Barbed Tape and Apparatus for Deploying a Barbed Tape

Abstract

In some embodiments, a barbed tape can be formed from a planar strip of flexible material and include a plurality of barbs disposed therealong, the barbs being sufficiently resilient so as to impede, by entanglement with or otherwise, the passage of an object therepast. Apparatus for deployment of barbed tape is also described.

1 . A barbed tape formed from a planar strip of flexible material and comprising a plurality of barbs disposed therealong, said barbs being sufficiently resilient so as to impede, by entanglement with or otherwise, the passage of an object therepast, wherein said barbs are sized so as to entangle a person coming into contact therewith without causing serious injury to said person. 
     
     
         2 . A barbed tape according to  claim 1 , the tape comprising;
 a central portion having first and second parallel side edges;   a plurality of barbs disposed at spaced locations along at least one of said side edges, each of said barbs comprising at least one spike which projects in a direction substantially parallel to the lengthwise direction of the tape.   
     
     
         3 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A barbed tape according to  claim 1 , wherein the material is a metal or a plastics material. 
     
     
         8 . A barbed tape according to  claim 7 , wherein the material is stainless steel having a thickness of approximately 250-500 microns. 
     
     
         9 . A barbed tape according to  claim 1 , wherein the tape comprises a coating which includes at least one of ultra-violet reflective matter and infra-red reflective matter. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A barbed tape according to  claim 2 , wherein the central portion with substantially parallel side edges has an undulating profile, the central portion being of substantially constant width, and the profile being such that barbs are arranged in the dips of the undulation such that they do not protrude beyond the adjacent peaks of the undulations. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for deploying a barbed tape comprising;
 a coil of barbed tape;   first and second members, each of said members being attached to respective ends of the coil of barbed tape; and   an enclosure member,   wherein the apparatus is adapted to be configurable in a stowed state in which the coil of barbed tape is enclosed by the enclosure member, the first member and the second member and relative movement between the first and second members is prevented, and a deployed state in which relative movement between the first and second members is permitted.   
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein one of said first and said second members is formed integrally with said enclosure member. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein one or both of said first and second members comprises attachment means for securing said member or said members to a surface. 
     
     
         15 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . An apparatus for deploying a barbed tape comprising;
 a container enclosing a reel of barbed tape, the container having an opening through which an end of the reel extends; and   first attachment means disposed at said end of the reel, external to the container, and adapted to secure the end of the reel to a surface.   
     
     
         25 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . An apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein the reel of barbed tape is disposed on a spool, which is rotatably mounted within the container. 
     
     
         30 . An apparatus according to  claim 29  in which the reel of barbed tape contains multiple layers of material. 
     
     
         31 . An apparatus according to  claim 30  in which the multiple layers of material comprise layers of barbed tape interspersed with layers of unbarbed material. 
     
     
         32 . An apparatus according to  claim 30  in which the multiple layers of material comprise layers of barbed tape which are arranged such that barbs on a first layer do not overlie barbs on adjacent layers. 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . An apparatus for dispensing barbed tape according to  claim 1 ; the apparatus comprising;
 punching means for punching out the profile of the barbed tape from a strip of un-profiled tape;   feeding means for feeding the un-profiled tape past the punching means.   
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . A handheld device comprising the tape dispensing apparatus of  claim 34 , the device further comprising control means and trigger means wherein the control means is operable to control the tape dispensing apparatus to dispense barbed tape in response to a user activating the trigger means. 
     
     
         37 . A device according to  claim 36 , wherein the tape dispensing apparatus comprises cutting means for cutting off a length of dispensed tape. 
     
     
         38 - 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . Apparatus according to claim  40  wherein the container carries a power supply for powering operation of the handheld device. 
     
     
         43 . An apparatus for deploying barbed tape comprising;
 a container enclosing one or more coils of barbed tape, the container comprising a top, a base and a wall portion engaged by the top and the base when the apparatus is in an un-deployed state, the wall portion surrounding the barbed tape so as to prevent deployment thereof when engaged by the top and the base;   biasing means for biasing the top and the base out of engagement with the wall portion;   restraining means adapted to coupled the top to the base and prevent relative movement therebetween when the apparatus is in the un-deployed state; and   release means for decoupling the restraining means from at least one of the top and the base so as to enable deployment of the barbed tape.   
     
     
         44 - 46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . An apparatus according to  claim 43 , wherein the top and the base are circular and each comprises an annular wall for engaging with respective opposite ends of the wall portion 
     
     
         48 - 49 . (canceled)