Reinforcing bar guide assembly

Abstract

A reinforcing bar guide assembly includes a guide structure, a first securing structure, and a second securing structure. The guide structure is designed to be placed over an opening in a building component, such as a cinder block or masonry brick, into which a reinforcing bar is to be inserted. The guide structure includes a guide orifice designed and positioned to receive and hold a reinforcing bar in an essentially vertical orientation. The first securing structure and the second securing structure are designed to be placed onto outer edges of a building component to support and hold the guide structure in a desired position over an opening in a building component.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A reinforcing bar guide assembly comprising:
 a guide structure configured to be placed over an opening in a building component into which a reinforcing bar is to be inserted;   said guide structure comprising a guide orifice configured and disposed to receive and hold a reinforcing bar in an essentially vertical orientation;   a first securing structure and a second securing structure being connected to and disposed on opposite sides of said guide structure; and   said first securing structure and said second securing structure being configured to be placed onto outer edges of a building component to support and hold said guide structure in a desired position over an opening in a building component.   
     
     
         2 . The reinforcing bar guide assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said guide orifice has a shape and diameter substantially similar to a shape and diameter of a reinforcing bar to be inserted through said guide orifice. 
     
     
         3 . The reinforcing bar guide assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said guide orifice is cylindrical. 
     
     
         4 . The reinforcing bar guide assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said guide structure comprises centering structures disposed within said guide orifice and configured to engage with a reinforcing bar to center a reinforcing bar in said guide orifice. 
     
     
         5 . The reinforcing bar guide assembly of  claim 4 , wherein
 said centering structures comprise a plurality of wire bristles disposed to project inwardly from inner side surfaces of said guide orifice;   said wire bristles are flexible to permit insertion of reinforcing bars of different diameters; and   said wire bristles are sufficiently stiff such that upon deflection of said wire bristles by a reinforcing bar said wire bristles exert a gripping force upon the reinforcing bar.   
     
     
         6 . The reinforcing bar guide assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said wire bristles have a length less than a radius of said guide orifice such that distal ends of said wire bristles are disposed a distance from one another and define an open space between said distal ends. 
     
     
         7 . The reinforcing bar guide assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said first securing structure and said second securing structure are adjustably connected to said guide structure to permit adjustment of the distance between said first securing structure and said second securing structure to permit placement on building components of different widths. 
     
     
         8 . The reinforcing bar guide assembly of  claim 7 , wherein
 said guide structure comprises a planar guide body; and   each of said first securing structure and said second securing structure comprises a planar side body disposed transverse to said planar guide body.   
     
     
         9 . The reinforcing bar guide assembly of  claim 8 , wherein:
 said planar guide body comprises a top surface configured to be disposed to face away from a building component and a bottom surface configured to be disposed to face toward a building component; and   said guide orifice is disposed in a central portion of said planar guide body.   
     
     
         10 . The reinforcing bar guide assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said planar guide body comprises a guide projection disposed to extend from at least one of said top surface and said bottom surface to increase the length of said guide orifice to permit additional and more stable engagement with a reinforcing bar. 
     
     
         11 . The reinforcing bar guide assembly of  claim 9 , wherein:
 said guide structure comprises lateral walls and end walls disposed to extend away from and transverse to said bottom surface; and   said lateral walls and said end walls define a storage recess below said bottom surface.   
     
     
         12 . The reinforcing bar guide assembly of  claim 11 , wherein:
 each of said first securing structure and said second securing structure comprises at least one connecting arrangement attached to its planar side body; and   said at least one connecting arrangement comprises a rod slidably connected to said planar guide body to permit movement of said rod into and out of said storage recess to permit adjustment of the distance between said first securing structure and said second securing structure.   
     
     
         13 . The reinforcing bar guide assembly of  claim 12 , wherein:
 said at least one connecting arrangement comprises a stop portion disposed at an end of said rod and a spring disposed about said rod and between said stop portion and an inner surface of a corresponding one of said lateral walls;   each of said lateral walls comprises at least one lateral orifice configured and disposed to permit the passage of said rod through its corresponding lateral wall;   said spring is configured to be compressed between said stop portion and its corresponding lateral wall upon extension of said rod out of said storage recess; and   said spring upon compression thereof is configured to exert a return spring force on said stop portion to both cause its corresponding planar side body to clamp onto a building component and automatically retract said rod back into said storage recess upon release of its corresponding planar side body from engagement with a building component.   
     
     
         14 . A method of using the reinforcing bar guide assembly of  claim 1  to place reinforcing bars in building components, said method comprising the steps of:
 placing said guide structure over an opening in a building component into which a reinforcing bar is to be inserted; 
 placing said first securing structure and said second securing structure onto outer edges of the building component and thereby supporting and holding said guide structure in a desired position over the opening in the building component; 
 inserting a reinforcing bar through said guide orifice in an essentially vertical orientation; 
 pouring concrete into said opening and about the reinforcing bar; and 
 removing said reinforcing bar guide assembly upon said concrete sufficiently holding the reinforcing bar in a desired position in said concrete by releasing said first securing structure and said second securing structure and then sliding said guide structure up and off of said reinforcing bar. 
 
     
     
         15 . A reinforcing bar guide assembly comprising:
 a guide structure configured to be placed over an opening in a building component into which a reinforcing bar is to be inserted; said guide structure comprising a guide orifice configured and disposed to receive and hold a reinforcing bar in an essentially vertical orientation; wherein said guide orifice has a shape and diameter substantially similar to a shape and diameter of a reinforcing bar to be inserted through said guide orifice; said guide structure comprises a planar guide body; said planar guide body comprises a top surface configured to be disposed to face away from a building component and a bottom surface configured to be disposed to face toward a building component; said guide orifice is disposed in a central portion of said planar guide body; said guide structure comprises centering structures disposed within said guide orifice and configured to engage with a reinforcing bar to center a reinforcing bar in said guide orifice; said centering structures comprise a plurality of wire bristles disposed to project inwardly from inner side surfaces of said guide orifice; said wire bristles are flexible to permit insertion of reinforcing bars of different diameters; said wire bristles are sufficiently stiff such that upon deflection of said wire bristles by a reinforcing bar said wire bristles exert a gripping force upon the reinforcing bar; said wire bristles have a length less than a radius of said guide orifice such that distal ends of said wire bristles are disposed a distance from one another and define an open space between said distal ends; said planar guide body comprises a guide projection disposed to extend from at least one of said top surface and said bottom surface to increase the length of said guide orifice to permit additional and more stable engagement with a reinforcing bar; said guide orifice is cylindrical; said guide structure comprises lateral walls and end walls disposed to extend away from and transverse to said bottom surface; said lateral walls and said end walls define a storage recess below said bottom surface; each of said lateral walls comprises at least one lateral orifice configured and disposed to permit the passage of said rod through its corresponding lateral wall; and   a first securing structure and a second securing structure being connected to and disposed on opposite sides of said guide structure; said first securing structure and said second securing structure being configured to be placed onto outer edges of a building component to support and hold said guide structure in a desired position over an opening in a building component; wherein said first securing structure and said second securing structure are adjustably connected to said guide structure to permit adjustment of the distance between said first securing structure and said second securing structure to permit placement on building components of different widths; each of said first securing structure and said second securing structure comprises a planar side body disposed transverse to said planar guide body; each of said first securing structure and said second securing structure comprises comprises at least one connecting arrangement attached to its planar side body; said at least one connecting arrangement comprises a rod slidably connected to said planar guide body to permit movement of said rod into and out of said storage recess to permit adjustment of the distance between said first securing structure and said second securing structure; said at least one connecting arrangement comprises a stop portion disposed at an end of said rod and a spring disposed about said rod and between said stop portion and an inner surface of a corresponding one of said lateral walls; said spring is configured to be compressed between said stop portion and its corresponding lateral wall upon extension of said rod out of said storage recess; said spring upon compression thereof is configured to exert a return spring force on said stop portion to both cause its corresponding planar side body to clamp onto a building component and automatically retract said rod back into said storage recess upon release of its corresponding planar side body from engagement with a building component.