The wire that fenced countries, people and wildlife
Did you know that the U.S Patent Office had to process over 200 different patents for various types of spiked dancing in the period between 1867-1874? The barbed wire, as we know it now, really picked up only after an American farmer, Joseph Glidden, received his patent for a way to mechanically produce them (previous versions were hand-made) in 1874.
Uses remain same
Ever since they have been mass-produced, however, they have found uses across the globe. Their biggest use hasn’t change from the time were invented, as the primary goal still remains to fence in cattle. People, however, are not only fencing cattle, but also horses, goats, sheep and even exotic animals.
Human beings too haven’t been exempt from barbed wire, as the wires have been a tool for oppression and control from the earliest days.
They persist to this day and are widely used in prisons and borders, where they remain a threat to wildlife.
Durability has increased
Even though their usability has remained more or less the same, the wires that are now used to make these barbed fences are more durable than ever due to two main developments. By mixing steel with minute quantities of carbon fibre, manufacturers were able to get high-tensile barbed wire that was more flexible, without compromising on strength.
Secondly, new ways of galvanizing the steel were also looked at recently, to keep off rusting for a longer time. The best barbed wire now available is generally coated in a mixture of 95% aluminium and 5% zinc. While conventional barbed wires last 7-10 years, the zinc-aluminium coated ones are expected to last as long as 50 years!
Picture Credit : Google
