US2218007A

US2218007A - Expanded metal lath

Info

Publication number: US2218007A
Application number: US205266A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edwin W Miller
Original assignee: EDMUND P BURKE
Current assignee: EDMUND P BURKE
Priority date: 1938-04-30
Filing date: 1938-04-30
Publication date: 1940-10-15
Anticipated expiration: 1957-10-15

Description

Patented oci; 15, 1940 UNITED s-TATES- PATENT) OFFICE EXPAN DED METAL /LATH Edwin w. Miller, Glendale', c1if.,assig`n0r.to

v EdmundP, Burke, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application April 30, '1938, Serial No. 205,266 v sclaims." (01.72-11.17),`A` l i' l My invention relates to expanded'metal lath and hasfor its object to provide an expanded metal lath which is stronger, more rigid, more' beautiful in design, and more practical and ef- 6 cient than present designs.

In the'nrnanufacture of myimproved metal lath, the finished product is made of sheet metal so f shoulda' differ. sign resulting is that of rows of vtriangles having slitted and stretched or expanded that theA de.-

10 straight, "stretched sides, each row having said triangles alternately in opposite directions, the

two sides of adjacent triangles forming also the two sidesof a reversedv triangle therebetween.

In this vform the base of each triangle isV formed f l5 byftwo short lengths of material andeach of the two sides of a single length of material. lThe reticular sheet of expanded metal is character ized by a triangular network in which the bases of' adjacent triangles are iin`st`raight, stretched strands or'lines, and thesides of said triangles form parallel lines diagonally positioned in opposite directions. The result isk such rigidity that said metal lath cannotbe stretched transversely, or in the line of the parallel bases, which are stretched taut, or vertically because of the diagonal positions of lthe long sides of the triangles formed as the slitted metal sheet is expanded or stretched to tautness in the formation of the metal lath. Moreover, the lath of this in- 80 vention resists compressive .forces applied in the plane of theexpanded metal sheet either later-A ally, transversely or along diagonals to the edges of the sheet.

In order to more fully explain my invention, I have illustrated an embodiment of the same on the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which:

Figure' 1 is a section of sheet metal shown slitted or cut as the first step in the formation of my improved metal lath; if) Figure 2 is the same sheet partly expanded or pulled apart; Y

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of a metal lath embodying my invention; and Fig.

4 is a plan view of that shown in Fig.

45 Referring in more detail to the drawing, a

section of a sheet of metal suitable for the manufacture of lath is indicated at 5. This sheet is provided with parallel rows of slits in alignment,

such as the slits 6 and 1, theslits in each row being interrupted by uncut spaces such as the spaces 6' and 'l'. Generally, these uncut spaces between opposing ends 0f slits in a row are shorter than the length of the slits in such row. The uncut spaces or gaps in alternate rows are 55 in transverse alignment so that the uncut spaces .6* are indicated man alignment transvrsem A the rows of slits. vThe uncut spaces in vintermey ld iate rows are'also intransverse alignment which is different from` vthe 'alignment ofv l the spaces 6'. LThe'vopposingends of aligned "slitsinV 5, theinterrnediate-rows should overlap-a slitf-in'f an adjacent row and the amount' offoverlap",lv ,'For example, I6 and l'x'denotef f the opposing ends of :slits 6in a-row, such opi? posing endsl 4being separated bynan uncut por.,l 10

tion '6'. These opposingendsfo'f the slits`-6 over-L,y lap the yadjacent slit 1 by' "distances diffeging from Veachv other. rIt will be noted `thatthe end" I6 of the slit 6 overlapsthe slit 1 byfa very `material distance whereas theA end rlli of '.thealiged u t slit` 6 overlaps the'slit 'l by a shorterir'dis'tance;

. Pairs of gapsA` or uncut portions are thus formed,

each pair being designated', and such gapsformV the junctions'finfthe expandedA sheet as indl` cated in"Fig. 2in particular'. 20 As 'saidfslitted sheet is 'expanded lorpulled said slits open up, as indicated in Fig. 2, and this is done by pulling the left hand edge out, oraway from the sheet, and the right hand edge back, or, with the drawing lying at on the desk, the 25 left hand edge is pulled up and the right hand edge would be pulled down, or in the'opposite di- ,rection. This results inseparating the sheet rst into the form shownin Fig. 2, and then into the nished'form shown in Fig.

The short connecting portions, designated 9, 9, between the two transverse rows of gaps, as they are stretched form the straight base, or short sides, of the triangles, as will be clear from Fig.

3. The base of each triangle is thus common to $5 portions of the base of two other triangles. The" long connecting portions, designated I0, I0, form the long sides of the triangles. It is to be noted also that these 'long sides of the triangular forms are in diagonal alinement in opposite directions o and that thev short connecting

portions

9, 9, are in straight lines, and that-between said straight baselines are the triangular forms alternately in opposite positions. The precise shape of the, triangles formed in the expanded lathV depends l t It is to be noted that the resulting expanded sheet is substantially fiat, the sides and bases of all triangles lying in a common plane. During the expanding of the sheet in Width, the length of the sheet has been reduced but all sides and bases of the triangles have been subjected to substantially the same amount of stress during ex-` pansion. Y

While I have shown and described in detail one practical embodiment of aware that changes may be made in details of construction without departing from the spirit thereof, and I do not, therefore, lirnit my inf` vention to the showing rnade, except as I may be limited by the hereto appended claims forming a part of my application.

I claim:

1. A sheet metal blank slitted with parallel; f

cuts, alternate cuts being interrupted in 'differ` ent positions longitudinally of said cuts, the interruptions of alternate cuts forming one row transversely of said cuts and the interruptions of the other alternate cuts` forming another row transverselyof said cuts, said two rows of un-v cut portions transversely of the cuts constituting a pair, the pairs of uncut portions being fur-gv ther apart thanthe rowsV of each pair, whereby when said sheet is expanded laterally, the strands between said cuts form the long sides of triangular forms and the shorter strands form the bases of said triangular forms, there being two i rows of overlapping triangular forms. between two lines of bases. A 5, `2. Expanded metal lathmade of sheet meta sltted with parallel cuts with short interrupg the interruptions of alternatel tions in said cuts, cuts Vforming rows of interruptionsv transversely of said sheet metal, said rows being in pairs, and the pairs of rows being further apart longitudinally than the interruptions of each pair, Wheremy invention, I ain-i`V 'ing vjoined substantially at its mid .,ternate rows being in transverse alignment; the

uncut spaces in intermediate rows being in a different transverse alignment, the opposing ends of aligned slits in said intermediate rows overlapping a slit in an adjacent row by distances differing from each other.

4. As an article of manufacture, a substantially flat reticular sheetV of expanded metal, the

Ametal forming triangles, such triangles being ari'angedin rows with their bases in a substantiallyfstraight line. the base of each triangle being common to portions of the bases of two adjacent triangles.

5. As an article of manufacture, a substantially at reticular sheet of expanded metal, the metal forming triangles, such triangles being arranged in rows, the base of each triangle be- Y point to the intersection of two sides of adjacent triangles.

\ 6. An larticle, of manufacture substantially as shown and described and consisting of a substantially at sheet of reticulated metal, the

reticulations forming triangles, the base of each triangle being common to portions of the bases 'yf-oi, two adjacent triangles, said bases forming straight lines in alignment with each other, the

sides of said triangles being in substantially diagonal alignment whereby the sheet has rigidity and strength against deformation in various directions.

. EDWIN W. MILLER.