Spits

[tim west]

Can anyone remember a certain type of fixing used for anchoring a threaded fixing into concrete slabs, popular around the seventies but cant find it anywhere.
On the Spit site are several different types of fixing but this particular fixing used a drill that had a threaded stud at the end instead of a chuck, the drills themselves were all silver metal (steel?) with a fat body which held the motor and a long thin neck with a plain bent stud handle that you pulled and pushed away from you as you drilled with a hammer action.

The anchor itself consisted of a threaded barrel that had serrated teeth at the end for cutting into the concrete, you screwed this onto the threaded stud of the drill and then using the handle in a backwards forwards motion you quickly cut a hole in the slab.

You then removed the anchor and allowed the dust to fall out then put a small wedge into the hole in the center of the serrated end and without using the handle this time you just used the hammer action of the drill to force the anchor and wedge together in the drilled hole and after a second or so you sharply snapped the drill to one side which snapped off the anchor flush with the slab or slightly inside, the snapped off ring of the anchor was removed from the drills stud.

The anchors came in several pre threaded sizes I remember 2BA was one
and then when metric came along 4mm and if i remember correct were phospher bronze?.

they were a very quick,strong,permanent and clean fixing once you learnt how to do them and actually a joy to use.

can anyone locate a picture of them as i have tried to find them without success, perhaps not produced anymore but a picture of them would be great.

 

[RF Lighting]

The closest I can think of is these:

You drill a hole in the concrete like normal, insert the anchor, and expand the end with a tool a bit like a nail punch.

We use them for hanging stuff like trunking and tray from concrete ceilings on threaded rod.

Any good?

 

[tim west]

Thanks for trying RF but unfortunately its not the same, the anchor had a load of teeth at the top, a sort of drill bit and anchor combined.

 

[holmslaw]

They;re called "red heads" go here - http://www.smithfast.com/sdrill.htm

 

[tim west]

They;re called "red heads" go here - http://www.smithfast.com/sdrill.htm[/QUOTE]Thanks holmslaw they look identical shame it doesnt show the drill proper, no wonder i couldnt find them they must have been bought out by this american mob and renamed red heads instead of spits unless thats what we brits only called them?.

 

[securespark]

Not drill proper, but did you look here?:


http://www.smithfast.com/sdinst.htm

 

[tim west]

Not drill proper, but did you look here?:


http://www.smithfast.com/sdinst.htm

Yes thanks secure it showed the "chuck" (actually just a lump of round metal with a threaded stud sticking out of it) minus the stud handle which attached via those holes, the drill only had hammer action,no rotation, it was the user that applied the rotary action back and forth.

I realise it must look a cumbersome way of fixing but believe me once you were proficient in using the system it was damn fast with perfect very strong fixings virtually every time.

 

[tim west]

Thanks for your help guys, I was desperate to show what i meant that i started to knock up a google sketchup model not needed anymore but posted here for your info:

View media item 3575

 

[holmslaw]

They;re called "red heads" go here - http://www.smithfast.com/sdrill.htm[/QUOTE]Thanks holmslaw they look identical shame it doesnt show the drill proper, no wonder i couldnt find them they must have been bought out by this american mob and renamed red heads instead of spits unless thats what we brits only called them?.

We always called them red heads remember using them in the early 70's. They are very good product mainly because you can only install them the correct way ie you can't drill the hole too deep. Have'nt seen anyone using since then.

Could be a bit fiddly getting the end out of the holder, to overcome this we used to spit on them and role them in dust, it stopped the red head going so deep into the holder.

I think their use died out because concrete floor slabs started to be poured on steel decking where you use wedge nuts.

 

[tim west]

Although i have vague memories of them now i seem to remember two versions identical in shape but one looked like phospher bronze as described above but i do remember using a reddish looking type aswell maybe those were the redheads and the bronze ones called spits?
Wonder why they had different coloured coatings, purely for branding or different protection against corrosion?

 

[holmslaw]

The ones we used were a silver bronzy colour and the wedge was bright red.

Were'nt "spits" percussion nails I'm sure we used to fire them in with a "Spitgun"

 

[tim west]

The ones we used were a silver colour and the wedge was bright red.

There must have been several versions on the market as i never saw the silver ones only the yellowy bronze type.

As a matter of interest was you subbing with one of the large contractors of the time, i worked for EI's

 

[tim west]

The ones we used were a silver bronzy colour and the wedge was bright red.

Were'nt "spits" percussion nails I'm sure we used to fire them in with a "Spitgun"

The percussion nails weren't around at the time but used them later on, the first time i started to use them was with hilti guns

 

[Steve69the69Gas]

Red-Heads were/are made by Phillips.
The colours were just the diff coatings.
Hilti do a similar one the HKD
also they do "undercut" anchors which work in a similar way you described
in conjuction with a drill and adaptors.

 

[tim west]

thanks for your help