Patent ID: 8353407

Claim:
A method of making a screen, said screen including a plurality of wires arranged in a patterned configuration, said method comprising: (a) longitudinally aligning said wires in a first direction only and arranging said wires in said patterned configuration; (b) applying a bead of a molten material on said wires along a path from a first edge of the screen to a second edge of the screen in a second direction transverse to the first direction; and, (c) directly molding said bead of molten material into a support member, wherein said support member at least partially encases at least one of said wires and wherein applying the bead of the molten material includes: initiating the application of the bead by applying the bead to the first edge of the screen such that at least a portion of the path is not contacted by the bead; and, progressively applying the bead along the path toward the second edge of the screen.