Barbed Wire Snap-On Stabilizer and Method of Use

Abstract

A stabilizer for barbed wire fences and its method of use are presented. The stabilizer is a single unitary piece of molded plastic having an aperture and a deflectable locking tab allowing for access to the aperture. Such apertures and deflectable locking tabs are uniformly spaced along the length of the stabilizer and are adapted to receive the spaced-apart barbed wire of a fencing system. The deflectable locking tab accommodates both ease of application and release of the stabilizer with respect to the barbed wire.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A barbed wire snap-on stabilizer, comprising:
 an elongated member; and   a series of wire locking receptacles along a length of said elongated member.   
     
     
         2 . The barbed wire snap-on stabilizer according to  claim 1 , wherein said wire locking receptacles comprise a locking tab forming a portion of a wall of an aperture, said locking tab and said wall encompassing said aperture. 
     
     
         3 . The barbed wire snap-on stabilizer according to  claim 1 , wherein said locking tab is deflectable into said aperture for accommodating passage of barbed wire into said aperture. 
     
     
         4 . The barbed wire snap-on stabilizer according to  claim 2 , wherein said locking tab is biased into forming said portion of said wall of said aperture. 
     
     
         5 . The barbed wire snap-on stabilizer according to  claim 4 , wherein said wire locking receptacles further comprise a guide surface in juxtaposition to an associated tab, a separation from said guide surface to said tab closing toward a deflectable end of said tab. 
     
     
         6 . The barbed wire snap-on stabilizer according to  claim 5 , wherein said guide surface is curvate. 
     
     
         7 . The barbed wire snap-on stabilizer according to  claim 6 , wherein said barbed wire snap-on stabilizer comprises an integral single piece of molded plastic. 
     
     
         8 . The barbed wire snap-on stabilizer according to  claim 7 , wherein said elongated member comprises four orthogonally connected elongated flanges, consisting of a rear flange, first and second side flanges, and a front locking flange, said front locking flange containing said series of wire locking receptacles therealong. 
     
     
         9 . The barbed wire snap-on stabilizer according to  claim 8 , wherein said wire locking receptacles are uniformly spaced along at least a portion of said front locking flange. 
     
     
         10 . A method for establishing a barbed wire fence, comprising:
 erecting spaced-apart posts;   interconnecting vertically spaced barbed wires to said spaced-apart posts; and   snapping stabilizers onto said barbed wires to maintain a vertical spacing of said barbed wires by deflecting spaced-apart tabs on said stabilizers and urging said barbed wires beyond said tabs and into a circumferentially walled aperture, and releasing the deflectable tab to close said circumferentially walled aperture.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said barbed wires are introduced to said tabs along a curvate guide surface. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said step of snapping stabilizers onto said barbed wires confines lateral movement upon said barbed wires as between the barbs of a closest horizontally spaced pair of barbs, one barb on each side of an associated stabilizer.