Method and apparatus for fabricating a hinged mat

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR PROVIDING A HINGED MAT STRUCTURE, THE STEPS COMPRISING: FEEDING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL, ELONGATED LONGITUDINAL WIRES IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DIRECTION INTO A WELDING ZONE SO THAT SAID LONGITUDINAL WIRES LIE SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN THE SAME PLANE; MOVING FIRST AND SECOND, ELONGATED TRANSVERSE WIRES INDIVIDUALLY WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER AND WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL WIRES INTO POSITIONS WHEREIN THE AXES OF SAID TRANSVERSE WIRES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL, ARE TRANSVERSE TO SAID LONGITUDINAL WIRES AND ARE ADJACENT SAID WELDING ZONE WITH THE ADJACENT END PORTIONS OF SAID TRANSVERSE WIRES BEING OVERLAPPED AND EXTENDING ACROSS ONE SELECTED LONGITUDINAL WIRE; WELDING ONE TRANSVERSE WIRE TO THE LONGIDUDINAL WIRES ON ONE SIDE OF SAID SELECTED LONGITUDINAL WIRE SO THAT AN END PORTION OF SAID ONE TRANSVERSE WIRE IS FREE FROM CONNECTION TO SAID LONGITUDINAL AND WELDING CROSSES SAID SELECTED LONGITUDINAL WIRE AND WELDING THE OTHER TRANSVERSE WIRE TO THE SELECTED LONGITUDINAL ELEMENT AND TO THE LONGITUDINAL WIRES ON THE OTHER SIDE THEREOF; AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID END PORTION OF SAID ONE TRANSVERSE WIRE TO SAID SELECTED LONGITUDINAL WIRE.