 25% larger, or about 5% to about 20% larger, or about 6% to about 15% larger, or about 6% to about 10% larger, or about 8% larger than a cross-sectional profile of said internal bore, and comprising a slit or cross on a first end surface of said polymeric insert component having a depth within said polymeric insert component less than the length of the polymeric insert component.   
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 9 , in which the polymeric insert component comprises a closed cell polyethylene foam having an average density of about 24-48 kg/m 3 , a compression recovery of about 95% per minute or greater, a compression deflection of about 38.2 kPa, a tensile strength of greater than about 200 kPa and a water absorption of about 0.03 g/cc or less. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 9  in which the polymeric insert component is cylindrical in shape. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 9  in which the polymeric insert component is about equal to the total depth of the bore, minus half the depth of the bore measured from the top of the fins or ribs to the closed end of the collar. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 9  in which the polymeric insert component has a length of about 1.75 inches and a diameter about 8% larger than the interior diameter of the bore of said protective rebar cover. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 9  in which the polymeric insert component has a slit or cross length at least equal to the length of the portion of the bore of the open-ended collar measured from the open end of the bore to the position within the bore at which the ribs or fins are encountered. 
     
     
         15 . A method of securing a protective rebar cover on an exposed end of a length of rebar comprising placing the rebar end through the slit or cross in the polymeric insert component of the combination of  claim 8  and applying sufficient force to said protective rebar cover to secure the rebar cover to the rebar end. 
     
     
         16 . A method of using the composition of  claim 9  comprising securing said composition within the bore of said protective rebar cover so that a first end surface of said polymeric insert component is flush with the first end of the collar, and then placing the rebar end through the slit or cross in the polymeric insert component and applying sufficient force to said protective rebar cover to secure the rebar cover to the rebar end.