U.S. patent application number 11/849052 was filed with the patent office on 2009-03-05 for woven wire mesh.
This patent application is currently assigned to Global Materials Technologies, Inc.. Invention is credited to Terrence P. Kane.
Application Number | 20090061708 11/849052 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40408194 |
Filed Date | 2009-03-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090061708 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kane; Terrence P. |
March 5, 2009 |
WOVEN WIRE MESH
Abstract
The invention is a wire mesh for pest control and
deterrence.
Inventors: |
Kane; Terrence P.; (Glen
Ellyn, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROSENBAUM & ASSOCIATES, P.C.
650 DUNDEE ROAD, SUITE #380
NORTHBROOK
IL
60062
US
|
Assignee: |
Global Materials Technologies,
Inc.
Palatine
IL
|
Family ID: |
40408194 |
Appl. No.: |
11/849052 |
Filed: |
August 31, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
442/6 ; 140/71R;
140/9 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 442/109 20150401;
D10B 2101/20 20130101; D03D 15/593 20210101; D03D 9/00
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
442/6 ; 140/71.R;
140/9 |
International
Class: |
D03D 15/02 20060101
D03D015/02 |
Claims
1. A wire mesh for pest deterrence comprising: a. a plurality of
interwoven metal wires, wherein the interwoven metal wires include
a cord-shaped cross-section with a circular edge, and one flat edge
with a first sharp end and a second sharp end, wherein the first
and second sharp ends include an angle less than 60 degrees with
respect to the circular edge to prevent pest burrowing.
2. The wire mesh of claim 1, wherein the interwoven metal wires are
stainless steel wires.
3. The wire mesh of claim 1, wherein the circular edge includes an
arc less than 180 degrees.
4. The wire mesh of claim 1, wherein the flat edge is shaved by a
blade.
5. The wire mesh of claim 1, wherein the interwoven metal wires
include a diameter between about 50 to about 102 mm.
6. The wire mesh of claim 1, wherein the interwoven metal wires are
woven into a diamond shaped pattern.
7. The wire mesh of claim 6, wherein the first end and second sharp
ends include an angle with respect to the longitudinal plane of the
flat edge.
8. A wire mesh for pest deterrence comprising: a. a plurality of
interwoven metal wires, wherein the interwoven metal wire includes
a cord-shaped cross-section with a circular edge, at least two
sharp edges, and a flat edge surface; and b. the two sharp edges
drawn at an upward angle with respect to the longitudinal plane of
the flat edge surface to prevent pest burrowing.
9. The wire mesh of claim 8, wherein the angle with respect to the
longitudinal plane of the flat edge surface is greater than about
20 degrees.
10. The wire mesh of claim 9, wherein the interwoven metal wires
are woven into a diamond shaped pattern.
11. The wire mesh of claim 10, wherein the circular edge includes
an arc of greater than 180 degrees.
12. A method for producing a wire mesh, comprising the steps of: a.
shaving a plurality of metal wires; b. providing the plurality of
shaved metal wires including a cord-shaped cross-section with a
circular edge, and one flat edge with a first sharp end and a
second sharp end, wherein the first and second sharp ends include
an angle less than 60 degrees with respect to the circular edge;
and c. interweaving the shaved metal wires into a wire mesh.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the interweaving step further
comprises interweaving the metal wires into a diamond shaped
pattern.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the diamond shaped pattern
includes a width to prevent pest burrowing.
15. (canceled)
16. The method of claim 13, further comprising a. drawing the
cord-shaped cross-section shaved metal wires through a circular die
such that the first and second sharp ends of the flat edge are bent
at an upward angle with respect to the longitudinal plane of the
flat edge of the metal wire.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the angle respect to the
longitudinal plane of the flat edge of the metal wire is greater
than about 10 degrees.
18. The wire mesh of claim 8, wherein the interwoven metal wires
include a diameter between about 50 to about 102 mm.
19. The wire mesh of claim 7, wherein the angle with respect to the
longitudinal plane of the flat edge is greater than about 20
degrees
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The field of the invention is wire meshes, and more
particularly, wire meshes for pest control.
[0002] The burrowing behaviors of certain animals like nutria,
rats, muskrats, gophers, groundhogs, armadillo, etc. become a
problem when the burrowing occurs in man-made structures like
earthen dams, levees, embankments and decorative landscaping. The
present methods of burrowing control include killing, trapping or
other reactive measures. However, prevention and protection of the
structures where burrowing is unwanted may be a more appropriate
and humane response. Finally, anti-burrowing methods are often
harmful to pets and non-invasive animals.
[0003] There are a variety of mechanisms for pest exclusion;
however, currently there is a need in the art for economical pest
exclusion device that is environmentally friendly and easily
adaptable to a variety of environments and locations. Moreover, the
current mechanisms for pest control are ill-suited for ground
laying applications due to corroding, heavy materials, expensive
materials, and too stiff for ground or dirt applications. The
present invention solves these problems as well as others.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The foregoing and other features and advantages of the
invention are apparent from the following detailed description of
exemplary embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely
illustrative of the invention rather than limiting, the scope of
the invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents
thereof.
[0005] The invention is a wire mesh for pest control and
deterrence.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0006] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed
description of preferred embodiments of the invention, will be
understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For
the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the
drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be
understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the
precise arrangements and configurations shown.
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
invention.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cross-section of the
metal wire.
[0009] FIG. 3 is perspective view of the cross-section of the near
round metal wire.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cross-section of the
round metal wire.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cross-section of the
metal wire being shaved by the serrated blade.
[0012] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the serrated blade.
[0013] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cross-section of the
metal wire with thickness I.
[0014] FIG. 8A is a cross-section of the metal wire with the
cord-shaped cross section.
[0015] FIG. 8B is a cross-section of the angled metal wire being
redrawn. FIG. 8C is a cross-section of the angled metal wire being
redrawn. FIG. 8D is a cross-section of the angled metal wire being
redrawn. FIG. 8E is a cross-section of the near round metal wire
being redrawn.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] Generally speaking, the invention is a wire mesh 10
comprising a plurality of interwoven metal wires 20, as shown in
FIG. 1. The metal wires 20 are interwoven in a diamond shaped
pattern 12. The plurality of metal wires 20 includes a cord-shaped
cross-section 22 with at least two sharp edges 24 and a circular
edge 28, as shown in FIG. 2. The cord-shaped cross-section has a
vertical and horizontal direction, shown as the y-direction and the
x-direction in FIG. 2. The longitudinal direction of the metal wire
20 extends in the z-direction, while the sharp edges 24 extend in
the x-direction. The sharp edges 24 act as a pest deterrent for the
wire mesh 10. In one embodiment of the invention, the sharp edges
24 are folded up towards the y-direction to give a near-round metal
wire 30, as shown in FIG. 3. The cord-shaped section 34 of the
near-round metal wire 30 is much thinner and lighter than
conventional cyclone woven wire for above ground fencing.
[0017] The wire mesh 10 focuses on prevention and protection of the
structures where burrowing is unwanted. The wire mesh 10 is
installed by burying the wire mesh 10 just underneath the surface
soil and planting grass or other plants over the top. Plants
readily root through the diamond shaped pattern 12. Additionally,
the wire mesh 10 helps to stabilize the ground surface against
erosion. The wire mesh 10 is not harmful to the animals but is
effective in creating a permanent anti-burrowing barrier that is
invisible. The metal wires 20 woven with sharp edges 24 to provide
for additional deterrent for excluding pests in any environment.
The wire mesh 10 is significantly lighter than traditional fence
and significantly cheaper to produce.
[0018] The diamond shaped pattern 12 may have various dimensions,
as appropriate to exclude pests, as shown in FIG. 1. In one
embodiment of the invention, the diamond shape diameter D may be
12-75 mm across. In one embodiment of the invention, the diameter D
is 20 mm across. In another embodiment of the invention, the
diameter D is 40 mm across. The diameter D of the diamond shaped
pattern 12 may be increased or decreased for the wire mesh 10
according to the size of the pest anticipated to burrow in each
particular location. For example, if the pest is a rat, the
diameter of the diamond shaped pattern would be smaller, such as 20
mm. Alternatively, for larger pests, the diameter of the diamond
shaped pattern 12 would be larger, such as 60 mm for nutria and the
like. Alternatively, the wire mesh 10 may include alternative
dimensions such as a plain weave pattern, twill square weave
pattern, double crimp pattern, or intercrimp pattern.
Metal Wires
[0019] In one embodiment of the invention, the metal wires 20 are
formed by shaving a cylindrical metal wire 40 with diameter H, as
shown in FIG. 4. Alternatively, the metal wire 40 may be any
suitable metal wire shape, such as rod-shaped, elliptical, etc. As
shown in FIG. 5, the metal wire 40 is shaved in the longitudinal
direction with a serrated blade 50 and a lubricant to produce the
cord-shaped cross section 22 with the sharp edges 24. The lubricant
may be oil. The serrated blade 50 includes serrated edges 52, as
shown in FIG. 6. The pattern of the serrated edges may be any
pattern to sufficiently shave the metal wire 40 and produce the
sharp edges 24. The finished shaved metal wire 20 includes a
diameter I that is less than 50% of the beginning diameter H to
give the cord-shaped cross section 22 with two sharp edges 24, as
shown in FIG. 7. In one embodiment of the invention, the
cross-sectional area is 15% of the original and the weight per
length of the wire is 15% of the original weight. The diameter is,
for example, H=0.115'' to start and diameter I=0.025'' at finish.
The diameter I of the shaved metal wire 20 may be increased in
order to increase tensile strength. Alternatively, the diameter I
of the shave metal wire 20 may be decreased to increase the
flexibility of the wire mesh 10.
[0020] In one embodiment of the invention, the metal wire 20 is
made from stainless steel, as to prevent rusting and corrosion of
mesh. However, the metal wire 20 can also be made from bronze,
carbon steel, copper, aluminum, metal alloys, and other suitable
metals that can be shaved into suitable metal fibers to suit a
variety of pest deterring applications. If the wire mesh 10 is made
from stainless steel wires, the wire mesh 10 requires no additional
coating to protect the wire mesh 10 from rusting or eroding.
Typically, wires used for fences require zinc coatings, which are
applied by galvanizing after weaving or galvanizing before weaving.
Galvanized after weaving ("GAW") is a process in which wire rod is
drawn to the finished gauge, then woven into chain link fabric. The
fabric is then pulled through a pot of molten zinc. This process
applies 1.2 ounces of zinc coating per square foot of fabric and
conforms to ASTM standards. If the wire mesh is made from carbon
steel, then galvanizing the metal wire is preferred. Alternatively,
nonferrous metals may be preferable in certain environmental
conditions. Alternatively, the wire mesh 10 may be coated with a
non-corrosive material.
[0021] The metal wires can have an average cross sectional
dimension similar to round wire between about 6-16 gauge. Gauge is
the diameter of round wire, where the higher the gauge number the
smaller the wire diameter, each diameter represents a given
cross-sectional area. A gauge of 6 corresponds to 0.192 inches
diameter (29,000 mils) and 12 gauge corresponds to 0.106 inches
diameter (8,800 mils). The preferred embodiment of this invention
uses cord-shaped cross section wire of between 2,000-4,000
mils.
[0022] In one embodiment of the invention, the metal wire 20
includes a flat edge 26 and the circular edge 28, as shown in FIG.
8A. Alternatively, the metal wire 20 may be re-drawn to fold the
sharp edges 22 in an upward angle 80 to form an angled metal wire
82, as shown in FIG. 8B. Wire drawing is a manufacturing process
used to reduce or change the cross section of a wire by using a
series of draw plates or dies. Various lubricants, such as oils,
are employed to facilitate the redrawing of the metal wires. The
wire-drawing machines include a means for holding the dies
accurately in position and for drawing the wire steadily through
the holes. The usual design consists of a table having a bracket
standing up to hold the die, and a vertical drum which rotates and
by coiling the wire around its surface pulls it through the die,
the coil of wire being stored upon another drum or swift which lies
behind the die and reels off the wire as fast as required. The wire
drum or block is provided with means for rapidly coupling or
uncoupling it to its vertical shaft, so that the motion of the wire
may be stopped or started instantly. The block is also tapered, so
that the coil of wire may be easily slipped off upwards when
finished. Before the wire can be attached to the block, a
sufficient length of it must be pulled through the die; this is
effected by a pair of gripping pincers on the end of a chain which
is wound around a revolving drum, so drawing the pincers along, and
with them the wire, until enough is through the die to be coiled
two or three times on the block, where the end is secured by a
small screw clamp or vice ready for the drawing operation. The wire
has to be pointed or made smaller in diameter at the end before it
can be passed through the die; the pointing is done by hammering,
filing, rolling or swaging in dies, which effect a reduction in
diameter. When the wire is on the block the latter is set in motion
and the wire is drawn steadily through the die. The block rotates
evenly and runs true to pull the wire in an even manner to prevent
snatching, which will break the wire or weaken the wire.
[0023] As shown in FIG. 8B, the angled metal wire 82 includes the
upward angle 80 extending from the longitudinal plane of the flat
edge 86. Redrawing the metal wire 20 to form an angled metal wire
82 requires circular draw plates 88 to form the upward angle 80 of
the sharp edges 22. The angled metal wire 82 may be used to form
the wire mesh 10, or may be used in subsequent redrawing steps.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 8C, in another embodiment of the invention,
the angled metal wire 82 may be redrawn further to fold the sharp
edges 22 in an upward angle 90 to further increase the circular
angle of the circular edge 28 and form angled metal wire 92. Upward
angle 90 extends from the longitudinal plane of the flat edge 96.
Redrawing the angled metal wire 82 to form angled metal wire 92
requires circular draw plate 98 to give the appropriate upward
angle 90 of the sharp edges 22. The angled metal wire 92 may be
used to form the wire mesh 10. As shown in FIG. 8D, in another
embodiment of the invention, the metal wire 92 may be further
redrawn to fold sharp edges 22 in an upward angle 100 and form
angled metal wire 102. Upward angle 100 extends form the
longitudinal plane of the edge 106. Redrawing the angled metal wire
102 requires circular draw plate 108 to give the appropriate upward
angle 100 of the sharp edges 22. In another embodiment of the
invention, as shown in FIG. 8E, the angled metal wire 102 may be
further redrawn to fold sharp edges 22 at an angle 32 to form a
near-round metal wire 30. Upward angle 30 extends form the
longitudinal plane of the edge 36. Redrawing the angled metal wire
102 requires circular draw plate 38 to give the appropriate upward
angle 32 of the sharp edges 22. By redrawing the angled metal wire
102 to the near-round metal wire 30, the tensile strength of the
near-round metal wire 30 is significantly increased. Additionally,
the near-round metal wire decreases the chances of young children
being injured by the metal wire 10 when digging near burrowing
sites. The near-round metal wire 30 is not as sharp on one side of
the wire mesh 10, but is still effective as a digging deterrent to
pests. The near-round metal wire 30 is also effective at preventing
pet animals, such as dogs, from digging under fences or into
gardens and flower beds, while being safe for pet animals. Finally,
the near-round metal wire 30 enables the production of the wire
mesh 10 on high speed weaving machinery.
[0025] Redrawing metal wire 20 to the near-round metal wire 30 in a
single step from metal wire 20 may break the wire or snap the sharp
edges 24 from the metal wire 20. Thus, redrawing in several steps
to the near-round metal wire 30 ensures proper structural integrity
of the sharp edges 24 on the near-round wire 30.
Construction of the Wire Mesh
[0026] The wire mesh 10 is made by a weaving machine. The weaving
machine continually feeds one or two strands of the metal wires
into a weaving blade and trough mechanism that bends and weaves the
metal wires together. The weaving blade and trough interweave the
metal wires by helically winding them to provide a continuous wire
mesh, without knots or ties, except possibly at the edges of the
finished fabric. After being woven together, the formed continuous
links of the wire mesh are cut off at the edges, leaving sharp wire
end portions. The wire mesh is finished by knuckling or barbing
the, depending on the intended use of the wire mesh. If a knuckled
edge is desired, an assembly on the weaving machine bends the metal
wire end portions of the wire mesh over one another, forming a
knuckle at the edge of the wire mesh. Similarly, if a barbed edge
is desired, an assembly on the weaving machine twists the metal
wire end portions creating a sharp barb at the edge of the wire
mesh 10. Alternatively, the ends of the wire mesh 10 may be
integrated into a single metal wire that runs along the border of
the wire mesh. The ends of the wire mesh 10 may be woven into the
border metal wire.
[0027] The wire mesh 10 may be made in lengths of 12'' to 144''. In
one embodiment of the invention, the wire mesh is formed by weaving
a series of spirals together. Wire meshes less than 72'' may have
both ends knuckled. Wire meshes 72'' and higher, is generally
twisted or barbed at one end and knuckled on the other. For longer
wire meshes, the wire mesh can be obtained with both ends twisted
or barbed. In one embodiment of the invention, knuckled both ends
prevents the sharp wire ends from protruding above ground level
after installation and injuring vegetation. The wire mesh does not
require welding to secure the diamond shaped pattern 10; however,
welding may be used if further fastening is required.
[0028] The diameter of the diamond shaped pattern 12 may be
adjusted during the weaving process to produce a larger or smaller
diameter of the diamond shaped pattern 12. The weaving process may
also be adjusted to position the sharp edges 22 to the exterior the
wire mesh 10. By positioning the sharp edges 22 towards the
exterior of the wire mesh 10, further anti-burrowing effects are
obtained by the wire mesh 10.
[0029] In one embodiment of the invention, the border of the wire
mesh 10 includes attachment points, to attach the wire mesh to
another structure. Such attachment points may further secure the
wire mesh 10 to the ground. Alternatively, the border of the wire
mesh may be secured to additional pieces of wire mesh by C staples,
hog rings, D rings, and the like. Alternatively, the wire mesh may
be attached to another structure by nails, staples, screws, and the
like.
[0030] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made in the present invention
without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. Other
embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in
the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the
invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification
and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and
spirit of the invention being indicated by the following
claims.
* * * * *