Inventor lucien b smith biography

science · 25 June · years ago

In , barbed wire was patented by Lucien B. Smith of Kent, Ohio (U.S. No. 66,). His simple idea that was an artificial "thorn hedge" consisting of wire with short metal spikes twisted on by hand at regular intervals. For prairie farmers and cattlemen natural fencing materials were scarce, so the invention met the need to keep their cattle safely away from crops. The barbs were set on spools threaded on and spaced along the fence-wire. Four projecting nail-like points radiatiated from the spools of the at right angles to each other and the fence-wire. The spools were spaced 2 to 3 feet apart, and could revolve loosely on the wire. It is not known if this variety of barbed wire was actually manufactured; simpler twisted wire forms followed.

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On this day in , Joseph Glidden received a patent for barbed wire.

Glidden, an American farmer, developed a refined technique for making barbed wire using a coffee mill to sharpen the barbs. He demonstrated its usefulness in keeping cattle with a herd of 12, cattle in Potter County, Texas.

Soon after he received the patent, there was some debate over whether Glidden had indeed invented the technique of creating barbs and twisting wire around them to keep them in place. (Lucien B. Smith of Ohio had received a patent for an earlier type of barbed wire in ) Glidden fought a legal battle over the right to the invention, but did eventually win, and became very wealthy with the profits from his Barb Fence Company, which was headquartered in Illinois.

Barbed wire changed the face of American ranching, as it was the most effective way for even inexperienced builders to create fences that would hold cattle.  

No matter where you live in the world, you’ve probably seen barbed wire and lots of it. barbed wire, or barb wire as it’s sometimes known, is one of the most common fence materials for agricultural fences, and it’s also used for security fences, taut wire fences and more.

However, while we’ve all seen barbed wire before, what most people don’t know is who invented barbed wire. Here’s what you need to know.

A Controversial History

What most people don’t know when they first ask who invented barbed wire is that there is quite a bit of controversy surrounding this seemingly ordinary, everyday product.

That’s because the first barbed wire patent was issued to Lucien B. Smith from Kent, Ohio, in However, in , another man named Joseph F. Glidden from DeKalb, Illinois, filed a new patent for an improved version of the product.

Unfortunately, because Smith already held a patent, his application was denied.

The competition for the rights to the barbed wire was fierce, and in , Glidden actually took the US patent office to court, eventually winning the case and receiving a patent for his new and improved barbed wire product.

It’s hard to believe t

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