It is known to form a rigid mesh of spaced apart generally horizontal rods and vertically extending assemblies of wires extending at right angles to the rods, the assemblies resembling multistrand cable. Such a mesh is rigid in contrast to a similar mesh which has such cables.

It is one object of the invention to provide an improved method of forming such a rush.

According to the invention, in one aspect there is provided a method of making a substantially rigid mesh comprising spaced apart metal rods held together by assemblies spaced apart along the rods and bridging the rods, each assembly comprising a plurality of generally parallel, abutting wires which together present an appearance resembling a multistrand cable, the method comprising forming spaced apart shaped formations in or on rods at locations to engage wires of the assemblies, weaving the wires with rods and locating the wires with respect to the formations whereby the assemblies are located at the predetermined locations.

Preferably the rods are bars of rounded circular or oval cross-section but they may have other shapes too. The rods are preferably metal. The wires are preferably metal.

The formations may be in projecting or depressed form; preferably the formations comprise depressions in which the wires are received and thereby located. Where the assemblies comprise three wires, the outer two being in phase and the inner out of phase, there are preferably two outer formations on one side of the rods and one on the other opposite side, the one being between the outer two.

In another aspect, the invention provides a rigid mesh comprising spaced apart generally horizontal rods held together by generally vertical assemblies spaced apart along the rods and bridging the rods, the assemblies being engaged with shaped formations at predetermined locations along the rods and comprising a plurality of wires located in the formations.

In order that the invention may be well understood, it will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is an elevation of a part of a mesh of the invention; Figure 2 is an end view; and Figure 3 is a view taken from the direction of arrow and drawn to an enlarged scale.

The rigid mesh comprises elongate wires or rods or bars B, arranged horizontally as seen in the drawings. The bars are of generally circular cross-sectional shape. The bars B are held apart by assemblies A of wires arranged in columns. Each assembly comprise three wires, W1, W2 and W3 which are held together in line, each wire abutting its neighbour or neighbours so that they appear close together. The outer wires W1 and W3 are in phase, the middle W2 being out of phase. The rods have depressions D1, D2, D3 corresponding to the wires W1, W2, W3, the outer two being on one side of the rod and the middle diametrically opposite, at spaced apart locations where they are to intersect with the assemblies A.

In use, the depressions D1, D2, D3 are formed in the surface of the rods B. The rods B are offered up to the weaving machine, not shown, and the wires W1, W2 and W3 are woven to engage the rods and are located in the respective depressions. This simplifies manufacture and ensures that the wires will be close together to resemble a multicable wire.