Erico International Corporation

Lawrence Gene Gatton

Louis J Colarusso

John J Gregel

A reinforcing bar connection for concrete construction utilizes a sleeve supporting internal spring washers having flexible inner edges which engage a bar inserted in the sleeve. The reinforced inner edges of the washers bite into the bar and grip the bar preventing withdrawal. The washers have openings which permit the sleeve to be filled with a hardenable matrix such as grout or resin. In a preferred form, shoulder forming wedge grooves are formed in ends of the sleeve. The connection may be used as a dowel socket, a continuity set, or as butt end-to-end bar splice for axially aligned bar of the same or different size. The connection provides not only high compressive and tensile strengths but also will provide the dynamic and/or fatigue characteristics to qualify as Type 2 coupler approved for use in all United States earthquake zones.

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Cuyahoga Falls, OH, United States of America

Lawrence Gene Gatton