WO1996030607A1

WO1996030607A1 - Manual or machine feedable clip for securing rebar

Info

Publication number: WO1996030607A1
Application number: PCT/US1996/004094
Authority: WO
Inventors: Brian C. Giles
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-03-24
Filing date: 1996-03-25
Publication date: 1996-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 1997-09-24
Also published as: AU5431296A; JPH11502578A

Abstract

A clipping system includes a clipping device which can be implemented manually or with a machine to secure and lock together crossing and engaging reinforcing rods or bars (1, 2). The clipping device comprises a mid-portion (4), a pair of leg portions (10, 11),a pair of foot portions (12, 13), and a pair of toe portions (16, 17).

Description

MANUAL OR MACHINE FEEDABLE CLIP FOR SECURING REBAR

DESCRIPTION TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to construction methods and materials, and more specifically to an improved, leave-in-place cast-in-place attachment system used for securing together the crossing and engaging reinforcing rods or steel bars (rebarβ) , or fiberglass reinforcing rods, or cable reinforcements used in reinforced concrete constructions.

This invention relates specifically to fastener applying tools, and especially to portable tools designed for manual or automated applications and used to attach a unique clip to engage and affix together intersecting rebar members. The fastener or clip applying tool can be made portable by providing self contained power, such as cartridges or hand squeezing. None of the previously available attachment systems for the attachment of rebar are capable of high speed operation. Explosive pellets or shells (internal combustion) may be used to power the clipping tool, but these are not essential. The reliable fastener tool is a relatively light weight simple and small machine, and is a cost effective and economical tool. The clip fastener applying tool is a portable ergonomic fastener applying tool. It drives the attachment clips on the rebar junctions at a rapid cycling rate. The exterior housing provides durability and support for the major components of the tool, which incorporates numerous previously unavailable inventive concepts. Hereinafter this clip fastener applying tool shall be identified as the "clipping gun" or simply the "gun". The clips applied by the clipping gun are high speed, machine feedable, light weight leave-in-place cast- in-place rebar attachment clips with spring actuated locking, and all of these features, and the clips' physical characteristics, and its modes of action and application will be subsequently described, and throughout these descriptions the clip shall be referred to as the "machine feedable clip", "machine feedable rebar clip", "rebar clip", or simply the "clip" if such reference is suitably constrained by the context to be unambiguous. Steel rebar and fiberglass or cable reinforced concrete constructions, such as footings, foundation walls, pilings, slabs, etc. utilize a grid or framework of reinforcing rods, commonly referred to as rebar. The rebar is preferably secured together where the respective bars cross one another. The prior art has included manually wrapping a soft tie wire around the intersecting rebars. There is a great need to improve previous tools and methodologies for rebar rod attachment systems that will not rotate or shift or dislodge upon the pouring of concrete, or when additional rebar is placed upon them, which might result in the foundation wall or slab, etc. being rejected by the inspection engineer, due to the rebar being exposed to the surface, making it highly susceptible to oxidation and weathering and reducing its effectiveness from a structural standpoint. The function of the rebar rods is to add to greater tensile strength than that of the concrete material has by itself. The combination creates the strength (combination of rebar and concrete) . Improper or inaccurate positioning of the rebar rods degrades the structural integrity of the foundation or other reinforced concrete structure, and in some cases improper positioning of the rebar can actually lead to structural failure or rejection by an examining engineer. If any rebar touches, or even comes close to the molds or forms, the inherent strength is greatly reduced, and may even be rejected by a building inspector or may require substantial reworking. This serves to emphasize the value of a system with the improved reliable characteristics of the present invention, which can assure the exact placement and attachment of the rebar within the concrete, providing an accurate position of the rebar to be positioned and clipped into the proper location (tension zone) and held firmly in that position as required to meet required engineering specifications, particularly in the construction of highly durable and modern seismic high wind resistant structures requiring high degrees of tolerance of structural stresses. The machine feedable clip is a cast-in-place clip, which becomes integral with the final framework, and thus with the final reinforced concrete structure. The resilient high strength of the machine feedable clip will prevent and eliminate any kind of excessive distortion, thus preventing the rebar from shifting from the proper crossed and engaged position, further guaranteeing meeting the structural specifications of the final reinforced concrete structure, particularly when high strengths and/or high degree of accuracy of structural conformation is required. This guarantees the ideal structural requirements as per engineering requirements. BACKGROUND ART

Other prior art has involved manually attaching systems of various shapes and conformations to crossing rebar rod members. Even in those instances where the clips can be installed by a single worker, there are still deficiencies of these prior art attachment systems including:

1) Most are not cost effective.

2) They are not machine feedable and are not accurately machine placeable or attachable and their installation cannot be automated or power operated and cannot be installed by a system with options of employing a manually operated tool, or an automated or robotic controlled tool, or some or all of these in combinations. 3) Some require additional hardware components such as accompanying clips or stakes, etc.

4) Some are not compatible with all rebar surface (deformations) patterns, and will not work with fiberglass rebar, or with reinforcement cable. 5) Some require a load for fixing them in place.

6) Some or all may rattle apart during the vibration or application of concrete materials.

7) Most are inaccurate and do not provide accuracy of position in placing and affixing rebar.

8) Some will not hold a curved rebar to a straight rebar or a first curved rebar to a second curved rebar, such as in rebar frameworks such as rebar columns and curvilinear rebar framework structures.

9) They are time consuming and unreliable to install, making for a slow construction process.

10) They are unable to join and affix rebar intersections when the rebar elements are very close together such as tension ring or other high strength requirement applications.

11) Some are not torque compensating, i.e. they will not resist undesirable rotational torques along the longitudinal central axes of the rebar rod members they are joining.

12) Most are not removable.

13) Some can not be used in off-vertical rebar walls or overhead placements, which is a significant limitation, since curvilinear rebar framework structures require many surface orientations other than vertical, and present many situations in which rebar must be secured overhead, such in vaults, arches, ceilings, domes, etc.

14) Some apply torques to the rebar during installation and/or adjustment(β) . 15) Some are difficult to remove and may even require a specialized removal tool.

16) Most do not employ spring actuated return locking.

17) Most will not allow double clipping at the same rebar junction.

18) Some will pinch fingers or skin during installation, and are referred to as "strawberry clips" within the trade, because of their propensity to cause chronic bruising, which results in the numbing of the fingers and thumbs.

19) Most are not composed of light weight materials.

20) Most are unable to attach and affix crossing rebar with high degree of accuracy. 21) Most do not provide tactile feedback or "feel" during their installation.

22) Some are slow to install and are cumbersome and not easily fitted. 23) Some are not high strength, and do not add to the structural strength or integrity of the rebar framework.

24) Most have a very low surface area of contact with the rebar relative to the amount of material used in their composition.

25) Most will not attach and lock rebar rods to crossing and intersecting cable and/or will not attach and lock cable to crossing and intersecting cable.

26) Most will experience great loss of structural integrity during the bending and deformation which occurs during their installation.

27) None of the methods of the prior art avoid all the limitations hereabove listed.

Only the mechanized or manual system for applying at high speed machine feedable leave-in-place rebar clips with spring actuated locking of the present invention avoids all of the limitations hereabove listed. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

In general, the invention consists of a light weight portable reinforcement rod attachment clip and an associated attachment gun provided with a housing and a main body. A magazine portion has a flat bottom surface which is adapted to fit into the gun barrel mechanism. The clips magazine is located in the magazine portion to present clips one-by-one to the main driving chamber. The prefabricated non-deforming clips are pushed forward by the plunger, which operates in such a manner as to push the clips, one at a time (so as to prevent jamming) up and out of the magazine, which is located, preferably, on the bottom of the gun barrel. Other locations, such as the top of the gun barrel are also acceptable and workable. The present invention provides a unique previously unavailable, light weight, high strength, durable spring steel wire, leave-in-place, cast-in-place high speed rebar clip and associated mechanical attachment system with improved operational differences, which is formed and dimensioned for the easy, ultra rapid, and accurate attachment to and square supporting of the crossing and engaged rebar members for the purpose of effecting the firm, spring actuated return locking attachment of these members faster, more accurately, more securely, more cost- effectively, and with greater versatility than is possible with manual hand tying or with any rebar attachment method currently known by the inventor within the present art. In addition, the machine feedable clipping system of this invention is designed with a high tensile range, i.e. elastic limit spring memory with preferably 200,000 psi tensile range, so that it can be effectively installed in a variety of ways:

1) by a single worker, who can readily support, position, and secure the machine feedable clipping system gun and clip, in applications using various standard sized rebars, by supporting the horizontal rebar with one hand while applying the machine feedable a clipping gun with the other hand;

2) by a single worker using a single hand held installation tool shaped like a gun, with an indented nose guides to receive the crossing rebar rods, which serves as a rebar junction feel mount, and with indented, colored sighting and aiming guides, which the clipping gun is equipped with a spring actuated magazine filled with a plurality of the machine feedable clips. The easily fitted clips are machine placeable and feedable and are suitable for use in manually powered guns, electrically powered actuated guns, hydraulically powered guns, pneumatically powered guns, and by guns powered by exploding cartridge propellant, such as gas cartridges using propane or butane, or explosive pellets or shells or cartridges, etc;

3) by an automated tool of similar internal mechanism to the hand held gun, but attached to the end of the armature boom of an automated or manually operated rebar framing tool, or a mechanized and/or a robotic arm with positioning means. This facilitates the accurate positioning and subsequent attachment of the rebar in their pre-engineered spacing coordinates from center-to- center of the rebar rods determined by structural design conformation requirements insuring meeting design specifications.

Another important feature of the present invention is that the high speed clipping system will produce a firm and positive locking action of the crossing rebar members, which spring actuated return lock will have great holding ability, thus enabling workers, if necessary, to climb on the rebar framework as it is being constructed, or is in the process of assembly, while supporting their weight on the horizontal rebars in 90° rebar rod frameworks.

It is a useful feature of the present invention that the machine feedable clip is sufficient to the intended purpose without requiring any additional accompanying stakes or other installation devices. Unlike other devices known to the present art, the machine feedable clip can join and affix rebar members crossing at angles slightly larger and smaller than a 90° angle and manufactured to meet various conformations. Other advantages of the non-deforming machine feedable clip are that it will work with virtually all known rebar surface deformations, and will also work with fiberglass rebar rod members, and with reinforcement cable. The clip will also reliably attach raised or indented striations or rulings on the surface of the rebar members referred to as deformations, which may be particularly desirable with the use of fiberglass rebar. In addition, the machine feedable clip may be manufactured with surface deformations and/or may be coated with some anti-corrosion material such as epoxy, plastic, paint,

Teflon, etc., which can add the feature of color coding to the clips, aiding their identification and use in varying applications. The machine feedable clipping system accurately secures, supports, and affixes the rebar rod members in place in the normal course of its attachment, and, unlike some devices of the prior art, it does not require that any load be applied for the locking action of the clip to be effective, and it works without applying torques to the rebar members. This is due, in part to the spring actuated return locking waist on the clip, which serves as a spring actuated return memory cinch and which grips one of the rebar members with a pinching action within the elastic limit of the clips composition from the spring actuated return, while its two leg, foot, and toe portions encircle, cradle, and support the other rebar member, providing a high surface area of contact with minimal use of material. Even though the machine feedable clip does not require a load to affix and lock the two rebar members together, when there is application of a load force, then the load increases the spring actuated locking force of the machine feedable clip, by means of which the two rebar members are held even more securely together, thereby resisting displacement relative to each other, which would occur in response to an applied force or forces were the two rebar members not affixed together with the machine feedable clip. Examples of such displacements include the undesirable rotations and dislodgment which may occur during the pouring and vibrating of concrete or during the installation of additional rebar rods or additional rebar layers.

Another important feature of the machine feedable clip is its versatility in that it can be used to affix a first straight rebar to a second straight rebar, and/or straight rebar to curved rebar, and/or a first curved rebar to a second curved rebar. Another example of the machine feedable clip's versatility is its ability to effectively secure smaller diameter sizes of horizontal rebar to the ideally sized vertical rebar. The waist of the clip, the curved mid-portion, cinches on the vertical rebar when the machine feedable clip is ideally sized to the vertical rebar, however, the horizontal rebar members can be of less than ideal size diameter, and yet still be effectively retained by the clip against vertical displacements, either up or down.

This versatility enables the use of different sizes of rebar for the horizontal members in a 90 rebar framework. It would be cost effective to manufacture a clip that would suitably attach to different sizes diameter of rebar. For example, the clip could be manufactured to preferably ideally fit one size of vertical rebar, and a different size diameter of horizontal rebar. As an example, this could be especially useful when vertical rebar members are used in combination with horizontal wire cable members, since there is a great tensile strength difference between rebar and cable, with the cable being much stronger, and a size of cable chosen to match the strength of the vertical rebar members could be much smaller in diameter than the rebar members.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a rebar attachment system and method of the character described, the accurate placement of which permits ready and easy adjustment of the crossing location of the rebar members. This is effected in accordance with the present invention through removal of the machine feedable clip by using a simple hand held removal tool applied to the two recurved toe tip portions of the machine feedable clip, thus releasing it, and thereby removing the force holding the two rebar members together, which then allows rapid and easy adjustment (up, down, or sideways) of the crossing rebar members to their new preferred position, whereupon a new machine feedable clip can be applied, thereby effecting the rapid and easy refastening of the two rebar members in their new preferred adjusted positions. Note that the jaws of the removal may be manufactured onto the various versions of the clip gun.

Due to the unique versatility of the machine feedable clip, and its effective action in accurately joining and affixing rebar members together, and its ease of both installation and removal to easily effect adjustments and on-site rebar framework changes or adjustments, it is now possible with this machine feedable clip to quickly assemble, on the job site, or to prefabricate, bundled rebar beams, or rebar walls, or rebar columns, even spiral reinforced rebar columns, which have rebar intersections at slightly other than 90, all of which together allow for considerably more on site assembly, customization, saving of time, economy of speed, saving of transportation costs, saving of redesign costs on these rebar frameworks, should they need to be modified because of on-site construction requirements, since they are now typically assembled off site and then transported to the construction site due to the lack of a previously unavailable device with the features of improved operational automatic action.

An important feature of the present invention is that attachment of the clip may be readily accomplished by high speed machine operation placement means in which the operator and workers have both hands free, or alternatively by a hand-held gun with indented, brightly colored sighting and aiming guides, and provided with an automated clip feeder system, which uses only one hand for holding, aiming, and positioning the clip gun and installing the clip, or alternatively by a simple and easy one-handed manual procedure.

Another important feature of the present invention, which adds to its versatility, is that the machine feedable clips can attach rebar very close together to secure rebar element intersections such as low mass high strength foundation tension rings requiring a high degree of strength, structural stress tolerance, and durability such as are required in wind and seismic resistant structures, and ferrocement boat hulls which require rebar intersections to be very close together, and the machine feedable clips can be applied in a confined space from either or both sides of the rebar rod framework such as bridge reinforced frameworks. In situations where the intersections of rebar members are very close together, additionally the clip does not excessively impede the flow of cementiciouβ material. However, the machine feedable clip allows affixing rebar members at intersections which are in very close proximity to each other such as blind installation or reinforced concrete repair work, which proximity is limited only by the thickness of the rebar element plus the thickness of the clip.

Another important feature of the present invention, which adds to its versatility, is that it is a light weight portable system, which can be operated by hand in a manual operated configuration, or which can be an automatic, power driven version operated by a mechanized or robotically controlled boom arm which holds and operates the easily fitted attachment tool, which contains a plurality of the machine feedable attachment clips. The boom arm may be controlled manually, or by an automated mechanical system, or by a robotic control system, such as the boom armature system described in Giles U.S. Patent No. 5,305,576. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a rebar clip of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view thereof; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the rebar clip of this invention as installed to secure a section of horizontal rebar to a section of vertical rebar;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation view thereof;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation view thereof; Fig. 7 is a rear elevation view thereof;

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view thereof;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation view thereof, with the clip having been installed upside down; Fig. 11 is a top plan view of a pair of rebar clips of this invention as installed to doubly secure a section of horizontal rebar to a section of vertical rebar;

Fig. 12 is a side elevation view thereof; Fig. 13 is a front elevation view thereof;

Fig. 14 is a rear elevation view thereof;

Fig. 15 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 16 is a perspective view thereof; Fig. 17 is a top plan view of a pair of rebar clips of this invention in an alternative installation to secure a section of horizontal rebar to a section of vertical rebar;

Fig. 18 is a front elevation view thereof; Fig. 19 is a top plan view of a removal tool for the rebar clip of this invention;

Fig. 20 is a side elevation view thereof;

Fig. 21 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 22 is a perspective view thereof; Fig. 23 is a perspective view of a boom-mounted installation tool (clipping gun) for the rebar clip of this invention;

Fig. 24 is a side elevation cross-sectional view thereof illustrating a magazine of rebar clips being installed into the barrel of the installation tool, the clipping gun;

Fig. 25 is a side elevation cross-sectional view thereof illustrating the clips in the interior of the magazine and a rebar clip having been fed into the installation tool;

Fig. 26 is a side elevation cross-sectional view of the installation tool (clipping gun) ) , illustrating a rebar clip being placed over the juxtaposed rebar sections; Fig. 27 is a side elevation cross-sectional view thereof illustrating a rebar clip having been installed over the juxtaposed rebar sections; and

Fig. 28 is a side elevation view in partial cross- section of a hand-held installation tool for the rebar clip of this invention.

Fig. 29 is a side elevation cross-sectional view of the anterior portion of the installation tool, the clipping gun, during the firing sequence thereof, illustrating the point in time just after the most dorsal clip has been removed from the magazine by the dorsal portion of the hammer.

Fig. 30 is a side elevation cross-sectional view thereof, later in the firing sequence illustrating the clip having been rotated clockwise for proper engagement of the rebar.

Fig. 31 is a side elevation cross-sectional view thereof, still later in the firing sequence illustrating the contact between the vertical rebar member and the bight of the clip with the clip rotated to its most extreme clockwise position, and the toes of the clip poised to engage and encircle the horizontal rebar member, and the dorsal portion of the hammer immobile against the vertical rebar member and only the ventral portion of the hammer continuing to move anteriorly in the firing sequence.

Fig. 32 is a side elevation cross-sectional view thereof showing the clip securely attached to and providing a locking action for the two rebar members, and the ventral section of the hammer at its most extreme anterior extent, and the spring of the dorsal section of the hammer at its most compressed point, just prior to the commencement of the withdrawal portion of the firing sequence, in which the hammer is withdrawn posteriorly into the barrel of the clipping gun. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the device (Figures 1, 2, and 3) of the present invention is designed for securing together engaged and overlapping rebars . The device is a clip, a machine feedable clip, designed for rapid and high speed application in automatic, robotic, semiautomatic, and/or manual application processes, and is designed to accurately and securely affix intersecting rebar members. The angle of intersection of the engaged and overlapping rebars may be 90°, as when one rebar is vertical [1] and the other rebar is horizontal [2] , however, other angles of intersection 14 are also possible and can be effectively secured together with the present invention through an effective range of approximately plus and minus 5% around 90°, and could be a greater range depending upon applications and engineering conformational tolerance requirements. The machine feedable clip comprises briefly a suitably formed piece of stiff material with suitable elastic limit, such as carbon spring steel, with a high tensile range of ideally 200,000 psi (pounds per square inch) (9-12 gauge wire is suitable for most rebar attachment applications) , which has one plane of symmetry, a vertical plane, which in Figure 4 would include the longitudinal axis of the vertical rebar [1] , and which plane of symmetry would intersect the longitudinal axis of the horizontal rebar [2] at an angle of 90°.

The shape of the machine feedable clip may be described with respect to two perpendicularly intersecting planes, a vertical plane which includes the longitudinal central axis of the vertical rebar [1] , and which intersects the horizontal rebar' s longitudinal central axis at an angle of 90°, and a horizontal plane which includes the longitudinal central axis of the horizontal rebar [2] , and which intersects at the vertical rebar' s longitudinal central axis at an angle of 90°. The vertical plane is the one and only plane of symmetry of the machine feedable clip. This symmetry becomes apparent when the machine feedable clip is projected onto the horizontal plane, revealing a projection or "shadow" approximating a "U" shape, which is symmetrical about the central axis (Figure 1) . When the machine feedable clip is projected onto the perpendicular vertical plane, its projection or "shadow" approximates the shape of a question mark "?" absent the dot underneath (Figure 2) .

Referring in Figures 1 and 4 to the machine feedable clip's approximately "U" shaped projection onto the horizontal plane, the bottom of the "U" [4] is a curved mid-portion of the machine feedable clip [the proximal central portion] which is sized to seat on the posterior side [7] of the vertical rebar [1], i.e. the side away from the horizontal rebar [2] . The inside surface [5] of this curved mid-portion, or proximal central portion contacts the posterior surface [7] of the vertical rebar. Referring to either the top plan view (Figure 4) or the bottom plan view (Figure 8) , it can be seen that there is a bight, a curved mid-portion [4] , or proximal central portion of the machine feedable clip which extends from the mid-portion [4] in both directions, in a horizontal plane, around the vertical rebar. However, the two legs of the machine feedable clip [10 and 11] do not begin at these 180° points, the half circle points, because the curved section continues around the rebar until approximately 270° depending on the elastic limit of the material composition of the clip of the vertical rebar [1] are encircled in a horizontal plane by the curved mid- portion, or proximal central portion of the machine feedable clip. This proximal central portion is similar to a waist circling the vertical rebar [1] . This waist on the clip serves as a cinch and affords a far tighter grip on the vertical rebar [1] than would be possible with only 180° of encirclement, and the stiff resiliently yielding composition of the material creates a spring activated tension by which the vertical rebar is gripped or pinched by the curved mid-portion, or proximal central portion, of the machine feedable clip. The curved portion extends from the exact proximal center of the curved portion [4] both clockwise and counterclockwise around the vertical rebar [1] . From the proximal center of the curved portion [4] the curvature extends in the horizontal plane both clockwise 135° and counterclockwise 135° from the proximal center [4] . From the top elevation of Figure 4, the clockwise 135° point is at [18] and the counterclockwise 135° point is at [19] . It is at these points [18 and 19] that the two legs of the machine feedable clip begin, and they begin by deflecting 45° out of the horizontal plane, which is a downward 45° deflection in the side elevation of Figure 5. The two legs [10 and 11] are dimensioned to extend from the two 135° points [18 and 19] on the anterior side of the vertical rebar [1] downward (Figure 5) and forward toward the bottom of the horizontal rebar, and away from the proximal midpoint [4] of the curved portion. The vertical planes through each of the two legs [10 and 11] are not perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the horizontal rebar [2] , and the two legs are not exactly parallel to each other, but rather are splayed outward slightly. This distal end of each leg portion, intersects a flattened "foot" portion [12 and 13] at a 45° angle, so that leg [10] , which was extending downward and anteriorly (Figure 5) at a 45° angle intersects a horizontal "foot" portion [12] at a 45° angle. Similarly leg [11] intersects a horizontal foot portion [13] at a 45° angle. From this intersection point with the leg portions, the feet portions [12 and 13] extend horizontally and anteriorly under the bottom of the horizontal rebar [2] , thereby supporting the horizontal rebar [2] . The feet portions are in a plane parallel to the plane of the curved portion containing the proximal central point [4] .

As the feet portions [12 and 13] extend dietally away from the proximal central point of the curved portion [4] , they extend upward in planes perpendicular to the curved portion proximally centered at [4] . These arcuate upward extensions (Figures 5 and 9) are in the manner of upwardly curving toes [14 and 15] , which extend the support given to the horizontal rebar [2] by the leg portions [10 and 11] , and by the feet portions [12 and 13] into the arcuate toe portions [14 and 15] , which toe portions, at their most distal extent, grip the anterior surface [22] of the horizontal rebar [2] , which is farthest from the proximal center of the curved portion [4] . Taken together, the 45° leg portions [10 and 11] and the horizontal foot portions [12 and 13] and the arcuate toe portions [14 and 15] provide concavities sized to grip the horizontal rebar [2] and to be compatible with virtually all rebar surfaces (deformations) , and to effect supporting engagement thereof, whereby downward load imposed on the horizontal rebar will be translated by arcuate downward displacement of its leg portions [10 and 11] and feet portions [12 and 13] and toe portions [14 and 15] about its proximal center [4] as a fulcrum into lateral pressure of the posterior side [23] of the horizontal rebar [2] against the anterior side [6] of the vertical rebar [1] , and this lateral pressure serves to hold the two crossed rebar members more tightly locked together. Thus, greater load is automatically met by greater locking force due to the novel design of the machine feedable clip.

This particular action of the clip is best illustrated in Figure 5, from which it will be seen that leg [10] , foot [12] , and toe [14] fit around the horizontal rebar [2] and provide a nestled support therefor, and it will be understood, although not specifically shown, that on the other side of the vertical rebar [1] leg [11] , foot [13] , and toe [15] provide an identical function, and that together, both systems of leg, foot, and toe portions of the machine feedable clip hold the horizontal rebar [2] tightly against the anterior side [6] of the vertical rebar [1] . Of importance is the fact that the two combinations of leg, foot, and toe portions [10, 12, 14 together with 11, 13, 15] extend the support for the horizontal rebar from throughout the 180° range which lies below the horizontal center plane of the horizontal rebar [2] , and extends the contact and support with the horizontal rebar [2] even well above this horizontal center plane, reaching at least 30° above this center plane in the upward arcuate portion of each of the two toe portions of the machine feedable clip, between [14 and 16] in one toe portion and between [15 and 17] in the other toe portion. Consequently, as vertical load is applied to the horizontal rebar [2] as for example, by workers climbing on the assembled rebar framework, a rotating torque (which is a counterclockwise torque in Figure 5) is applied to the machine feedable clip, tending to rotate the clip around its supported proximal center portion [4] , thus increasing the locking action by increasing the spring activated locking return action by increasing the pressure at three points: First, the contact between the inside surface [5] of the distal center portion of the clip, and the posterior surface [7] of the vertical rebar [1] . This locks the clip against vertical movements along the vertical rebar. Second, the contact between the anterior portion of the vertical rebar [6] and the posterior portion of the horizontal rebar [23] . This attaches and affixes the two pieces of rebar together and prevents displacements between them in any and all directions, and most specifically prevents both vertical and horizontal displacements of both the vertical rebar [1] and the horizontal rebar [2] .

Third, the contact between the anterior surface of the horizontal rebar [22] and the interior (posterior) surface of the two toe portions of the clip [14 and 15] . This locks the horizontal rebar [2] into the cavity created by the two combinations of leg, foot, and toe portions [10, 12, 14 and 11, 13, 15, respectively] and holds it tightly therein.

This analysis of the gripping force and the spring actuated return locking created at the three pairs of contact points, (each leg, foot, and toe portion constituting one half of the pairs of contact points) , as described above as the First, Second, and Third pairs of contact points, resulted from a rotating torque created by a downward force on the horizontal rebar [2] , which would create a counter clockwise torque in the example of Figure 5 in which the machine feedable clip is installed right side up, and a clockwise torque in the example of Figure 10, in which the machine feedable clip is installed upside down. Thus, the greater the force applied in any locking direction (i.e., any force vector with a component vector in the vertical plane) , the greater is the holding ability (and holding force) of the clip, within its limits of structural and conformational integrity. Therefore, it is essential that the clip be formed of stiff, resilient material (a tensile strength in the range of 185,000 psi, to 210,000 psi, with 200,000 psi being ideal) so as to maintain its structural and conformational integrity.

The following rebar sizes are commonly employed: #2=1/4", #3=3/8", #4=1/2", #5=5/8", #6=3/4", #7=7/8", #8=1", and Schedule 40 rebar has approximately 75,000 psi tensile strength and approximately 50,000 psi yield strength, whereas Schedule 60 rebar has approximately 100,000 psi tensile strength and approximately 65,000 psi yield strength. Typically with standard 3/8" or 1/2" rebar the machine feedable clip would be preferably formed from cylindrical shaped material or the suitable shapes with diameters in range of 0.100 to 0.125 inches, and the ideal is 0.105 inches. The ends of the wire clip can be rounded or conical. Flash heat cutting conicalizes the ends. The clips could be produced by metal casting, and it has been found that hard tempered number 8 to 10 gauge carbon steel wire is suitable for use with a wide range of reinforcing rods (rebar sizes), e.g., number 2 rebar through number 5 rebar. One clip of standard size is suitable for securing together and holding rebar with a size range equal to the ideal size and any and all sizes below the ideal size rebar, provided that 90° crossings (vertical and horizontal) characterize rebar framework. For example, a clip designed and formed to secure two equal sized crossing bars, may also be used to loosely secure all smaller sizes of crossing bars; that is a clip designed to secure, for example, number 7 rebars can also be used to secure number 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 sizes. This reduces the number of different sizes of clips required to be kept on hand by the contractor. When rebar is smaller than the size for which the clip was ideally designed, it may rattle, but will still hold against downward displacements, however sideways or lateral displacements of the horizontal rebar [2] will not be resisted as well as when the clip is properly sized to the rebars. Figures 11 through 16 show how clips are installed on both upside down and right side up, and how both placement positions can be combined at the same intersection of vertical [1] and horizontal [2] rebars. Figures 17 and 18 depiction how two clips can be attached at the same intersection of two rebars, so that the planes of the two clips are oriented at 90° to each other. This attachment is readily effected with the hand held or automatic clipping gun by rotating the gun 90° right or left around the longitudinal central axis of the barrel of the clipping gun. When the second clip is installed in this manner, the second clip's curved center portion [4] does not go around the vertical rebar [1] , but, instead, goes around the horizontal rebar [2] , so that the leg, feet, and toe portions of the second clip partially encircle and grip the vertical rebar [1] . This arrangement of two clips would provide the maximum strength and resistance to combinations of vertical and horizontal forces, such as might occur in the rebar framework structure during concrete vibrating, pouring, or pumping, or in high wind gusts, or with workers climbing on the rebar framework structure, or during the shotcrete application process. The unique design of the leave-in-place machine feedable clip permits attachments of clips in very close proximity, which is essential in close rebar placement. Given that there are structural strength advantages and cost savings, especially in using curvilinear or column rebar framework patterns instead of a rectangular (i.e. horizontal and vertical) framework pattern, the advantages of employing a 90° rotational offset in a two clip junction, with the clips also oriented front to back with respect to each other, are further enhanced. This is because in the curvilinear or spiral rebar framework patterns of, for example columns, arches, vaults, domes, etc., every horizontal force creates force vectors in the planes of both of the intersecting rebars, which are then best resisted by using two clips oriented front to back with respect to each other, and also having a 90° rotational offset to each other. Similarly, every vertical force on the rebar grid (in a curvilinear framework pattern) creates force vectors in the planes of both of the intersecting rebars, which also are best resisted by using two clips oriented front to back with respect to each other, and also with a 90° rotational offset to each other.

To effect installation of the clip, the horizontal rebar [2] is positioned at the desired elevation on the vertical rebar [1] . The proximal central portion of the clip [4] is seated preferably on the posterior side [7] of the vertical rebar [1] or, alternatively (especially in non-rectangular rebar frameworks) , on the anterior side [22] of the horizontal rebar [2] . The clip can be installed from either side of the rebar framework, and the determination of posterior or anterior positioning refers to the relative orientation of Figure 5, and depends upon whether the horizontal rebar is positioned inside the vertical rebar or outside the vertical rebar. In the preferred implementation, the tips of the toe portions of the clip [16 and 17] are slid under the horizontal rebar [2] , thereby contacting the ventral surface [20] thereof (see Figure 26) . It should be noted that the tips of the toe portions [16 and 17] have a slight recurve which reverses the curvature of the arcuate portion of the toe portions [14 and 15] . The recurve, or reversed curvature has several useful functions. First, during the installation process, the recurved toe portions [16 and 17] serve to guide the horizontal rebar into the concavities created by the two combinations of leg, foot, and toe portions of the clip [10, 12, 14 and 11, 13, 15) . In addition, and at the same time, the recurved tips of the toe portions [16 and 17] guide the clip up from the ventral surface [20] of the horizontal rebar [2] and around the cylindrical surface of the horizontal rebar [2] toward and past the extreme anterior point [22] of the horizontal rebar [2] .

A completely separate function of the recurved toe tip portions [16 and 17] of the clip is to facilitate swift and easy removal of the clip, should such removal or adjustment be required, by the use of an appropriate removal tool shown in Figures 19 through 22. The recurved toe tip portions [16 and 17] provide a gripping point and their length or height above the surface of the horizontal rebar provides a lever arm to effect their removal. Given that the leg portions are splayed outward slightly, and that the feet portions and toe portions are extensions of the leg portions, which reside in the same vertical plane as the leg portions (but not the same horizontal plane) , the position of the toe tip portions may be located in the horizontal plane by extending tangent lines from the two 90° points [8 and 9] , which points are each 90 of arc away from the proximal center point of the clip [4] . These two tangent lines from points [8 and 9] are parallel to each other and are perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the horizontal rebar. At the point that these two tangent lines cross the anterior surface [22] of the horizontal rebar [2] , they intersect, respectively, the two toe portions [14 and 15] of the clip.

Figures 24 through 27, together with Figure 23 show a tool in one preferred implementation of the present invention, such as might be attached to the end of a mechanized boom, a robotic arm, or other tool system, for the rapid automated installation of the clips. Provided that this tool can rotate and pivot on the end of the mechanized boom, and provided that such rotation is in a plane perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the mechanized boom, then it is possible to install clips right side up (as in Figure 5) and upside down (as in Figure 10) , and both right side up and upside down as in Figures 11 through 16. However the front to back installation of two clips, as in the preferred such installation with a 90° rotational offset (Figures 17 and 18) would require a second installation gun or tool on the end of a mechanized boom, which is located on the other side of the rebar structure, or, alternatively, a worker using a hand held installation gun or tool, which worker is on the other side of the rebar structure. Therefore the installation of the second clip at each junction would, in the front to back plus 90° rotational offset orientation, many require installation by hand held tool (Figure 28) , or by a second mechanized boom arm or robotically controlled boom arm which is located on and operated from the side of the rebar framework which is opposite to where the first mechanized, and/or robotically controlled boom arm is located. The worker using the hand tool can work in tandem with the automated, mechanized boom arm with attached automatic clipping gun on the end of the armature boom, preferably securing the same rebar intersections well ahead of or well behind the automated clip installation process having significant advantages in constructing complex reinforced concrete structures subject to asymmetrical forces or temperature fluctuations requiring a high degree of structural tolerance.

After installation by the automated tool (Figures 23- 27), or by hand held tool (Figure 28 and Figure 24), so that the orientation is, as for example, that shown in Figure 5, then any downward force exerted upon the horizontal rebar [2] produces downward displacement of the horizontal rebar [2] , which, in turn, produces downward arcuate movement of the leg, feet, and toe portions, which wedges a slight opening of the concavities formed by each pair of leg, foot, and toe portions of the clip [10, 12, 14 and 11, 13, 15] . The wedging action causes an increased spring actuated return gripping force of the leg, foot, and toe portions of the clip [10, 12, 14 and 11, 13, 15] . The wedging action causes an increased spring actuated return gripping force of the legs, feet, and toes of the clip, which is exerted on and about the horizontal rebar [2] by the leg, foot, and toe portions [10, 12, 14 and 11, 13, 15] of the clip, and this spring actuated gripping force increases continuously (up to the structural and conformational elastic limits of the clip) as the downward force upon and downward displacement of the horizontal rebar [2] increases.

It should also be noted how the horizontal rebar [2] is gripped and held, with ample elastic limit and high surface area of contact, by the straight leg portions, the flat feet portions, and the arcuate toe portions of the clip. While the initial contact point of the legs [10 and 11] with the posterior ventral surface of the horizontal rebar is approximately 45° below the horizontal center plane of the horizontal rebar [2] , nevertheless the arcuate toe portions [14 and 15] curve up sufficiently far around the anterior dorsal surface of the horizontal rebar [2] that contact is maintained up to approximately 45° above the horizontal center plane of the horizontal rebar [2] . This affords an opening of approximately 180° into the receptacle concavity for the horizontal rebar [2] , which concavity is comprised by the two leg, foot, and toe portions [10, 12, 14 and 11, 13, 15] of the clip. This 180° of opening (exclusive of the slight obstruction of the toe tip portions [16 and 17] affords easy insertion of the clip's two leg, foot, and toe portions around the horizontal rebar, or, alternatively stated, affords easy insertion of the horizontal rebar [2] into the concavity of the clip created by the legs, feet, and toes of the clip. Retention of the horizontal rebar [2] in the clip's concavity is far more secure than might be suggested by this 180° opening (minus the small obstruction of the recurved toe tip portions [16 and 17] ) of the clip. The horizontal rebar [2] is gripped for nearly a full 270° of its circumference (just as the horizontal midsection of the clip grips the vertical rebar in Figures 4 and 8 for nearly 270° of its circumference), which in Figure 4 is from point [19] to [9] to [4] to [8] to [18] . The reasons for this highly secure 270° retention circumference for the horizontal rebar [2] can be seen by careful inspection of Figure 5.

It will be seen that the clip contacts and restrains the horizontal rebar from a point midway between the toe tip [16] and the anterior extremity of the arcuate toe portion [14] , which contact point is approximately 45° above the horizontal center plane of the horizontal rebar [2] . Contact between the clip and the horizontal rebar [2] continues counter clockwise along the arcuate toe portion to the flat foot portion [12] , with only a slight break in contact with the horizontal rebar [2] at the angular junction of the foot portion [12] with the leg portion [10] , and the contact continues up to the mid portion of the leg [10] , which is approximately 45° below the center plane of the horizontal rebar [2] . The description applies equally for the other side of the clip not shown in Figure 5, which includes the other toe tip [17] , toe [15] , foot [13] , and leg [11] portions of the clip. The restraint of movement imposed on the horizontal rebar [2] is not limited to just that portion of the horizontal rebar [2] which is gripped by the leg, foot, and toe portions of the clip, since the posterior surface [23] of the horizontal rebar [2] directly contacts the anterior surface [6] of the vertical rebar [1] , which also restrains the movement of the horizontal rebar [2] . When the presence of the vertical rebar' ε [1] longitudinally spaced peripheral ribs [3] , or any other rebar deformed surface patterns, are factored in, and the recurved portions of the toe tip portions [16 and 17] of the clip are included, it can be seen that the horizontal rebar has an opening of less than 90 of arc through which to escape the grip of the clip. The reinforcement rod (rebar) is traditionally constructed as long cylindrical rods, and, of course, no 360 cylinder can escape through an aperture comprising only 90° of its arc, which causes any rebar framework pattern which is restrained by clips of the design of this invention to be strong, accurate, sound, and exceedingly resistant to displacement or dislodgment from virtually any source of force vectors even including combinations which result in rattling or shaking or vibration of the clipped rebar framework structure.

When it is necessary or desirable to remove or adjust a clip, the recurved toe portions between the toe tips [16 and 17] and the point at which the arcuate portion of the toe portions first contact the horizontal rebar [2] , which is between [16] and [14] on one toe and between [17] and [15] on the other toe, these comprise lever arms for springing open the concavities which support and contain the horizontal rebar [2] . This action of springing open the containing concavities may be readily obtained by the simple expedient of pulling anteriorly and then ventrally on the toe tip portions [16 and 17] , which may be expeditiously accomplished by a worker using that edge of one hand which is most distant from the thumb, leaving his other hand free to support or to move the horizontal rebar at or to the desired position. Once the clip is released, adjustment of the positions of the horizontal [2] and/or vertical [1] rebars may be effected, whereupon a new clip may be re-attached. Alternatively a simple hand tool may be used to effect the removal of the clip as in Figures 19 through 22. The toe tip portions comprising the two ends of the material comprising the machine feedable clip may be flash heat cut, and the ends may be preferably rounded or conical in shape. The clip may also be coated with a protective corrosion resistant material such as paint, plastic, epoxy, or Teflon, and may usefully be color coded with one or more colors, to indicate useful parameters such as sizes of rebar.

Rebar Clip Feeding and Placement and Affixing Operation of the Clipping Gun Each location specified in a rebar framework can be the locus of an intersection of rebar members requiring a reliable locking engagement effected through the application of the machine feedable rebar clip, which clip is applied by the automated clipping gun attached to the end of the boom arm system, as in U.S. Patent #5,305,576 (Giles, 1994) , or by a portable ergonomic hand held clipping gun. Under automatic control, as for example with a robotic or mechanized arm, or the armature boom arm is suitably positioned in angular and radial extent, so that the guide member(s) [the four rebar receiving guide holes or guiding grooves indented into the anterior working face] of the clipping gun can be positioned and aligned with, and can engage the intersecting rebar members. This operation requires 6-axis control of the working face of the anterior end of the clipping gun, which six axes are the three dimensions of position (the standard 3 rectangular or 3 polar coordinates) plus the 3 angles of orientation: roll, pitch, and yaw. There are many combinations of ways in which these 6 axes may be controlled to yield the desired effect of correct position and correct orientation, or under manual control by an operator the correct position and orientation can be determined simply by visual and tactile cues, - i.e., by

"feel". The operator of the clipping gun would be able to feel the clipping gun's guide groves on the anterior working face engage the rebar members forming the junction at which the clipping action is to occur, and when the operator feels the rebar rod members within the guide groves, the operator feels that the clipping gun and the rebar members are properly positioned to permit the firing action of the gun, which causes a clip to be extracted from the magazine and ejected from the clipping gun and to engage the rebar members with suitable force and orientation to effect the secure and locking engagement thereof by the machine feedable clip.

One typical sequence of the rebar clipping operation begins with the mechanized armature boom arm withdrawn radially from the maximum radial extent required to reach the intended site of the 3-dimensional location of the first intended rebar attachment location, and begins with the mechanized armature boom arm thus radially withdrawn in order to freely adjust the roll, pitch, and yaw angles of the clipping gun by suitable automatic mechanical or servomechanisn control . In the engineering design specification of the structure, the location and orientation of each rebar junction which requires clipping is precisely known, and this information is appropriately coded and encoded for either the mechanical or the electronic controller of the mechanized armature boom arm. This action of adjusting the roll, pitch, and yaw angles of the clipping gun is performed, in this partially radially withdrawn position of the mechanized armature boom arm, by using the mechanical or electronic controller's internally coded information and specifications regarding the 3-dimensional coordinates and the orientations of the rebar members which must come together and intersect at this location, and then be clipped together. These rebar members thus must either already intersect at, or must be made to intersect at, the first intended site of clipping action, being manually held or held by other mechanical means.

With the automatic clipping gun mechanism suitably oriented in its roll, pitch, and yaw angles for proper alignment with the first rebar junction to be affixed, the boom arm is adjusted angularly to the correct coordinates and then extended radially to position the anterior working face of the automatic clipping gun at the proper location and in the correct orientation for the clipping process at the first intended rebar junction.

If the intersecting rebar members [1 and 2] are already correctly positioned and oriented relative to each other and are also correctly positioned in the frame of reference of the engineered design of the rebar framework using 3 dimensional coordinates, they will enter the guide holes or grooves [103, 104, 105, and 106] of the end piece of the automatic clipping gun, which is at the anterior surface [the v.-orking face] of the automatic clipping gun, as the boom arm extends radially to the pre-calculated position. Through the appropriate roll, pitch, and yaw angle adjustments, the automatic clipping gun has already been oriented so that the rebar member nearer the gun [1] has entered the deeper pair of the guide holes or grooves [105 and 106] and the rebar member further from the automatic clipping gun [2] has entered the shallower pair of the guide holes or grooves [103 and 104] . At this time the action of the clipping gun can begin.

Action of the Clipping Gun Mechanism. When the two intersecting rebar members [1 and 2] are properly positioned within the four guide channels [103, 104, 105, and 106] , the clipping gun mechanism is then activated or fired. The motive force of this firing mechanism can be pneumatic, hydraulic, electric, magnetic, compressed mechanical energy, and chemical propellants and/or exploding cartridges such as propane, butane, etc. In the sample embodiment depicted in Figure 28, the motive force is supplied by a hand squeezed trigger [125] actuated mechanism or power could be supplied by some other mechanism not illustrated. In the firing sequence, a two section hammer, the dorsal section of which is spring loaded, is driven anteriorly toward the rebar junction by a shaft mechanism [107] within the barrel or chamber [108 and 109] of the automatic clipping gun mechanism. The motive force of the firing mechanism is transmitted by the driving shaft [107] of the hammer, which impels anteriorly two different sections of the hammer: a ventral section [110] and a dorsal section [111] , depicted in Figures 24 and 25.

The anterior [working] surface of the hammer has distinctly different, and slidably separable, dorsal [111] and ventral [110] sections. The dorsal section [111] is spring loaded with a compressible spring [112] , whereas the ventral section [110] is not spring loaded. The ventral section [110] is mechanically connected directly to the firing mechanism of the automatic clipping gun

(which can be either a portable, hand held gun, or can be the version attached to and operated from the armature boom arm) by the driving shaft [107] and conveys the full or partial motive force of the firing action anteriorly, whereas the dorsal section's [111] transmission of this anteriorly directed force is moderated by a spring [112] , which intervenes between the driving shaft [107] of the hammer and the dorsal section [111] of the hammer, this spring [112] serving to moderate and to variably transmit this anteriorly directed force to the dorsal section [111] of the hammer. This spring produces a smoother pushing motion of the hammer upon the clip, instead of the excessively forceful explosive motion, with very high rates of acceleration, which would result if the firing mechanism did not have this spring or other dampening means. The ventral section [110] is designed to extend partially out the end of the chamber of the clipping gun, and it features a deep "U" shaped notch in its center section to provide a concavity to admit the nearer rebar member [1] when the ventral section [110] of the hammer is moving toward its fullest anterior extent.

The dorsal section [111] of the hammer is sized and shaped so as to intersect the dorsal portion [113] of a spring-loaded magazine [114] of machine feedable rebar clips, which magazine [114] has a housing which is removably attached to the ventral surface [109] of the barrel of the automatic clipping gun by a retainer clip [115] X. With the magazine [114] installed on the ventral surface of the barrel of the clipping gun, the magazine and exterior provides protection to the hands which holds the gun and operates the trigger mechanism, the ventrally extending magazine serving to guard against inadvertent contact between the hand and the rebar members. As the dorsal portion of the hammer [111] moves rapidly and forcefully anteriorly through the firing chamber of the automatic clipping gun, it intersects the dorsal portion of the clips magazine [113] in its rapid, forceful anterior movement, and with its clip receiver notch [124] , it intersects and extracts the most dorsal rebar clip [116] from the magazine, impelling the clip into anterior motion and initiating the clip into a ventral rotation of the anterior portion of the clip, which includes the two toe, foot, and leg portions of the clip. The spring

[112] , which provides the spring loading of the dorsal section [111] of the hammer, facilitates clip extraction from the dorsal section of the clips magazine [113] by moderating the instantaneous magnitude of the contact force between the most dorsal rebar clip [116] and the dorsal section [111] of the hammer, and also by extending the acceleration time of the clip over a longer time interval than would be possible without this spring loaded action, which spring action also extends the useful service life of the clip magazine and the automatic clipping gun. The spring action provides tactile feedback to the operator (provides "feel" to the operation) and eliminates shooting of the clip. Nearly simultaneously, along with the extraction of the most dorsal rebar clip [116] from the magazine, the ventral surface of the ventral portion of the hammer occludes the clip feeding aperture of the magazine, through which feeding aperture rebar clips are serially admitted into the firing chamber of the automatic clipping gun, this occlusion thereby preventing entry of any other rebar clips into the firing chamber during the current action cycle, and thereby eliminating jamming of the automatic clipping gun. The ventral rotation of the anterior (toe, foot, and leg) portions of the clip has the purpose of properly orienting the clip so that during its rapid anterior motion, its toe tip portions pass beneath the ventral surface [217] of the rebar member [2] which is further from the automatic clipping gun. This ventral rotation is complete and is terminated when the dorsal surface [118] of the ventral portion [110] of the hammer contacts one of the more ventral extensions of the clip at approximately the junctions of the clip's two foot and leg portions, one of which ir shown at [119] .

The dorsal surface [118] of the ventral portion of the hammer [110] is smoothly curving ventrally across its dorsal anterior lateral extent except for the deep "U" shaped notch concavity designed to admit the nearer rebar member [1] as the ventral portion 110] of the hammer extends anteriorly and reaches out of the anterior end of the chamber of the automatic clipping gun. The dorsal surface [118] of the ventral portion of the hammer [110] 32 appears, in its lateral silhouette, approximately as a parabolic section. It curves ventrally toward its anterior leading edge, and it is not spring loaded, being directly mechanically connected to the driving shaft [107] of the hammer. The dorsal portion of the hammer [111] is spring loaded, and before, during, and after the contact occurs between the dorsal surface [118] of the ventral portion of the hammer [110] and the point on the machine feedable clip [119] where the leg portion intersects the foot portion of the clip, the dorsal portion of the hammer [111] impels the clip anteriorly toward the clip's contact with the nearer rebar member [1] . This contact occurs first in the curved cinch portion of the machine feedable clip, causing the curved portion to open slightly, i.e. to splay outward slightly, to admit the nearer rebar member [1] into the concavity of the cinch section, and this opening causes the two leg, foot, and toe portions of the clip to slightly splay outward.

The movement of the curved cinch portion of the machine feedable clip around the girth of the nearer rebar member [1] concludes when the anterior surface of the posterior center portion of the curved cinch portion of the clip contacts the most posterior surface [20] of the nearer rebar member [1] , as shown in Figure 31. At this point the clip is partially cinched or attached by its spring activated return locking, having partially encircled and cinched upon the nearer rebar member [1] . At this point the anterior motion of the dorsal portion [111] of the hammer stops. Stopping any further anterior movemen- of the dorsal section of the hammer [111] at this point has the beneficial effect of not expelling the rebar junctio:. from the automatic clipping gun, which would be the res;,It of further anterior movement of the dorsal portion [111] of the hammer. Stopping the movement of the dorsal section of the hammer [111] at this point also helps f- insure that the clip does not dislodge. To prevent such further undesirable anterior movement of the dorsal section of the hammer, the dorsal section is provided with spring loading, through a spring [112] in the dorsal section [111] of the hammer, the same spring loading which eased the removal of the clip from the dorsal extent [113] of the clips magazine. As the driving shaft of the hammer [107] continues to impel the ventral section of the hammer anteriorly, the spring [112] , which is positioned posterior to the dorsal portion [111] of the hammer, compresses, allowing the dorsal portion of the hammer [111] to remain motionless against the center of the posterior curved central portion of the machine feedable clip, which remains motionless and pressed against the posterior portion of the nearer rebar member [1] , and this motionless state of these components prevents the ejection of the engaged and intersecting rebar members [1 and 2] from the automatic clipping gun at the same time that the driving shaft of the hammer [107] continues to impel the ventral section of the hammer [110] in rapid anteriorly directed motion. As the ventral section of the hammer [110] continues its rapid anterior movement, it contacts, in a sliding manner, the two most ventral extensions of the machine feedable clip, the two regions where the each of the two feet portions of the machine feedable clip intersect their associated leg portions [119] . Because of the paraboloid sectional shape of this ventral portion of the hammer [110] , this contact transmits both anteriorly and dorsally directed forces to the foot and leg portions of the machine feedable clip, which initiates a dorsally directed rotation of the anterior (leg, foot, and toe) portions of the machine feedable clip. Because of the paraboloid sectional shape of the ventral portion [110] of the hammer, a continuous alteration of these anteriorly and dorsally directed forces is produced, such that the more anteriorly the ventral portion of the hammer [110] extends, the greater becomes the dorsally directed force. This dorsally directed force causes the anterior portion of the machine feedable clip to rotate dorsally. This continuously increasing dorsally directed force exerted against the leg-foot junction regions [119] of the machine feedable clip serves to impel the toe tip portions of the machine feedable clip dorsally around the anterior surface [21] of the anterior rebar member [2] , which is the rebar member located further from the clipping gun. The motion of the clip includes its tilting upward, springing first open and then closed (around the rebar) . As depicted in Figure 27, this dorsal movement of the toe tip portions of the machine feedable clip continues until the toe tip portions achieve their most dorsal extent, having achieved entry of the anterior surface [21] of the anterior rebar member [2] into the concavity of the machine feedable clip comprised by the curving toe and foot portions of the machine feedable clip, which is also the final fully locked position of the machine feedable clip at this rebar junction. At this point, the ventral portion of the hammer [110] has reached its most anterior extent, and it extends past the posterior rebar member [1] , which occupies the notch between the two parabolic section faces [118] of the ventral portion of the hammer [110] . At this point, the ventral portion of the hammer [110] begins to withdraw, being pulled posteriorly by the posterior motion of the driving shaft [107] of the hammer, thereby returning into the chamber of the automatic clipping gun. During this: withdrawal of the driving shaft [107] of the hammer, the fully loaded spring activated tension on the spring [112 of tne dorsal portion of the hammer [111] is gradually unloaded to its resting state so that, at the achievement of this unloaded state, the dorsal portion of the hammer [111] -oins in the posterior withdrawal of the ventral portion of the hammer [110] into the internal chamber of the automatic clipping gun, pulled backward by the connecting rod [122] which slidably connects the dorsal and ventral portions of the hammer during the withdrawal, and limit- the maximum extension of the dorsal portion [111] .

As the ventral portion of the hammer [111] recedes posteriorly, its movement causes it to cease to occlude the dorsal chamber [113] of the clips magazine [114], the firing chamber, which then allows the spring [123] which provides the spring tension in the ventral extreme of the magazine to push upward the next serially positioned most dorsal clip in the magazine into the ventral portion of the chamber [113] of the magazine. The clipping installation cycle is now complete, and the next serially positioned clip is now in position to be fired onto the next rebar junction. As soon as the hammer portions begin withdrawing into the clipping gun, the clipping gun can be initiated into a reposi ioning cycle, either by moving the manual form of the gun to a new rebar junction, or by the boom arm attachment beginning to withdraw radially to clear the automatic clipping gun's guide holes, or recessed guide grooves posteriorly away from the most recently affixed rebar junction, in preparation for movements angularly and radially, and in roll, pitch, and yaw angles suitable to the next rebar junction designated in the engineered design structural conformation for the rebar framework requiring affixing by a machine feedable rebar clip.

Cycling in this manner, the entire rebar framework is assembled in 3 -dimensional space with rebar rod junctions accurately and precisely space defined and located and junctions are securel- affixed together with the spring actuated return machine feedable rebar clip.

While this invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof, it is obvious that modifications and changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art to which i~. pertains without departing from the spiri" and s:ope of he invention. Other materials and IZΌS m ιy be used to suit the requirements of the riven enginee ng requirements and design requirements and ..th applications. Accordingly, the scope c: this i vent: ^n is to be limited only by the appended claims

BAD ORIGINAL Άft

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed as invention is:

1. A clip member securing a first rebar member to a second rebar member, said clip member comprising: a waist portion defining a generally circular form of approximately 270 degrees arc and defining a waist portion plane, said waist portion terminating in a pair of waist portion ends; a pair of laterally and downwardly depending leg portions connected to said waist portion ends, said leg portions defining a leg portion plane intersecting said waist portion plane at an included angle of approximately 45 degrees, said leg portions each terminating in leg portion ends; a pair of laterally extending foot portions connected to said leg portion ends, said foot portions defining a foot portion plane intersecting said leg portion plane at an included angle of approximately 135 degrees, said leg portion plane being generally parallel to said waist portion plane, said foot portions each terminating in a pair of foot portion ends; and a pair of upwardly extending, generally arcuate toe portions connected to said foot portion ends, said toe portions each defining approximately 90 degrees of arc of a generally circular form, said toe portions defining a pair of toe portion planes each generally perpendicular to said waist portion plane, said toe portions terminating in a pair of toe ends; wherein when said clip member is installed over said first rebar member, said waist portion captures and releasably secures said first rebar member, and said leg portions, foot portions, and toe portions are adapted to capture and releasably secure said second rebar member placed adjacent to and crossing said first rebar member.

2. The clip member securing a first rebar member to a second rebar member of claim 1 wherein said clip member toe ends comprise a recurved segment defining

BAD OR»6lN^A an arc in a direction opposite said toe portion circular shape arc.

3. The clip member securing a first rebar member to a second rebar member of claim 1 wherein said clip member is constructed of cylindrical wire material.

4. The clip member securing a first rebar member to a second rebar member of claim 1 wherein said first rebar member has a diameter, and said clip member waist portion generally circular form has a diameter generally equal to said first rebar member diameter.

5. The clip member securing a first rebar member to a second rebar member of claim 1 wherein said second rebar member has a diameter, and said clip member toe portions generally circular form has a diameter generally equal to said second rebar member diameter.

6. The clip member securing a first rebar member to a second rebar member of claim 1 wherein said clip member waist portion, leg portions, foot portions and toe portions are symmetrical about a single vertical plane generally perpendicular to said waist portion plane.

7. The clip member securing a first rebar member to a second rebar member of claim 1 wherein said first rebar member has an outside surface, and said clip member waist portion has an inside surface that engages said first rebar outside surface on at least one point.

8. The clip member securing a first rebar member to a second rebar member of claim 1 wherein said second rebar member has an outside surface, and said clip member arcuate toe portions each have an inside surface that engages said second rebar outside surface on at least one point.

9. A method for securing a first rebar member to a second rebar member, said method comprising the steps of: providing a first rebar member; providing a second rebar member adjacent to and crossing said first rebar member; providing a clip member having a waist portion defining a generally circular form of approximately 270 degrees arc and defining a waist portion plane, said waist portion terminating in a pair of waist portion ends; a pair of laterally and downwardly depending leg portions connected to said waist portion ends, said leg portions defining a leg portion plane intersecting said waist portion plane at an included angle of approximately 45 degrees, said leg portions each terminating in leg portion ends; a pair of laterally extending foot portions connected to said leg portion ends, said foot portions defining a foot portion plane intersecting said leg portion plane at an included angle of approximately 135 degrees, said leg portion plane being generally parallel to said waist portion plane, said foot portions each terminating in a pair of foot portion ends; and a pair of upwardly extending, generally arcuate toe portions connected to said foot portion ends, said toe portions each defining approximately 90 degrees to arc of a generally circular form, said toe portions defining a pair of tow portion planes each generally perpendicular to said waist portion plane, said toe portions terminating in a pair of toe ends; installing said clip member over said first rebar member so that said waist portion captures and releasably secures said first rebar member; and placing said leg portions, foot portions, and toe portions over said second rebar member to capture and releasably secure said second rebar member to said clip member and said first rebar member.

10. The method for securing a first rebar member to a second rebar member of claim 9 further including the steps of: installing a pair of clip members over said first rebar member so that said waist portions of said pair of clip members capture and releasably secure said first rebar member; and placing said leg portions, foot portions, and toe portions of said pair of clip members over said second rebar member to capture and releasably secure said second rebar member to said pair of clip members and said first rebar member.

11. The method for securing a first rebar member to a second rebar member of claim 9 further including the steps of: providing a second clip member also having a waist portion defining a generally circular form of approximately 270 degrees arc and defining a waist portion plane, said waist portion terminating in a pair of waist portion ends; a pair of laterally and downwardly depending leg portions connected to said waist portion ends, said leg portions defining a leg portion plane intersecting said waist portion plane at an included angle of approximately 45 degrees, said leg portions each terminating in leg portion ends; a pair of laterally extending foot portions connected to said leg portion ends, said foot portions defining a foot portion plane intersecting said leg portion plane at an included angle of approximately 135 degrees, said leg portion plane being generally parallel to said waist portion plane, said foot portions each terminating in a pair of foot portion ends; and a pair of upwardly extending, generally arcuate toe portions connected to said foot portion ends, said toe portions each defining approximately 90 degrees of arc of a generally circular form, said toe portions defining a pair of toe portion planes each generally perpendicular to said waist portion plane, said toe portions terminating in a pair of toe ends; installing said second clip member over said second rebar member so that said second clip member waist portion captures and releasably secures said second rebar member; and placing said leg portions, foot portions, and toe portions of said second clip member over said first rebar member to capture and releasably secure said first rebar member to said second clip member and said second rebar member. 40

12. The method for securing a first rebar member to a second rebar member of claim 9 further including the step of: providing said clip member with toe ends comprising a recurved segment defining an arc in a direction opposite said toe portion circular shape arc.

13. The method for securing a first rebar member to a second rebar member of claim 9 further including the step of: providing said waist portion generally circular form with a diameter generally equal to said first rebar member.

14. The method for securing a first rebar member to a second rebar member of claim 9 further including the step of: providing said toe portions generally circular form with a diameter generally equal to said second rebar member.

15. A tool for applying a clip member to secure a first rebar member to a second rebar member placed in a generally perpendicular juxtaposed intersection with said first rebar member, said tool comprising: a working face portion adapted for alignment and abutment with said juxtaposed intersection of said first and second rebar members; guide means on said working face to position said tool on said juxtaposed intersection of said first and second rebar members; magazine means for containing a plurality of clip members; and delivery means for serially extracting a single clip member from said magazine means and delivering said extracted single clip member through said working face and onto said juxtaposed intersection of said first and second rebar members to releasably secure said first and second rebar members together.

16. The tool of claim 15 wherein said guide means comprises at least one rebar member receiving groove indented into said working face.

17. The tool of claim 15 wherein said guide means comprises a pair of first rebar member receiving grooves and a corresponding pair of second rebar member receiving grooves indented into said working face

18. The tool of claim 15 wherein said delivery means comprises a spring loaded hammer member.

19. The tool of claim 18 wherein said spring loaded hammer member comprises slidably separable dorsal and ventral sections.

20. The tool of claim 15 wherein said delivery means includes powered drive shaft means for providing a motive force to deliver said single clip member onto said juxtaposed intersection of said first and second rebar members to releasably secure said first and second rebar members together.