Machine for expanding metal

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED FOR EXPANDING SLITTED METAL SHEETS INTO RETICULATED WEBS FOR USE AS REINFORCING IN A CONCRETE ROADWAY OR THE LIKE, A WHEELEQUIPPED FRAME ADAPTED TO STRADDLE SUCH ROADWAY AND TO MOVE LONGITUDINALLY THEREALONG, SAID FRAME DEFINING A BED ADAPTED TO EXTEND TRANSVERSELY OF SUCH ROADWAY FOR SUPPORTING SUCH SHEET DURING THE EXPANSION THEREOF, A STATIONARY JAW ASSEMBLY SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAME ADJACENT AN END OF SAID BED AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED LOCKING FINGERS MOVABLE BETWEEN A RELEASE POSITION SPACED FROM SAID BED AND A LOCKING POSITION ADJACENT THE BED FOR FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING THE LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTION OF A SHEET SUPPORTED THEREON, A CARRIAGE SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAME FOR RECIPROCATORY MOVEMENT ALONG SAID BED TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID STATIONARY JAW ASSEMBLY, POWER MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID CARRIAGE, AND A TRAVELLING JAW ASSEMBLY SUPPORTED BY SAID CARRIAGE AND COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SPACED LOCKING FINGERS EXTENDING ACROSS SAID BED IN GENERALLY PARALLEL ALIGNMENT WITH THE AFORESAID LOCKING FINGERS, SAID LAST MENTIONED LOCKING FINGERS BEING SELECTIVELY MOVABLE BETWEEN A RELEASE POSITION REMOTE FROM SAID BED AND A LOCKING POSITION ADJACENT SAID BED TO FRICTIONALLY GRIP THE OPPOSITE LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTION OF SUCH SHEET SUPPORTED THEREON AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID STATIONARY AND TRAVELLING JAW ASSEMBLIES, SAID LOCKING FINGERS ON RESPECTIVE SAID ASSEMBLIES BEING ROTATABLE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF SUCH SUPPORTED SHEET, RESPECTIVELY INTO AND OUT OF SAID LOCKING POSITIONS THEREOF, SAID LOCKING FINGERS ON SAID ASSEMBLIES THEREBY BEING ROTATABLE OUT OF SAID LOCKING POSITIONS BY ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH OPPOSITE LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS OF A SHEET DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID ASSEMBLIES WHEN THE ASSEMBLIES ARE MOVED TOGETHER, AND RETURNING TO SAID LOCKING POSITIONS IN FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID EDGE PORTIONS WHEN SAID ASSEMBLIES ARE MOVED APART FOR EXPANDING THE SHEET; WHEREBY A SLITTED SHEET IS EXPANDED ACROSS SUCH ROADWAY AS SAID APPARATUS TRAVELS LONGITUDINALLY THEREALONG TO PREPARE SUCH SHEET FOR PLACEMENT IN A SECTION OF SUCH ROADWAY IMMEDIATELY TRAVERSED BY SAID APPARATUS.