Rebar Climbing Apparatus with Adjustable Hanger for Dense Cages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Construction personnel face difficulties in climbing dense three-dimensional and multi-layer reinforcement cages due to the inability to fit their toes between adjacent bars, leading to slow and hazardous movement, necessitating a secure and rapid attachment solution.
Innovation Solution
A personal climbing apparatus with a hanger, foot-support platform, and adjustable features such as a gap adjuster, linkage, and foot retainer, allowing secure and adaptable attachment to rebar cages, enabling rapid movement across the structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If workers attempt to climb dense three-dimensional and multi-layer reinforcement cages by fitting their toes between adjacent bars, then they can navigate the structure, but the process becomes slow and hazardous due to the inability to securely fit toes between bars
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary climbing device that mediates between the worker and the rebar cage. The device includes a hanger with a blade that engages with horizontal rebars, a foot-support platform that provides secure footing, and a brace that stabilizes the structure. This intermediary device solves the problem by providing a reliable climbing mechanism that does not depend on fitting toes between closely spaced bars.
2Reliability
If workers take great care to secure their footing and tether themselves to the existing frame, then safety is improved, but the construction process slows down and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The climbing device is designed to be self-supporting through its brace structure that couples the foot-support platform to the hanger, creating a stable triangular configuration. The device serves itself by providing both the climbing mechanism and the safety function integrated into a single unit, eliminating the need for separate tethering systems and reducing the time required to secure footing at each position.
3Strength
If the reinforcement cage is made dense with three-dimensional and multi-layer bars to meet earthquake survivability codes, then structural strength is improved, but the ability of workers to climb the cage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The climbing device is segmented into distinct functional components: the hanger with blade for engaging rebars, the foot-support platform for providing footing, the brace for structural stability, and the gap adjuster for adaptability. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to overcome the challenges posed by dense reinforcement cages.
Solution Approach 2:
The climbing device incorporates dynamic elements including the gap adjuster that allows the blade to adapt to varying rebar spacings, and the brace that can be positioned at different angles to accommodate different cage configurations. This dynamic adaptability enables the device to function effectively on dense, multi-layer reinforcement cages while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A personal climbing apparatus formed of a hanger having a blade extended from a shank and forming a gap therebetween; a foot-support platform that is oriented transversely to the shank of the hanger and coupled thereto and having a foot retainer; and a brace coupled between the foot-support platform and the shank of the hanger.