Post with metal cage reinforcement and method for manufacturing same

A method for manufacturing a reinforced post comprising the steps of:

• separating from a bulk quantity of flat metallic wire mesh a reinforcement cage blank, the reinforcement cage blank comprising (a) four longitudinal wires including first and second outside longitudinal wires and first and second inside longitudinal wires, (b) a plurality of transverse wires extending perpendicularly from said first outside longitudinal wire, across said first and second inside longitudinal wires, to said second outside longitudinal wire, and (c) at least four extra wire strands terminating at one or both ends of each of said plurality of transverse wires and extending beyond said first or second outside longitudinal wires;
• bending said reinforcement cage blank approximately 90 degrees about each of said first and second inside longitudinal wires to form a reinforcement cage with a rectangular “U” cross section;
• bending at least one of said extra wire strands extending beyond said first outside longitudinal wire approximately 90 degrees so that it extends laterally and outwardly from said reinforcement cage;
• maintaining at least three of said extra wire strands in an unbent condition so that they extend directly away from said reinforcement cage;
• placing said reinforcement cage inside a hollow mold having a floor wherein said unbent extra wire strands are placed in direct contact with said floor and said reinforcement cage rests on said unbent extra wire strands;
• pouring a hardening substance into said mold to substantially envelop said reinforcement cage;
• and
• allowing said hardening substance to dry and extracting a completed reinforced post from said mold.