This invention relates to a carrier primarily for use in carrying elements or members in relation to a concrete ceiling or floor and to a spacer primarily for use in spacing reinforcing rods or bars or wires used in reinforced concrete.

Elements such as pipes and cables are conventionally carried from a concrete ceiling by a carrier which is threadably connected to an insert fitted into the concrete before or after manufacture. Such support elements tend to be relatively expensive and require a special punch to fit the insert. Furthermore the fitting of a large number of such carriers is time consuming because each one has to be fully screwed into place before use.

Conventional spacers used in the manufacture of reinforced concrete to separate reinforcing rods or wires or to space them from the walls of the mould are formed from a plastics material. A conventional spacer may be circular, having a central recess in which the reinforcing rod or wire is snap engaged, or elongate and shaped to provide one or more recesses in which a reinforcing rod or wire is received to space the rod or wire above the base of the mould or shuttering during casting of the reinforced concrete article.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a carrier for carrying one or more elements in relation to the structure comprising an insert for insertion into the structure

and defining a major recess and an elongate carrier member which is detachably connected to the insert by means of a bayonet-type connection formed by at least one projection and corresponding recess formed by one of the insert and the carrier member. Thus this aspect of the invention provides a carrier which may be rapidly installed and used.

Preferably the projection is formed by the carrier member and the recess is defined by the insert. The projection may be provided by a deformed, preferably by stamping portion of the carrier member. Alternatively, the projection may be provided by an element fixed to or mounted on the carrier member whereby it projects therefrom.

The carrier member may be cranked whereby a portion thereof and/or the element to be carried extends at right angles to the structure such as a ceiling or floor. The carrier member may be threaded to receive a locking member. The locking member may secure an element to be carried by the carrier.

Preferably the carrier member is formed of steel and the insert is formed from stainless steel, although a tough plastics material, such as polystyrene, nylon or polypropylene, may be used. The insert may be inserted in a concrete ceiling or floor during manufacture of the ceiling or floor whereby the major recess defined by the insert is exposed to allow insertion of the carrier member.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a spacer for use in the manufacture of reinforced concrete articles, to space one or more reinforcing rods or wires from other such rods or wires, the spacer comprising a first spacer body comprising a recess in which a first reinforcing rod or wire is received opposite one end of the first spacer body to space at a distance the first reinforcing rod or wire from another such reinforcing rod or wire or a surface of a mould in which the concrete article is formed and a second spacer body comprising a recess in which a second reinforcing rod or wire is received opposite one end of the second spacer body to space at the same or another distance a further such reinforcing rod or wire from the first or another such reinforcing rod or wire or a surface of a mould in which the concrete article is formed.

The first and second spacer bodies may be integral or interconnected. The spacer bodies may be detachably interconnected, and preferably snap-interconnected. Preferably more than two such spacer bodies are provided which can be interconnected.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a carrier for use in carrying an element in relation to a structure such as a ceiling, the carrier comprising an insert defining a recess and an elongate carrier which is received within the recess, in use, the carrier including an expansion element movable to cause deformation of a portion of the

carrier whereby the portion grips the recess to retain the carrier within the insert.

The expansion element may be wedge-shaped. Preferably, the said portion of the carrier is adapted to facilitate the said deformation. The expansion element may be connected to or integral with a flexible element.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a combined spacer and carrier for use in the manufacture of reinforced concrete articles to space one or more reinforcing rods or wires from other such rods or wires, the spacer being adapted to carry one or more elements in relation to the formed article or to engage a carrier for supporting such one or more elements in relation to the article.

The spacer may comprise a spacer and carrier as defined above.

A spacer, carrier and combined spacer and carrier in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings Figs. 1 to 7 in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a spacer in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 shows inserts for use in a carrier in accordance with

the inventio ;

Fig. 3 shows a carrier member for use in a carrier in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 4 shows a carrier member for use in a carrier in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal cross section through a carrier in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of combined spacer and carrier in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 7 is an elevation of a carrier in accordance with the invention.

The spacer 10 shown in Fig. 1 comprises first, second and third spacer bodies 12, 14 and 16 respectively (s own disconnected). The spacer bodies 12, 14 and 16 are formed from stainless steel. Spacer bodies 14 and 16 have resilient lugs 18, 20, 22, 24 by which the spacer bodies can be snap interengaged with other spacer bodies having correspondingly—shaped recesses . For example, lugs 20 and 22 snap engage with recesses 24 and 26 respectively of spacer body 12 to join spacer bodies 14 and 16 to that spacer body.

Spacer body 10 is shaped to define a recess 28 which, in use,

receives a reinforcing rod or wire 30 used in the manufacture of reinforced concrete articles. The lower surface 32 spacer 12 rests on a surface of a mould (not shown) used to form the reinforced concrete article. Thus the spacer 12 supports the reinforcing rod or wire at a certain distance d away from that mould surf ce.

The spacer bodies 14 and 16 each define two such recesses 32, 34 and 36, 38 respectively. The spacer recesses 34, 36 are arranged to support a reinforcing rod or wire at the same distance d from a mould surface. Lower recesses 32, 38 are arranged so as to support reinforcing rods or wires at a lesser distance from the mould sur ce.

Thus spacer bodies 12 and 14 or 12 and 16 or 12, 14 and 16 can be joined together to support a number of reinforcing wires or rods at different levels or distances from a mould surface or other reinforcing wires(s ) or rod(s).

Spacer bodies 14 and 16 are formed to define through recess 15a, 15b and 15c, and 17a, 17b, 17c respectively.

The carrier inserts 40 and 42 shown in Fig. 2 are formed from stainless steel. Each insert 40, 42 defines a central elongate parallel-sided bore 44, 46 respectively. Notch-shaped recesses 48, 49, 50 and 51 and 52, 53, 54, 55 extend from bores 44 and 46 respectively.

The inserts 40, 42 each define an angled end surface 56, 58 respectively, and have four lugs 60, 61, 62, 63 (62, 63 obscured) and 64, 65, 66 and 67 (66, 67 obscured) respectively formed adjacent their respective end surfaces 56, 56.

In use an insert 40 or 42 is inserted into a structure such as a concrete ceiling during manufacture of the structure whereby the end surface 56, 58 is flush with or just extending from the surface of the structure whereby the central bore 44, 46 is exposed. Alternatively, an insert may be inserted into the structure after it has been manufactured for example by drilling a bore in the structure and fitting the insert into that bore.

The carrier members 70 and 72, shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 respectively each comprise a mild steel cranked portion 74, 76 respectively which is dimensioned to fit slidably within the central elongate bore (44, 46) of an insert of the type shown in Fig. 2. The cranked portion 74 of carrier member 70 has four spaced ears 77, 78, 79, 80 formed by forging and a threaded portion 82. One end of a steel wire rope 84 is swaged into a blind bore at the end of the cranked portion 74. A lower carrier member portion 86 is similarly swaged to the other end of the steel rope. The lower carrier member 86 includes two threaded portions 88 and 90.

The mild steel cranked portion 76 of carrier member 72 has a pair of pegs driven therethrough to form lugs 92, 93, 94, 95.

A threaded portion 96 is provided.

In use, the cranked portion 74, 76 is inserted into the central bore 44, 46 located in an insert inserted into a structure. The cranked portion is then rotated as shown in Fig. 5 whereupon the ears 77—80 or lugs 92—95 are received by recesses 48-51 or 52-55 respectively. Thus the ears 77-80 or lugs 92- 95 form a bayonet type connection with the corresponding recesses 48—51 or 52—55 which permits rapid interconnection or disconnection of the insert and carrier member. Accordingly the fitting of a large number of such carriers to a structure is facilitated.

The combined insert and spacer 100 shown in Fig. 6 comprises a central spacer body 102 which is snap interengaged between second and third spacer bodies 104, 106 in the manner of spacer 10 described above. Inserts 108 and 110 which are identical with insert 40 or 42, are snap-connected to spacer bodies 104 and 106 respectively by means of lugs (59, 60, 61, 62 or 63, 64, 65, 66) respectively which fit into central through apertures 11, 113 and 114, 115 respectively.

Central spacer body 102 includes a non-ferrous or stainless steel insert 103 is arranged to define a threaded central aperture 116. A spacer member 118 comprises a central upstanding portion 120 which extends from a elongate plate 122 defining two apertures 124, 126 fits into the aperture 116.

The combined insert and spacer 110 can be used either as an insert or a spacer or combined as an insert and spacer in a reinforced concrete article as described above in relation to inserts 72 and 74 and spacer 10.

The spacer body 102 is held to the insert/spacer 100 by nuts (not shown) which engage the threaded portions 82, 96 of the carrier members 70, 72. A conventional threaded carrier can be fitted to the central threaded aperture 128 of the spacer body if required.

The carrier 140 shown in Fig. 7 comprises a cranked mild steel tube 142 having a threaded end 144. A wedge—shaped element 146 is swaged to the end of a steel rope 148 which is mounted within the bore of tube 142. Movement of the wedge—shaped element 146 in the direction of arrow A causes outward deformation of the end 150 which is exaggerated by slot 152 defined thereby.

This expansion causes the carrier to grip the inner wall of insert 153 whereby elements can be suspended from the wire 148 when the insert is fitted in a structure such as a ceiling.