Knotted wire fencing

Knotted wire fencing, e.g. for enclosing a cultivated or uncultivated region which may be traversed by animals or other creatures of various sizes, comprises longitudinal (horizontal) and transverse (vertical) wires forming a mesh and tied together at the junctions or intersections of the two arrays of wires. The length of the transverse (vertical) wires periodically changes along the fencing relative to the maximum breadth thereof so that some wires extend the full breadth (height) of the fence while others extend from the bottom thereof only partly over the height of the fencing. The shorter transverse wires have a length which differs from that of the full-length transverse (vertical) wires by the height of one mesh.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a so-called knotted wire mesh, and, 
especially, knotted wire fencing of the type in which two arrays of wires, 
namely, longitudinal and transverse wires, are tied together at the 
crossover points of the two arrays and form a fence adapted to be used for 
enclosing cultivated or uncultivated regions which may be traversed by 
creatures of various sizes. At each crossover point, the transverse wires 
and the longitudinal wires are interconnected to limit relative mobility 
by any of a variety of tying or knotting arrangements. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Wire mesh of the type described can be used for fencing uncultivated or 
cultivated regions which may be traversed by animals or other creatures of 
different sizes, the wire mesh being erected in an upright manner so that 
the longitudinal wires extend more or less horizontally while the 
transverse wires extend vertically. 
The parallel arrays of wires define a mesh which has a certain height and a 
certain width, the height being measured in the vertical direction, e.g. 
between successive longitudinal wires while the width is measured 
horizontally, e.g. as the distance between successive transverse wires. 
It is known in fencing of this type to progressively or in a stepwise 
manner increase the spacing of the longitudinal wires from one another 
upwardly from the bottom of the fence to the top thereof, the transverse 
wire spacing being maintained substantially constant. 
This configuration of the knotted-wire mesh fence has numerous advantages. 
For example, it may prevent the passage of smaller animals or other 
creatures which tend to move along the ground and seldom are capable of 
penetrating through even relatively large openings at upper locations of a 
fence. In addition, since the larger animals do not penetrate the fence, 
even through the larger openings afforded by the greater spacing of the 
longitudinal wires at the upper portion of the fence, a relatively high 
fence can be made with a smaller number of longitudinal wires than is the 
case with conventional fencing having a constant mesh height and width and 
thus equal spacing of both the longitudinal and the transverse wires. 
The crossover points between the wires may be interconnected by various 
tying means although in common practice, the junction is formed by 
twisting one of the wires around the other, usually, the transverse wires 
around the longitudinal wires, the longitudinal wires being provided with 
slight undulations in the region of the crossover point to prevent 
shifting of the knot along the longitudinal wires. 
Depending upon the use to which the mesh is to be put and its construction, 
commercial knotted mesh fencing can have a spacing of the longitudinal 
wires which ranges between 3 and 20 cm while the spacing between the 
transverse wires is 15 to 30 cm. 
With such dimensions, the number of longitudinal wires determines the width 
of the mesh which is usually between 0.65 and 2.00 meters. The mesh can be 
coiled in lengths of 50 to 100 meters and the twist-type junctions at the 
crossover points are customarily made so that a hinge-like connection is 
provided to permit swiveling of one wire in the twisted portion of the 
other. 
The wire diameter for both the longitudinal and transverse wires as well as 
for the wires provided at the edge of the mesh can be the same or 
different and usually is between 1.5 and 4 mm. The wires can be coated 
with synthetic resin material. 
When the aforedescribed knotted-mesh fencing is used to enclose an area 
from which smaller animals or creatures are to be excluded, or to be 
prevented from escaping, the conventional fencing has upper mesh widths 
which are excessively small considering the fact that neither access to 
smaller creatures is afforded nor can the larger creatures pass through 
the fencing. 
In other words, conventional fencing of the type described is not actually 
made in the most effective and efficient manner to fence in or out 
creatures of various heights for a given amount of material. 
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
It is the principal object of the invention to provide knotted-mesh fencing 
whereby the aforedescribed disadvantages are obviated and which has a 
minimum weight or material usage for normal enclosure purposes. 
It is another object of this invention to improve upon knotted-mesh fencing 
so that the latter has a better relationship to the size relationship of 
the creatures to be fenced in or out by the mesh. 
Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved all-purpose 
fencing for fencing cultivated or uncultivated regions. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
These objects are attained, in accordance with the present invention, in a 
knotted wire mesh fencing which comprises the longitudinal wires and the 
transverse wires, tied together at their crossover points, with the height 
of the meshes increasing from the bottom edge of the wire mesh (when the 
latter is used as a fence) to the opposite edge thereof, whereby, in 
addition, the transverse wire lengths periodically alter over the length 
of the wire mesh with respect to the maximum transverse wire length 
corresponding to the full width of the mesh by an amount which is at least 
equal to one mesh height, i.e. the distance between longitudinal wires in 
the region of this other mesh. 
According to the invention, each second transverse wire or each second and 
third transverse wires are made shorter than the first transverse wire, 
and the next nonforeshortened transverse wire, by a distance equal to one 
mesh height. Each mesh opening at the upper edge of the fencing, 
corresponding to the aforementioned other edge of the mesh, thus has an 
opening of a width (measured between transverse wires) which is equal to 
2, 3, or 4 times the transverse wire spacing at lower portions of the 
fence. 
At the top of the fence, therefore, each second and third, or each second, 
third or fourth mesh transverse wire is omitted from the normal mesh 
sequence.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION 
FIG. 1 shows a knotted wire mesh fencing somewhat diagrammatically, the 
fencing 10 comprising an array 11 of longitudinal (horizontal) wires in 
vertically spaced relation, the spacing increasing progressively from the 
height H to the mesh height H'. 
The array 11 of longitudinal wires 13 has crossover points 15 with an array 
12 of transverse (vertical) wires 14 which at the lower portion of the 
fence have a constant spacing W. 
At the end wire 18 of the fence, which can be of a larger diameter, the 
longitudinal wires 13 can be twisted around the transverse wire 18 at 
tiepoints 19. Similarly, those transverse wires 14 which reach the 
uppermost longitudinal wires 16 can be twisted around them at the tiepoint 
17. In addition to the transverse wires which run the full height of the 
fence and hence the full width of the mesh, alternate transverse wires 14 
terminate one mesh height H' short of the top of the fence corresponding 
to a edge of the mesh. These wires are connected to the underlying wire 
16' at tiepoints 17'. 
In this embodiment, if the mesh size just below the wire 16' is 15.times.15 
cm, it can be 15.times.30 cm between the wires 16 and 16'. 
In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the mesh or fence 20 is formed by an array 21 
of longitudinal wires 23 and an array 22 of transverse wires 24, the two 
arrays being interconnected at the crossover points 25 in the manner 
previously described. Here again, the mesh height increases from H at the 
bottom of the fence to H' at the top of the fence while the mesh width W 
along the bottom of the fence remains constant. The terminal wire 28 can 
be connected to all of the longitudinal wires 23 at the tiepoints 29. The 
long transverse wires 24' are tied directly to the uppermost wire 26 of 
the longitudinal array at tiepoints 27. The next wire 24", which is 
shorter than the wire 24' by two mesh heights (2H') is tied at 27' to the 
third longitudinal wire from the top which has been represented at 26". 
Between two such transverse wires 24", there is provided a transverse wire 
24'" of intermediate height which is tied to the wire 26' between the 
wires 26 and 26" at the tiepoint 27". 
Thus, between the upper wire 26 and the next lower wire 26', the mesh can 
have a width W" of 4W or 60 cm while the height H' is 15 cm. Between the 
longitudinnal wires 26' and 26", however, the meshes have a width W' 
equals 2W or 30 cm and a height H' of 15 cm. 
Naturally, other patterns of foreshortening of the transverse wires can 
also be used. 
While the arrangements shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 have been found to be 
suitable for most purposes without increasing the diameters of the upper 
wires, if greater resistance to deformation or strength is required in the 
regions where wider meshes are provided, wires of larger diameter can be 
used or reinforced ties between the arrays of wires can be employed. 
The fencing in FIG. 2 has a saving, as opposed to fencing in which all of 
the transverse wires extend the full width of the mesh, of about 5% of the 
wire material. 
The wire mesh fencing of FIGS. 1 and 2 can be made on conventional knotted 
mesh fabricating machines with only minor adjustments thereof. 
FIG. 3 shows various possibilities for the knotting of the crossover points 
of the wire mesh of the present invention. For example, the transverse 
wires 34 and 34' can have bent-over portions 37 engaging the uppermost 
longitudinal wire 36. Alternatively, this wire 36 can be twisted around 
the transverse wires as shown for the tiepoints 35 and 35'. Similarly, the 
foreshortened transverse wire 34" can be twisted over the next lower 
longitudinal wire 33 as represented at 37' or the wire 33 can be twisted 
around the transverse wire 34". 
At the crossover points 35, the longitudinal wires are twisted around the 
transverse wires 34, 34" to provide hinge-like junctions allowing the 
wires 34 and 34" to twist at least limitedly. The transverse wires 34, 34" 
may be provided with slight undulations in the twist regions to prevent 
relative movement of the transverse wires 33. 
At the crossover points 35', however, the transverse wire 34' is twisted 
around the longitudinal wires 33 with hinge-like junctions and 
longitudinal wires 33 can be provided with slight undulations in these 
regions to prevent movement of the transverse wires 34' along the 
longitudinal wires. 
Any combination of the aforedescribed knotting arrangement can be used in 
accordance with the principles of the present invention.