US1816381A - Wire fence or grille fabric - Google Patents

Description

July 841931. vA; A. G. LAND 1,816,381

Y WIRE FENCE-0R GRILLE FABRIC Filed Nov. 7, i928 ssheets-sheet v1 i July 28, 1931. l lA VA.. G. LAND WIRE FENCE 0R GRILLE FABRIC 5 Sheets-sheet 2 Filed Nov. 7, 1928 July 28, 1931. A. A. G. LAND 1,816,381

WIRE FENCE OR GRILLE FABRIC Filed Nov. 7, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 28, 1931 'UNITED STATES ARTHUR A. G. LAND, or CHICAGO, ILLINOISy vwird: renee 'on Gaitan FABRIC Application led. November My invention relates to interwoven wire fabrics of the class commonly used for wire fences, grilles, base-ball back-stops and the like, namely so called vchain link wire fabrics made by consecutively twisting (or weaving into each other' wire spirals which are flattened. Such chain link wire fabrics have long been made 06f strands formed by winding a wire -spirally around a flat mandrel, so that the major` portion of each strand consists of consecutively diverging wire portions-,which cooperate in the' adjacent strands'of the interwoven fabric to form squaqreorY diamond-shaped meshes.

In such fabrics, the size of the substantially square or diamondeshaped mesh suited for any given purpose usually depends on the size of the objectswhieh the wire fence or the like is to exclude. For example, for a fence around a tennis court, the mesh must be sufficiently small so' that, a standard sized tennis ball is larger in diameter than the vdiameter of the circle which can be Ainscribed within the mesh of the fence.- In

practice, this determining factor makes it necessary vto use a much smaller mesh for the fencing Ythan is'y re uired for resisting the ystrains which the ence has Yto stand; consequently, such wire fencing as now in common usenet only requires a much larger number of constituent strands in proportionV to its surface area than would be needed for its strain-resistin l strength', but also `involves a corresponc ing increase the cost of interweaving the strands and in the transportation expenses. l,

My present invention aims to yprovide chain link wire fabrics for fences or the like which will accomplish the same objectexcluding ypurposes with fewer wire strands employed vfor the same surface area; and which willl reduce both the total yweight of wire required'for a given fence or the like, the cost of interweaving the needed strands', and the transportation costs.V

Furthermore, my inventionaims to pro' vide such reductions in cost by employing preformed wires which will also give an ornamental appearance te the resulting fence, grille or the like; which will readily 7.1928.` serial No. 317,841.

permit wide variations of the resulting ornamental 'effect' so' that the llatter can harmonize `with the architecture or design of adjacent buildings and with the taste of the user; Aand which will increase the resistancey of the resulting fence or the like to'trans-l versestrains.

Still further objects of my invention will appear from the following specification and from the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is 'an elevation vof a fragment of a wire fabric embodying my invention and based on a square mesh arran1gement,`with a dotted line showing the periphery of the largest ball which would pass through this wire fabric, and with a lower dotted portion showing the larger Asized ball which would pass through an ordinary chain wire fence of the same mesh-corner spacing.

Fig. 2 is `a contrasting fragmentary elevationof a wire fabric of the usual interi woven type, showing the smaller size of mesh andthe increased strands which would be required in an ordinary chain link wire fence to exclude the size of ball indicated in the upper portion of Fig. 1. s

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of a wire fabric, showing another shaping of the preformed bends in the constituent strands, also having the interlocking por-4 tions of adjacent strands arranged at the corners of imaginary squares.

Figs. 4', y5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary elevations of wire fabrics showing other arrangements o'f the auxiliary kinks or bends in the constituent wire strands,- and each arranged 'numbery of wire so that the interlinking points of the strands form the corners of diamond-shaped figures. 1 Fig. 8 is an enlarged horizontal section taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.to show the general planes in which each `two adjacent mesh legs of a strand are disposed. y

Fig. 9 is `a section similar to the mainV portionof Fig. 8, showing 'anotherl formation of my interwoven strands-namely one in which the mesh legs of allv of the strands have their axes in a' common plane. Fig. 10 shows a fragment 'of a chain llnk type of wire fabric in which every alternate( leg of each strand has a single bend bowed toward the longitudinal axis of the strand.

Fig. l1 shows a fragment of a chain link type of wire fabric in which every alternate leg of each strand has a single bend bowed toward the longitudinal axis of the strand, and in which each intervening leg of each strand has a single bend bowed away from the longitudinal axis of the strand.

Fig. 12 shows a fragmentary elevation 0f a fabric in which the alternate strands are duplicates of each other to their formations, and in which every leg of each strand has a bend bowed in the samedirection laterally of the fabric.

Fig. 13 shows a fragment of a fabric composed of ordinary chain link strands alternating Vwith strands embodying my inventon.

Generally speaking, I accomplish the objects of my invention by utilizing three Vunderlying principles:

One is the fact that in any fabric or structure having meshes, the providing of the legs (or sides) of each mesh with bends extending into a mesh will reduce the objectexcluding size of the mesh. A second is the fact that suitably formed bends in such mesh legs stiffen the latter, so that a given rigidity and strength can be secured with a smaller diameter of wire for the strands y than is needed when the mesh legs are straight as in the now customary constructions.

The third is the fact that the .auxiliary bends or kinks (which employ for the purpose of reducing the effective objectexcluding size of the mesh and for permitting the use of lighter wire strands) can readily be so formed and arranged as to make the resulting fence or the like decidedly ornamental in appearance.

Illustrative of my novel fabric, Figs. l and 3 show fragmentary elevations of two wirev fabrics each formed of consecutively interwoven wire strands extending in a generally upright direction. Each such wire strand is preformed into a flattened spiral in which the consecutive half-turns diverge in agcneral direction at right angles to cach other, so that the bights in the interwoven wire strands are disposed at the corners of imaginary squares having one diagonal vertical.

If each half-turn of each such flattened spiral were straight when viewed in elevation, the resulting square mesh would be substantially as indicated by the dotted lines A at the lower end of Fig. l, so that a ball of the periphery shown atB Ywould still pass through thev mesh.

To make a fabric based on the same spacing of the interlocking bights exclude a considerably smaller ball, I provide each half turn of the preformed (flattened spiral) wire strand with auxiliary bends or kinks l and 2 which extend in the same general vertical plane with the half turn portions 3 and t adjacent to the bights connected by that half turn, but which bends l and 2 project beyond the general direction of the portions 3 and 4 in respectively opposite directions. lVith counterpart auxiliary bends or kinks thus provided in every half turn of the preformed wire strands, and with the laterally consecutive strands laterally reversed (after the usual manner) when interwoven, the bends l are re-entrant for one vertically alined row of the resulting meshes, as shown in the left-hand portion of Fig. l.

However, these bands l project inward of the imaginary square A which connects the corners of the adjacent vertical row of meshes. On the other hand, the bends 2 which project outwardly of the said imaginary square in the left-hand row of Fig. l extend inwardly of the corresponding imaginary squares in the adjacent vertical row of meshes, as shown for example at 2A.

Consequently, the maximum periphery of a ball which would pass through the meshes of such a fabric would be that shown in dottedilines at C, or a ball much smaller in diameter than the ball B in the same figure. To produce an exclusion of equal effective size of that of the fabric of Fig. l with the ordinary chain link type of fabric in which the half turns of the spiral strand are straight, the length of the half turns would haveV to be reduced as shown in Fig. 2, thereby correspondingly reducing the diagonals of the imaginary mesh squares and requiring amuch greaterrnumber of the interwoven wire strands per lineal foot of the fabric.

Comparing Figs. l and 2, it will be noted that the fabric of Fig. l requires a somewhat greater length of wire for each constituent strand than that of Fig. 2, but the number of such strands required for a given length and height of fabric is so much less for my Fig. l type than for the ordinary type of Fig. 2 that the total wire required is still less for my novel type than for the older type of Fig. 2.

Moreover, since the cost of the intertwisting (or soealled inteiwveaving) of the consecutive strands depends on the number of strands employed, this important item of cost is considerably less for my novel type of Fig. l than for the corresponding older type of Fig. 2. Since the auxiliary bends in the wire strands of Figl all are disposed approximately in the general plane of the fabric, these bends also increase the resistance of the fabric to strains in directions transverse of that planeas for example, to the impact of a ball driven against the fabric at right angles tothe said plane. Conthe manufacturer. For example, the major portions of two successive half-turns of thek spiral may respectively have their axes in two planes parallel to, but at opposite sides of, the medial plane of the fabric, namely the plane 13 which extends through the middle points of all of the bights, as shown in Fig. 8. Or, the major portions of all halfturns (or mesh legs) may all have their axes in the said medial plane 13 of the fabric, if each strand is formed to include bight loops 14 as shown in Fig. 9. In either case, every strand can readily be interwoven with the next preceding one by inserting it endwise of the latter with a spiral advancing movement.

Furthermore, I do not wish to be limited to the providing of the use of bends which make each leg of the strand a counterpart of other legs, nor even to the providing ofl bends on every leg of the strand, las my invention may be employed in a wide variety of ways without departing from its spirit.

For example, Fig. 10 shows a portion of a chain-link Wire fabric in which the alternate half-turns of each spiral strand (or alternate legs of each strand) present substantially straight mesh sides, while each intervening leg of the strand has a single bent portion formed in it, these bent portions being similarly directed in the said intervening legs of a strand. Each ofthe resulting meshes then has only a single reentrant wire portion, but even this considerably reduces the size of an object which would still pass through the mesh, as shown for a ball by the dotted circle K.

In the fabric of Fig. 11, each composite strand has a single bent portion in every leg thereof, but these bent portions 15 and 16 are oppositely directed in consecutive legs, so as toextend respectively into two adjacent meshes.

In the fabric of Fig. 12, every leg of each composite strand has a single bent portion and these bent portions all extend in the same direction transversely of the length of the strand. In this case, the alternate strands 17 are of counterparts of each other, but the intervening Vstrands 18 have their bent portions directed oppositely from those in the said alternate strands.

In each of the heretofore describedy embodiments, it will be noted that each bent portion in a given strand is bowed (and projects from the general-direction inpwhich the strand leg extends) toward an imagin-r ary edge line M extending along the bights at one side edge of the strand.Y Moreover,

since 'the departure of each bent portion from the general plane of the wire fabric is quite small in proportion ,to the klength. of the strand legs Aor mesh sides, these bent portions may extend approximately in the general plane of the wire fabric.

However, while I have heretofore described fabrics composed entirely of wire strands preformed according to my invention, the general purposes of my invention can also be accomplished by using such preformed wires only for half of the strands, and alternating these with ordinary chainlink wire strands in which the half-turns or legs have no mesh-size-reducing bent portions. For example, Fig. 13 shows both the effective reduction in the size of mesh and the ornamental appearance produced by using ordinary chain-link wire strands 19 with interposed strands 20 which were preformed according to my invention.

So also, while I have heretofore described my invention as employed in a wire fabric designed for halting and excluding balls Ido not wish to be limited to the purposes for which my interwoven fabric may be employed. For example, the same auxiliary bends or kinks, which reduce the effective size of my meshes in proportion to their interlinked dimensions, also reduce the foothold which a prospective trespasser can get on my fabric, so that my wire fabric is quite generally suitable for use as a more economical substitute for older types of wire fences, grilles, or the like. It is likewise adapted for window-guards, doorguards, and wire screens of various kinds.

In the claims, it is to be understood that the term mesh side is used to designate the entire portion of a single strand which is interposed between any two consecutive bights of the strand; and that the term bight is used to designate the bends of adjacent strands which are interlocked in the assembled fabric.

I claim as my invention:

1. A chain-link wire fabric comprising preformed zigzag strands consecutively inter-twisted so that each two consecutive strandsborder a row of four-sided meshes; one of every two consecutive strands being continuously spiraled in the same direction, and being formed so that one side of each mesh which is partly bordered by the said strand is bentto present two oppositely directed bends connected byv a strand portion crossing a straight line connecting the ends of that mesh side, one of the said bends proleg.

distance between the center of that mesh and the said mesh side in proportion to the distance between the same mesh center and an imaginary straight lmesh side connecting the ends of that mesh side.

3. A chain-link wire fabric comprising consecutively intertwisted zigzag strands forming rows of four-sided meshes, each strand being continuously spiraled Ain the same direction, every two adjacent rows of meshes having two sides of each mesh formed by a single strand, the said single strand having in single mesh-side-forming parts thereof two bends bowed respectively into meshes of the two adjacent rows, the extent of the bowing being such that the bends materially reduce the maximum size of objects which can pass through the meshes into which the said bends are bowed.

4. A chain-link type of wire fabric comprising zigzagged strands each continuously spiraled in the same direction, each two consecutive strands being spirally intertwined to border a row of four-sided meshes in which meshes two consecutive mesh sides are formed by one strand, one of two consecutive strands being provided with bends bowed for a considerable distance toward the next strand to reduce the efective openings of meshes formed by the said two consecutive strands.

5. As a constituent for a fabric composed of consecutively intertwined strands, a zigzag strand continuously spiraled in one direction, and presenting consecutively diverging legs when viewed in front elevation, one of every two consecutive legs having a portion thereof formed to afford abend bowed for a considerable distance toward the other leg.

6. As a constituent for a fabric composed of consecutively intertwined strands, a zigzag strand continuously spiraled in one direction, and presenting consecutively diverging legs when viewed in front elevation, at least a portion of the strand having in one of every two consecutive legs thereof two portions formed to afford two bends lying approximately in the general plane of the strand and bowed for considerable distances respectively toward and away from the other 7. As a constituent for a fabric composed of consecutively intertwined strands, a zigzag strand continuously spiraled in one direction, and presenting consecutively diverging legs when viewed in front elevation, one

of every two consecutive legs in at least a portion of the strand having a portion thereof formed to afford a bend bowed for a considerable distance toward the other leg, each two consecutive legs being disposed for substantially their entire length respectively forward and rearward of the general plane of the strand.

ARTHUR A. G. LAND.

Images