Barbed wire , also known as barb wire or bob wire , is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strands. Its primary use is the construction of inexpensive fences , and it is also used as a security measure atop walls surrounding property.
As a wire obstacle , it is a major feature of the fortifications in trench warfare. A person or animal trying to pass through or over barbed wire will suffer discomfort and possibly injury.
Barbed wire fencing requires only fence posts, wire, and fixing devices such as staples. It is simple to construct and quick to erect, even by an unskilled person. The first patent in the United States for barbed wire [ 1 ] was issued in to Lucien B. Smith of Kent, Ohio , who is regarded as the inventor.
Glidden of DeKalb, Illinois , received a patent for the modern invention [ 4 ] in after he made his own modifications to previous versions. Wire fences are cheaper and easier to erect than their alternatives one such alternative is Osage orange , a thorny bush that is time-consuming to transplant and grow.
Fencing consisting of flat and thin wire was first proposed in France, by Leonce Eugene Grassin-Baledans in His design consisted of bristling points, creating a fence that was painful to cross. Michael Kelly from New York had a similar idea, and proposed that the fencing should be used specifically for deterring animals.
