NZ576685A

NZ576685A - Fence mesh

Info

Publication number: NZ576685A
Application number: NZ576685A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Peter Craig Claridge; Benjamin Laurie Byers
Original assignee: South Fence Machinery Ltd
Priority date: 2009-05-01
Filing date: 2009-05-01
Publication date: 2010-11-26
Also published as: WO2010126384A1

Abstract

A fence mesh formed by line wires 112 with lateral intersecting stay wires with wire knots at the intersection of the stay wires and many of the line wires 112. At a few line wires 112, the stay wires are wound around the line wire 112 forming pivot joints that allow folding of the mesh.

Description

NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No: 576685 Date: 1 May 2009 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FENCE MESH We, SOUTH FENCE MACHINERY LIMITED, a New Zealand company of 256 Main South Road, Christchurch, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: Received at IPONZ on 15 October 2010 FIELD OF INVENTION The invention relates to a fence mesh and in particular to a knotted fence mesh having hinge joints.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION In broad terms the invention comprises in one aspect a fence mesh comprising line wires, stay wires extending laterally across and intersecting the line wires to form a mesh, a wire knot around 10 the line wire and stay wire at intersections of the stay wires and with many of the line wires, and in which the stay wire is wound around the line wire such that the stay wire can pivot about the line wire at intersections of the stay wires with one or a minor number of the line wires, to make a pivot joint along each said one or a minor number of line wires within the fence mesh.

In the fence mesh there may be a wire knot around the line wire and stay wire at all intersection points of the line wires and stay wires except along one or a minor number of line wire(s) at which the stay wires are wound around the line wire(s) such that the stay wires can pivot about that/those line wire(s).

In broad terms in another aspect the invention comprises a machine for forming a fence mesh comprising line wires, stay wires extending laterally across and intersecting the line wires to form a mesh, a wire knot around the line wire and stay wire at the intersection points of the stay wires and with many of the line wires, and in which the stay wire is wound around the line wire such that the stay wire can pivot about the line wires at the intersection points of the stay wires with 25 one or a minor number of line wires, which machine includes means arranged to advance line wires through the machine in a machine direction, means arranged to insert stay wires across the line wires in the machine, knot forming means spaced across the machine and through which line wires pass in the machine direction and the stay wire passes across the machine direction, which are arranged to 30 form a wire knot around intersections between the stay wire and many of the line wires , and a hinge joint forming means arranged to wind the stay wires around intersections of the stay wires with at least one or a minor number of the line wires.

In broad terms in another aspect the invention comprises a method for forming a fence mesh 35 comprising line wires and stay wires intersecting the line wires to form a mesh, comprising - J - advancing line wires through a fence mesh forming machine in a machine direction, inserting stay wires across the line wires in the machine, machine forming third sections of wire into wire knots around intersections between the stay wires and many of the line wires, and 5 machine winding the stay wires around at one or a minor number of the line wires such that the stay wires can pivot about the line wire(s) at the intersections of the stay wires with one or a minor number of the line wires, to form a pivot joint along the line wire within the fence mesh.

The term "comprising" as used in this specification means "consisting at least in part of'. When interpreting each statement in this specification that includes the term "comprising", features other than that or those prefaced by the term may also be present. Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprises" are to be interpreted in the same manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the invention will be described by way of example only and with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of a first embodiment of fence mesh in flat form, Figure 2 shows the section of fence mesh of Figure 1 partially folded, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a section of a second embodiment of fence mesh, Figure 4 is a perspective view of a section of a third embodiment of fence mesh, Figure 5 is a perspective view of part of a machine for forming a spiral hinge of the fence mesh of Figures 1 to 4, and Figures 6a and 6b are perspective views of a knotted fence mesh forming machine. _ 4- DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to Figure 1, a section of a first embodiment of a fence mesh 100 comprises line wires 110 — 114 and stay wires 120—123 extending laterally across line wires 110—114. At the 5 intersections between the stav wires and man}- line wires a knot 130 secures the stay wire and line wire together. At intersections between the stay wires and one or a minor number of line wires, and in the sections of mesh shown in the drawings the line wire 112, a spiral hinge 135 is formed between the stay wires and that line wire or wires. In manufacture stay wires 120-123 may be cut at line wire 112 and the resulting opposite stay wire ends 120a and 120b of each stay wire are 10 spiral wound together around line wire 112 to form a spiral hinge 135, which allows each stay wire end to pivot about the line wire 112. This enables an entire part of the fence mesh to pivot about the line wire 112 i.e. the fence mesh to be folded without bending. Figure 2 shows a part 100a of the section fence mesh of Figure 1 pivoted at an angle to part 100b, about line wire 112, or partially folded.

In the manufacture of the fence mesh a row of the spiral hinges 135 one in each stay wire, may be formed around a line wire at regular intervals. Preferably the tension with which the ends 120a/120b of each stay wire are wrapped around the line wire is such that both spiral wound stay wire ends 120a/120b may pivot around the line wire but in an alternative embodiment one end 20 of each stay wire may be wound around the line wire tightly i.e. such that that stay wire cannot pivot about the line wire but the other end of the same stay wire wound around the line wire may be wound with lower tension such that at least that stay wire can pivot around the line wire. In a further alternative embodiment the end of the stay wire on one side may be fixed to the line wire other than by spiral winding around the line wire, by for example knotting to the line wire, while 25 the opposite end of the same stay wire is wound around the line wire with tension such that at least that stay wire end can pivot about the line wire.

In die embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 the knots 130 are ringlock knots, each formed by a separate or third short length of wire knotted about the intersecting stay wire and line wire at 30 each intersection. Figures 3 and 4 show sections of fence mesh of second and third embodiments of the invention. Similar reference numerals as in Figures 1 and 2 indicate similar elements. The fence mesh is the same as that shown in Figures 1 and 2 except that the knots 130 of short sections of wire wound around the stay wire — line wire intersections are of a different type. In Figure 3 the mesh is fixed knot mesh and in Figure 4 the mesh is stiff stay mesh. These 35 knot forms in fence mesh are well known to those skilled in the art.

Received at IPONZ on 15 October 2010 In the embodiments shown the stay wires intersect the Hne wires at a right angle with straight portions of the stay wires between each of the Hne wires but in other embodiments the portions of the stay wires between the line wkes may be bent and/or the stay wires and line wires may 5 intersect at other than a right angle, in fence mesh in which the apertures defined between the line wires and stay wires are other than square or rectangular and are for example diamond shaped, and the 'stay wires extending laterally across and intersecting the line wires to form a mesh5 is to be understood accordingly.

As is well known, a fence mesh forming machine for forming knotted fence mesh has a stepped operation. Line wires progress through the machine in parallel in the machine direction (indicated at M in Figure 5) in steps. Between or at each step of the machine and stay wire is inserted into the machine across the machine direction and thus across the line wires in the machine, and third sections of wire are wound one around each stay wire-line wire intersection in 15 the transverse row of intersections between the stay wire and a line wires at knot boxes spaced across the bed of the machine and through which the line wires pass in the machine direction and the inserted stay wire passes across the machine direction - there are as many knot boxes as there are line wires progressing through the machine (see for example US patent 6,715,512 for forming ring lock fence mesh, which is incorporated herein by reference). Figures 6a and 6b show one 20 such machine. A number of continuous line wires 202 and knot wires 203 are fed to a bed 204 of the machine 201, which bed has a plurality of side by side knot boxes 205. The line wires 202 enter the machine at its base, are turned through 90 degrees around rollers 206 and pass vertically through the knot boxes 205. A continuous stay wire 207 is projected across the bed of the machine from one side, via a system of driven rollers 208 and a free-running guide sheave 208a, 25 so as to transversely cross each of the knot boxes 205, thereby forming a plurality of stay wireline wire intersections. The machine has a main drive roller 209 which pulls the completed fence mesh through the knot boxes 205, the drive roller being driven by an electric motor 210. The completed fence mesh (indicated generally by reference numeral 211 in Figure 6a then extends around a further roller 212, and would typically extend to a coiling machine or take-up unit (not 30 shown) to form it into a coil for ease of handling and transportation. The machine generally has a step-wise operation and forms a series of knots along the length of stay wire 207 at each line wire-stay wire intersection at each step of the machine. At each step the line wires 202 are advanced forward in parallel through the side by side knot boxes 205 in the machine bed 204, stay wire 207 is fed into the bed 204 of the machine across the line wires at the knot boxes 205, 35 at 90 degrees for forming square fence mesh as shown, a length of the stay wire 207 is cut, and simultaneously in each knot box 205 at each intersection between the line wires and the stay wire a knot securing the stay wire to the line wire is formed.

In such a machine modified to form fence mesh of the invention one of the knot boxes 205 is 5 replaced by a hinge joint box as shown in Figure 5, which operates at each step of the machine to form a spiral wound hinge joint between a stay wire and a line wire and in particular to spiral wind two stay wire ends together around the line wire (112 in Figure 5) passing through the hinge joint box, at the same time as the adjacent knot boxes are operating as above to form a wire knot around the intersections between the other parallel line wires and the stay wire. The hinge joint 10 box comprises a twister also schematically shown at T in Figures 1-4, having a central aperture through which the line wire 112 passes. The twister is caused to rotate at each step of the machine, to push two ends of the stay wire and twist them around the line wire at the same time as the other knot boxes 205 are operating in that step to form a wire knot around the other line wire-stay wire intersections. The hinge joint box is shown open in Figure 5 i.e. with parts 250 15 which in operation of the hinge joint box move reciprocally towards and apart in the direction of arrows C, separated to allow a just formed hinge joint 135a to move out of the hinge joint box and away from the twister t in the direction of arrow M. Before a subsequent operation of the twister T the hinge joint box closes around the twister by parts 250 moving towards each other to engage together. After the twister has again operated at the same time as the knot boxes on either 20 side) to form a hinge joint about the same line wire and the next stajr wire, the hinge joint box reopens so that the line wire and the stay wire twisted hinge joint just formed can advance forward and so on. To form the two stay wire ends at the hinge joint box the hinge joint box may be arranged to also cut at the hinge joint box at each operation of the hinge joint box immediately prior to rotation of the twister T, the one continuous length of stay wire fed across the machine 25 at each step of the machinc.

In an alternative embodiment of a knotted fence mesh forming machine generally as described above, again modified to form fence mesh of the invention by replacement of one (or more) of the knot boxes 205 by a hinge joint box as shown in Figure 5, stay wire may be fed across the bed 30 of the machine from both sides of the machine at each step. That is, continuous stay wire is projected across the bed of the machinc from both sides, via a system of driven rollers like the driven rollers 208 referred to above for example. In such a dual stay wire feed machine the stay wire from one side of the machine crosses the knot boxes 205 between that side of the machine and the hinge joint box (of Figure 5) up to the hinge joint box, while the stay wire fed from the 35 other side of the machine crosses the knot boxes between that other side of the machine up to the hinge joint box. Thus two stay wire ends, one from a stav wire feed on each side of the machine, meet at the hinge joint box. At each operation of the machine at which the knot boxes 205 form knots along the stay wire at line wire-stay wire intersections, the hinge joint box twists the two stay wire ends i.e. the end of the stay wire length fed in from one side of the machine to 5 the hinge joint box and the end of the stay wire length fed in from the other side of the machine to the hinge joint box, about the line wire. Between each knot and hinge joint forming operation the line wires are advanced forward in parallel through the side by side knot boxes and the hinge joint box, and the stay wire feed systems on either side of the machine operate in tandem to feed new stay wire lengths across the machine until the end of the stay wire lengths from either side of 10 the machine meet (or slightly overlap) at the hinge joint box, for twisting about a line wire length at the next operation of the machine. An advantage of this embodiment is that it is not required that the hinge joint box also cut the stay wire to form the two stay wire ends.

The foregoing description of the invention includes preferred forms thereof. Modifications may 15 be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

Received at IPONZ on 15 October 2010

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A fence mesh comprising line wires, stay wires extending laterally across and intersecting the line wires to form a mesh, a wire knot around the line wire and stay wire at intersections of 5 the stay wires and with many of the line wires, and in which the stay wire is wound around the line wire such that the stay wire can pivot about the line wire at intersections of the stay wires with one or a minor number of the line wires, to make a pivot joint along each said one or a minor number of Hne wires within the fence mesh. 10

2. A fence mesh according to claim 1 wherein there is a wire knot around the line wire and stay wire at all intersections of the line wires and stay wires except along one or a minor number of line wire(s) at which the stay wires are wound around the line wire(s) such that the stay wires can pivot about that/those line wire(s). 15

3. A fence mesh according to either claim 1 or claim 2 in which the stay wire is wound around the Hne wire such that the stay wire can pivot about the Hne wire, at the intersections of the stay wires with a single one of the line wires, to make a pivot joint within the fence mesh along said single one of the line wires. 20

4. A fence mesh according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in which at the intersections of the stay wires and the line wire(s) at which the stay wires can pivot about the line wire(s), two stay wire ends are wound around the line wire(s).

5. A fence mesh according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which at the intersections of the 25 stay wires and the line wire(s) at which the stay wires can pivot about the Hne wire(s), two stay wire ends are wound around the Hne wire(s) to form a row of spiral hinges along each of said one or a minor number of Hne wires.

6. A fence mesh according to any one of claims 1 to 5 in which said wire knots around the 30 Hne wire and stay wire at the intersections of the stay wires with many of the Hne wires are each formed by a separate or third short length of wire knotted about the intersecting stay wire and Hne wire.

7. A fence mesh according to claim 6 in which said wire knots around the Hne wire and stay 35 wire at the intersections of the stay wires and with many of the line wires are ringlock-type knots. - 9 -

8. A fence mesh according to claim 6 in which said wire knots around the line wire and stay wire at the intersection points of the stay wires and with many of the line wires are fixed knot mesh-type knots. 5

9. A fence mesh according to claim 6 in which said wire knots around the line wire and stay wire at the intersection points of the stay wires and with many of the line wires are stiff stay mesh-type knots.

10. A machine for forming a fence mesh comprising line wires, stay wires extending laterally 10 across and intersecting the hne wires to form a mesh, a wire knot around the Hne wire and stay wire at the intersection points of the stay wires and with many of the line wires, and in which the stay wire is wound around the Hne wire such that the stay wire can pivot about the Hne wire at the intersection points of the stay wires with one or a minor number of Hne wires, which machine includes 15 means arranged to advance Hne wires through the machine in a machine direction, means arranged to insert stay wires across the Hne wires in the machine, knot forming means spaced across the machine and through which Hne wires pass in the machine direction and the stay wire passes across the machine direction, which are arranged to form a wire knot around intersections between the stay wire and many of the line wires , and 20 a hinge joint forming means arranged to wind the stay wire around an intersections of the stay wire with at least one or a minor number of the Hue wires.

11. A machine according to claim 10 wherein the hinge joint forming means comprises a twister having a central aperture through which the Hne wire passes and which twister is caused 25 to rotate at each operation, to twist the stay wire around the line wire.

12. A machine according to claim 10 wherein the knot forming means is arranged to form a wire knot around the line wire and stay wire at all intersections of the Hne wire and stay wires except along one or a minor number of Hne wire(s) at which the stay wire is wound around the 30 one or a minor number of line wire(s).

13. A machine according to either claim 10 or claim 12 arranged to wind the stay wire around a single one of the Hne wires such that the stay wire can pivot about the Hne wire at the intersections of the stay wires with a single one of the Hne wires, to make a pivot joint within the 35 fence mesh along said single one of the Hne wires. - 10-

14. A machine according to any one of claims 10 to 13 arranged to wind at the intersections of the stay wire and the line wire(s) at which the stay wire can pivot about the line wire(s), two opposite cut ends of the stav wire wound around the line wire(s) to form a row of spiral hinges 5 along each of said one or a minor number of hne wires.

15. A machine according to any one of claims 10 to 14 in which at the intersections of the stay wires and the hne wire(s) at which the stay wkes can pivot about the hne wke(s), two opposite cut ends of each stay wke are wound around the line wke(s). 10

16. A machine according to any one of claims 10 to 15 arranged to form the wke knots around the hne wkes and stav wke at the intersections of the stay wke and with many of the hne wkes are each formed by a separate or thkd short length of wke knotted about the stay wke and hne wke at each intersection. 15

17. A machine according to claim 16 in which said wke knots around the line wke and stay wke at the intersections of the stay wkes and with many of the hne wkes are ringlock-type knots.

18. A machine according to claim 16 in which said wke knots around the hne wke and stay 20 wke at the intersection points of the stay wkes and with man)' of the hne wkes are fixed knot mesh-type knots.

19. A machine according to claim 16 in which said wke knots around the hne wke and stay wke at the intersection points of the stay wkes and with many of the hne wkes are stiff stay 25 mesh-type knots.

20. A method for forming a fence mesh comprising hne wkes and stay wkes intersecting the hne wkes to form a mesh, comprising advancing hne wkes through a fence mesh forming machine in a machine dkection, 30 inserting stay wkes across the hne wkes in the machine, machinc forming thkd sections of wke into wke knots around intersections between the stay wkes and many of the line wires, and machine winding the stay wkes around at one or a minor number of the hne wkes such that the stay wkes can pivot about the Hne wke(s) at the intersections of the stay wkes with one -11 - or a minor number of the line wkes, to form a pivot joint along the hne wke within the fence mesh.

21. A machine according to claim 20 including forming a wke knot around the line wke and 5 stay wke at all intersections of the hne wkes and stay wkes except along one or a minor number of hne wke(s) at which the stay wkes are wound around the hne wke(s) such that the stay wkes can pivot about that/those hne wke(s).

22. A method according any one of claims 20 to 21 including machine winding stay wke 10 around a single one of the hne wkes such that the stay wkes can pivot about the line wke at the intersections of the stay wkes with the hne wke to make a pivot joint within the fence mesh along said single one of the hne wkes.

23. A method according to any one of claims 20 to 22 including machine winding the stay 15 wkes around the one or a minor number of the hne wkes such that the stay wkes can pivot about the hne wke(s) at the intersections of the stay wkes with the hne wke(s) by cutting each stay wke at the hne wke(s) and winding the two opposite cut ends of each stay wke around the hne wke(s).

24. A method according to an)' one of claims 20 to 22 including machine winding the stay 20 wkes around the one or a minor number of the hne wkes such that the stay wkes can pivot about the hne wke(s) at the intersections of the stay wkes with the hne wke(s) by cutting each stay wke at the line wke(s) and winding the two opposite cut ends of each stay wke around the hne wke(s) to form a row of spiral hinges along the hne wke.

25 25. A method according to any one of claims 20 to 24 in which said wke knots around the hne wke and stay wke at the intersection points of the stay wkes and with many of the line wkes are ringlock-type knots.

26. A machine according to any one of claims 20 to 24 in which said wke knots around the 30 hne wke and stay wke at the intersection points of the stay wkes and with many of the line wires are fixed knot mesh-type knots.

27. A machine according to an)' one of claims 20 to 24 in which said wke knots around the line wke and stay wire at the intersection points of the stay wkes and with many of the line wkes 35 are stiff stay mesh-type knots. - 12-

28. A fence mesh formed by the method of any one of claims 20 to 27.

29. A fence mesh formed on a machine as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 19. 5

30. A fence mesh substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.