Article of manufacture with twisted web

Claim 2

An article of manufacture comprising: a ductile member having a plurality of transversely spaced generally longitudinally extending rectilinear, ribbons, adjacent ribbons being parallel with one another and cooperating to define a pair of ribbons and said member including a plurality of such pairs, said ribbons being continuous in length and having opposite longitudinally extending edges, the edges on adjacent ribbons being spaced from one another by a finite distance at spaced locations along their respective lengths to define a row of longitudinally spaced and longitudinally aligned openings between adjacent ribbons of each pair, the openings which define slots in plane section in each row being separated by a web portion that extends transversely and perpendicularly between ribbons of a pair of ribbons, each ribbon including alternating, longitudinally spaced crests and troughs, the crests extending upwardly from a reference plane and the troughs extending downwardly from the reference plane, the transitional portion of each ribbon between the crests and troughs being undeformed and extending at an angle with respect to the reference plane, the crests on each ribbon being aligned with a trough on the adjacent ribbon of its pair of ribbons whereby the aligned transitional portions of adjacent ribbons of each pair of ribbons are disposed at angles that are positioned oppositely with respect to said reference plane, each of said webs being continuous and having a finite length which extends from a first end portion merging with a transitional portion of one ribbon of its pair of ribbons to a second end portion merging with the aligned transitional portion of the adjacent ribbon of its pair of ribbons, the dimensions of said webs being selected such that the intermediate portion of each web between its end portions is twisted throughout its length.

Claim 3

AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE COMPRISING: A DUCTILE MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSELY SPACED GENERALLY LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING RECTILINEAR, RIBBONS, ADJACENT RIBBONS BEING PARALLEL WITH ONE ANOTHER AND COOPERATING TO DEFINE A PAIR OF RIBBONS AND SAID MEMBER INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SUCH PAIRS, SAID RIBBONS BEING CONTINUOUS IN LENGTH AND HAVING OPPOSITE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING EDGES, THE EDGES ON ADJACENT RIBBONS BEING SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER BY A FINITE DISTANCE AT SPACED LOCATIONS ALONG THEIR RESPECTIVE LENGTHS TO DEFINE A ROW OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED AND LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNED OPENINGS BETWEEN ADJACENT RIBBONS OF EACH PAIR, THE OPENINGS WHICH DEFINE SLOTS IN PLANE SECTION IN EACH ROW BEING SEPARATED BY A WEB PORTION THAT EXTENDS TRANSVERSELY AND PERPENDICULARLY BETWEEN RIBBONS OF A PAIR OF RIBBONS, EACH RIBBON INCLUDING ALTERNATING, LONGITUDINALLY SPACED CRESTS AND TROUGHS, THE CRESTS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM A REFERENCE PLANE AND THE TROUGHS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE REFERENCE PLANE, THE TRANSITIONAL PORTION OF EACH RIBBON BETWEEN THE CRESTS AND TROUGHS BEING UNDEFORMED AND EXTENDING AT AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE REFERENCE PLANE, THE CRESTS ON EACH RIBBON BEING ALIGNED WITH A TROUGH ON THE ADJACENT RIBBON OF ITS PAIR OF RIBBONS WHEREBY THE ALIGNED TRANSITIONAL PORTIONS OF ADJACENT RIBBONS OF EACH PAIR OF RIBBONS ARE DISPOSED AT ANGLES THAT ARE POSITIONED OPPOSITELY WITH RESPECT TO SAID REFERENCE PLANE, EACH OF SAID WEBS BEING CONTINUOUS AND HAVING A FINITE LENGTH WHICH EXTENDS FROM A FIRST END PORTION MERGING WITH A TRANSITIONAL PORTION OF ONE RIBBON OF ITS PAIR OF RIBBONS TO A SECOND END PORTION MERGING WITH THE ALIGNED TRANSITIONAL PORTION OF THE ADJACENT RIBBON OF ITS PAIR OF RIBBONS, THE DIMENSIONS OF SAID WEBS BEING SELECTED SUCH THAT INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF EACH WEB BETWEEN ITS END PORTIONS IS TWISTED THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH.

Claim 4

AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE COMPRISING: A DUCTILE MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSELY SPACED GENERALLY LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING RECTILINEAR, RIBBONS, ADJACENT RIBBONS BEING PARALLEL WITH ONE ANOTHER AND COOPERATING TO DEFINE A PAIR OF RIBBONS AND SAID MEMBER INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SUCH PAIRS, SAID RIBBONS BEING CONTINUOUS IN LENGTH AND HAVING OPPOSITE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING EDGES, THE EDGES ON ADJACENT RIBBONS BEING SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER BY A FINITE DISTANCE AT SPACED LOCATIONS ALONG THEIR RESPECTIVE LENGTHS TO DEFINE A ROW OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED AND LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNED OPENINGS BETWEEN ADJACENT RIBBONS OF EACH PAIR, THE OPENINGS WHICH DEFINE SLOTS IN PLANE SECTION IN EACH ROW BEING SEPARATED BY A WEB PORTION THAT EXTENDS TRANSVERSELY AND PERPENDICULARLY BETWEEN RIBBONS OF A PAIR OF RIBBONS, EACH RIBBON INCLUDING ALTERNATING, LONGITUDINALLY SPACED CRESTS AND TROUGHS, THE CRESTS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM A REFERENCE PLANE AND THE TROUGHS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE REFERENCE PLANE, THE TRANSITIONAL PORTION OF EACH RIBBON BETWEEN THE CRESTS AND TROUGHS BEING UNDEFORMED AND EXTENDING AT AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE REFERENCE PLANE, THE CRESTS ON EACH RIBBON BEING ALIGNED WITH A TROUGH ON THE ADJACENT RIBBON OF ITS PAIR OF RIBBONS WHEREBY THE ALIGNED TRANSITIONAL PORTIONS OF ADJACENT RIBBONS OF EACH PAIR OF RIBBONS ARE DISPOSED AT ANGLES THAT ARE POSITIONED OPPOSITELY WITH RESPECT TO SAID REFERENCE PLANE, EACH OF SAID WEBS BEING CONTINUOUS AND HAVING A FINITE LENGTH WHICH EXTENDS FROM A FIRST END PORTION MERGING WITH A TRANSITIONAL PORTION OF ONE RIBBON OF ITS PAIR OF RIBBONS TO A SECOND END PORTION MERGING WITH THE ALIGNED TRANSITIONAL PORTION OF THE ADJACENT RIBBON OF ITS PAIR OF RIBBONS, THE DIMENSIONS OF SAID WEBS BEING SELECTED SUCH THAT INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF EACH WEB BETWEEN ITS END PORTIONS IS TWISTED THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH.

Claim 5

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ribbons have openings therein.

Claim 6

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein said crests and troughs are defined by converging ribboN portions that merge at an acute angle.

Claim 7

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein said crests and troughs are defined by converging ribbon portions, the apex of said crests and troughs being arcuately shaped.

Claim 8

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 4 wherein the radius of the crest apexes is different than the radius of the trough apexes.

Claim 9

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 4 wherein said apexes are curved above axes that are parallel to one another and to said reference plane.

Claim 10

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 6 wherein the axes of said apexes are parallel to the length of said ribbons.

Claim 11

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 6 wherein the axes of said apexes are perpendicular to the length of said ribbons.

Claim 12

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 4 wherein the apexes of said crests and troughs are spherically shaped.

Claim 13

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein said crests and troughs are defined by converging ribbon portions spanned by a flat ribbon portion that is parallel to said reference plane.

Claim 14

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein said member is sandwiched between a pair of cover members.

Claim 15

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 11 in which at least some of said crests are secured to one of said cover members and at least some of said troughs are secured to the other of said cover members.

Claim 16

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 11 in which said cover members are parallel to one another and to said reference plane, and wherein said crests and troughs are defined by converging ribbon portions spanned by a flat ribbon portion that is positioned in face abutting engagement with a cover member, at least some of said flat ribbon portions being secured to said cover members.

Claim 17

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 11 wherein said cover members and sheet are curved.

Claim 18

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 14 wherein said cover members are concentric tubes.

Claim 19

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 15 wherein said ribbons extend circumferentially around the axes of said tubes.

Claim 20

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 15 wherein said ribbons extend longitudinally, parallel to the axes of said tubes.

Claim 21

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein said webs have arcuate side edges to provide rounded portions at the ends of said longitudinally spaced openings.

Claim 22

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein the edges of adjacent ribbons that are spaced from one another to define said longitudinally spaced openings are generally parallel with one another, whereby said openings are of generally equal width throughout their length.

Claim 23

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein the edges of adjacent ribbons that are spaced from one another to define said longitudinally spaced openings are spaced a greater distance from one another adjacent the web at each end of the openings than at the midportion of the openings.

Claim 24

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein the edges of adjacent ribbons that are spaced from one another to define said longitudinally spaced openings are spaced a greater distance from one another adjacent the midportion of the openings than adjacent the web at each end of the openings.

Claim 25

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ribbons are wider than said openings.

Claim 26

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein said webs are integral with said ribbons.

Claim 27

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein said webs are provided by parts that are separate and distinct from said ribbons and which extend generally perpendicularly with respect thereto, said parts being secured to said ribbons at the intersections therebetween.

Claim 28

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 in which the transitional portions of Adjacent ribbons are disposed substantially perpendicularly with respect to said reference plane, and wherein the end portions of said webs are twisted substantially 180* relative to one another.

Claim 29

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein the crests and troughs progressively decrease in height from one end of the member to the other.

Claim 30

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 26 wherein said member is positioned within a tapered enclosure.

Claim 31

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein each ribbon includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced reinforcing ribs.

Claim 32

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one fin extends outwardly from one side of each web.

Claim 33

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 29 wherein a plurality of fins extend outwardly from each side of each web.

Claim 34

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein said articles is coated with a plastic material.

Claim 35

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 in which at least two of said ribbons include openings in alignment with the webs connecting the ribbons to adjacent ribbons, said openings being in alignment with one another and cooperating to define passageways in said at least two ribbons.

Claim 36

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 32 in which the apexes of the crests and troughs are flattened and cooperate to define generally flat surfaces at opposite sides of said member.

Claim 37

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 33 in which thin parallel support sheets are secured to said generally flat surfaces.

Claim 38

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 in which a pair of said members are positioned along side one another with said members including adjacent edge portions facing one another, said edge portions being perpendicular to the length of said ribbons and each extending through a crest and trough of the ribbons of its respective member to provide oppositely inclined retention portions; and wherein rail means is provided for interconnecting said pair of members, said rail means including first and second sets of wall portions spaced from one another, the distance between the wall portions of said first and second sets being greater than the dimension of the twisted webs adjacent said retention portions and less than the dimension of the free ends of said retention portions, each member of said pair of members being connected to said rail means by inserting the twisted webs adjacent the retention portions of each of said pair of members between the wall portions of one of said first and second sets.

Claim 39

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 35 in which said rail means includes first and second separate rail members, each rail member having one of said sets of separate wall portions, and wherein an inverted generally U-shaped clip is positioned over the free ends of said rail members, with fastening means securing said clip to at least one rail member.

Claim 40

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 35 wherein the members of said pair of members are positioned in line with one another.

Claim 41

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 35 wherein the members of said pair of members are positioned at a right angle with respect to one another.

Claim 42

An article of manufacture comprising: first and second generally identically shaped sheets positioned in face abutting engagement with one another, each sheet having a plurality of transversely spaced generally longitudinally extending ribbons, adjacent ribbons cooperating to define a pair of ribbons and said sheet including a plurality of such pairs, said ribbons being continuous in length and having opposite longitudinally extending edges, the edges on adjacent ribbons being spaced from one another at spaced locations along their respective lengths to define a row of longitudinally spaced openings between adjacent ribbons of each pair, the openings in each row being separated by A web portion, each ribbon including alternating, longitudinally spaced crests and troughs, the crests extending upwardly from a reference plane and the troughs extending downwardly from the reference plane, the transitional portion of each ribbon between the crests and troughs extending at an angle with respect to the reference plane, the crests on each ribbon being aligned with a trough on the adjacent ribbon of its pair of ribbons whereby the aligned transitional portions of adjacent ribbons of each pair of ribbons are disposed at angles that are inclined oppositely with respect to said reference plane, said webs each having a first end portion merging with a transitional portion of one ribbon of its pair of ribbons and a second end portion merging with the aligned transitional portion of the adjacent ribbon of its pair of ribbons, the intermediate portion of each web between its end portions being twisted throughout its length, means bonding at least one ribbon of said first sheet to a ribbon of said second sheet in laterally spaced longitudinally extending areas, the ribbon material between the bonded areas of each sheet extending away from one another to define a longitudinally extending passage between said bonded areas.

Claim 43

An article of manufacture comprising: first and second generally identically shaped sheets positioned in face abutting engagement with one another, each sheet having a plurality of transversely spaced generally longitudinally extending ribbons, adjacent ribbons cooperating to define a pair of ribbons and said sheet including a plurality of such pairs, said ribbons being continuous in length and having opposite longitudinally extending edges, the edges on adjacent ribbons being spaced from one another at spaced locations along their respective lengths to define a row of longitudinally spaced openings between adjacent ribbons of each pair, the openings in each row being separated by A web portion, each ribbon including alternating, longitudinally spaced crests and troughs, the crests extending upwardly from a reference plane and the troughs extending downwardly from the reference plane, the transitional portion of each ribbon between the crests and troughs extending at an angle with respect to the reference plane, the crests on each ribbon being aligned with a trough on the adjacent ribbon of its pair of ribbons whereby the aligned transitional portions of adjacent ribbons of each pair of ribbons are disposed at angles that are inclined oppositely with respect to said reference plane, said webs each having a first end portion merging with a transitional portion of one ribbon of its pair of ribbons and a second end portion merging with the aligned transitional portion of the adjacent ribbon of its pair of ribbons, the intermediate portion of each web between its end portions being twisted throughout its length, means bonding at least one ribbon of said first sheet to a ribbon of said second sheet in laterally spaced longitudinally extending areas, the ribbon material between the bonded areas of each sheet extending away from one another to define a longitudinally extending passage between said bonded areas.

Claim 44

An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 39 wherein said first and second sheets are sections of a single member, said member being folded to place said sheets in face abutting engagement with one another.