Splicer for reinforcing bars

Claim 1

A splicer for attaching a first reinforcing bar to a second reinforcing bar with the bars in end-to-end alignment, the splicer comprising: an elongated sleeve portion adapted to fit about the reinforcing bars and free to slide axially on the reinforcing bars, the sleeve portion having a pair of generally parallel axial edges defining a gap to permit the edges to move circumferentially of the reinforcing bars when the splicer is tightened about the reinforcing bars; first and second integrally attached flanges extending generally radially of the bars, one from each of the said edges of the sleeve portion, one of the flanges defining a plurality of radially extending openings and the other of the flanges defining further openings in alignment with said radially extending openings, and first and second relatively narrow projections extending generally radially from a part of the sleeve portion remote from the flanges, one of the projections defining a radially extending opening and the other of the projections defining a further opening in alignment with the radially extending opening in the projection, and adjacent edges of the flanges and the projections defining a pair of relatively narrow slots so that the projections can be drawn together for tightening said part of the sleeve portion about the first reinforcing bar substantially independently of the flanges; and fastener means comprising a plurality of nuts coupled to said other flange and said other projection, and a plurality of bolts, each of the bolts passing through a corresponding pair of said radially extending openings and said further openings and being threadably engaged in a corresponding one of said nuts for drawing the flanges and projections together to tighten the splicer about the reinforcing bars such that by tightening the bolt passing through the projections, the said part of the sleeve portion may be tightened about the first reinforcing bar to locate the splicer on the first reinforcing bar, and then, after inserting the second bar axially into the sleeve portion, the flanges may be drawn toward one another to tighten the sleeve portion about the first and second reinforcing bars with the abutting ends of the reinforcing bars positioned substantially at the axial mid-point of the flanges.