Patent ID: 7096703

Claim:
A method of making a three-dimensional metal structure, the method being characterized by the following steps: making longitudinal cuts ( 10 ) in a sheet metal strip ( 1 ) by causing the strip to pass between two rollers (R, R′) carrying annular knives (C) whose blades are discontinuous and angularly offset from one roller to the other so as to form parallel rectilinear chords ( 11 ) that are interconnected at regular intervals by connecting bridges ( 12 , 13 ) and by linking legs ( 14 ), two adjacent chords being provided either with U-shaped bridges ( 12 ) for connection with two legs of the same orientation, or with S-shaped bridges ( 13 ) for connection with two legs of opposite orientations, and the U-shaped bridges are oriented in opposite directions from one chord to the next; slicing the strip transversely by sectioning said chords ( 11 ) and said bridges at different longitudinal positions (X, x, x′); moving every other precut chord ( 11 ) into an offset plane by exerting vertical thrust on the chords carrying the U-shaped bridges ( 12 ) so as to cause the legs ( 14 ) to pivot and to bring the ends ( 11 a ) of said chords ( 11 ) into vertical alignment with the S-shaped bridges ( 13 ); and stretching the strip ( 1 ) in a transverse direction.