US1203704A - Expanded-metal fabric. - Google Patents

Description

N. E. CLARK.

EXPANDED METAL FAB RIC. APPLICATION FILED MAII. II. 1908.

1 203,704. I Patented Nov. 7,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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N. E. CLARK.

EXPANDED METAL FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1h I908.

1,203,704. Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

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EXPANDED METAL FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. H. 1908.

1,203,704. v Patented Nov. 7,1916.

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EXPANDED METAL FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. n. 1908.

Patented N 0v. 7, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHET 4.

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TOHNEY.

NORRIS ELMORE CLARK, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

EXPANDED-METAL FABRIC.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

Application filed March 11, 1908. Serial No. 42Q,520.

To all whom it may-concern Be it known that I, Nornns Emronn CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plainville, in thecounty of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Expanded-Metal Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to' expanded metal fabrics.

The fabric is particularly intended for use in cement and concrete work as reinforcement for floors, walls and beams. It is also adapted to other classes of use inasmuch as it is readily handled and erected.

The method of manufacture and particularly the stepknown as slitting or lancing is such that the tools necessary are simple and durable and easy to make and keep up. The method of slitting permits a considerable degree of expansion for a given length of cut.

Vhile it is wasteful to remove any of the material in preparation for expansion, I wish it understood that the term slitting as herein used in reference to the method is intended to cover such operations as perforating where a slight amount of stock is punched out or lost.

I reserve the right to claim the mechanism for slitting 1n a separate application. The accompanying four sheets of drawing illustrate the preferred form and some modifications of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates the plan of lancing or slitting into bars and strands. Fig. 2 is a plan of a fragment of the material slitted as shown in Fig. 1 and expanded or stretched out. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the same on the plane of the line a: m Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a similar sectional View showing a bar of round section and the fabric curved. Fig. 5 is a plan of slitting similar to Fig. 1 but showing different proportions and numbers of strands. Fig. 6 shows a fragment of fabric expanded from material slitted as shown in Fig. Fig. 7 is a side View of fabric slitted as in Fig. 5, expanded as in Fig. 6 and formed into a structure to be used for instance in a beam or girder. Fig. 8 is an end view of the same structure as shown in Fig. 7 the bars being corrugated. Fig. 9 is a similar end View of a differently shaped structure formed from the same material as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 Fig. 16 shows a fragment of fabric expanded from material slitted as shown in Fig. 15. Fig. 17 is a plan of another modified arrangement of slitting. F 18 shows a fragment of fabric expanded from material slitted as shown in Fig. 17.

From the drawings it will be seen that the fabric consists of parallel bars c011- nected by strips composed-of three or more strands integrally connected in the same plane and offsets which project at right angles on opposite sides. The fabric may of course be subsequently altered by corrugating, twisting, bending or otherwise forming it into various special structures.

The method of manufacture consists in first,'slitting the stock in two directions so that. it is composed of parallel bars connected by series of extensible strips, each comprising strands extending transverse to the bars andconnected at the sides of their ends. and second: separating the bars so as to .extend the strips and form openings therebetwcen.

The direction of the bars 1, 2-, 3, 4 and 5 may conveniently be considered as longitudinal of the fabric for the purpose of relative description. Strands 6, 7, 8, 9. 10, 11, 12. 13 and ll which extend transversely,

constitute .a strip connecting the bars 1 and Preferably each of the strands which are directly connected to the bars is double the width of the other strands on account of their proportionally greater load. For instance, strand 14 is connected back to bar 2 by strands 15, 16, 17, '18, 19, 20, 21 and 22. Strand is connected to the side of strand 22 opposite strand 21 and constitutes part of another strip connecting bars 2 and 1. These strips are connected back and forth zig-zag fashion from bar to bar. .At the points of connection between the strands are offsets such as 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 some of which project upwardly and some downwardly from the plane of the sheet. These offsets act as anchors when the fabric is used in concrete work. The strips 32, 33, 34 and 35 form the. outline of a diamond shaped figure which is divided into two triangles by the bar 2. The strands 36, 37 and 38 correspond with strands 6, 14: and 22, but they face in opposite directions.

The sheet from which the fabric is made may be of a specially rolled section so that the bars will be any desired cross section such as round as shown. at 2 in Fig. 4.

The transverse slitting may be accomplished by gangs of cutters, the ,punch members of which correspond with strands 7,9, 11, 13, 15, 17,19 and 21, each punch cutting on both edges so as to formslitssuch as 40 and 41. The longitudinal slits such as 42, 43, 11 and 45 may be formed by other cutters after the transverse slitting. The strands may be indented or set at the ends of the slits so as to start the bending of the offsets and facilitate the expansion or stretching operation. After slitting the stock longitudinally and transversely the bars are separated so as to elongate the strips and form openings. In this expansion some ofthe intermediate strands turn over endwise for instance, strands 7, 9, 11 and 13 but their surfaces become parallel again when expansion is complete even when the sheet is curved as in Fig. 4.

In the material shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the stock is divided into bars 50, 51 and 52 connected by strips such as 53, '54 and 55 each composed of five strands such as 56, 57, 58, 59 and 60. Strand 56 may be considered as divided by an imaginary transverse line into two parts, the left half being connected to strand 57 and forming part of strip 53 and the right half being connected to strand 61 and forming part of strip 54. The strands and 62 together with the adjacent part of the center bar 51 constitute a cross beam which connects the opposite series of strands. Similarly the strands or projections 63 and 61 constitute another. cross beam.

Figs. 7 and 8 show the fabric of Fig. 6 worked up into a structure for girder reinforcement. Here the bars 50, 51 and 52 are stifl'ened by corrugating, the strands 63 and 64, constitute horizontal beammembers and the strips 65, 66 and 67 constitute side trusses having the anchors such as 68, 69 and 70.

In the form shown in Fig. 9 the bars 71 of strips each consisting of three strands 78, 7 9 and with the oppositely projecting olfsets 81 and 82. The bars may be twisted or turned on edge as shown at 76' and 77' 14 if desired to afford additional ledges, or ridges or seats for the cement or mortar. In the form shown in these figures strand 83 is between strands 80 and 84 instead of being oppositeeither of them. This type is the result of the simple arrangement of slitting of Fig. 11. I

The slitting of Fig. 15 results in bars 85 and 86 connected by strands 87, 88, 89, 90 and 91. 'By thusomitting any bar connecting strands or cross beams 89, 92, etc., a

greater expansion is permitted and the fabric is more flexible. The slitting of Fig. 17

is somewhat different and permits of a great amount of expansion as shown in Fig. 18. The bars 93 and 94 are connected by series of strips consisting of strands such as 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 and 101. Each of these. fabrics has its own advantages and particular uses and all are intended to be covered by the broad claims. It will; be noted that in each case the strands project at'right angles from the bars or tension members so that there are no small angles or corners to form voids in concrete work and the offsets projecting at right angles to the strands absolutely prevent lateral slip and greatly aid in properly distributing the stresses in the concrete and steel. In the girder formations of Figs. 7 8 and 9 the trusslike sides prevent any of the bars from moving toward each other when embedded in concrete or longitudinally at any time.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. An expanded metal fabric consisting of parallel side bars and a center bar, opposite projections integral with the sides of the center bar, the projections on one side being, directly opposite and in line of cross tension with the projections on the opposite side, projections integral with the side bars and between the longitudinal positions of the projections carried by the center bar, and extensible strips composed of integrally united strands projecting at right angles to the bars with their edges parallel and connecting the projections and forming diamond shaped openings divided by the bars adjacent connecting strands being independent of each other.. i

2. An integral expanded metal structure comprising a longitudinal center bar, longitudinal side bars disposed in a plane below the plane of the center bar, strands connected to the center bar and extending horizontally in opposite directions from the sides of said center bar and strips each consisting of integrally united vertical strands connect ed with the outer ends of the horizontal strands and adjacent strips extending downwardly on opposite inclines and connected with the side bars at their lower ends to form zigzag truss-like sides connecting the horizontal strands and side bars.

3. An expanded metal fabric blank having two rows of longitudinal slits therein spaced apart and with the slits in the respective rows arranged in staggered relation with respect to each other and two series of spaced transverse slits united with each of the longitudinal slits and arranged with one series of transverse slits extending from a longitudinal slit in one row overlapping and alternating with one series of t ansverse slits extending from a longitudinal slit in the sec- 0nd row and the second series of t ansverse slits extending from the first-mentioned lon NORRIS ELMO RE CLARK.

\Vitnesses A. V. BROOK, D. G. CLARK.

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