Method of protecting and stacking bars

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR THE STACKING OF STEEL BARS WHICH ARE SUBJECT TO SURFACE DAMAGE WHEN ENCOUNTERING SOLID OBJECTS AND WHICH HAVE A GENERALLY CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION, SAID BARS BEING ALIGNED IN PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP IN THE STACK AND RESTING ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF LENGTHS OF FLEXIBLE COVERING MATERIAL, FORMING EACH OF SAID LENGTHS OF MATERIAL INTO SPIRAL CONFIRUATIONS WHEREBY THE LENGTHS DEFINE A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED TUBULAR CONFIGURATIONS, DISPOSING ONE OF SAID SPIRAL LENGTHS AROUND AND FRICTIONALLY GRIPPING EACH OF SAID BARS TO COVER AT LEAST SUBSTANTIAL PORTIONS OF THE SURFACES THEREOF, THE INNER DIAMETER OF ANY ONE LENGTH BEING NOT GREATER THAN THE OUTER DIAMETER OF THE BAR WITH WHICH IT IS ASSOCIATED WHEREBY THE LENGTHS WILL TEND TO CLING SNUGLY AROUND EACH BAR, AND STACKING SAID BARS WITH THE SPIRAL LENGTHS THEREON UPON EACH OTHER WHEREBY SAID LENGTHS WILL MAINTAIN THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID BARS IN SPACED-APART RELATIONSHIP.