Since Joseph F. Glidden patented barbed wire back in 1874, its popularity began to grow rapidly and within a few years it spread beyond the United States, allowing European consumers to experience the functionality of the new invention. It should be noted that for a long time the structural part of the barbed wire remained unchanged.
The First World War as a New Round in the Evolution of Barbed Wire
It was during the First World War that it became clear that barbed wire, which at that time could not be purchased as easily as it is now, could have more than just a peaceful purpose. The German military is finding a new use for barbed wire, making it into impenetrable Bruno spirals. To give the thorn the desired shape, it was wound on special drums, after which ordinary straight wire took on a rigid spiral shape. Around the same time, due to the fact that not all military garrisons in Germany could obtain or buy barbed wire kayman.ua, an alternative type of defensive barriers began to develop - barbed tape made of sheet metal. To give a more serious deterrent effect and create truly effective defensive barriers, barbed tape, like wire, begins to be wound onto drums, giving it a spiral shape. You need to understand that tape was an accessible and cheap substitute for barbed wire. To cut the tape, no special tools were required, since any metal scissors or pliers could handle it.
The results of the war allowed us to take a different look at the effectiveness of razor tape. A few years after its completion, the razor tape begins to be reinforced with high-quality steel wire, which makes it possible to create impenetrable barriers while saving metal. Such a barrier quickly deployed in a certain area, giving the military the opportunity to create defensive positions in a matter of minutes. This was a new step in the rapid mobilization of military forces.
This type of barbed wire is still widely used today. Reinforced twisted razor tape (ASRL) is used to protect objects and territories of any area.
History of Barbed Wire: the Modern Stage
The use of ASCL in military campaigns gives the expectedly high result, because now to pass defensive lines the enemy has to use special tools that can bite through a thick layer of metal. However, there was still a weak point in the ASCL design. It turned out to be a tape loose on the core, and if the edge was bitten off, the entire cutting layer could be reeled off without any problems, thereby securing the passage of the infantry.
The ASCL design needed serious improvement. Thus, in the 70s of the twentieth century, American enthusiasts developed reinforced barbed wire (RBA), in which the edges were partially rolled onto the base, thereby ensuring reliable fixation of the cutting layer on the base.
Barbed Wire: a Step Back
A step back in the evolution of barbed wire can be considered the time when savings lead to the fact that the staples for connecting the turns become the weak point of the entire structure, since they are made of low-quality wire. Fortunately, further technological progress has eliminated this disadvantage, through the production of stamped staples from rolled and sheet steel. In this way, it was possible to achieve high reliability of the spiral barriers, which the army still needed.
Patents for Barbed Wire
The struggle in the field of patenting discoveries in the field of barbed wire production leads to a monopoly reigning in the world of two main competitors, the Concertina and Egoza trademarks. In most European countries, the USA, and Asia, reinforced spiral barriers began to be sold under the Concertina TM. In the CIS, all major manufacturers registered the Egoza trademark, under which they began selling barbed wire.
Today you can buy Egoza barbed wire in any of the countries of the commonwealth, as well as in foreign markets.
Barbed Wire: Transformation Continues
The next stage in the development of barbed wire design was driven by the need to use protective barriers on ships subject to attack by pirates. Although the traditional razor wire coped with the defensive task, it still had one significant drawback - the inability to quickly fold/unfold the barrier. This quality interfered with loading operations. Often, to prevent the razor wire from entangling the load, it had to be cut off and then restored.
Thanks to the invention of Yu.V. Tkachenko, managed to resolve the problems of mobilizing the barrier. Thus, an engineering protective system was proposed that made it possible to roll up and deploy the barrier in a matter of minutes. In addition to the Anti-Pirate system, he owns a number of unique patents related to design and functional improvements in barbed wire. An example is the invention of barbed wire made of composite materials. The advantages of such razor wire include long-term operation, resistance to corrosion, and waste-free production.