Beginning of Electric Fencing

Beginning of Electric Fencing

Beginning of Electric Fencing

What we know as electric fencing today has come a long way.

Electric Fencing started out as merely a fictional idea in the 1889 novel "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. It was described as a defensive weapon against the English during the war.

Nearly fifty years later in 1936 1937 the New Zealander inventor William Bill Gallagher Sr. invented the first application of the electric fence. He built it from an ignition coil and magneto set. The fence was used to stop Gallagher's horse from scratching itself against Gallagher's car. Later on Gallagher started a company to refine the design of the electric fence.

Records show that in 1952 Uganda state forestry department used electric fencing in protecting seedlings from damage by African wildlife.

By the 1960's it was evident that the battery powered fence had reached its limits. There had to be developments in the technical powering of the fence should it grow any further. Due to the battery power of the fence, it could only be used over a small area.

In 1961 the law on main power supply usage was changed and the electric fencing as we know it today was born.

A non-shortable fence using capacitor discharge was invented in 1962 by another Zealander, Doug Phillips. This invention enabled electric fencing to stretch from just a few hundred meters to 56 kilometers. The new power supply on the fence also decreased the cost of electric fencing by more than 80%. Phillips patented the new non-shortable fence and by 1964 the fence was being produced by a New Zealand firm, Plastic Products. It was being distributed under the name "Waikato Electric Fence". The ceramic insulators were replaced by plastic insulators. Much the same as what is used on modern fencing today.

Robert B. Cox, a farmer in Adams County, Iowa, invented a bracket that was an improvement on the previous versions of electric fencing. This allowed the fencing to be high enough from the ground to allow for grass underneath the fence to be mowed. Robert was issued a patent by the US on June 23, 1970. "Pivot bind" or "Torsion-lock" was used to attach the brackets to the electric fence.

The following improvements were made on the initial electric fence invented by William Bill Gallagher Sr.:

- The charger or energizer as it is known today has improved dramatically

- Porcelain insulators were replaced by polyethylene insulators, which were more cost effective and less delicate.

- Legislation changed in terms of the electrical output of fences.

- In the 1970 high tensile (HT) cabling was introduced.

- Artificial webbing and rope like fencing materials, woven with fine conducting wires were introduced.

Moveable electric fence components were invented.

www.wmkefencing.co.za

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