AU715943B2 - Improved bar stool - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a bar stool i.e. a support for reinforcing bar. As used herein, the term 'bar' includes single reinforcing bar, or wire, or part of a reinlforcing mesh. Bar stools are used in reinforced concrete slabs for supporting the reinforcing bar above the lower surface of the slab, so that concrete can penetrate underneath the bar and the bar is completely encased in concrete when the slab is completed. A plurality of bar stools is spaced along the length of the bar or mesh, to support it evenly.

At present, the bar stools used are of the general type shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows a side view of a commonly used design of bar 10 stool; Fig 2 is a plan view of that bar stool.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a bar stool 2 comprises an annular base 3 which carries a cylindrical flange 4 supported from the base 3 by four spaced legs 5. The flange •4 is formed with two pairs of opposed notches 6, 7. One pair of notches 6 is significantly deeper than the other pair 7.

15 In use, the stool stands flat on its base 3, and a bar to be supported rests across •ooo• either the notches 6 or the notches 7, depending upon the desired height of the bar.

This design of bar stool has the drawback that it can provide only two different heights for a bar, and thus to provide for the full range of heights which commonly are required on site, it is necessary to stock a number of different sizes of bar stools. The above-described bar stool could be modified to provide more than two pairs of notches, but this weakens the flange unless the flange is enlarged and/or thickened to compensate.

Since bar stools are used only once, it is desirable that they should use a minimum amount of material.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bar stool which is capable of providing secure, strong support for bar at least three different height positions, but which uses a minimum amount of material.

The present invention provides a bar stool which includes at least three pairs of opposed faces, wherein at least one face of each pair is adapted for stable ground engagement and at least the other face of each pair provides a channel for receiving a bar to be supported by the bar stool; each of the channels being a different depth.

Each face of each pair may provide both a ground engaging surface and a bar receiving channel.

By way of example only, two preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail, with reference to figs. 3-6 of the accompanying drawings, in 10 which:- Fig. 3 is a side view of a bar stool in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; ""Fig. 4 is a section on line A-A of fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a side view of a second embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 6 is a view of Fig. 5 in the direction of arrow B.

oo Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, a bar stool comprises a body 11 which is rectangular in longitudinal section (fig. 4) and an irregular hexagon in side view (fig. The body 11 is formed with a central bore 12 terminating in a spigot 13 of reduced diameter compared to the bore 12. The bar stools can be stacked one on top of the other by placing the spigot 13 of one stool in the bore 12 of the stool beneath.

The body 11 has a central web 16 from which integrally formed ribs 15 project towards each end of the body, to reinforce the body and to support the faces 17-22 inclusive and the bar receiving channels 23-27 inclusive.

The faces 17, 19, and 21 are of equal length and are approximately twice the length of the intermediate faces 18, 20 and 22.

Each channel 23-27 is formed as a U-cross-section indentation in the corresponding face 18-22, with the corresponding ribs 15 supporting the base of the 'U' and connecting the base of each channel with the walls 28 of the central bore 12 and with the opposed face. Thus, any load on a channel is carried by the reinforcing ribs to the opposed face, which rests on the ground or other face.

The longer faces 17, 19, 21 are formed with longitudinal ridges 29 to space the stool slightly away from the ground when the stool rests on that face.

Each channel 23-27 is a different depth and width, to suit different sizes of ".reinforcing bar and the requirement to support the bar at different heights above the 10 ground. Figs. 3 and 4 show a particular combination of five different depths and widths of channel, but it will be appreciated that any desired combination of depths and widths can be included, to suit particular requirements.

To support a bar at a particular height, the user simply selects a channel giving the required depth and width, and turns the bar stool until the selected channel is 15 uppermost and the stool rests upon the opposite face.

Flexible fingers 30 are formed along the edge of each channel 23-27. A bar

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being fitted in the channel can be pushed past the fingers 30, which help to prevent the bar accidentally being pulled out of the channel.

As shown in fig. 3, the channels may be different cross-sectional shapes as well as different heights and depths.

The body 11 may be any of a wide variety of cross-sectional shapes, regular or irregular e.g. square, rectangular, hexagon, octagon. More than one channel may be formed on each race if desired. In addition, a further channel (not shown) may be formed on the side 31, in the form of a transverse groove across that side. To use this channel, the bar stool rests on the opposite side 32.

Figures 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the bar stool comprises a body 40 which is rectangular in longitudinal section and an irregular hexagon in side view (Fig. The body 40 is formed with a central bore 41 which terminates in a spigot 42 of reduced diameter compared to the bore 41. As with the Figure 3 and 4 embodiment, the bar stools can be stacked one on top of the other by placing the spigot 42 of one stool in the bore 41 of the stool beneath.

The body 40 has a central web 43 from which project integrally formed ribs 44 to reinforce the body and to support the three shallower channels, as hereinafter described.

10 The faces 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50 are of different lengths; each face is formed with a bar receiving channel 51-56 inclusive. All of the bar receiving channels 51-56 are 0% 0 of different widths and different depths. The three deeper channels 51, 54 and 55 are supported by a thickening in the adjacent portions of the wall of the bore 41 and the three shallower channels 53, 52 and 56 are supported by the ribs 44.

S 15 Each of the channels 51-56 inclusive is generally U-shaped in side view and is formed with flexible fingers 57 in the same manner as the figure 3 and 4 embodiment.

In addition to channels 51-56 inclusive, the figure 5 and 6 embodiment provides two further channels:- 58 and 59. Channel 58 is formed as an indentation in the top of the spigot 42. Channel 59 is formed by four aligned indentations (see figure 5) in the sides of the channels 52, 51 and 56 respectively. To use either channel 58 or channel 59, the bar stool is laid flat on side The embodiment of Fig. 5 and 6 provides eight supporting channels in total:five narrower channels suitable for supporting wire or mesh at heights of 25, 50, 60 mm and three wider channels suitable for supporting single bar at heights of 40, 50, 60 mm.

It is envisaged that the bar stool may be made in any suitably tough material e.g.

a moulded thermoplastics material such as polypropylene.

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Claims (10)

1. A bar stool which includes at least three pairs of opposed faces, wherein at least one face of each pair is adapted for stable ground engagement and at least the other face of each pair provides a channel for receiving a bar to be supported by the bar stool; each of said channels being a different depth.

2. The bar stool as claimed in Claim 1 wherein each face of each pair is both adapted for stable ground engagement and also provides a channel for receiving a bar to be supported by the bar stool.

3. The bar stool as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein at least some of said channels are of a different width to others.

4. The bar stool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein each channel is provided with flexible fingers partially closing off the open end thereof.

S The bar stool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at least some of S said channels are of different cross-sectional shape to others.

6. The bar stool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said bar stool includes a central bore.

7. The bar stool as claimed in Claim 6 wherein an additional channel is formed in a spigot formed at one end of said central bore.

8. The bar stool as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 wherein a reinforcing rib extends from the base of each channel to said bore.

9. The bar stool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one further channel is formed in one side face of the bar stool, said side face lying in a plane perpendicular to the planes of any of said opposed faces.

10. A bar stool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in 10 Figs. 3 and 4 or Fig. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings. a a DATED THIS Thirteenth DAY OF Oc TALBOT PLASTICS LIMITED BY PIZZEYS PATENT TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS tober 1997