Reinforcing wire element and materials reinforced therewith

Claim 1

A TWO-PHASE MATERIAL HAVING INCREASED TENSILE STRENGTH AND RESISTENCE TO CRACK PROPAGATION COMPRISING: A. A HARDENED MATRIX MATERIAL, B. A PLURALITY OF WIRE ELEMENTS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED AND RANDOMLY ORIENTED IN SAID MATRIX MATERIAL SO THAT THE AVERAGE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE CENTROIDS OF EACH ELEMENT IS LESS THAN ONE-FORTH OF THE WIRE LENGTH OF EACH ELEMENT, C. SAID WIRE ELEMENTS HAVING A LENGTH TO DIAMETER RATIO OF BETWEEN ABOUT 50 TO 1 AND 200 TO 1, D. SAID WIRE ELEMENTS EACH COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT CENTRAL PORTION HAVING A CURVATURE OF LESS THAN ABOUT 45* AND HAVING A LENGTH OF AT LEAST ONE-HALF OF THE TOTAL LENGTH OF SAID ELEMENT AND A PAIR OF TERMINAL PORTIONS CONNECTED BY SAID CENTRAL PORTION, E. SAID TERMINAL PORTIONS COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT TERMINALPART HAVING A LENGTH OF AT LEAST FIVE TIMES THE DIAMETER OF SAID ELEMENTS AND FURTHER COMPRISING A BENDING CONNECTING SAID SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT TERMINAL PART TO SAID SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT CENTRAL PORTION, F. SAID BENDING BEING AROUND A RADIUS CURVATURES LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID WIRE SEAGMENT AND FORMING AN ANGLE OF BETWEEN 90* AND 135* BETWEEN SAID TERMINAL PART AND SAID CENTRAL PORTION, G. EACH OF SAID TERMINAL PORTIONS BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED THAT A NORMAL TO ONE OF SAID TERMINAL PORTIONS AT EVERY POINT THEREALONG PASSES OUTSIDE THE OTHER OF SAID TERMINAL PORTIONS, H. SAID ELEMENTS BEING THUSLY SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED AS TO INHIBIT HOOKING-IN OF EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS WITH RESPET TO THE OTHER OF SAID ELEMENTS.