Abstract: A portable tool for mechanically upsetting a steel reinforcement bar (e.g. rebar), one end of which is typically embedded in a concrete or similar structure, so that a relatively wide upset head can be formed at the protruding end to permit the bar to be reliably coupled to an opposing reinforcement bar. The protruding end of the reinforcement bar is first pre-heated and then inserted within the upsetting tool. A plurality of rotatable jaws are first moved towards and then rotated into clamping engagement against the reinforcement bar. A supply of hydraulic fluid is added to a cylinder of the tool for causing a hydraulic piston to be moved in a first direction through the cylinder to simultaneously compress a normally relaxed spring and drive an upsetting block towards and into engagement with the pre-heated end of the reinforcement bar so as to compress the pre-heated end between the jaws and the upsetting block in order to form the upset head.

Abstract: A method and a portable tool for hydraulically upsetting a steel reinforcement bar (e.g. rebar), one end of which is typically embedded in a concrete or similar structure, so that a relatively wide upset head can be formed at the protruding end to permit the bar to be reliably coupled to an opposing reinforcement bar. The protruding end of the reinforcement bar is first pre-heated and then inserted within the upsetting tool to be clamped between a plurality of articulating jaws. A pair of hydraulic pistons are driven in a first direction through a respective pair of tandem cylinders to correspondingly drive an upsetting block towards and into engagement with the pre-heated end of the reinforcement bar so as to compress the pre-heated end between the jaws and the upsetting block to form the upset head.