Lightweight, rigid, metal product and process for producing same
OwnerMark Keyaskoinventor
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Abstract
A lightweight, rigid, metal product and a process for preparing such a product are disclosed in which a wire metal mesh is formed into a desired three-dimensional shape and is then electroplated to plate a metal thereon to fill the voids of mesh and provide the rigid product in such desired shape. Stone-settings employing the product and process are also disclosed.
Claims28
A process for preparing a lightweight, rigid, metal product in a desired shape, said proces comprising the steps of providing an electrically conductive wire metal mesh having a plurality of woven wire strands defining voids therebetween;
- forming said electrically conductive wire metal mesh into a desired nonplanar three-dimensional shape;
- and electroplating a metal onto the surfaces of said wire strands of said wire metal mesh so as to completely fill the voids of said wire metal mesh to provide a metal rigid structure for the product in said desired nonplanar three-dimensional shape.
A lightweight, rigid, metal product comprising an electrically conductive wire metal mesh formed in a desired nonplanar three-dimensional shape, said wire metal mesh having a plurality of woven wire strands defining voids therebetween and having a metal electroplated on the surfaces of said wire strands so as to completely fill the voids of said formed wire metal mesh to provide a rigid structure for the product on said desired nonplanar three-dimensional shape.
A setting for an object comprising an electrically conductive wire metal mesh having a plurality of woven wire strands defining voids therebetween, an object held in a preselected arrangement by said wire metal mesh in a setting area of said wire metal mesh, and metal electroplated onto said wire metal mesh at least in the area surrounding said setting area so as at least to fill the voids of said mesh without any metal being electroplated on said setting area.
A setting for an object comprising an electrically conductive wire metal mesh having a plurality of woven wire strands defining voids therebetween and being formed into a shape so as to provide an opening therein with loose strands of said woven wire mesh about said opening;
- an object arranged in said opening with said loose strands arranged so as to hold said object in said opening;
- and a metal electroplated onto said wire metal mesh including said loose strands so as to at least fill said voids of the mesh to provide a fixed, rigid setting for said object in said opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.