Improvements in or relating to Wire Netting and in the Construction of such Netting.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 5th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 7th Dec., 1888
Improvements in or relating to Wire Netting and in the
Construction of such Netting.
I, CHARLES SHAW, of 21 Waterloo Road South, Wolverhampton in the County of
Stafford, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its chief object to construct wire netting with barbs or spines
projecting into or partly across the meshes, whereby the greatest available area
through which an animal can attempt to force itself through a mesh is reduced to any
desired degree, thus enabling a netting of largo mesh to be employed for keeping out
even small animals. The invention is also applicable, however, to the construction of
wire notting not requiring barbs or spines.
This invention is capable of considerable modification, its leading feature boing the
combination of barbs or spines with the netting by fastening such barbs or spines
into the junctions of the wires forming the meshes. A convenient construction of
wire netting consists, according to this invention, of zig-zag lines of wire connected
together at their apices. The apices are formed each with a re-entering bow which
joins the sides of the apex by outward curves or bows, and the re-entering bow of
one apex at a joint passes behind and below the corresponding bow of the adjacent
apex so that the outward curves or bows of one apex rest within the corresponding
curves or bows of the other, and the re-entering bows therefore form together_an
eye or loop, and the apices are fixed together by a stud, passing therethrough. The
head of the stud consists of barbs or spines projecting into or partially across the
meshes of the netting, and the stud is bent back or clenched against the opposite
side of the loop. Short lengths of wire may be first formed into zig-zag lines
having the apices formed as described, and be then put together, or the netting
may be plaited or twisted up, the barbed studs being inserted during such operation,
by which means precisely the same formation of the apices may be produced, and
the same character of fixture result, as when zig-zag lines of wire are first formed
and afterwards put together :-thus, in forming a pair of apices joined together by
neans of a barbed stud, two adjacent lines of wire are first crossed and then twisted a
Price 8d1

page_text: half-turn; the stud is then held between the wires while they are brought together
around it and crossod; the wires are then turned anothor half-turn when the
formation of the apices and their junction together and their fixture by the barbed
stud are complete, but for the rivetting of the stud if such is required. In this
case, however, it is not necessary to rivet the stud, as the same may be forined with
a head or with barbs at each end between which the wire passes around the stud.
The apices along each outer edge of the netting aro connected with the solvage
wire by forming such apices in the manner above described, and forming plain
outward bows in the selvage wire, and connecting the apices with the straight wire
in the manner described for connecting together two apices, and fixing the same
by means of a barbed stud; or the apices may be formed and fixed to the selvage
wires in a mannor similar to that described in the case of apices which are formed
and fixed together by plaiting or twisting the wires.
The barbs or spines above described, projecting into or partially across the meshes
of the netting, not only reduce the available area in each mesh through which an
animal may attempt to force itself, but oppose thereby points or spikes against the
body of the animal tending to prevent its escape from between the points, and in
the event of the animal succeeding in freeing itself the effect is to detor it from
further attempts to get through the notting.
The barbs or spines may be formed not only to project into or partially across
the meshes of the netting, but one or more spines also may be formed to project
at right angles to the plane of the notting to prevent large animals from pressing
against and thus damaging it.
Barbs of the character described may be employed also with wire notting of the
ordinary construction by being fixed within the twisted joints of the meshes, or
having tongues or clips clenchod theroaround.
In cases in which netting, or in which a part of the depth of the netting, is not
required to have barbs, unbarbed studs, pegs, screws, or rivets, may be employed, in
lieu of barbed studs, or the apices may be securely locked together by simply giving
the loops a partial turn or twist in the direction in which the wires pass around
one another, in which case studs or corresponding parts may be dispensed with.
This method of construction readily admits of the employment of very strong sections
of wire in the manufacture of netting.

page_text: Construction of such Netting.
I, CHARLES SHAW, of 21 Waterloo Road South, Wolverhampton in the County of
Stafford, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
This invention has for its chief object to construct wire netting with barbs or spines
projecting into and partly across the meshes, whereby the greatest available area
through which an animal can attempt to force itself through a mesh is reduced to any
desired degree, thus enabling netting of large mosh to be employed for keeping out
even small animals. The invention is also applicable, however, to the construction of
wire netting not requiring barbs or spines.
This invention, is capable of considerable modification, its leading feature being the
combination of barbs or spines with the netting by fastening such barbs or spines into
or to the junctions of, the wires forming the meshes and, preferably, by utilizing such
barbs or spines in effecting such junction.
An important feature of this invention consists in constructing netting of lengths
of wire, formed into zig-zag shapo and joined at their apices, and fixed together,
preferably by means of barbed studs of which the barbs project into and partially
across the meshes of the netting, and of which the shanks thereof pass through
loops or eyes formed by the intersection of the apices and are headed or clenched at
the back.
I will proceed to describe various modifications by which my invention may be
carried out in detail, and in doing so will refer to the accompanying drawings and the
letters of reference marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of wire netting constructed according to one
modification of this invention. The netting consists of zig-zag lines of wire abc etc.
joined together at their apices and the outside apices joined to the selvage wire d. A
short length of one of these lines of wire is shewn as a detached view by figure 2.
The apices are formed each with a re-entering bow a¹ joining the inclined sides by
outward bows a a². The apices of adjacent lines are interlocked by passing the re-
entering bow of one apex behind the corresponding bow of the other apex, as shewn,
and are fixed together by a barbed stud e. Two of these barbed studs are shown by
figure 1, being omitted in the other apices for convenience of illustration. Figure 3 is
a side elevation of one of these studs previously to its employment in the notting, and
figure is a corresponding view to figure 3 but shows the stud fixed in position in the
netting, by first passing the tongues off forming the shank thereof into a loop or eye g
formed by the re-entering bows of a pair of apices, and then clenching back such
tongues around the ends of the bows. The selvage wires are forined with bows, as
shewn by figure L, and are interlocked with the adjacent apicos of the meshos

page_text: similarly as pairs of apices are locked together, and are fixed by harbed studs in the
same manner. The barbs shown by figure 1 project simply upwards and downwards
into and partially across the meshes, "but they inay of course he made to project
horizontally, or both vertically and horizontally. A four-barbed stud is shewn in side
elevation and front elevation, respectively, by figures 5 and 6. The barbs may of
course be star-shaped, if desired, or of other form presenting any desired number of
points and inclining in any desired directions. Figure 7 illustrates in front elevation,
and by way of example only, a form of barb presenting 6 points, and constituting in
itself an ornamental feature of the netting. Figure 8 represents, in side elevation, a
form of barbed stud which, in addition to barbs projecting in a direction in the plane
of the fence, has a central barb / projecting forwards therefrom at right angles to tho
plane of the fence; and figure 8a shows a barb corresponding to the barb shown
by figure 8 but with a spine projecting on the rear side of the barb, between
the two tongues ff by which the barb is fixed to the netting. The barbed studs may
be made of malleable cast iron, or may be cut from sheet steel, or may be of other
metal.
A modification of the means described with reference to figure 1, by which the
In this
apices are joined together and to the selvage wires, is shewn by figure 9.
case the formation of the apices is similar to that described with reference to figure 1,
but the bows are proportioned so that when interlocked sufficiently for the barbed stud
to be passed through the loop or eye formed between a pair of re-entering bows,
eyes jj are formed between the outward bows on each side through which small
tongues may be passed. The apices are fixed together by first passing a pair of
tongues formed together with a single barbed head, through the eyes jj and clenching
then back outwards, and then passing a barbed stud through the loop or eye k from
the other side of the netting and clenching the same in the manner previously
described with reference to the modification shewn by figure 1. Figure 10 is a
longitudinal section through the centre of a joint shewing the method of fixture of the
barbed stud in the eyes jj, the barbed stud which passes through the loop & being omitted
for the sake of clearness of illustration. In figuro 10 the studs jjaro shewn passing
through the eyes jj and clenched outwardly at the back thereof. The selvage wire
is formed with loops similarly as in the modification described with reference to figure 1,
and the apices are fixed thereto similarly as a pair of apices are fixed according to this
modification.
A further means of joining together a pair of apices formed as above described is
shewn by figures 11 to 15 inclusive, of which figure 11 is a view of a pair of apices
simply butted together ready for being joined, figure 12 a corresponding view to
figure 11 but with the apices shewn as joined together by a barbed plate, figure 13 a
section on line of figure 12, figure 14 a sectional view taken on line y y of
figure 12, and figure 15 a corresponding view to figure 14 but shewing the plate,
hereinafter described, previously to its being clenched up. The joint is made in this
case by simply butting together the pair of apices to be joined, as shown by figuros 11
and 12 and then a plate l, turned up at two of its opposite ends, as shown by
figure 15, is placed against the face of the joint with the turned up ends passing
through two adjacent meshes and immediately at the ends of the loop or eyem formed
by the butting of the apices, and with an elongated lug on the inner face of the
plate fitting within such loop, and then clenching back the ends of the plate
behind the bows of the apices, as shown by figures 12, 13 and 14. One of the ends
of the plate is shewn by broken lines, figures 13, previously to being clenched back.
The plate may be formed with barbs n projecting in the direction of the plane of the
netting (as shown by broken lines) and, if desired, with barbs also projecting outwards
from the plane of the netting. These outwardly projecting barbs may be conveniently
fixed within sockets on the plates, as shewn by figures 14 and 15, in which n¹ is such
a barb and is insorted within a socket n³ on the plate, and fixed therein by means of a
hollow conical tool passed down over the barb and around the exterior of the socket
and driven down to compress the socket around the taper of the barb. In figure 1
the barb n' is shewn previously to its insertion into the socket n³.

page_text: A further means by which apices, as aforesaid, may be fixed to a straight selvage
wire is shown by figures 16 and 17 which are, respectively, a front elevation thereof
and a vertical section taken through the centre of one of the joints. One of the
joints is shown in figure 16 previously to the insertion of the barhed stud by which it
is fixed, and the other with the barbed stud therein. The selvage wire is used plain,
that is without bows formed therein, and may be strained taut, if desired. Short
pieces of wire o formed, preferably, with barbed ends as shewn have hows formed
therein corresponding to the bows of the apices and are interlocked therewith as
shown. The interlocked parts are then brought against the side of the selvage wire
and a barb has a pair of tongs pl p¹ thereon passed, respectively, above and below
the solvage wire and through the loop formed by the interlocking of the bows, and
the tongues are then clenched back over the ends of the loop so as to lock the parts
together. In figure 17 the tongues are shewn as inserted in the manner described,
but not clenched back.
The modification according to which the apices are fixed to the solvage wire,
described with reference to figures 16 and 17, is applicable also to notting in which it
may be desired to have longitudinally strained wires at a height or heights inter-
mediate between the top and bottom of the netting, in which case any line of apices
may be simply joined together and to the wires in the manner in which the apices
and short lengths of bowed wires are joined to the selvage wire.
Figure 18 shews a method by which a pair of apices, as aforesaid, may be fixed
together without the employment of any barbed or other stud through the loop. This
is accomplished by first locking togethor the parts, as described with reference
specially to figure 1, and then twisting up the bow, as shown, that is by giving it an
extra turn so as to increase the twist on each side thereof sufficiently to fasten the
joint; and, as a modification of this arrangement, if it is desired to employ vertical
stiffeners, either for the depth of the netting only or to enter also within the ground
so as to act as standards, the loops may he turned after the apices have been inter-
locked so that they may be in horizontal planes, in which case the stiffener or
upright may be passed down through a vertical line of such loops. A broken.
length of stiffener t' is shewn passing down through an eye t2 by figure 18*. In the
case of forming the netting with transverse or vertical lines of zig-zag wire, longi-
tudinally strained wires may pass through the loops when the same are turned at
right angles to the plane of the netting. The loops may, of course, be made to any
suitable shape to receive a stiffener or other part, as desired. Stiffeners may be
formed with loops u³ for insertion through the eye u², as shewn in front elevation by
figure 18 and in side elevation by figure 18, and be retained in place by lengths of
wire threaded through the loops u' at the back of the eyes u².
Figure 19 illustratos, in front elevation, a modification of this invention shewing a
construction of the netting in which the lower part is made to a smaller mesh than the
upper, as is sometimes desired in cases where both small and large animals are
intended to be kept back by the netting. For this purpose cortain of the apices at
the top of the part of smaller mesh have no direct connection with the apices of
the part of larger mesh.
Figure 20 illustrates, in plan, an appliance which may be conveniently employed
for forming the wires to the necessary zig-zag shape and properly forming their
apices for being joined together according to the methods above described. A A¹ are
V-d blocks having their apices formed to re-enter so as to suit the desired re-entering
shape of the apices of the wires. B B' are levers, each formed with a part on its
inner edge to press the wire on to the apex of the corresponding block, and with
a tongue 9 to press the wire into the re-entering part of such block so as to form
the re-entering bow in the apex of the wire. The levers are joined together by a
link C, and thus one to-and-fro movement of the lever B, which is provided with a
handle by which it is operated, (the handle being omitted in the drawing for
convenience of illustration) produces the formation of an upward and downward apex
with the inclined side of the zig-zag joining them together. The wire, with the
two apicos thus formed therein, is then moved forward and the lower apex placed

page_text: against a gauge D, and with its re-entering bow within a recess therein, and the
wire is then bent round the apices of the blocks A and A¹, and the operation again
repeated with the levers, the lever B being first drawn towards the block A when two
further apices and two inclined sides are formed in the wire, and so on as required.
The blocks A and A¹ are mounted in suitable guides on the bed by which they are
carried, so as to be capable of receding slightly under the pressure of the levers, and
against the pressure of springs q' by which they are returned again to their normal
position on the return of the levers respectively. This provision is made in order
to avoid the drawing of the wire as a tongue 7 forms a re-entering bow. It is
preferred to pivot the back end of the lever B¹ immediately in front of the part of
the gauge D which receives the re-entering bow of an apex, so that the side of such
lever tends to prevent the bow from being drawn out of the gauge by the operation
of the lever B. In order to give the necessary inclination to the bows outward
from the plane of the zig-zag to admit of their being interlocked as described, the
tongues and re-ontering parts in the blocks have their operating surfaces inclined as
indicated at g and by broken lines ³, and the inclined sides of the blocks A A¹ are
grooved to receive the inclined sides of the meshes and prevent them from rising as
the bows are set outwards in being formed.
q
The apices of the lengths of wire may be formed, and joined together, by means of
the barbed studs, entirely by twisting or plaiting the wires together, instead of by
first forming the apices and then joining them, and in such case the barbed studs
may be made as shewn in side elevation by figure 21, that is with upwardly and
downwardly projecting parts at the inner end of the stud, between which and the
barbed head the wires are passed around the stud. According to this method of
manufacture each joint will appear as shown in figure 1.
It is not essential that barbed studs (when studs are employed) be used for fixing
the apices of the zig-zag wires together, as plain studs, rivets, or pegs, may be used for
such purpose, when barbs are not required.
When netting is made by first forming zig-zag lengths of wire with re-entering
bows, as above described, and then fixing the same together as described, much
stronger gauges of wire may be employed than can be used in manufacturing wire
netting according to the ordinary methods.
An application of barbs or spines to ordinary wire netting is illustrated, by way of
example by figure 22, and consists of a plate s, carrying barbs s', held to a twisted
joint of the moshes by tongues tt turned over at the backs of the netting wires 3 ²,
as shewn; and figures 23 and 24 illustrate modifications in which the barbs are fixed
in ordinary netting by forming the twisted joints around the barbs themselves during
the process of manufacturing the netting.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Wire netting formed or provided with barbs or spines substantially as described,
for the purpose sot forth.
2. Wire netting formed or provided with barbs or spines which project into and
partly across the meshes thereof, substantially as described, for the purpose set
forth.
3. Wire netting formed or provided with barbs or spines which project from the
plane of the netting, substantially as described.
4. Wire netting consisting of rows of zig-zag wire fixed together (and preferably,
also to the selvage wires) at their apices by barbed or other studs, plates, rivets or
pegs, substantially as described.
5 Wire netting consisting of zig-zag lines of wire looped or eyed at the junctions
of their apices with one another (and preferably, also with the selvage wires) and
fixed by means of barbed or other studs, rivets or pegs, passing through such loops,
substantially as described.
6. Wire netting consisting of rows of zig-zag wire having re-entering bows at their

page_text: apices interlocked, and fixed together (and the upper and lower of such rows being,
preferably, interlocked with and fixed to corresponding bows in the selvage wires)
by barbed or other studs, rivets, or pegs, or by being twisted sufficiently therefor,
substantially as described."
7. Wire netting consisting of rows of zig-zag wire having re-entering bows at their
apices, butted together, (and the upper and lower of such rows being, preferably,
butted against corresponding bows in the selvage wires) and fixed together (and tho
upper and lower of such rows being preferably fixed to the selvage wires) by barbed
or other studs, or plates, which have parts thereon entering loops formed between two
abutting bows, and parts clenched back over the ends of such bows, substantially as
described.
8. The construction of wire netting, substantially as described with reference to the
drawings herewith, for the purposes set forth.