Barrier-type metal wire fabric and its manufacture

Barrier-type metal wire fabric comprising

• a plurality of metal wire helically-wound spirals and connector rod means of predetermined gage and configuration assembled to establish a longitudinal direction for such fabric,
• such spirals being formed from elongated metal wire having a predetermined transverse cross-sectional configuration with at least two diametrically opposed planar surfaces,
• such spirals including left-hand wound spirals and right-hand wound spirals,
• each such helically-wound spiral being elongated and having a centrally located winding axis with individual helical loops uniformly distributed along such winding axis,
• such individual helical loops having a substantially elliptical configuration when projected onto a plane in transversely perpendicular relationship to such winding axis,
• such elliptical configuration defining a major axis and a minor axis with the major axis being oriented in the longitudinal direction of assembled fabric,
• an individual loop having an internal surface and external surface defining longitudinally leading and trailing bight end portions of its curvilinear configuration,
• such bight end portions being connected by intermediate elongated leg portions disposed generally longitudinally in assembled fabric,
• such internal loop configuration defining an enlarged cantrally-located opening with spacing between such elongated leg portions being greater contiguous to such minor axis than contiguous to such bight ends,
• such internal loop surface being defined by one of the at least two diametrically opposed planar surfaces of such helically-wound wire with such exterior loop surface being defined by the remaining planar surface of the two diametrically opposed surfaces of such helically-wound wire,
• such connector rod means including a plurality of metal wire connector rods,
• such connector rods being elongated and having a length dimension at least equal to the lateral dimension of metal wire fabric as assembled,
• each such connector rod presenting a predetermined curvilinear cross-sectional exterior surface configuration,
• the plurality of helically-wound spirals being disposed with their winding axes substantially parallel and extending in the lateral direction of assembled metal wire fabric and with internal loop portions of next adjacent pairs of helically-wound spirals overlapping in the longitudinal direction of assembled wire fabric,
• such next adjacent pairs of overlapping spirals being oppositely wound such that left-hand spiral portions overlap with right-hand spiral portions,
• such adjacent pairs of spirals being free of interlocking weaving of overlapping portions with at least a portion of the external loop bight end surface of one spiral being disposed within the internal loop of its next adjacent oppositely wound spiral at a location contiguous to the minor axis of such latter internal loop,
• the connector rod means being disposed to extend in the lateral direction of the metal wire fabric as assembled with a connector rod extending laterally through overlapping portions of internal loop surfaces of next adjacent pairs of helically-wound spirals,
• such connector rod means providing for pivotal relative movement of next adjacent pairs of spirals about a connector rod while substantially eliminating non-rotational relative movement between such next adjacent pairs of helically-wound spirals,
• the helically-wound spirals and connector rod means as assembled establishing a metal wire fabric of extended surface area which is substantially free of open passages in a direction transverse of such surface area.