US1187043A - Process of making expanded metal. - Google Patents

Description

0. G.'CLARK. PROCESS OF MAKING EXPANDED METAL. APPLICATION HLED NOV. 28.1913

1,1 87,043. Patented June 13, 1916.

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INVENTOI? Duq'glz tjark, v h n I WITNESSES A NORA/Er snares rarnnr orrron.

'DWIGHT G. CLARK, OF PLAINVILLE,' CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO CORRUGATED BAR- COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

PROCESS OF MAKING EXPANDED METAL.

Specification'of Letters Patent. Patented 13, 1916;

Original application filed May 20, 1908, Serial No. 433,958.

Patent No. 1,080,418, dated December 2, 1913.

Divided and this application filed November 28, 1913. Serial No. 803,534.

To all whom it may, concern:

Be it known that I. Dwlmrr G. CLARK, a

citizen oi the United States of America. and

residing at Plainville, in the county of Hartslits alternating with unslitted strips, and

or portions.

spreading apart the parallel unslitted strips The unslitted strips or pertions may have anycross-seetional shape desired by suitably forming these portions.

Other objects of my invention appear in connection with the following description of the several embodiments of the product illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings :Figure 1 is a plan view of a piece of metal stock slitted according to my invention. showing one arrangement oi slitting preparatory to expansion. Fig. 2 shows the article produced from the stock shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view of the stock, shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4; is a cross section of the article shown in Fig. 2, taken on the line 4t--t in Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 5 is a cross section similar to Fig. 4, showing the article in'a modified form produced by bending the unslitted strips at right angles to the mesh work. Fig. (3 is an end view similar to Fig.

3 showing the stock suitably formed for malnng an article having unslitted strips of square cross-sectlon. Fig. 7 is a cross section of the article produced from the stock shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a. plan view of a piece of metal stock showing an arrangeshown in Fig. 8 in which the unslitted strips are round in cross section. Fig. 10 is a plan view ot a p ece of metatstock howing an arrangement of slitting for producing an article having mesh-work formed with two rows of meshes. Fig. 11- shows the article produced from the'stock shown in Fig. 10.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 9 ot the drawings, 0

my improved expanded metal consists of a. plurality of parallel strips 1- of metal spaced apartand connected by a series of integral frames 2 or mesh-work portions. Each frame consists of four strands 3, l, 5, 6

forming a diamond-shaped mesh 7, and preferably turned on edge or inclined relative to the general plane of the artiele. Al-

' though I have shown only three unslitted strlps and two portions of mesh-work conneeting said strips, the article may be of any width and contam any number of spaced strips connected as above described.

. The mesh-work portions 2 between the un slitted strips may consist of double or triple rows of meshes, as shown in Figs. 10 and ll according to the use to which the article is to be put: and the nnslitted strips 1 likewise may be shaped as desired.

It is noted that there is no stretching of So the metal during the operation of expanding or pulling out the mesh-work portions in making expanded metal in accordance with my invention, and hence the stock may be of harder metal. such as carbon steel. than could be utilized if the metal had to stretch. This advantage is attained by the system of slitting which characterizes my invention, in whielrthere are an odd number of rows of longitudinal slits and certain transverse by cross slits 9, between the ends of the'95 slits 10 in the even numbered rows,-whereby the strands forming the meshes are severed between successive meshes lengthwise of the rows and upon expanding the metal the severed ends of the strands pull apart without stretching the strands.

Another advantage of this invention is the rapidity and ease with which the im-. proved article can be manufactured. The

factthat the longitudinal slits of one row are staggered relatively to the slits of the next adjacent row makes the problem of slitting c parati e y simp as it is only necessary to cut the cross slits9 so as to Another advantage of this invention is the facility with which it may be adapted to the production of difierent articles. For example, 1n case it is desired to make reinforcement for concrete slabs, the portions of the stock which ultimately form the unslitted strips 1, of the expanded metal may be of enlarged cross section, as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 9. For metal lathing purposes, and for concrete reinforcement in which tension bars are not required, some of the unslitted strips may be omitted and thereby a larger proportion of the stock may be slitted and expanded, the expanded metal thus produced covering a greater area than that having unslitted strips between each row of meshes. In case it is desired to stiffen the expanded metal lengthwise without enlarging the cross section of the stock, some or allof the unslitted strips may be made of sufiicient width that they may be folded or bent lengthwise into ribbed form in any well knownmanner.

Another advantage of this invention i that, by suitably expanding the metal, the

strands 3, 4, 5, 6 may be caused to take an inclined or oblique position with respect to the general plane of the expanded metal, whereby the expanded metal is stiflened crosswise and the mesh-work portions are 4 adapted to become embedded and keyed in the concrete in a highly effective manner.

This application is a division of my application, Serial No. 33,958, filed May 20, 1908, which became Patent No. 1,080,418, December 2, 1913.

What I claim is:

l. The process ol. making an expanded metal having longitudinal members transversely connectedby independent disconnected meshed members, which consists in slitting a sheet of metal with series of longitudinal parallel slits made at intervals along said sheet, the outside lines of slits ol said series ol slits being (iOlIlCltlGllt with the edges of the connected longitudinal members of said. expanded metal; slitting said sheet with other series of longitudinal parallel slits of substantially the same length as the first mentioned series of slits, parallel to. intermediate and between said first mentioned serics'ot' slits, the medial points in said last mentioned series of slits being substantially equidistant from the medial points of the adjacent slits of the first mentioned series, transversely cutting said sheets between the outside slits of the first mentioned series of slits between the edges of said longitudinal members at the medial points of said slits of the first mentioned series; then stretching said slitted sheet laterally soas to form the meshed members thereof.

2. The process of forming expanded metal having longitudinal and meshed members,- Which consists in longitudinally slitting a metal sheet with series of lines of parallel alternating slits; transversely shearing said sheet between itslongitudinal members at the medial points of one of said series of longitudinal slits so as to permit the forming of independent terminally discon nected and separated meshed members I which consists in forming in a sheet, bands of slits separated by unslitted bands, the slits of each slitted band being arranged in an odd number of rows, the slits of one row breaking joints with those of the adjacent rows of the same band, the slits of the outermost or odd numbered rows of each band eing connected by transverse slits which are clear of the slits in the even numbered rows.

4. The process of making expanded metal which consists in slitting a sheet of metal in longitudinalbands, then opening out the slitted portion, the slits of each slitted band being arranged in an odd number of rows, the slits of one row breaking joints with thoseot the adjacent rows of the same band, the slits of each odd numbered row being connected to the slits ot' the next odd numbered row by transverse slits passing between the ends o.l. the slits ol the intervening even numbered row.

The process of making expanded metal which consists in forming bands of slits separated by unslitted bands, then opening out the slitted portion, the slits ol each slitted band being arranged in an odd number ol rows and the slits of one row breaking joints with those ole the adjacent rows of the salne band, and transverse slits which are located between the ends oli slits in the even numbered rows and which connect slits J. (iILMAN, lnnnr S. MoLnAN.

transversely connecting the longitudinal

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