Patent ID: 8146218

Claim:
A method of continuously forming a one-piece expanded metal gutter cover having a length, a width, and at least one solid edge extending along the cover at one side of the cover, said method comprising feeding a continuous web of solid metal in a direction of feed along a continuous path, said continuous web having a width extending transverse to the web and direction of feed and side edges extending lengthwise of the web, expanding the continuous web in a direction transverse to the direction of feed and to the width of the web as it is fed along said continuous path to form an expanded web of material having an expanded metal screen section with holes of substantially uniform size and shape, a first side edge margin along one side of the web of solid unperforated metal, and a second side edge margin along an opposite side of the web, the expanded web having a width greater than the width of the continuous web of solid metal before said expanding, after said expanding has occurred, forming a gutter cover profile in the first side edge margin as the continuous web is fed along said continuous path, said profile having a configuration for installation on a gutter, after said forming has occurred, cutting the continuous web transversely of the web at intervals along the web to form separate gutter covers, each interval corresponding to the length of a gutter cover, wherein the holes formed in the expanded web are arranged in rows R 1 . . . RN extending in the direction of feed, wherein said expanding comprises forming the holes in row R 1 before forming the holes in row RN, and wherein said expanding comprises forming a first half of a hole in a row, advancing the web in the direction of feed, and forming a second half of the hole in the row.