Metallically reinforced concrete structures

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A VERTICAL CONCRETE STRUCTURE, A METALLIC REINFORCEMENT THEREFOR COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF VERTICALLY EXTENDING REINFORCEMENT BARS OF CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION EMBEDDED THEREIN IN ENDWISE ABUTTING RELATION AND PROVIDED WITH DEFORMATION RIBS DEFINING THE PERIMETERS OF THE BARS, CLAMP MEANS INCLUDING A RADIALLY CONTRACTABLE SLEEVE MEMBER HAVING A SMOOTH INNER FACE THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH AND POSITIONED TO EMBRACE AND GRIP THE PERIMETERS OF THE ADJACENT END PORTIONS OF BOTH BARS AND BEING SUFFICIENTLY THIN AND FLEXIBLE TO CONFORM TO AND THEREBY COMPENSATE FOR NORMAL TOLERANCE VARIATIONS IN THE DIAMETERS AND PERIMETER CONTOURS OF THE BARS, THE SLEEVE MEMBERS BEING PROVIDED WITH A SIDE OPENING THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH TO FACILITATE THE RADIAL CONTRACTION THEREOF AND PROVIDED ALONG OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE OPENING WITH OUTWARDLY AND LATERALLY TURNED FLANGES WHICH DIVERGE FROM EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE WEDGES, AND A UNITARY WEDGE MEMBER HAVING INTURNED WEDGE FLANGES ENGAGING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE FLANGES ON THE SLEEVE MEMBER AND MOVABLE THEREALONG TO CONTRACT THE SLEEVE THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH INTO CONSTRICTING GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PERIMETERS OF THE ABUTTED END PORTIONS OF BOTH BARS TO CONNECT AND AUTOMATICALLY AXIALLY ALIGN THE ENDPORTIONS OF THE BARS.