AU716021B2

AU716021B2 - Chainwire mesh having an improved selvedge

Info

Publication number: AU716021B2
Application number: AU37508/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: John William McLaughlin
Original assignee: SOUTHERN WIRE Pty Ltd
Current assignee: SOUTHERN WIRE Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1996-11-08
Filing date: 1997-09-11
Publication date: 2000-02-17
Anticipated expiration: 2017-09-11
Also published as: AU3750897A

Description

OF,

P/00/011 28/5/91 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT a MODF~rn HL;rlN WA P LTD Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for service is: John William McLaughlin WRAY ASSOCIATES 239 Adelaide Terrace Perth, WA 6000 Attorney code: WR Invention Title: Chainwire Mesh Having an Improved Selvedge Details of Associated Provisional Application No: PO3537 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- -2- The present invention relates to a chainwire mesh having an improved selvedge.

More particularly, the improved selvedge is of a substantially smooth profile.

Presently, chainwire or mesh fencing and related products are formed having barbed or knuckled selvedges. Both lead to snagging of the exposed selvedges on adjacent mesh which results in difficulties in handling and installation in applications where adjacent mesh overlaps. To avoid these problems it has been viewed as advantageous to provide a smooth edge or selvedge on sheets or lengths of chainwire mesh.

One attempt at providing a smooth selvedge has involved running a length of edging or selvedge wire through the exposed barbs of a barbed selvedge and to then manually apply a plastic clip or cap over each pair of barbs. This attempted solution is particularly labour intensive and time consuming.

9. Oo•The selvedge of prior art chainwire mesh is subject to damage in certain situations. For example, in a fencing application the uppermost edge or selvedge is prone to damage from people climbing over and bending the projecting diamond link selvedge. In addition, the prior art diamond link mesh is prone to elongation under stress, thereby misshaping the mesh.

The chainwire mesh of the present invention has particular application on the walls of open pit mines and as roof reinforcement in underground mines to prevent minor rock falls. Both applications require overlapping of mesh during installation. At present, a welded mesh sheet product is utilised in underground applications. This requires a large number of sheets and is difficult and expensive to install, requiring significant overlap of material. The chainwire mesh of the present invention has as one object thereof to achieve a more continuous membrane of reinforcing material and to provide consequent structural advantages over prior art products.

-3- The chainwire mesh of the present invention has as on object thereof to overcome substantially the above problems associated with the prior art.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an improved chainwire mesh comprising a plurality of elongate elements woven together in a mesh pattern, at least one edge thereof having pairs of adjacent elongate elements joined at their free or exposed ends, whereby the joined ends describe a substantially smooth selvedge.

Preferably, whilst the majority of the chainwire mesh describes a diamond shaped mesh link when viewed in plan whereas the free ends of adjacent elongate elements describe a half diamond shaped link. The selvedge is S'consequently substantially smooth when each adjacent pair of elongate elements is so joined.

The present invention further provides a method of manufacturing an improved chainwire mesh having at least one substantially smooth selvedge, whereby i' 15 pairs of adjacent elongate elements forming the mesh have their free or exposed ends joined together in an orientation running longitudinally with respect to the selvedge.

The chainwire mesh having an improved selvedge of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to two embodiments 20 thereof and the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the selvedge of an improved chainwire mesh in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the barbed selvedge of a first prior art chainwire mesh; -4- Figure 3 is a plan view of a portion of the knuckled selvedge of a further prior art chainwire mesh; and Figure 4 is a plan view of a portion of the selvedge of a chainwire mesh in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

In Figures 2 and 3 there are shown chainwire mesh portions 10 and 12, respectively. Each mesh portion 10 and 12 is a part of a greater mesh sheet of known type. The mesh portions 10 and 12 are composed of mesh links 14 which are each in turn comprised by a pair of elongate elements 16. The elongate elements 16 or their equivalent lying adjacent thereto comprise each mesh in known manner.

The chainwire mesh 10 of Figure 2 describes a barbed selvedge 18 wherein a pair of exposed ends 20 of the elongate elements 16 are twisted together in an orientation projecting transversely with respect to, or away from the mesh The barbed selvedge 18 is able to snag on adjacent mesh and is consequently generally inconvenient to handle and install.

°o The chainwire mesh 12 of Figure 3 describes a knuckled selvedge 22 wherein the exposed ends 20 of the elongate elements 16 are simply interlinked once and turned back on themselves. The knuckled selvedge 22 is again able to snag on adjacent mesh and is also generally inconvenient to handle and install.

o••°o In Figure 1 there is shown an improved chainwire mesh 30 comprised of links 32 described by interlinked adjacent elongate elements 34. A substantially smooth selvedge 36 is described by exposed ends 38 of the elongate elements 34 being twisted together in a longitudinal manner with respect to the selvedge edge of the mesh 30. In effect, the exposed ends 38 are twisted together along an axis described thereby.

The exposed ends 38 subsequently describe a half diamond shaped mesh link adjacent the selvedge 36 whereas the remainder of the links 32 in the mesh describe the typical full diamond shape.

The joining of the exposed ends 38 to provide the substantially smooth selvedge 36 results in minimised snagging of the selvedge 36 with adjacent mesh during handling and installation. Further, the mesh 30 has less 'memory' and is consequently more easily installed and handled when compared with prior art chainwire mesh and other known methods attempting to provide a smooth selvedge.

In this embodiment, the exposed ends 38 are twisted together in a double twist arrangement in which both ends are twisted to essentially the same extent, as shown in the Figure 1. In an alternative arrangement (which is not shown), one exposed end may be twisted about the other exposed end with the latter i remaining essentially straight or only slightly twisted.

i 15 In Figure 4 there is shown a portion of chainwire mesh 50 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. The chainwire mesh 50 is substantially similar to the chainwire mesh 30 and like numerals denote like parts.

The exposed ends 38 of the chainwire mesh 50 each have provided thereon 20 terminal portions 52. The terminal portions 52 of adjacent elongate elements 34 are arranged so as to lay alongside each other for at least a portion thereof and which are joined by a weld. Each terminal portion 52 may be offset partially from the remainder of its exposed end 38 so as to allow same to lay alongside its adjacent exposed end 38 in a substantially parallel manner thereby allowing as efficient and effective a weld as possible.

The selvedge 36 described by the exposed ends 38 and the joined terminal portions 52 of the chainwire mesh 50 is substantially smooth.

-6- The exposed ends 38 and the joined terminal portions 52 of the chainwire mesh describe a half diamond shaped mesh link 40, as seen in Figure 4, in contrast to the typical diamond shaped mesh link 32.

It is still further envisaged that the improved chainwire mesh 30 and 50 of the present invention will have particular application in the mining industries. For example, the improved chainwire mesh may be utilised to line rock faces and prevent rock falls without the typical problems encountered during installation with prior art mesh.

The chainwire mesh 30 and 50 may be provided in rolls, placed in position on a ceiling and held in that position by way of rock-bolts. A coating of shotcrete may then be sprayed or otherwise applied thereover.

The chainwire mesh 30 and 50 is less prone to elongation of the links under strain than prior art mesh. The selvedge 36 acts as a single continuous wire along the length of the mesh and allows greater stress to be borne with less S15 elongation of the mesh.

*o•Co The selvedge 36 of the improved chainwire mesh of the present invention is also visually more attractive than prior art chainwire mesh.

It is additionally envisaged that the elongate elements 34 may comprise wire, ooeo galvanised wire and/or PVC coated wire of a variety of gauges. Such wire may be of 2.5 to 5mm thickness. Further, the diamond or mesh sizes may typically be from 50 to 100mm. However, such should not be considered to limit the scope of the present invention.

Modification and variations such as would be apparent to the skilled addressee are considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An improved chainwire mesh comprising a plurality of elements woven together in a mesh pattern, at least one edge thereof having pairs of adjacent elongate elements joined at their free or exposed ends, whereby the joined ends describe a substantially smooth selvedge.

2. An improved chainwire mesh according to claim 1, wherein the majority of the chainwire mesh describes a diamond shaped mesh link when viewed in plan whereas the free ends of adjacent elongate elements describe a half diamond link.

3. An improved chainwire mesh according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pairs of adjacent elongate elements are joined at their free or exposed ends by welding.

4. An improved chainwire mesh according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pairs of adjacent elongate elements are joined at their free or exposed ends by being twisted together.

5. An improved chainwire mesh according to claim 4, wherein the exposed ends are twisted together in a double twist arrangement in which both ends are twisted to essentially the same extent.

6. An improved chainwire mesh according to claim 4, wherein the exposed end of one adjacent elongate element is twisted about the other adjacent elongate element with the latter remaining essentially straight or only slightly twisted.

7. A method of manufacturing an improved chainwire mesh having at least one substantially smooth selvedge, the method comprising a step in which pairs of adjacent elongate elements forming the mesh have their free or -8- exposed ends joined together in an orientation running longitudinally with respect to the selvedge.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the exposed ends are welded together.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the exposed ends are twisted together.

An improved chainwire mesh substantially reference to Figure 1.

11. An improved chainwire mesh substantially reference to Figure 4. as hereinbefore described with as hereinbefore described with a a a

12. A method of manufacturing an improved chainwire mesh substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 or 4. Dated this Eleventh day of September 1997. SoO"e4 P4-T L-T D MODERN HIRING WIA PTY LTD Applicant Wray Associates Perth, Western Australia Patent Attorneys for the Applicant