# US 11,440,082 B2 · Apparatus and method to make a metal mesh

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- Number: US 11,440,082 B2
- Document ID: US11440082B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/479,727
- Filed: 2018-01-24
- Published: 2021-04-22
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2017-01-24
- Assignees: M.E.P. Macchine Elettroniche Piegatrici SpA
- Applicants: M.E.P. Macchine Elettroniche Piegatrici S.P.A.
- Inventors: Giorgio Del Fabro
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440082B2

## CPC

- B21F 27/10: with soldered or welded crossings
- B21F 23/005: {Feeding discrete lengths of wire or rod}
- B21F: WORKING OR PROCESSING OF METAL WIRE (rolling of metal wire B21B1/16; by drawing, auxiliary operations used in connection with metal-working without essentially removing material B21C)

## Abstract

An apparatus to make a metal mesh having longitudinal rods and transverse rods which have a diameter and reciprocal pitch defined on each occasion according to requirements, is provided, having a first operating group and a second operating group disposed in sequence and functionally coordinated, to obtain a reticular semi-worked product that is completed to make the desired metal mesh.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus to make a metal mesh (11), said apparatus comprising:
a first feed group (17) configured to feed in first directions (D1) at least two first longitudinal rods (13) lying on a first feed plane (P1);
a second feed group (18) configured to feed in a second direction (D2), transverse to the first directions (D1), a transverse rod (14) lying on a second feed plane (P2) parallel to said first feed plane (P1);
a first welding unit (19) configured to weld the transverse rod (14) to said first longitudinal rods (13) to obtain a reticular semi-worked product (12);
a third feed group (36) configured to feed a second longitudinal rod (15) lying on a third feed plane (P3) parallel to said second feed plane (P2) and parallel to said first longitudinal rods (13) of said reticular semi-worked product (12);
a second welding unit (37) configured to weld the second longitudinal rod to said transverse rods (14); and
a reception and movement unit (35) configured to receive said reticular semi-worked product (12) from said first welding unit (19) and to move it, along a movement axis (M), toward said second welding unit (37), said reception and movement unit (35) defining a support plane for said reticular semi-worked product (12) which is located parallel to said first feed plane (P1) and said second feed plane (P2),
wherein between said first welding unit (19) and said reception and movement unit (35) a rotation and positioning member (43) is interposed, configured to rotate said reticular semi-worked product (12).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said second feed group (18) is configured to move linearly one of said transverse rods (14).

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said first welding unit (19) is positioned along, and extends in a direction parallel to, said second direction (D2), and wherein said second feed group (18) is disposed at one end of the first welding unit (19) and is configured to insert a transverse rod (14) into the first welding unit (19).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said third feed group (36) is configured to move said second longitudinal rod (15) linearly along an axis of feed (A) to the second welding unit (37).

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said second welding unit (37) is positioned along, and extends in a direction parallel to, said axis of feed (A), and wherein said third feed group (36) is disposed at one end of said second welding unit (37) and is configured to insert said second longitudinal rod (15) into the second welding unit (37) along said axis of feed (A).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein at least one of either said longitudinal rods (13, 15) or said transverse rods (14) is fed from stores (26) with rods that are pre-sized, already straightened and cut to size.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein at least one of either said longitudinal rods (13, 15) or said transverse rods (14) is fed with rods coming from a coil (22).

### Claim 8

A method to make a metal mesh (11) which comprises:
feeding in first directions (D1), via a first feed group (17), at least two first longitudinal rods (13) lying on a first feed plane (P1);
feeding in a second direction (D2) transverse to the first directions (D1), via a second feed group (18), a transverse rod (14) lying on a second feed plane (P2), parallel to said first feed plane (P1);
welding, via a first welding unit (19), said transverse rod (14) to said first longitudinal rods (13) to obtain a reticular semi-worked product (12);
feeding, via a third feed group (36), a second longitudinal rod (15) into an intermediate position between said first longitudinal rods (13) and on a third feed plane (P3), parallel to the second feed plane (P2) and parallel to said first longitudinal rods (13) of the reticular semi-worked product (12);
rotating said reticular semi-worked product (12), via a rotation and positioning member (43) interposed between the first welding unit (19) and a reception and movement unit (35);
receiving, via the reception and movement unit (35), said reticular semi-worked product (12) and moving said reticular semi-worked product (12) along a movement axis (M) toward a second welding unit (37), said reception and movement unit (35) defining a support plane for said reticular semi-worked product (12) which is located parallel to said first feed plane (P1) and said second feed plane (P2); and
welding, via the second welding unit (37), the second longitudinal rods (15) to said transverse rods (14).