A Treatise on Fire and Thief-Proof Depositories, and Locks and Keys

Table of contents :
Front Cover
Introduction
CHAPTER V
The two principles on which Safes are made fire-proof
On fire-proof Closets and Strong Rooms
The best place for a fire-proof Safe to occupy
On powder-proof Locks
10
CHAPTER XII
21
CHAPTER XIII
25
66
CHAPTER XIV
89
CHAPTER XV
CHAPTER XVI
CHAPTER XVII
The Lock Controversy since the closing of the Great Exhibition
CHAPTER XVIII
68
CHAPTER XIX
1
CHAPTER XXI
APPENDIX

Citation preview

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10

a A Treatise on Fire and

Thief -proof Depositories, and ...

George Price ,

Price , George , of Wolverhampton

The Library

of the

S SI IGIL LUM MEN

UN

IV

ER

WISCONS

University of Wisconsin

From the collection of the late

WI

SC

ON

SI

N

F O

LIBRARY Custom

General Unive 728

Mac U.S.A.

Madison

MADISON

UNIVERSITY

Chester H. Thordarson

A 2

10,77

ON FIRE AND THIEF- PROOF DEPOSITORIES

AND

LOCKS AND KEYS .

A

TREATISE

ON

FIRE & THIEF- PROOF DEPOSITORIES

AND

LOCKS

AND

KEYS .

BY GEORGE PRICE.

I

S

SI

B T TI

SI

Stre

ngth

S HE PO

UT

TR H

IS AL 584

6

AD 18 46

LONDON :

SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, AND CO. , STATIONERS ' HALL COURT ; E. AND F. N. SPON, BUCKLERSBURY ; AND MAY BE OBTAINED THROUGH ANY BOOKSELLER. 1856.

General Unive 728 S¹

Thron , Custom n - Madison

4

3.06-149

Madis U.S.A.

WOLVERHAMPTON : PRINTED BY JOSEPH BRIDGEN , DARLINGTON STREFT.

A 730523 10,772

PREFACE .

THE substance of the chapters on fire and thiefproof depositories was delivered as a lecture

in

1855, in the cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin,

засто

and in the town of Belfast ; and , but for ill health, would have been delivered in some of the cities and towns of England .

Having been repeatedly

requested to publish it, and the press having given it a complimentary and approving notice, I have done so , in the hope that it may throw some light upon a subject very imperfectly understood, not only by the general public, but by those whose interests ought to make it a subject of deep conJan

sideration.

It is almost incredible in these days,

when the arts and sciences are lectured upon in almost every provincial town in the kingdom, when the artisan is taught not only that such a result follows a certain law, but the why and wherefore — the cause as well as the effect - that persons of

iv general intelligence and scientific knowledge should place their valuable convertible property in a castiron safe, with a box of wards for a lock, expecting that it will preserve such contents from destruction by fire and abstraction by thieves .

That others for

the sake of saving a few shillings in the primary cost of a lock for the safe keeping of their property in an iron safe or other receptacle, will purchase one that can be readily picked with a quill or a skewer, not only by the accomplished burglar, but by any ordinary mechanic or intelligent artisan, as well as by the amateur lock-picker. As there are no works in our language, except a few pamphlets and a rudimentary treatise, on the subject of locks, I have added the chapters on locks and keys, in order to make this treatise as complete and useful as possible. I am especially indebted for many extracts to Mr. Granville Sharp's " Prize Essay on Practical Banking," Mr. Chubb's paper " On the Construction of Locks and Keys," and the " Rudimentary Treatise on the Construction of Locks," by Messrs . Tomlinson and Hobbs, -- works of such an interesting character that they should be read by all.

Other general

works have afforded me considerable information.

Mr. Chubb, in the work before-named , published in 1850 , says

“ Without intending in any way to de-

preciate the numerous inventions for the improvement of locks (many of which possess great merit), it will be sufficient to describe particularly the three principal locks which are well known and generally appreciated, viz . , Barron's, Bramah's, and Chubb's ." In Messrs. Tomlinson and Hobbs' work, published in 1853 , the only principal modern locks described are the " American " inventions.

It will, therefore, be

seen that the improved locks which were the fruit of the " lock controversy " produced by the Great Exhibition of 1851 , have not been described , with two or three exceptions , in any work hitherto published, many

of which inventions

possess

considerable

merit, and for security are far superior to nearly the whole of the locks known prior to the year 1851 . Portions of the first part, which is written in the first person singular, may be considered as somewhat egotistical, but the extraordinary opposition which the author experienced , and the strange course of conduct adopted towards him in certain instances by the agents and representatives, and in one case by the foreman of a competitor in the same trade, rendered such a tone imperative, and

vi it is hoped will be deemed a sufficient excuse for it, as such parts were really written in self-defence. In the second part (on locks

and keys ) he has

embraced the opportunity of writing under the modest and more unassuming plural - we. As manufacturers are not expected to be also authors, and as the subject was beset with considerable difficulty in point of interest, especially as regarded scantiness of materials for illustration , I felt bound to spare no pains in acquiring all the available information that could be obtained to render it at least as clear and intelligible as possible.

How far I have succeeded it is for my

readers to determine ; but whatever may be thought of this humble work, thrown off during the intervals of absorbing avocations , none, I am sure, will feel disposed to question the importance

of the

subjects treated of.

GEORGE PRICE.

CLEVELAND SAFE WORKS , WOLVERHAMPTON, DECEMBER 15th, 1856.

CONTENT S.

ON FIRE AND THIEF-PROOF DEPOSITORIES TORI .

PAGE 1

CHAPTER I.

Introduction CHAPTER II. The early history of the Iron Safe Trade CHAPTER III. On fire-resisting and thief-proof Safes, and the Specifications of all the Patents in connection therewith

10

CHAPTER IV. What is required in an iron Safe to make it secure against thieves and fire ..

21

CHAPTER V. On the iron Safes in general use ..

25 66

CHAPTER VI.

66

The two principles on which Safes are made fire -proof :

CHAPTER VII. 89

CHAPTER VIII. On fire- proof Closets and Strong Rooms

66

68

On the preservation of Parchment Deeds from destruction by steam and damage by water

93

:

CHAPTER IX. The best place for a fire-proof Safe to occupy ..

On powder-proof Locks

CHAPTER X. ..

100

106

1

viii CHAPTER XI. On the comparative prices of wrought-iron fire-resisting and thiefproof Safes ..

124

CHAPTER XII. On Testimonials

132

ON LOCKS AND KEYS . CHAPTER XIII. Early history

177

CHAPTER XIV. On the Old Locks and Keys ..

199

CHAPTER XV. The Lock Controversy previous to and during the Great Exhibition of 1851

On the Modern Locks

CHAPTER XVI. ..

583

CHAPTER XVII. The Lock Controversy since the closing of the Great Exhibition of 1851 ..

On Keys

532

CHAPTER XVIII. ..

679

756

CHAPTER XIX. The various kinds of Locks and their comparative prices ..

803

CHAPTER XX. An historical account of Wolverhampton- its Lock- Trade and Locksmiths

845

CHAPTER XXI. Useful hints in connection with iron Safes and Locks and Keys

893

APPENDIX.

..

909

ON FIRE AND THIEF-PROOF DEPOSITORIES.

ON

FIRE AND THIEF-PROOF DEPOSITORIES.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION .

HAVING been frequently applied to for advice as to the kind of safe requisite for certain uses and particular situations, and for information as to the construction of Iron Safes-the thickness of the plates forming the body and

door - upon what

principle they are made fire-proof - how long they will resist fire -whether the locks are unpickable and powder-proof- if the door will resist drilling -the best place to fix them- and other similar particulars,

I conceived that a treatise giving

a

short history of the Iron Safe Trade, with a description of all the patents taken out in connection therewith, but especially of those improvements recently introduced by myself, together with the details

of their construction , and illustrated

by

diagrams and engravings, would not be unacceptB

2

INTRODUCTION .

able to those in want of an article now considered essential to the peace of mind and comfort of not only the banker and merchant, but of every trader who has books to preserve, or the householder who has cash and plate to take care of, as well as to those who are already in possession of them ; and I presumed it would not be altogether uninteresting to the public generally, more particularly, when the immense value of the precious metals, specie, banknotes,

deeds ,

and commercial books, already in-

trusted to the custody of iron safes, boxes,

and

strong rooms, is taken into consideration. Mr. Granville Sharp, in his " Prize Essay on Practical Banking," says, in the Article on Safes, at page 315 , "For the purpose of awakening attention to the importance of locks and safes, it may be suitable here to quote a passage from the 'Bankers' Magazine, ' for April, 1845 : 'In a country where a large class subsist by robbery, and where the means of effecting it securely is the constant study of skilful and ingenious thieves, the only means of baffling them, and of protecting the ordinary depositories of valuables from their felonious attacks, is to call in the aid of the greatest mechanical skill with respect to locks and fastenings, and to exercise unceasing care and vigilance. The bank robberies during late years show that they have been planned with extraordinary sagacity, and have been effected with a degree of skill which proves that they are not undertaken by ordinary thieves. The large amount of money which the housebreakers are confident of obtaining in the case of a successful burglary at a bank, induces them to act with a degree of skill and caution proportionate to the expected booty ; and it is for this reason that an unsuccessful attempt to rob a bank is seldom

INTRODUCTION. heard of.

3

When ' a set ' is made at a bank, every information is

in the first place sought for by the burglars of the means of security adopted, and it has been ascertained that many weeks and even months have been occupied in this manner.

Attempts

are made to tamper with the servants, and an acquaintance is formed, if possible, with some of the female domestics.

If, upon

inquiry, it is found that the means of security are so numerous and inviolable as to give no chance of success, the matter is quietly dropped ; but if any opportunity presents itself, no time is deemed too long to wait for the proper moment when the bank may be entered, the mis-named safe or strong room be opened, and a clean sweep made of all the convertible securities and This was exemplified in the bankmoney it may contain .' robbery at Glasgow some years since ; and when the Dorchester

Bank was robbed some years ago, the burglars were in the house ninety-two nights before they succeeded in opening all the locks , which they did by fitting false keys that would unlock and re-lock them."

B 2

4

CHAPTER II.

THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE IRON SAFE TRADE.

IRON safes and chests are quite of modern date , and especially fire-proof ones,

which were

introduced previous to the present century.

not Our

forefathers, in the simplicity of their arrangements and requirements, were satisfied

to

place their

valuables in an oak chest, secured by one or more locks in front, or in a brick or stone closet, with either a wood door studded with nails, or a plain iron one - in either case secured by a common warded lock, or a lock without any wards at all, or with the usual iron bands with hasps and staples and padlocks. The most interesting specimen

of the former

which has come under my notice is the celebrated oak chest in which the crown jewels of Scotland were deposited in the year 1707, the lid of which was secured by three locks, all of which were forced open in the presence of the Royal Commissioners

5

OAK CHESTS.

in the year 1818 , as the account states, " because no keys could anywhere be found ; " which circumstance may be considered to prove that so late as that year ( 1818 ) those early examples of a lock were considered too intricate

and

secure to be

picked by a common locksmith or mechanic, and that there were no Hobbs' or scientific lockpickers.

A bent skewer would have opened the

three locks without effort or difficulty, and would thus

have

saved

this

ancient

relic from

such

unhallowed violence .

Fig. 1.- The Oak Chest.*

Many of these oak chests are still in existence and in perfect preservation , and are much valued for their antiquity and the fine carving that usually adorns them.

The locks, too , upon these are highly

interesting and well worth the notice of the curious ; Mr. Lizars, of Edinburgh, one of the Royal Commissioners, kindly furnished me with the above drawing of the chest, as it appeared at the time it was opened.

6

FOREIGN COFFERS.

yet, when admiring their simplicity, we are often prompted to ask- " How could any one entrust to such a guard the security of the valuables which we know to have been under their care ?"

The

answer is, that if locks were simple and chests made of wood, the thieves were also simple and had but rude tools and implements of mischief with which to effect their purpose.

In those days the

oak chest was quite as safe as the iron one now, because the strength of the chest itself would generally resist

violence, while

a lock of the most

simple construction afforded sufficient security, from the circumstance means

that

of picking

at that early period the

such locks were not under-

stood. The first examples of the manufacture of iron safes or chests , are the foreign coffers.

The one

of which the following is a drawing , is 35 inches long, 21 inches wide, and 23 inches deep, and is made of sheet iron strongly rivetted to hoop iron crossed at right angles on the outside.

It has

strong handles at each end , with a multiple lock, which throws eight bolts inside, and it has also two dogs at the back, and two bars and staples for padlocks outside.

The plate covering the bolts is

beautifully pierced and chased, and bears the date 1793 and the initials C. H.

The whole of the iron composing it has been hammered and not rolled, which circumstance goes far to prove that the date of its manufacture must

7

FOREIGN COFFERS.

have been before rolls were introduced into the country in which it was made.

wwwwww Fig. 2.-Foreign Coffer.

Another

peculiarity about

this

coffer is

the

escutcheon over the key-hole in the lid, which has to be moved half round with a turnscrew, when it springs up ; the key is then inserted, and with the turnscrew put through the bow for a lever, the lock is opened. * Another specimen is known at Paris by the name of the " strong German Coffer," and Réaumer says " nothing is wanting in these coffers on the score of * This antique chest was purchased some years ago at a custom-house sale, at Gloucester, and is now in my possession.

8

FOREIGN COFFERS .

solidity ; they are made entirely of iron, or if of wood they are banded both within

and without

with iron, and can only be broken open by very great violence.

Their locks are almost as large as

the top of the coffer, and close with a great number of bolts. " * Several

smaller

specimens, supposed to be

of

French manufacture , and of the 17th century, are in the Museum at Marlborough House, and are well worth examination . months ago,

I was shown, also, some

a very fine specimen at the Bank

of Scotland, in Edinburgh. † The spring attached to each bolt, though of such rude manufacture, is as effective as the best constructed of the present day ;

and these

coffers,

taken as a whole, are creditable productions for that period ,

when every part was

elaborated by

hand labour- when machinery was unknown. These were manifestly an improvement upon the oak chest, both as regards the material of which they were composed and the locks by which they were secured, and are the root from which all the improvements introduced up to the present time have grown ;

but the security was only the rude

lock multiplied by the number of its bolts, which, supposing it had twenty, could as easily be picked as if it had only one.

Still, by its complexity, it

* Tomlinson's " Rudimentary Treatise on Locks," p. 41 . + I am indebted to the gentlemen at the head of that establishment for an inspection of this beautiful specimen of antique foreign workmanship. The lock is the size of the lid, and is a most elaborate piece of mechanism.

9

ENGLISH IRON SAFES AND CHESTS .

would doubtless have the effect of inducing confidence in its safety. I have not been able to

ascertain for a fact

whether cast or wrought iron safes were made in this

country before the present century ; but I

believe they were not.

If they were, they must

have been considered curiosities.

They were cer-

tainly not in use for commercial purposes, and the possession of them must have been confined to a few.

Cast iron chests years

at

hampton,

have

Coalbrook-dale, and

at some

been exported to

all

been

made for

Birmingham,

many

Wolver-

other places, and have

parts of the world ;

but

wrought iron ones were first made in London , and the trade was confined to the metropolis until within the last twenty years , when several locksmiths in the vicinity of Wolverhampton , and some mechanics at Sedgley and West Bromwich, in the county of Stafford, commenced making them, and the late Thomas Milner, a tinner at Sheffield , who removed to Manchester about the year

1827 ,

where

he

carried on a similar business for three years, afterwards settled in Liverpool, and there commenced the manufacture of tin-plate and sheet-iron boxes, and subsequently * strong plate-iron safes and chests. At the present time, strong wrought-iron safes, chests, and iron doors and frames for fire-proof closets and strong rooms, are extensively manufactured by various makers in London, and at Liverpool, Birmingham, and Wolverhampton .

* About the year 1846 .

110

10

CHAPTER III.

ON FIRE - RESISTING AND THIEF - PROOF SAFES , AND THE SPECIFICATIONS OF ALL THE PATENTS IN CONNEXION THEREWITH.

THE making of iron safes fire-proof, although such an important desideratum from the first, does not appear to have been thought of until about the year 1834, when, from the following list of patents connected with the trade, it will be seen that Mr. Marr was the first to introduce the improvement :

1. William Marr, London, February 13th, 1834 . 2. Charles Chubb, London, May 13th, 1838 .

3. Thomas Milner, Liverpool, February 26th, 1840 . Edward Tann, 4.

Edward Tann, jun ., John Tann,

London, November 25th, 1843 .

5. William Milner, Liverpool, March 3rd, 1851 . 6. George Price, Wolverhampton, January 31st, 1855 .

When once the necessity of preserving the valuable property usually placed in iron safes from the

SPECIFICATIONS.

11

destructive effects of fire was admitted, the first idea that would naturally present itself to the mind of the manufacturer would be to use such a substance in the chambers of the safe, as should, by its non-conducting power retard the transmission of heat, or by its properties neutralize its action.

The

former was the principle first adopted , as in Marr's specification he says :"My improved inner fire-proof case within which any combustible property may be placed, has a lining or covering of mica or talc, split into very thin laminæ, and fixed to sheets of thin paper by gum arabic, and in that state is used to line or cover the two surfaces of the metal plates that form the inner fireproof case. " The space formed between the two surfaces of mica or tale

should be completely filled or packed full of any suitable nonconductor of heat. The substance or compound represente in d the drawing annexed to the specification is burned clay and powdered charcoal ; but the chambers may be also, and with equal advantage, filled with dust or very small particles of marble , porcelain , slightly burned clay, &c., or any other suitable nonconductor of heat, either natural, artificial, or compound ; and which being applied and combined with my improved lining or covering of mica or tale will assist in keeping it spread and stationary over the surfaces of the plates that form the inner fireproof case . " Chubb, who secured the next patent, says, in his specification : “ My invention consists in applying two or three internal linings of iron plate to the receptacle, one lining within another, leaving narrow spaces between each lining, and filling up those spaces with some such slow conducting materials as will retard the transmission of heat, such as baked wood-ashes or charcoal,

12

SPECIFICATIONS .

fragments of earthenware, pottery, tiles, or bricks, or sand- stone broken small and rammed into such places, or coarse sand or small gravel sifted, or fragments of slate put in edge ways, or other slow conducting material, to be applied in the shape of grains and powder.

The non -conducting materials may be put

into bags or cases made of cartridge paper, and put into the spaces. The materials may also be put into metal cases." The reader will most likely smile at the simplicity of these specifications ; but the early efforts of most inventors have generally been of a similar character. The third patent (Thomas Milner's , for-

1840 ) is

"Constructing, forming, or manufacturing boxes, safes, or other depositories, of an outer case of iron or other metal, or material, enclosing one, two, or more inner cases, with spaces or chambers between them, containing an absorbant material or composition, such as porous -wood, dust of wood, dust of bones, or similar substances, in which are distributed vessels, pipes, or tubes, filled with an alkaline solution or any other liquid or matter evolving steam or moisture, the tubes or vessels bursting or otherwise discharging themselves on the exposure of the box or other depository to heat or fire, into the surrounding absorbant matter, which thus pervaded with moisture, and rendered difficult of destruction, protects the inner cases or boxes and their contents." The specification states that the inventor does not claim the making boxes with compartments filled with non-conducting substances for the purposes of resisting fire,

" as that has been done

before ;" but he claims" The introduction or application of the combined effect in

SPECIFICATIONS.

13

chambered boxes or depositories of the materials kept humid in the space surrounding the innermost box and its contents, without in any way being confined to the materials or liquid employed, or to the manner in which it may be distributed or arranged in order to introduce the desired effect."

This unquestionably was an improvement far in advance of the previous ones, and is the principle upon which the majority of the makers of the present day make their chests and safes fire-proof; but it is to the Messrs. Tann, who, in 1843 , took out the fourth patent, founded upon the same principle, but effected by different and simpler means, that the credit is due for having succeeded in producing the same vapour or steam by the use of a natural element, and thus perfecting such a valuable, certain , and scientific discovery.

Their inven-

tion " consists in forming the chests with triple bodies, one within the other, leaving spaces between the bodies, and filling up such space with the following compound : ground alum finely sifted, and Austin's cement,

or gypsum, finely sifted .

Either of the two latter substances are mixed with the alum, and heated to liquifaction in an iron pot, stirring the mixture carefully during the process ; it is then poured into an iron tray to cool ; it is then in a solid and compact form, and is to be coarsely pounded when required for use." mixture

the

patentees

prefer ;

This

but " any non-

conductors of heat may be used, and for alum may be

substituted

sulphate

of potash,

muriate

of

14

ACTION FOR INFRINGEMENT.

ammonia, borax, impure potash, nitrate of soda, soda in cake, alkalies."

pearl

ash,

or any of the known

The principle having already been patented by Milner, in 1840 , he considered Tanns' method an infringement, and commenced an action against a Mr. Harrison, of Liverpool, who was selling Tanns' safes and boxes, and advertising himself as the sole proprietor of the same, which came on for trial in the Court of Queen's Bench, June 23rd, before result

Lord Campbell and

a

being that they found

plaintiff, Mr. Milner.

1851 ,

Special Jury, the a verdict

for the

The defendant, Harrison ,

still continuing to sell Tanns' safes and boxes , an application was made on Thursday, the 25th of September, Sir

before

his

Honour

George Turner, at Bath,

on

Vice-Chancellor behalf of Mr.

William Milner,* for an injunction to restrain the defendant, or his agents, servants, &c . , from making, using, vending, &c. , during the remainder of the term mentioned in the Letters Patent, granted to Mr. Thomas

Milner,

any boxes,

safes ,

or other

depositories, made in such or the like manner, or on the same or the like principle, or in anywise counterfeiting, imitating, or resembling the said invention ; and on Monday, August the 2nd, the injunction was made perpetual against the defendant, his agents, or makers, or any others using such materials ; the defendant's bill of exceptions * Son and successor of the late Thomas Milner.

15

MILNER V. HARRISON.

and writs of error cancelled , and he was ordered to pay the costs of the three actions, and a penalty of £500 . was imposed upon any one making, vending, buying, using, or holding these safes, during the remainder of the term for which the Letters Patent had to run. The pecuniary advantages resulting from being the sole manufacturer of fire-proof safes on this, the principle which has been found so eminently successful, was a sufficient inducement to Mr. William Milner to petition the Court, in 1854 , for a renewal of his patent, and the case came by adjournment before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council , when Mr. Webster, on behalf of Mr. Milner, stated , that he abandoned the petition, as sufficient evidence could not be given to their lordships for the renewal of the patent, and which therefore expired for England, Ireland , and Scotland, in 1854. * The Messrs. Tann, who were compelled to relinquish their invention , in their disclaimer,

state,

that “ having in their specification claimed the construction and adaptation of compound and double or triple bodies or cases placed one within side the other in succession, leaving spaces between the contiguous bodies, and closing and filling such spaces with the heat-resisting

composition therein

de-

scribed, and having since learnt that that part of the invention is not new," they disclaim " making iron rooms, safes, &c . , with separate spaces between See Appendix A.

16

SPECIFICATIONS.

the contiguous bodies ; " also, "they disclaim the use of muriate of ammonia, impure potash, nitrate of soda, soda in cake, pearl ash, or any other of the known alkalies. " The fifth patent, by William Milner, ( 1851 , ) is for " closing the door of safes and boxes by means of a continuous bolt or bolts on all sides of the same, extending or expanding into suitable continuous grooves, rebates , or recesses, formed within the front of such safe or box," which he terms “ flame protectors ; " also "to coat or cover the inside of the outer plate of the safe with a preparation of pulverized quartz , or other similar infusible material, mixed with a small proportion of hard wood dust, to be made into a cement, applied wet and then dried, for the purpose of more effectually resisting the action of intense fire in the interior of such safes." This invention is the most useless of any either before or since introduced .

As flame always follows

the direction of the air, it could not by possibility get inside the safe or chest without first making a hole in some other part to cause a draught. *

The sixth and last patent, dated January 31st, 1855, by myself, is as follows : First-To paint or coat the inside of the body and the inside lining or casing, and also the iron sheets

or

plates

forming the

chamber of the

lock-case of fire-proof safes, chests, and boxes, with * How seldom it is that the mantle of the father descends upon the son.

SPECIFICATIONS.

17

a composition to prevent the oxidation or eating away of the iron by the action of the salt or moisture contained in such chambers. *

I was induced to adopt this remedy from having, on examining a safe made fire-proof on the steamgenerating principle, discovered that the iron plates and sheets enclosing the composition were considerably weakened by oxidation , produced by the chemical employed .† Secondly- For case-hardening the doors or lids and outer body of iron safes, chests, and boxes , or any part thereof, which gives to the surface of the iron plates the

hardness

of steel,

and thereby

renders them drill-proof. Thirdly- For inserting in, locks used for iron safes, chests, and boxes, a series of compartments formed of strips of iron or other metal, and divided transversely, or of metal cast in the honey-comb form , in those parts of such locks not occupied by the works, so as to prevent a sufficient quantity of gunpowder being placed therein for the purpose of blowing them open. Fourthly

For inserting in that part of iron

safes, chests, and boxes, called the lock- chamber, wherein the large bolts are inclosed, a series of compartments or cellular work, so that were a hole "Iron, when exposed to the action of a dry atmosphere suffers but little change ; but if moisture be present it soon oxidizes."-Barnes's London Chemical Pocket Book. + The safe here referred to was sold to me as a " Milner's Patent Fireproof Safe," by his agent, Mr. B. Hall, Stationer, High Street, Birmingham. C

18

SPECIFICATIONS.

to be drilled through the front plate of the door, there could not be inserted through the aperture, a quantity of gunpowder, which, if exploded , would be sufficient to force the lock-case inwards or the door outwards. *

A patent obtained by William

Milner,

dated

February 20th, 1854 , and another dated December 20th,

1854, though more particularly belonging

to the chapter on powder-proof locks , may also be noticed here, as the latter comprises the filling of the large lock-chambers of iron safes with a The solid substance, as " hard wooden packing." former specification states : "This invention is designed for the purpose of protecting locks, of whatever construction they may be, from the destructive effect of gunpowder, or other explosive compound or agent, and is more particularly intended to be applied to safes or such strong depositories as are required to be secured from the invasion of burglars or others. My improvement in locks consists in filling up all the open space or spaces usually left around the ' tumblers and other working parts of locks, leaving only sufficient space for the turning of the key, the slight lift of the tumblers, and the limited action of the springs, &c.; thus substituting for what has commonly been the ' box ' of the lock almost a solid block of metal. This ' filling ' may be effected either by casting or forming the lock solid with the exception only of exactly the open space required for the working or operative portions of the lock ; The granting of this patent met with the most determined and powerful opposition from Mr. Milner, who was ably assisted by the eminent counsel, Mr. Webster ; but after several hearings before the Solicitor- General, and the filing, on the part of the opposition, of numerous affidavits, the Solicitor - General was perfectly satisfied of its originality and merits, and ordered it to proceed ; and it was sealed accordingly on the 6th of July, 1855.

SPECIFICATIONS.

19

or it may be made so as to be formed upon the ' cap ' of the lock and fitted into the ordinary box of the lock, and thus also leave only the sufficient space required for working or opening and closing the lock.

It will be evident, therefore, that the space

which has ordinarily formed a receptacle for a large and destructive quantity of gunpowder being by my invention reduced to the smallest possible capacity, and the resistance also thus afforded to the effect of explosion, will preserve the lock from destruction by any such means, and will necessarily cause the discharge of the violence through the key-hole."* It may be as well to remark here, that it is usual with burglars, in operating upon a lock with gunpowder, to plug the key-hole, so as to cause the force of the explosion to "tell " against the lock or lock-case, and thus prevent " the discharge of the violence through the key-hole."

The other specification states"These improvements apply principally to that part of the door of fire-proof or fire-resisting safes called the ' lock case,' that is, the chamber between the inner and outer door plates, in which the large bolts are usually placed and secured by the lock when shot or thrown into their corresponding recesses or boltholes in the top, bottom, and side of the safe. " The first part of my improvement is designed to extend the

principle of preventing the destructive effect of gunpowder or other explosive compound or agent, in a similar manner as that secured to me by Letters Patent, dated the 20th day of February, 1854, as therein particularly applied to ' locks of safes .' "The present improvement consists in filling up all the open space or spaces usually left between the inner and outer plates * This is identical with the gunpowder-proof solid lock patented by Walter H. Tucker, in 1852, as will be seen by comparing the drawings and the description of both locks. See the chapter on powder-proof locks. c 2

20

SPECIFICATIONS.

forming the door, with wood or other similar suitable material, leaving only sufficient space for the seat or position of the lock, and the working or passage of the bolts.

It will therefore be

evident that the great space forming the ' lock- case ' in doors of safes, &c., which has heretofore been a receptacle for a large and destructive quantity of gunpowder, is by this invention prevented from being available, as it is filled or reduced to the smallest practicable capacity. " The second part of my improvements is a further reduction of the space or room for the action or presence of gunpowder, and applicable to the description of lock before-mentioned as the subject-matter of the patent herein recited, and is effected by filling up nearly two -thirds of the space ordinarily left in locks for the passage of the key, and leaving only sufficient room to pass the key in, perform the operation of locking or unlocking, and withdrawing the key immediately it has performed these operations, instead of turning the key round a complete revolution, as hitherto done, and by this improvement the available space for the presence or action of gunpowder is reduced to a minimum ." I am unable to discern any difference in principle between Milner's first and second patents and Walter H. Tucker's,

dated

October

1st ,

1852 ,

except, that in Milner's first patent " the space which has ordinarily formed

a receptacle for

a

large and destructive quantity of gunpowder being 99 by his " invention reduced to the smallest possible capacity," is in his second " reduced to a minimum.' The specifications of both these patents, together with Tucker's, will be fully described and illustrated by diagrams in the chapter on powder-proof locks.

21

CHAPTER IV .

WHAT IS REQUIRED IN

AN IRON SAFE TO MAKE IT

SECURE AGAINST THIEVES AND FIRE .

IN deciding upon what means to employ to secure our valuables from the house-breaker, we must not forget that as improvements take place in the arts and sciences,

in

the

same proportion

does he

increase in ingenuity and intelligence ; and, therefore, even the improved safes and locks made and in general use up to a very recent period, have been found faulty and wanting, when operated upon by the present race of skilful and scientific burglars. An iron safe, to be really secure against fire and thieves, must possess the following merits :First -The iron should be of such thickness as to prevent the safe or chest being broken open by violence, or injured by its fall from an upper storey in a fire, or by building materials falling upon it ;

22

WROUGHT- IRON SAFES.

and the plates forming the body should be so put together, that no violence or ingenuity could easily get them asunder. Second- The door should be so carefully fitted that no instrument could be inserted between its edge and the outside of the safe for the purpose of forcing it

open,

and the iron

should be so

prepared that it should resist the effect of drills when employed to make an opening for the purpose of either taking out the small lock, or of conveying gunpowder into it, or into the lock-chamber in which the large bolts work. by which the lock-case

The lock-studs,

is secured to the door,

should not be seen on the outside or front of it. * Fourth - The large lock, the bolts of which are thrown by a knob or handle,† should be well made , and of simple construction , so as seldom to require the case to be taken off after it is once fastened to the back of the door ; and so contrived , that in the event of one or more holes being drilled through the door, there should be no space inside the chamber sufficiently large to to blow it open.

contain enough gunpowder

There should be bolts at back

* Safes constructed on the above plan can be opened by any ordinary mechanic with a chisel, punch, and hammer, in a few minutes. There are hundreds in daily use made in this objectionable and insecure way, many of which are the productions of those whose "life-long experience " in their manufacture ought to have discovered and remedied such a palpable and serious defect. By removing the moulding from the front of the door the rivets are at once seen. + "Wherever practicable, even in locks of moderate size, the bolts should be moved by the knob of the door, and secured only by the lock." -Granville Sharp.

WROUGHT-IRON SAFES.

23

and front ; and in large safes , or those with double doors, there should be bolts all round -top, bottom, and at each side. Fifth - The case at the back of the door containing the lock and fire-proof composition, should fit the interior of the safe as tightly as the opening and closing of the door will allow, so as not only to keep out the external heat, when in a fire, but also to prevent the escape of that moisture evolved by the vaporizing material, by means of which the contents are to be preserved. Sixth- The inside case forming the chambers for the fire-resisting material should fit the inside of the outer body quite tight, so as to prevent the undue escape of the vapour when in a fire, and should be so secured to the outer frame , that no violence exerted upon the door should force the removal of such lining.*

Seventh -The non-conducting and steam-generating composition placed in the chambers or inside casings, and at the back of the lock-chamber, should be prevented from having any injurious effect upon the iron ; that when subjected to the action of fire, whilst the vapour would preserve the contents from combustion or damage of that kind, it should

not injure plate

or specie, or affect the

writing upon, or substance of, papers and books . The thickness

or

quantity

of the

composition

* On no account should solder be used in the manufacture of fire-proof safes, as it melts at a comparatively low temperature, and thereby allows the escape of the steam.

24

WROUGHT-IRON SAFES.

should be in proportion to the risk or probable duration of a fire. * Eighth - The small lock, which secures the bolts, should be one that, from its construction, would be easy to use , not liable to disarrangement, likely to wear well, gunpowder-proof, and above all,

one

that could not be picked ; and the key should be small enough to be carried without inconvenience in the waistcoat pocket. Although iron safes are not required or expected to be placed in a drawing-room , yet they should be of such a design, and so neatly finished, as to please the eye and be an ornament to the counting-house. Safes possessing all these qualities , and obtainable at such a price as to place them within the reach of every shopkeeper, is a desideratum which has long been wanted . Mr. Granville Sharp, in his article on " Safes " in the work before referred to, says : "It must, however, be observed, that the ' Safes ' of the Great Exhibition, ( 1851 , ) as a whole, are distinguished rather by ornament and beautiful workmanship, than by strength and practical utility for banking purposes ; they are too small, and they are too handsome, and, as a consequence, they are (proportioned to the accommodation afforded) far too costly." To be of any value at all, it must be from two to six inches in thickness on every side of the safe, according as the risk of a continuous fire is small or great.

25

CHAPTER V.

ON THE IRON SAFES IN GENERAL USE.

HAVING in the previous chapters gone through the historical part of the subject, and having described all the

improvements

in iron

safes for which

patents have been granted, and having also stated what is required to make them really secure against both thieves and fire,

I will next describe the

various kinds in general use, explain their construction, and particularize those that afford the necessary security. Cast-iron safes, the bodies of which are cast in one piece and the doors in another,

are

utterly

worthless as preservers of their contents against fire or thieves ; and , as a rule, no safe made of iron , without some other contrivance , effects of fire .

can

resist

the

Safes made of cast-iron will , from the

brittleness of the material, readily yield to the blow of a hammer, or may be easily opened by the use of

26

the drill .

CAST-IRON CHESTS.

The locks, too, upon this class of safes are

generally warded ones , which can be picked with a

Fig. 3.-Cast iron Safe. very simple instrument, and, as has been repeatedly proved, the large quantity of gunpowder that may be readily poured into the lock or lock-chamber through the monstrous key-hole, enables the burglar to blow it open at once.

They have seldom

any bolts or fastenings at the back, and the doors or lids are hung with hinges. To intrust valuables of any kind to the custody of such chests, is as bad as leaving gold watches and jewellery in a shop window at night without further protection than the wooden shutter.

It is,

indeed, offering a premium to the most ordinary thief or burglar. Common wrought-iron safes with inside linings or casings left hollow are also valueless against fire. The linings in such safes not only take up the inside room, which is a disadvantage without an

27

COMMON WROUGHT-IRON SAFES.

equivalent, but really deceives the purchaser, as he would reasonably suppose

they contained

some

る

с

ea

be

Fig. 4.--Lock-case with box of wards, as used for cast-iron Safes and Chests. b, Box of wards. a, Lock-chamber.

Fig. 5.-Section of door- plate and lock-case - not fire-proof. a, The door-plate. b, The lock-chamber. e, The lock.

composition to give them the desired security. Many are made in this way, and as there is no external difference in appearance between these and those with filled chambers , the ignorant buy and sell them for fire-proof safes. Many safes are made without any inside linings at all, of wrought-iron of great strength, the plates being of three-eighths to five-eighths of an inch

28

STRONG WROUGHT-IRON SAFES.

thick, and are intended to be specially thief-proof. If the doors of these are properly made, and secured

O

Fig. 6. - Strong wrought-iron Safe-" hold-fast " pattern.

by an unpickable and powder-proof lock, no serious objection can be brought against them, so long as they are not required to be also fire-proof.

In safes

constructed in this manner, as the case containing the lock and bolts at the back of the door, comprises only the plate which encloses them, ( see fig . 5 , ) the small lock is very liable to be forced from its place, and the door thereby opened, by applying pressure through the key-hole with a " jack-in-the-box , " or

29

JACK-IN-THE- BOX." other similar powerful instrument.

All doors of

this kind, whether of safes or strong rooms, are liable to be opened by such an operation ;

but

Ο

Ꮻ

Ꮻ ①

Fig. 7.- Lock-case as used for safes not fire-proof, and also for fire- proof safes where the door is not fire-proof-i. e., it has no composition at the back of the lock-chamber. a, Lock-chamber. b, Small lock. c c, The dogs. ddd, The bolts. e, The arm of the bolts. f, The bridge of iron.

cheese-headed screws, placed above and below the outside of the small lock, and the latter fixed upon a bridge of iron (f), with the plate of the lock-chamber of stronger iron than is usually employed, would, I have little doubt, effectually prevent it.

Some years ago, one of Chubb's locks, fixed on a common iron safe, was forced open by the instrument before-mentioned- a " jack-in-the-box."

66 JACK-IN-THE-BOX ."

30

As this instrument is said to have the power of lifting three tons' weight, it is evident that some part of the door must give way under its pressure,

g

a d

Fig. 8.-" Jack-in-the- box." a, The stock, made of solid brass. b, A strong screw, with a point, which is worked at the end (c) by means of the spanner or lever key (e). d, Is a powerful screw for working in the upper part of the stock a, and is turned backwards or forwards by the handle of the lever e. The point of the screw d is made hollow to receive a straight steel bar (f). g, Is a steel clamp, with square shoulders at each end. In applying it for the purpose of opening the doors of safes and strong rooms, one end of the clamp (g) is inserted sideways into the keyhole, and turned a quarter round, whilst the other end is slipped into the groove h in the stock. The point of the screw (b ) is then screwed up close to the front of the door, and the instrument is fixed. The large screw d is then withdrawn to fit the bar f into the socket at its end, and by applying the lever (e) to the head of the screw (d), the bar (f ) is forced steadily onwards, until either the lock is broken or forced from its position, or the door is burst open.

and in doors made on the common principle, the lock and a portion of the lock-case must be torn away ; then, by throwing back the bolts, the con-

66 JACK-IN-THE - BOX ."

31

tents of the safe would be in the power of the burglars. Since the occurrence

of the before-mentioned

accident, Mr. Chubb has adopted the plan, in his recent safe locks, of cutting a square piece out of the back of the keyhole, and refixing it only by small screws, so that, on the application of the "jack-in-the-box," that piece only would be moved. *

re-

As the inside depth of the lock chamber is usually one-and-a-half-inch , and that of the lock, at most, only one inch, it follows, that if the latter, with this square piece at the back, must be let into the back plate of the lock chamber, (see figs . 5 and 7) it would leave a space of half an inch between the face of the small lock and the front door plate ; · consequently, in preventing the safe being opened by the "jack-in-the-box," it permits it to be opened by pouring gunpowder through the keyhole into the lock chamber and exploding it.

In fire-proof doors

the former contrivance would be useless , as such a result is prevented by the aid of another plate of iron enclosing the fire-resisting composition .

(See

fig. 21. ) Wrought-iron safes made fire-proof by the use of a non-conductor only, are very far from equalling those constructed upon the combined principle of non-conduction and steam generation, as the nonconducting power of asbestos, talc or mica, gypsum, * See Chubb's Treatise " On the Construction of Locks and Keys."

32

SHEET-IRON DEED CHESTS.

plaster of Paris, cement, sand, and all the other materials which have been variously used , is, when subjected to intense heat, very soon overcome, and the contents of such safes are at once sacrificed . The heat

having penetrated through the lining

substance,

finds

the articles

enclosed

only

too

ready for combustion , and they are soon reduced to ashes.

SUB

Fig. 9.- Sheet-iron Fire-proof Deed Chest.

Deed chests made of sheet iron of the strength of 18 to 24 guage,

and filled with the steam-

generating composition, however thick this may be, can never be secure either against fire or thieves. For diagram showing the thickness of iron sheets and plates, see Appendix B.

SHEET-IRON CHESTS.

33

They are easily crushed or otherwise injured by the fall of building materials in a fire, and this not only allows the escape of the neutralizing vapour, but permits the destruction of their contents by the water used in extinguishing the fire ;

more-

over, they cannot offer much resistance to violence. The

large fires at Newcastle ,

Manchester,

and

other places, have sufficiently demonstrated that such chests and boxes are utterly worthless as fireproof depositories, except for being placed inside stronger ones. Another variety of safe, like the deed box, fig. 9, is made of sheet-iron .

These are

manufactured

in a similar manner to the ordinary japanned tinplate

boxes,

and the

lining

for the fire-proof

composition is fastened to the outer body with solder. * As thief-proof receptacles for cash

and plate ,

these safes are absolutely deceptive, and afford no better security than the cast-iron chests.

Besides

the insecurity arising from the thinness of the sheet-iron forming the body and door, the latter is secured by a lock with but one bolt ; and the only security at the back, besides the hinges, consists in having two small studs projecting from the rim of the lock-chamber, which go

into

corresponding

holes formed in the inner case. These safes can be easily opened with an iron There are thousands of these insecure and worthless safes in use which bear the name of an eminent manufacturer. D

34

WROUGHT-IRON MONEY CHESTS.

bar or a strong chisel, as well as by the drill , and can be cut open with

a steel chisel in a few

minutes . *

b 1

Fig. 10.- Lock and lock-chamber as used for sheet-iron Safes. a, Lock-chamber. b, The lock. Great numbers of chests or boxes for holding treasure are made

of wrought iron, of various

strengths, of the patterns figs. 11 and 12, and are exported to several foreign countries, but principally to South America.

These, though they may prove

secure against ordinary violence,

can readily be

opened by means of the drill or gunpowder.

The

majority of those exported are of a very inferior quality, in consequence of the low price obtained * I was shown, at Blackburn, by a professional gentleman, in whose possession it was, a very large double-door safe, enclosing valuable property, made of sheet-iron, and affording precisely the same amount of security.

WROUGHT-IRON MONEY CHESTS.

35

for them ; consequently, they are but little better than the cast-iron ones.

In many of them the lock-

Fig. 11.- Money Chest, with outside bands.

Fig. 12.-Plain Money Chest.

The plates of body are rivetted to angle iron inside.

D2

36

WROUGHT-IRON MONEY CHESTS.

cases are made of cast-iron .

The door or lid is

secured by two or three large bolts at the front,

Fig. 13.-Lock-case as used for common money chests, containing a 4-inch lock, the key of which throws the bolts. c c, The bolts. b, The lock. a, Lock-chamber.

which are fastened on to the projecting bit of a 4-inch iron-door lock, and which, consequently are thrown by the key.

This necessitates the latter

being large and strong . back is the hinges.

The only security at the

The locks, also, in order to

bring the chests at a lower price, although superior to the box of wards, are of an inferior character, and can be picked without much difficulty by those who understand their construction.

37

" HOLDFAST "

SAFES .

Fig. 14.-" Holdfast " # pattern.

Safes made on this plan, with outside bands and massive hinges, are very generally, but erroneously, considered stronger than those made with inside strips and angle iron ; but supposing the thickness of the plates the same in both cases, the outside bands on the former certainly lessen the security of the safe, unless it be built in masonry and the door case-hardened, as they afford a purchase for clamps and drilling tackle being applied to the front. The term " holdfast " was first used by Milner and Son to distinguish their strong PLATE iron safes from their SHEET-iron ones, and has been adopted by several in the trade to denote those made with outside bands.

66 HOLDFAST' SAFES.

38

There is no advantage in making a safe in this manner , except , where such is not required to be fire-proof, it allows the interior of the safe to be quite square , (see fig. 5 , ) there being no angle-iron rivetted to the corners .

CITO

Fig. 15.- Double-door Safe. Safes with the plates both dove-tailed and rivetted to angle-iron inside , the doors of which are hung upon centres, are preferable, as, besides offering no projections for attaching drilling tackle

thereto,

they are much neater in appearance, and the doors of the largest safes open and close without difficulty.

39

PRICE'S PATENT FIRST-CLASS FIRE RESISTING AND THIEF-PROOF SAFES .

α

Fig. 16.-Single-door Safe.

Fig. 17.-Section of body. a a, The outside plates. b, The bar-iron round the outside front edge. c, The angle-iron.

These safes, which contain all the recent improvements, are made of the best boiler plates, the thickness of those forming the body being not less than a quarter of an inch,* and are both dove-tailed and rivetted to

strong

angle-iron inside ; the whole

Quarter-inch is the thickness of most of the best safes made, and for all ordinary purposes and risks is strong enough ; but where the risk is very great, the plates should be from three- eighths to five-eighths, according to the size of the safe.

40

PRICE'S FIRST-CLASS IRON DOORS.

strengthened with bar iron

and

rivetted to the inside of the front. nothing can surpass this plan .

corner

plates

For solidity,

Another way is

either to dovetail the plates together, or rivet them to angle iron alone .

Either plan answers for small

O EO O O

EO

O

EO

O O

O O O EO ED Fig. 18.- Door made of two plates. a a, The bar iron between the top and bottom plates. bb, The spaces or chambers filled with a non-conductor. c, The top plate.

or light safes, but should never be used singly in heavy or large ones.

For the requisite security

both means must be employed.

The doors are

made of two plates, and panelled between with bar iron ; thus making that part immediately over

PRICE'S FIRST-CLASS IRON DOORS. the small lock one inch thick of solid iron. * fig. 21 , a).

41

(See

The object in making the doors of two

plates is for the purpose of filling the hollow spaces (bb) with a non-conductor, in order to make them somewhat fire-proof and to lessen their weight.

G

OR

GE

E

LV

WO Fig. 19.-The same door complete.

The cost of manufacturing such a door is much more than that made of one plate only, from the extra amount of drilling, rivetting, cutting, and filing of the former.

The plates being each one-

quarter of an inch thick, and the bars between They can be had, if preferred, of one plate only, five-eighths of an inch thick, at the same cost.

42

MODERN LOCK- CASE

half an inch, make it, as stated before, one inch thick of solid iron over the lock, and also for two inches round the edge. The modern safe-door locks now generally used are 3

or 4 inches square,

and the object of a mechanical and scientific thief

Fig. 20.- Modern lock-case, with small lock for fire-proof Safes. a, The lock-chamber. b, The small lock. c, The follow. d, The spindle hole. e e e e e e, The bolts. ff, The arms or tails ofthe bolts.

is either to cut the lock out with a chisel, or, by drilling or cutting away the bolt (see figs . 20 and Mr. Milner considers the construction of these doors a great defect, as his representative at Manchester, in November last, exhibited one of my safes on a lorry in the public streets, and for some weeks in his (Milner's) shop window in Market Street, with the two plates forming the door separated from the bar-iron between, by cutting and punching out the rivets whilst the door was open. This safe had a placard attached thereto with the words " Price's First-class Safe," and had been purchased from a dealer, to whom it had been sold ( in 1854) several months previous to the date of my patent, and consequently it did not contain any of those improvements for which I obtained her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent, sealed July 6th, 1855. After such a disgraceful and extraordinary exhi-

FOR FIRE-PROOF DOORS.

43

21 ) which locks into the arm of the large bolts, to open the door and thus get at the contents. *

It a

follows, then, that the door is the vulnerable part of the safe, and that the most vulnerable is the square over the small lock.

To provide against

such a contingency, it has been customary in some special cases to screw a steel plate, the

size

of the small

lock, at the back of the door, or caseharden the plate of the lock itself. But as this only protects the

small

square over the lock, it only obliges the operator to cut round it, and take lock and steel plate out together , or to drill a hole under the small lock and fill the chamber containing it and 21. -Section the large bolts with gunpowder, and, Fig.fire-proof door. of a, Door-plate. by exploding it, blow off the door. b, Lock-chamber. c, Fire-proof composition chamber. The lock-chamber (see figs. 4, 7, 10, d, The lock. e, Rim oflock-case. bition, and to prove, at the bar of public opinion, which was the best constructed safe, Mr. Milner's or mine,-I sent him a challenge to submit one of his safes, with one of mine, to a public trial of their thief-proof qualities, for one hundred guineas. Both safes were proposed to be operated upon in the presence of the public by picking instruments, gunpowder, drills, and chisels. This was sent November 12th, 1855, but has not been accepted. The opposition and interference I have met with from Mr. Milner, from the foreman of his works, his representatives, and several of his provincial agents, have demonstrated to the scientific and intelligent public that the safes manufactured by me must indeed be very superior to have produced such an unusual course of conduct. The only offence I have been guilty of, is the fact of these " first-class safes " being made in the best and strongest manner, and which are sold at reasonable prices. * In November, 1855, Messrs. Jacob Tweedale and Sons, Woollen

44

WROUGHT-IRON DOORS.

13, and 20, a) will hold from five to thirty pounds' weight of gunpowder, according to the size of the safe.* Another way is to screw a steel plate, the full size of the door, at the back of it, covering the whole of the small lock and the works of the large lock contained in the chamber ; but this , besides considerably increasing the cost, adds little to the security, for, by drilling a hole in the door-plate, as previously described , the steel plate, from its brittleness, is easily broken with a punch, and the gunpowder inserted as before in the lock-chamber. In the process of manufacture, the body is first made, as before described , (see fig. 17 , ) by rivetting and dovetailing the plates together ; the lining, (fig. 22, e, ) if a fire-proof safe, forming the chambers for the vapourizing material , is next made, and fastened to the inside with screws, and then the door is careManufacturers, Healey Hall, near Rochdale, purchased one of these " Firstclass Safes," and the lock having been tampered with, they sent to a firm in Rochdale, requesting them to send a man up immediately to open the safe (Messrs. Tweedale and Sons not knowing at the time that the said firm were agents for " Milner's Safes." ) A man was sent up ; but before commencing operations, he said he would soon have it open as he had been sent for several times to open " Milner's Safes," and had always been so easily successful, that he seemed to have no doubt whatever but he should also be successful in this case. He accordingly commenced operations at about half- past one o'clock in the afternoon, and after expending all his efforts and ingenuity and breaking the lock to pieces, and also breaking the handle, he was requested by Messrs. Tweedale and Sons, at about half-past four o'clock to give it up, as they saw that his efforts were utterly useless, and that the safe could not be opened without its being made completely worthless. * In a robbery of an iron safe, in a detached office in Somersetshire, by means of gunpowder, the explosion not only opened the safe, but blew the roof off the building, and, in the confusion , the thieves got clear off with the cash-box, containing a large amount of money.

45

WROUGHT-IRON DOORS.

fully fitted, and hung either with hinges or upon centres.

However strong these may be, they add

nothing to the real security of the safe,

as

many

16

erroneously

suppose, being used simply to hang the door with.

The safety

of the door depends altogether upon the bolts,

and the

which secures them .

lock

In safes

with bolts and back fastenings, the door would be just as secure, even were the hinges cut through

ď

or the centres knocked off.

A great improvement in the doors of safes consists in having two locks to secure them.

In

the old safes, the key (which, in Fig. 22. Section of fireproof Safe. and the lock and key-hole in 8, b, The The outerplate. bar-iron round the front edge. c, angle- iron. proportion ) throws the bolts ( see 2, The chamber for the fireproof composition. fig. 4) at front, and there are The inner plate.or lining. cornerplate f, The sometimes iron dogs or studs at

consequence , must be very large,

back ; but more frequently there are none at all. In the modern safes, the bolts, from three to sixteen, according to the size of the door and the security required, constitute the large lock, and are thrown into the corresponding holes at the sides of the safe by a knob or handle, as shown in fig. 20, and these are secured by the bolt of the small lock.

This

method I have proved- by applying the force of

46

DOORS AND LOCK-CASES.

several tons ' weight upon the lock through the key-hole to endeavour to force the small bolt out of its place in the arm of the large bolts , but without accomplishing it -to be perfectly safe and effectual,

Fig. 23.- Key and keyhole of box of wards.

and it possesses the great advantage of requiring only a small lock with a small key. *

Besides the

convenience and comfort of a small key, as compared with the monstrous keys of the old safes , it considerably lessens the liability of the lock being destroyed or injured by burglars' instruments. There are two ways of securing the lock-case to the back of the door, both by the use of studs or blocks, which are screwed into the door, but should never go through it ; for if seen on the outside or front of the door there is no security in the safe, as by

" It is very desirable that keys should be made as small as possible consistently with the power required, that they may be conveniently carried in the pocket." -Granville Sharp.

47

DOORS AND LOCK-CASES.

punching these studs out, the door plate is opened, the lock unscrewed from its place, the bolts moved back, the lock-case lifted out, and the contents exposed to view.

In doors of only one-quarter or

three-eighths of an inch thick these studs must go through, and are generally rivetted on the outside into a counter-sunk screw-hole.

Fig.

24 represents one of the studs, which, being screwed into the door, receives the lock-case upon it ; and to secure the lock-case in

its

position, small

screws go through the corresponding

Fig. case 24. - stud. Flat lock-

holes in the rim, which are screwed tight into the studs. are then with the surface.

cut

The heads off and

filed

of the

small

down

level

This method gives a

very neat appearance to the lock-case, and answers very well where the latter is not likely to require removing for any purpose ; but as it sometimes occurs, from various causes, that the lock- case has to be taken off,* the studs or blocks, (fig. 26, ) to which cheese-headed screws (fig. 25) firmly secure the lock-case to the door, by going through the back plate, preferable.

are

Fig. 25. Cheese-headed screw. The latter are easily removed

without injury to any part of the lock-case by a key or spanner, made for the purpose ; but in the other Many of the bankers at Manchester have the lock-cases of their doors removed, and the locks cleaned , once a year.

48

DOORS AND LOCK-CASES.

the lock-rim is disfigured by removing the paint to discover the screw-heads, which are more or less injured in getting them out.

Figs.

15 and 16 show the lock-cases secured by the latter means, and figs. 6 and 9 those The latter with cheese-headed screws.

Fig. 26. Square lockcase block.

plan binds the whole fabric of the door

together much better than the other.

Fig. 27.- Key for cheese-headed screws. Frequent

and

extensive

robberies

having re-

cently been effected by the means before described, viz., by drilling or cutting a piece of the iron out of that part of the door covering the small lock, and taking it out, or by drilling a hole through the door-plate into the lock-case, and then filling it with gunpowder and blowing it off the door, prove the insecurity of all safes, however well and strongly made in other respects, and shows the necessity of introducing such improvements as to make it next to impossible for the most persevering and accomplished thief to open one by those means. To frustrate such a design, I have adopted the principle of case-hardening the exterior of the door or other parts of the safe , which gives to the iron plate the hardness of steel without its brittleness . * The * See Specification of Patent, dated Jan. 31 , 1855 , page 17.

49

DOORS AND LOCK-CASES .

door, as stated before, being the most vulnerable part of the safe,

and that always operated upon

by the thief, it must be evident, that even were the operator provided with an unlimited number of steel drills and chisels, it would be no easy matter, in the time permitted to thieves, to drill or cut through, by even combined manual power, a door of half-inch, five-eighths, or one-inch thick. The steel surface offers such a resistance to the drill as not only to receive no damage itself by the attempt, but the operation takes off the cutting edge of such instrument, and renders further perseverance futile.

The very fact of the door being

case-hardened , would doubtless of itself be sufficient to deter the most determined thief from attempting to open the safe by such a method .

But supposing,

for the sake of argument, a hole should be drilled through the door for the purpose of filling the lockchamber with gunpowder, —in that case, from the cellular construction of the vacant parts of such chamber, as shown in fig. 28, it will be seen that it could only be forced into one or at most three cells, and that only to the level of the hole in the door. Supposing the

gunpowder exploded ,

its power

would be lost by the cellular filling giving way, from

the

circumstance of its being the weakest

part.* It would neither force the lock-case inwards nor the door outwards, and would therefore be quite inoperative. ⭑ The honeycomb work is made of thin tin-plate. E

50

DOORS AND LOCK-CASES.

The method of filling such vacant space with a solid substance

is very inferior to this plan,

TAMI

Fig. 28.-Price's patent gunpowder-proof lock-case.

as the power of only a few grains of gunpowder when exploded between two flat surfaces is well known.

The face of the small lock, by being supported in the lock-chamber upon a bridge of iron, (see figs. 20 and 28, ) is brought in contact with the inside face of the door, which again prevents gunpowder being poured through the key-hole into the lock-chamber, as may be done in most of the safes made until within years.

the

last two or three

In such safes the lock or box of wards is

51

DOORS AND LOCK-CASES.

screwed to the back-plate of the lock-case, as shown in fig. 13 , which allows any quantity of gunpowder to be poured therein, through the keyhole, with facility, by means of a small tube or a bit of folded paper. All till locks, unless specially ordered to the contrary, have a margin of an eighth to a quarter of an inch which projects above the " cap " of the lock, and unless it is taken off, it allows an equal space between the back of the door-plate and the face of the lock ; and this also permits gunpowder to be poured into the lock-chamber through the keyhole, however small the latter may be. From the insecure way in which hundreds of safes are constructed , which are in daily use, enclosing an enormous amount of convertible property, it is somewhat surprising

that the public

prints do not contain more accounts of robberies of these depositories

effected by the most ordinary

thieves, as hitherto, with few exceptions, such robberies have been the work of scientific thieves. The absolute necessity for the doors of safes and strong rooms containing valuable property being made impervious to the drill, is shown by the following account of one of the many robberies of iron safes recently effected in various parts of the kingdom by that instrument : " During the night of Friday, December 15th, 1854, the counting-house of Messrs. R. H. Greg and Co, at Quarry Bank, Wilmslow, Cheshire, was broken into, the iron safe opened by E 2

52

ROBBERY OF AN IRON SAFE.

means of steel drills, and nearly £300. , in gold and silver, carried away. Both the counting-house door and the outer door of the building were locked as usual, and the private watchman patrolled the yard, passing the front door at frequent intervals during the night, and yet, from all that we have heard, it appears probable that the thieves-who, it is conjectured, were only two in number-must have been within the premises for five or six hours, and they appear to have got clear off with their booty. They had picked the lock of the outer door,* and as soon as they had got within had shut and bolted it. Hence the private watchman, who tried this door several times during the night, always found it fast, the latest time at which he so tried it being three o'clock on Saturday morning, and it was found open by the box-keeper shortly after six o'clock that morning . The Bollin flows near, and as that river was flooded and rising fast, there were men about at different times during the night looking after the paddles at the weir communicating with the works. Two of these men, in the employ of Messrs. Greg and Co., were sitting for a considerable time upon a rail close before one of the windows of the building within which during the whole of this time the robbers must have been at work, and yet they never made such a noise as at all to arouse suspicion. It appears that the thieves had forced open the door of the counting-house at the head of the stairs, and that they then proceeded to work with the coolness and deliberation which shows that they knew well what they were about. The counting-house contains three windows ; and as they could not ' operate ' in the dark, the thieves had managed to provide and bring with them three curtains, one for each window, and a number of iron skewers to fasten up these curtains, so that no one from without would see any light, which, in the middle of the night would have doubtless excited suspicion at once and led to detection. The thieves appear to have carried * Doubtless, like most other outer-door locks, this was a common warded lock. Had the lock have been unpickable, the robbery would most likely have been prevented.

KNOBS AND HANDLES.

53

with them to their ' work ' everything they were likely to need, from the pick-lock for the outer door to the curtains and skewers for the windows, the steel drills for operating on the safe, and even to the oil for the drills !

When they gained access to the safe, which appears to have been the main, if not the sole, object of their labours, they seem to have made an exceedingly cautious scrutiny into its contents-one in which low cunning is strikingly blended with ignorance, amounting almost to stupidity. With a fear of detection, not uncommon among raw ' cracksmen,' they looked at and handled a considerable parcel of bank notes, chiefly of five pounds each, and they quietly put them back again as dangerous articles to deal with. In ' collecting ' the silver money, of which a considerable quantity was provided as necessary change for the wages on Saturday, they found in one drawer some base half-crowns . These they had handled and returned ; and their caution is not to be wondered at." *

Various kinds of knobs and handles for throwing the bolts and pulling open the door, and escutcheons for securing the keyhole from any foreign substance

-to Fig. 29.-Knob to screw into the follow ofthe large lock.

to Fig. 30.- Octagon knob, with spindle to fasten into a nut at the back of the door.

which might by accident get into the lock, and also from the prying curiosity of children and servants, are used.

A knob of an octagon shape does very

* From the Macclesfield Courier. It was reading this that caused me to petition Her Most Gracious Majesty for Her Royal Letters Patent for case hardening the doors of safes .

45

KNOBS AND HANDLES.

well for small

doors ;

but large ones require a

handle in the form of a T, which gives more purchase.

Fig. 31.-T Handle for large safes and strong-room doors.

Fig. 32.- Fist handle, applicable for safes or strong-room doors. One method of fastening these to the " follow " of the large lock is to screw them tightly into it ; but it is very objectionable .

The knob having to turn

both ways, soon loosens and wears the screw; and, in turning the bolts to fasten the door, unscrews from the " follow," leaving the bolts unmoved.

It

is a neat plan ; but that is all which can be said in its favour.

The best way is for a square spindle

to go through the door, " follow," and lock-case, and to fasten at the back with a nut.

By leaving a

shoulder on the knob end of the spindle, the possibility of its being

driven

inside the safe, by

breaking the knob off, is prevented.

ESCUTCHEONS .

55

The escutcheons most generally used comprise the " slide," " secret," and " lock. "

Fig. 33.- Slide Escutcheon-open.

The " slide " is

Fig. 34.-The same shut.

Fig. 35.- Secret Escutcheon- open.

O

i

Fig. 36.-The same shut.

8

Fig. 37.-Lock Escutcheon-open .

Fig. 38.-The same shut.

56

ESCUTCHEONS.

the most simple, convenient, and pleasant to use, as the " secret " has

a

spring which must be

liberated by pressing on some particular spot with a pointed instrument, as a nail, or, which is more frequently but improperly used, the key-bit, before it can be opened .

The lock escutcheon, though it

does not give to the door any further protection against a burglar,* is certainly useful in securing the keyhole from observation where many persons have access to the safe ; and it also preserves the lock from being tampered with by any person in the employ of its owner. All these kinds are made of various designsround or oval - some of the shield pattern , fig . 34some octagon shape , as fig. 36 - and others square or oblong ; but in all, one or other of the three principles is adopted .

In some escutcheons, similar

to figs. 37 and 38 , the slide moves upwards ; but this is very objectionable, as after the key is inserted in the lock, the slide drops upon the pipe of the key and impedes it in the operation of locking and unlocking. There is the same variation in the value of these escutcheons, as there is in their design and construction ; for one of an oval kind can be had for sixpence, whilst the lock escutcheons cost from twenty to thirty shillings each. "Whilst all locks should be distinguished by security, strength, simplicity, and durability, a very large proportion are not intended, and need not be constructed with a view to resist actual violence. This class is useful in the prevention of petty fraud and prying curiosity, and is applicable to all those cases where the certainty of detection would deter from robbery."- Granville Sharp.

57

PRICE'S PATENT BANKERS' SAFES .

101

Fig. 39.- Bankers' Safe, with inner and outer fire-proof doors.

These safes are well adapted for the preservation of cash and other

property of great value from

burglars in detached buildings, where the operator would have time, and could use noisy means by which to open the safe, without fear of causing alarm ; also for the preservation of books, bank-

58

BANKERS' SAFES.

notes, &c. , from damage by fire, where the risk is unusually great, and the amount of combustibles contiguous to the safe would cause the fire to burn for many hours in succession . The safe represented by fig. 39 has an aggregate thickness of six inches of composition on every side , and would consequently preserve its contents in an intense fire from destruction for many hours. * The " bank locks " on many of these safes are said to be so constructed, as to defy all attempts at opening them by the most ingenious and accomplished picklock ; considered

but although such locks were

inviolable

by

both

their

inventors

and owners, up to the year 1851 , the general knowledge construction,

acquired

by

and which

most has

people

of their

resulted from the

lock controversy initiated by Mr. Hobbs picking Bramah's and Chubb's Locks in that year, has proved that very few made

up to that period

can be relied upon for their security, and has so awakened the inventive and mechanical spirit of locksmiths and others, as to have produced improvements in these important articles, which not only combine all the essential properties of security against picklocks and gunpowder, but enable the manufacturers to offer them at a price which makes them available for every purpose for which iron safes or chests are necessary or required. Another plan is to make one distinct safe, and to place it within another, securing it at the corners with wood blocks : thus allowing a space for steam between.

59

PRICE'S PATENT MERCHANTS' DOUBLE BOOK- SAFE.

Fig. 40.-Merchants' double Book- Safe. This safe, which is the same as two distinct safes, is constructed precisely on the same principle as the others, and is particularly suited for a countinghouse, and for establishments where the contents of one side would be required throughout the day by the various clerks employed, while the other side is intended for the use only of the principal. The locks are fitted, so that the principal's key, as a master, will unlock both sides, whilst the clerks' keys will unlock only their own.

The cupboard

on the principal's side is still more private and secure .

60

PRICE'S PATENT MODEL COUNTING-HOUSE SAFE.

Fig. 41.-Model Counting-house Safe. This

safe

is

constructed

expressly for the

counting-house, or minor banking establishment, and is peculiarly adapted to preserve the contents both from fire and thieves. It contains all the improvements before-named . *

The lock of

The outer plates of the above safe are 5-16ths of an inch thick, and the door one inch. It weighs 1 ton 2 cwt.; size, outside measure, 5 feet high, 3 feet 6 inches wide, and 2 feet 4 inches deep.

61

MODEL COUNTING- HOUSE SAFE.

each drawer and cupboard is fitted with a different key, with a master-key to pass all of them . The left-hand door has four bolts at the side , with two each at the top and bottom ; the righthand door has four bolts at the right-hand side , and also four which shoot into corresponding holes or recesses in the rim of the lock-case of the lefthand door, with two each at the top and bottom . The bolts of each door are moved with a T handle, and secured by a four-inch powder-proof unpickable lock,

of the best quality and construction ,

with two or more keys.

It is thought by some that a safe with double doors,

as fig. 15, is less secure than

a single

as

door,

fig. 16 ;

one with

as, by removing the

astragal or iron strip, an instrument, as a saw-file , could be inserted between the doors and the bolts cut through,

which

right-hand door .

would thereby release the

In these safes, where such a space

is left, and by giving the operator sufficient time , such a result might be obtained ; but the labour and time required, are, in my opinion ,

a sufficient

guarantee for their security in respect to such an operation.

I have heard of several safes having

been attempted to be opened in this manner, but in each case the burglars were unsuccessful . To

effectually prevent such a contingency it

is only necessary to put bolts at the top and bottom of the right-hand door -the same as in the lefthand one.

62

PRICE'S PATENT FIRE-RESISTING AND THIEF-PROOF PLATE CABINET AND CASH AND DEED SAFE.

Fig. 42.- Plate Cabinet and Cash and Deed Safe.

Fig. 42 represents one of these useful depositories, which can be made of any required size *

* The size of the above cabinet, exclusive of the iron safe, is 18 in. high, 18 in. wide, and 18 in. deep, outside measure ; and its cost £5. The number of pieces this will contain, will serve as a guide to those who have more, and who wish to have a similar article.

PLATE CABINETS.

and to any plan.

63

This is constructed to hold the

following pieces of plate : No. 3No, 1 Drawer contains separate spaces, lined with cloth forEight table spoons Two gravy spoons Eighteen teaspoons Six egg spoons One soup ladle Four salt spoons Four sauce ladles One mustard spoon Two toddy ladles Fish knife and fork Two pickle forks One butter knife Two pairs of sugar tongs Four knife-rests Muffineer Six pairs of nut-crackers, and spacefor other small No. 4 is eight inches deep, and is articles, such as decanter intended for a tea service or corks, &c. other large pieces No. 2Eighteen dessert spoons Eighteen dessert forks Eighteen table forks The cabinet is made of oak with brass sunk handles. The iron safe enclosing it can be made of any desired strength to suit the risk , locality, and position it is intended to occupy.

The two drawers , at

the top are fitted in the safe, and are intended for cash, &c. The cupboard at the bottom is for deeds. As wood is a bad conductor of heat, and as there is seldom a great amount of combustible material in any single room of a dwelling-house, the fireproof composition in these chests need not be so thick as in the ordinary book safes.

It is cus-

tomary with many to procure iron safes both for plate and books, and fit them up to their own taste and requirements with wood ;

which is an

excellent method, as in a fire it would assist the chemical composition

in preserving the contents

from injury for a longer period.

64

PRICE'S PATENT FIRE-RESISTING DEED CHESTS .

Fig. 43.-Fire-resisting Deed Chest for books and papers.

These chests are constructed with an especial regard to the preservation of their contents against fire rather than against theft, are made of lighter

and consequently

iron than the safes ;

but

although weaker, the plates of the smallest size are not less than one-eighth of an inch thick, and they are strengthened with bar iron round the top, and are rivetted to angle-iron inside, which enables All chests and boxes which are secured by a "link- plate " lock in front, offer but little security against violence, as with an iron bar put through the handle of the lid, and force applied, the link-plate, being the weakest, draws from the lid, which is thereby opened.

FIRE-RESISTING DEED CHESTS.

the chests to stand a fall from an upper without injury to the contents. at page 32 ,

65

storey

As stated before,

deed chests made of sheet iron are

utterly worthless, as they are

so easily crushed ,

thereby exposing the contents ; for, in many fires, the books and papers enclosed in such boxes, have been more injured by the water used in putting out the fire, than by the fire itself.

A great fault with

most of the safes and chests made in London, is, that the outer plates are much too light to resist violence of any kind. *

Hundreds of safes are hawked about

the streets of the City, the plates of which are only one-sixteenth of an inch thick ; and as they are neatly painted, they are readily purchased by the brokers, and sold at a rate accordingly ; but however low in price, they are the dearest that can be bought, from the fact of their wanting those essential properties which make a safe secure. "It must also be borne in mind, that fire-proof safes and chests were required to preserve books, documents, and money, as much from fire as from thieves. Many safes which were sold as fire-resisting were made of the thinnest plate-iron, so that they would of course be crushed, and the contents destroyed, in case of timbers or brickwork falling upon them. They should consist of a double casing of strong wrought-iron, the intermediate space being filled with a good non-conducting substance ; bolts should shoot out from all sides of the door, so that, if the whole building fell, the iron safe would not be injured either by the heat or by the fall of the materials."-Chubb " On the Construction of Locks and Keys,” p . 23,

F

66

CHAPTER VI.

THE TWO PRINCIPLES ON WHICH SAFES ARE MADE FIRE-PROOF.

It will have been seen from the specifications of patents for fire-proof safes, that although several modifications have been adopted , yet there are but two modes of making a safe fire-resisting -the one by the use of a simple non-conductor only ; the other by the combination of a non-conductor with a chemical, which, on the application of intense heat, generates steam . Experience,

and

repeated

experiments,

proved, that the use of burned clay,

have

powdered

charcoal, dust, marble, porcelain , slightly burned clay, baked wood-ashes, fragments of earthenware , pottery, tiles, or bricks, sandstone, coarse sand, or gravel finely sifted , fragments of slate, &c., however applied, whether between pieces of talc,* or placed in bags made

See Marr's Specification.

of cartridge paper,t -all

+ See Chubb's Specification.

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE -PROOF. simple non-conductors

67

of various degrees, -are

capable of resisting fire but for a very limited period,

and that the combined principle of non-

conduction and vapourisation is the only plan by which bank-notes, books, papers, plate and specie, and other similar valuables,

can be

preserved

uninjured, when the receptacles containing them are subjected to the influence of fire.

Mr. Granville Sharp says, " The discoveries in chemistry have done much to

promote security

from fire ; and the sides of safes , when constructed with highly non-conducting chemical preparations , are capable of withstanding a great amount of heat for considerable periods."

And, " Chemical com-

pounds, which are prepared with great labour and expence , are

extremely valuable for safes when

exposed to fire."

Now, Mr. Sharp's opinion of the

value of such a plan is quite correct ;

but he is

quite wrong as to his estimate of the labour and expence of preparing such compounds ; for it so happens, that the best known and most effective " The following observations are from the pen of Mr. Dwight, of the New York Daily Advertiser, a great authority, since he had the greater part of his property, deposited in safes, destroyed during the late fire. They are well worthy of consideration in this country :' We thought we would wait a day or two before we mentioned our own case. As things are become more settled, and people are thinking about re-building, we would state that we had apparently one of the finest safes in the world, built full two feet thick of stone, with an outer and an inner iron door. In this safe we deposited a large quantity of papers and books ; we felt confident of their security ; but after the fire was subdued, although the safe stood entire, the books were so completely consumed that hardly a handful of dust remained. In the Merchants' Exchange, there were some twenty safes similar to ours. As for iron chests, we have the same accounts from all parts of the city."-Milner and Son's Pamphlet. F 2

68

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE-PROOF.

chemical for such a purpose, is one of the cheapest ; and as to its preparation , it merely requires grinding or crushing.

The chemical is alum, a triple salt ,

being always either

a sulphate of alumina and

potash, or a sulphate of alumina and ammonia. Professor Turner says : " It crystallizes readily in octohedrons, or in segments of the octohedron, and the crystals contain about fifty per cent. of water of crystallization .

On being exposed to heat, they

froth up remarkably, and part with all the water forming anhydrous alum-the alumen ustum of the Pharmacopæia." This, then, is the chemical I use, which, after grinding or crushing , is thoroughly mixed with sawdust-the latter a bad conductor of heat of no mean importance,

and also an absorbant, another im-

portant property for such a purpose.

Some makers

use mahogany or other hard wood dust in preference to pine dust, as the latter is said to contain a large amount of resinous spirit.

It is said also

* "Aluminous earth is also employed in different combinations by the dyer and the calico- printer, as a mordant for fixing various colours ; and upon the continent it is artificially combined with sulphuric acid , in order to form alum. But we possess the compound, or alum slate, ready formed in abundance. It is procured on the sea-coast of the north - east part of Yorkshire, from Whitby to Stockton, a distance of about fifty miles. The slate, when taken from the bed, is broken to pieces by the aid of fire, and afterwards further acidifled by being frequently moistened, and by exposure to the air. When the efflorescence has taken place it is put into lixiviating vessels for the extraction of the salt. The saline liquor is then boiled down to the proper strength for crystallization ; previous to which is added a portion either of sulphate or muriate of potash. Alum, indeed, cannot be made without ammonia or potash, as it is a triple salt." -Parkes' Elements of Chemistry. + See Appendix C.

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE-PROOF.

69

that the hard wood dust contains essential oil, from the circumstance that in some public tests of fireproof safes, the papers were soiled ( or singed ?) and the stain attributed to the " essential oil contained in the non-conductor. " *

Both kinds may be used

perhaps with equal advantage ; but as pine dust is a better absorbant than mahogany, from the grain of the wood being looser, I consider it the best, as I attach great importance to its capability of absorbing more moisture than the other.

The

linings, casings, or chambers , which are made of sheet-iron, are well filled with this composition , and firmly secured to the inside of the outer case, not by solder, which melts at a comparatively low temperature, but by screws.

The back of the lock-

chamber of the doors of safes and strong rooms , is filled in the same manner.

As soon as the outer

case becomes sufficiently heated , the alum dissolves , and liberates its water of crystallization in the shape of steam or vapour, which is absorbed by the sawdust, and thus becomes a wet fire-resisting and non-conducting medium, and the surplus

steam

finds its way through the joints and angles of the linings or chambers, and saturates the contents of such safe, the whole being kept at the temperature of boiling water, 212° Fahrenheit.

In such an

atmosphere, books and papers will neither singe nor burn.t

* See Chapter on Testimonials. + At the trial referred to at page 14 , Lord Campbell, in his address to the jury, said, " As to whether it is useful, it seems to me to be allowed on

70

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE- PROOF.

The capacity of the chambers, and the quantity of alum and sawdust placed therein , must always be in proportion

to the probable intensity and

duration of a fire, as it is altogether a question of time ; for so long as the generation of steam can be kept up, so long are the contents safe ; but the moment it is expended, and the interior of the depository exhausted

of its protecting moisture,

the fire then assumes its natural influence, and the contents suffer accordingly ; for this reason— where the risk is very great, every assistance should be given to the safe by building it in a wall, or otherwise surrounding it with masonry.

In private

dwelling-houses, and offices and counting-houses in premises where the amount of combustible materials is limited, an ordinary fire-proof safe , made upon the vapourising principle, with from two to threeinch chambers, is amply sufficient, and would be safe “ for a much longer period than that during which a

safe would

be in

direct

contact with

fire, in the successive conflagration of the parts of such building ;"* but in rooms forming part all bands, it seems a most marvellous preservative against fire ; for the water remains permanently held in artificial vessels, or in natural vessels, and the very calamity brings the cure, for the heat causes the water to expand, and then it is turned into steam, and the steam moistens the substance which is to be preserved, and so it is an effectual guard against fire." * When a fire takes place in a warehouse, dwelling-house, or other building, it does not commence simultaneously in every part or room of such places, but travels along by the combustible materials it finds in its way ; for this reason- if a building has been on fire for twelve or twentyfour hours, the fire in any particular spot may not have lasted more than twenty or thirty minutes.

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE-PROOF.

71

of or adjoining such warehouses as those in London, at Newcastle-upon-Tyne,

Manchester,

Glas-

gow, and Belfast, which are generally full of combustible stock, secure kind.

the safe should

be of the most

It must be remembered that the

space occupied by the fire-proof

composition is

always at the expense of the internal room. The following extract from Messrs. T. Milner and Son's Pamphlet, (page 16 , ) will explain their views on this subject :-

"Liverpool, July 1st, 1844. "Thomas Milner and Son having now had upwards of four years' experience of working their new patent, have equal satisfaction and confidence in laying their views before the public in reference to the important subject of the preservation of documents from fire. After having submitted their manufactures to the most searching private and public investigations, in which they have had the kind assistance of scientific and practical men in the principal towns of the three kingdoms, they feel convinced that, within the various thicknesses of chambers, tested at the London and Birmingham Station in April last, (say from one and a quarter to six inches in thickness,) their depositories are equal to any degree of risk, and offer perfect security to valuable but uninsurable property, in all classes of buildings. " The proprietors recommend their portable deed boxes, of not less than one foot inside measurement, such as tested from one to two hours in the various towns, for ordinary office buildings, dwelling-houses, &c.; their double-chambered safes and boxes for warehouses (and large buildings) of ordinary risk ; the same, with an additional inner chamber, where the quantity of material or stock to burn is great, and the duration of fire likely to be increased ; whilst, to the nobility and gentry, for their mansions,

to bankers, merchants, and solicitors, where the risk may

72

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE-PROOF .

be still greater, they would recommend their double bankers' safe, as far exceeding in capability of resistance, any danger of degree or duration of heat that might surround it in the conflaWith one thousand degrees gration of an extensive building. (Fahrenheit) of heat [ red heat] enveloping this safe for twenty-four hours, its contents would not reach the temperature of boiling water. " The advantage of this principle over any other is the superiority of the non-conductor used, and the advantage that water or its vapour has, so shut up within the box or safe for use whenever wanted, over anything else in quenching or preventing fire.

Iron, brick, or stone safes, however strong, will

soon sympathise with the temperature of the surrounding fire ; the barrier here used is that of nature herself-water, or the vapour, under the control of chemical non -conductors, which cannot be made, excepting under artificial pressure, hotter than boiling water, and in this medium papers will not burn." It must be observed that in the second paragraph Messrs. Milner state, that although the exterior of the safe, when subjected to red heat- 1000 ° Fahrenheit — for twenty-four hours, would not cause the interior to arrive at " the temperature of boiling water ; " in the last paragraph, they state that the vapour thus

generated

by the external heat-

1000 ° Fahrenheit - acting on the chemical, " cannot be made, excepting under artificial pressure, hotter than boiling water. "

Here is one of those contra-

dictions and ambiguous explanations which abound in the pamphlet referred to.

Why not have stated

that the vapour or steam could not be generated except at red-heat, ( 1000 ° Fahrenheit, ) and that the temperature of this vapour under all circumstances, except when " under artificial pressure,” ( as

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE-PROOF. in a steam-engine boiler, ) is

neither

73

cooler nor

"hotter than boiling water," -212 ° Fahrenheit ? * From various public tests which have been had by safe manufacturers, it appears that to make a safe resist the effects of red-heat for two hours and a half, the thickness of the alum and sawdust must be not less than three inches ; and to stand for five hours, it requires a banker's safe -i. e. , either one safe placed within another, thus making the composition from five to six inches in thickness, or else the chambers of the single safe must comprise the same thickness of composition .

(See fig. 39, p . 57.)

The following account of an " extended demonstration of the security against fire," of Milners' patent fire-resisting

safes,

from the

Edinburgh

Courant, of October 23rd, 1855 , fully confirms this opinion, and may be considered as a further explanation of the principle of steam-generation. "We, the undersigned, have much pleasure in certifying that we have this day attended the above public trials, during which Milners' No. 1 Safe and Double Bankers' Safe have been submitted to a strong fire, and taken out in a red -hot state. The smaller one, in which was deposited a one hundred pound Bank of England note, and sundry documents, remained in the fire two hours and a half ; and the Double Banker's Safe, containing a one hundred pound Bank of England note, and a one hundred pound note of the City of Glasgow Bank, several watches, plate, jewellery, books, papers, &c. , was kept in five hours ; and the contents of both, when taken out, were quite perfect.

" The tea kettle, boiling at 212º in immediate contact with red- hot fire, into which a handful of bank-notes or gunpowder may be placed with safety, simply and aptly illustrates this principle."-Milner and Son.

74

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE-PROOF.

* " It still remains for us to notice the construction and principle of the fire-resisting safes which Messrs . Milner, after a succession of improvements and patents, have now brought to so great perfection. The safe, of whatever dimensions, is usually composed of a double chamber on all sides of about three inches in thickness. The exterior is of boiler-plate iron ; another iron plate separates the two chambers, and a third constitutes the interior lining.

These chambers are filled with a chemical mix-

ture, composed of soda, alum, potash, and other alkalis mingled in undissolved particles with mahogany or cedar dust. On the application of heat from without, these alkalis begin to dissolve, and the steam thus generated within the chambers finds its way into the interior of the safe , where it finally becomes condensed in the books and papers inside, keeping them in a moist condition.

The hard wood dust, (of various kinds, carefully selected

for their suitable chemical properties, ) though it does not assist in generating the steam, helps materially to retain it, and prevent its too rapid escape, and too early expenditure.

The alkalis of

the outer chamber are almost entirely dissolved and evaporated before the heat begins to operate upon the contents of the inner one, thus prolonging the security afforded in the event of the fire not being early extinguished. It is, of course, on the continuance of the supply of steam within, thus keeping the internal heat down to the temperature of boiling water, or 212 ° Fahrenheit, that the safety of the contents under prolonged exposure to fire depends.

It is evident that the merely partial exposure of the

safe to fire would incur a proportionately smaller expenditure of the resisting power, and that, however merged for the time in any conflagration, it would seldom, indeed, be surrounded by the intensified and accumulated heat by which it was on this occasion tested. The fact, therefore, that the safes were taken from the furnace with little exterior injury, and with their contents, though necessarily somewhat soiled by the condensed steam from chemical mixtures, in a perfect state of preservation, may be taken as a complete test of their capabilities. In numerous great fires, particularly in the destructive conflagration a year ago, the safes of

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE-PROOF.

75

Messrs. Milner have been exposed to red-heat for many hours, and have brought out their valuable contents in safety. In all ordinary fires, therefore-it might almost be said in all possible cases-these safes afford ample guarantee for the preservation of their contents, their Phoenix -like capacity having hitherto successfully stood the most trying ordeals ." If, as the writer of this article states, the chambers of Messrs. Milners' safes are filled with " a chemical mixture , composed of soda, alum, potash, and other alkalis, mingled in undissolved particles with mahogany or cedar dust," such safes cannot resist fire for so long a period as those, the chambers of which are filled with alum and sawdust only ; for, as before stated, alum contains more water of crystallization than any other salt or alkali known, -viz. , fifty per cent.

This water being the saving

principle, it follows, that whatever the chemical may be that is used, and which contains less water of crystallization than alum, it cannot be so effective for the same period of time.

" The quantity

of this water varies much in different salts ; for though some salts take up very little or no water, others combine with more than their own weight ; which is the case with alum, sub-carbonate of soda, and some others. " * It will have been observed, that in several specifications, double and

triple chambers are named ,

and also in the various price lists of safe manufacI also mentioned .

turers double chambers are

Parkes' " Elements of Chemistry," s . 55.

76

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE- PROOF.

have given this point much consideration, and have come to the conclusion , that such a contrivance does not add anything to the fire-resisting capability of a safe.

I cannot agree with the writer of the

86

Fig. 44.-Section of fire-proof Safe, with double chambers. a, The outer plate. bb, The two chambers. e, The inner plate or lining.

bbb

Fig. 45.-Section of fire-proof Safe, with triple chambers. a, The outer plate. bbb, The three chambers. c,The inner plate or lining.

before-mentioned article in the Edinburgh Courant, that "the alkalis of the outer chamber are almost entirely dissolved and evaporated before the heat begins to operate upon the contents of the inner one," as this is simply stating that if a kettle on a fire were divided in the middle so as to form two distinct cavities or chambers , the water would boil in the one, while in the other it would be only warm.

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE-PROOF.

The

divisions

77

forming the lining into separate

chambers being made of iron, -a good conductor of heat, -can offer no course of the heat.

resistance to the onward

Besides, the moment the steam

is generated in the outer chamber, it finds its way through the other chambers into the interior of the safe, and by saturating the contents with moisture preserves them from further injury.

I can only

account for its being adopted in the present day by most, if not all, of the manufacturers, upon the supposition, that as it was an early idea (being mentioned in Chubb's Specification , 1838 , ) some advantage was

supposed to be

obtained by it.

Some safes with these double chambers have one filled with the fire-proof composition and the other left empty.

This is decidedly wrong.

The power

of resistance consists in the thickness and quantity of the composition, and not in the number of compartments the space is divided into. Messrs. Milner, in speaking of this non-conducting chemical compound, say, " In long continued heat, the non-conductor discharges its pyrolignous acid, which, combining with the alkali, forms a carbonaceous crust, pyrolignate of potass-the worst conductor of heat known ; and from within this shelter the papers or books slowly give out again the large volume of steam that has been passed into and condensed in them, re-acting most favourably in keeping down their own temperature, that of the box, and the surrounding fire." * "General Information on the Preservation of Books, Deeds, Records, and Documents from Fire," (Milners' Pamphlet, page 8. )

78

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE - PROOF.

As pyrolignous acid can only be formed by the destructive distillation of the wood,

consequently

its production can only take place after the fireresisting properties of the sawdust and alum are exhausted .

I attach no importance whatever to

Messrs. Milners' statement.

I consider it too far

fetched, as the essence of the principle is simply the steam or vapour, and I place no reliance upon the "carbonaceous crust " said to be formed ; indeed, the next step after its formation, would be the destruction of the contents. The vapour does not affect the writing or printing of books or bank-notes, neither does it injure their substance. † tarnished,

Gold and silver may become somewhat and would

simply

require

cleaning.

Even the delicate works of a watch receive

no

further damage than the liability of the steel parts to rust ; but this is obviated by being at once taken to pieces, and cleaned by a watchmaker.

The only substances which I have seen injuriously affected by the steam, are the leather and forril bindings of books and parchment.

The tenacity

and cohesive properties of these materials - animal substances

-appear to be destroyed ;

the former

* See Dr. Ure's Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, and Mines, fourth edition, p. 520. + " The water which combines with salts, during their crystallization, and generally gives them the crystalline appearance, is called the water of crystallization. This water gives out caloric and solidifies as the salt crystallizes, and becomes itself a part of the salt. When abstracted from salts it is found to be as pure as distilled water."-Parkes' Elements of Chemistry.

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE -PROOF.

79

peel or drop off in bits, and the latter all but disappear ; while books bound in cloth- a vegetable production — remain

unhurt.

In book- binding,

leather and forril are put on with flour paste, and cloth with glue . The paper of ledgers and such like books is folded into sections, which are sewn with thread on parchment strips , and are fastened to the boards forming the cover. The result to these when enclosed in a safe, made fire-proof on the vapourising principle, and subjected to heat, is, that the steam annihilates the parchment strips, but leaves the paper and thread intact.

This is not

to be wondered at, when it is known that for a long period size has been made from parchment strips, simply by boiling them in water. *

It follows ,

then, that it is a physical impossibility to preserve a parchment deed from damage in an iron made

fire-proof

on the vapourising

when such depository

is

subjected

safe

principle,† to

intense

heat, unless it be first placed in a steam-tight box. This astounding fact, first made known by me in the lecture I delivered in Scotland and Ireland in July last, I have proved by repeated experiments , * My original trade being that of a printer, bookseller, and stationer, I recollect frequently during the period I carried on the business, selling parchment strips to the bonnet makers to make size of, which is done by simply boiling them in water. The knowledge I acquired by this business caused me to doubt the truth of certain testimonials which stated that parchment, leather, and sealing-wax, had been preserved for hours uninjured in a moist temperature of 212° Fahrenheit. + Milner's Patent, 1840.

80

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE-PROOF.

and it has been fully confirmed by a great number of practical and scientific individuals.

At a fire which occurred in January, 1849 , in New Square, Lincoln's Inn , it was noticed , that whilst the parchment deeds were destroyed , or so much damaged as to be incapable of being read, (which accident settled more disputed titles than the Court of Chancery would do in half a century, ) the papers, although subjected to the same influence, were preserved. The annexed lithograph shows the appearance of a parchment deed, after it was taken out of an iron safe made fire-proof on the vapourizing principle, which had been in a fire for two and a half hours .

Before it was put in it measured 10

long, by 8

inches

inches wide , when folded , comprised nine

thicknesses, and was wrapped in a sheet of brown paper, and tied round with pink tape.

The brown

paper and pink tape are quite uninjured, as is also the piece of blue paper on which the stamp is impressed ; but the deed itself, as will be noticed , is reduced to a cake of gelatine of the exact size of the drawing .

Fig. 47 is a piece broken off the

deed to show the fracture, and to expose to view the blue paper, which is in colour, appearance , and size, exactly the same

as when first placed

inside the safe. For some time before this experiment was tried, my suspicion that these substances must be injured in some way was strengthened , from having observed

Fig . 46

Parchment Deed . Full sixe.

A

N PE OUN

D

MAL

Fig. 47.

Piece broken off to showthe fracture and the stamp.

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE-PROOF.

81

a safe which had been tested , and was exhibited in Mr. Milner's shop - window in Moorgate London, containing books about an and demy 4to size, being placed

Street,

inch thick,

one above the

other, and about half-way up the interior of the safe, all of which were stitched in paper covers - not one of them had a piece of leather or parchment about it. The fact is, that leather and parchment constitute an irrefragable and positive test of the intensity of the fire surrounding a safe ; for if the temperature of the interior attains that of boiling water (212° )—the protecting medium of papers and books, plate and specie, —the leather and parchment must inevitably suffer ; -such a result is as certain and invariable as all the other laws of nature.

If such

substances come out of a safe or chest uninjured, it simply proves that the temperature of the interior was below 212 °, thereby showing that the fire had little power and intensity, and consequently was no test of the fire-resisting capability of the depository. When a book comes out of the fiery ordeal with its paper body perfect and its leather coat gone, it proves the test to have been a severe one, and consequently a fair one, and is the best testimony as to the efficacy of the principle and the great value of the invention . This important natural fact, if known by other safe manufacturers, has never been avowed ; and I cannot reconcile it with the various testimonials

G

82

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE-PROOF.

published,

and numerously signed

by the most

respectable persons, the whole of which affirm, that the parchments in the safes that were severally tested in various parts of the kingdom, were preserved uninjured, * - in some, that the wax seals " were not in the least injured ."

Everybody must

have noticed, in the summer months, the sealingwax placed in stationers ' shop-windows , running at the temperature of summer heat, yet, in the chapter on testimonials are related several instances of the curious phenomenon of a fire-proof safe, the protecting medium of which to the contents is an atmosphere of 212 °, of preserving this material from injury. In all these tests one of two results must be admitted .

If the temperature

attained

that of

boiling water, ( 212°, ) the parchment and seals must have suffered beyond question ; if they were uninjured, the temperature must have been below 100 °, and consequently the

tests were no tests

at all. †

I must ask the reader's forbearance for having dwelt so much on this part of the subject ; but its importance cannot be estimated too highly, as it seriously concerns bankers and solicitors, and indeed all who enjoy possession of a parchment deed . I shall conclude this chapter by copying from the Manchester Examiner and Times, a notice of a test of one

of my safes made fire-proof on the

* See Chapter on Testimonials.

+ Ibid.

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE-PROOF.

83

vapourizing principle, which took place at Manchester, on the 12th October, 1854. Milner's Patent, 1840 , having then expired, and having been unsuccessful * in making a safe fireresisting by the use of a simple non-conductor only, I availed myself of the legitimate privilege of adopting his patent for the vapourizing material, and was anxious to test the quality of my safes by a public trial in that important commercial city. Amongst the gentlemen who were present, was an old inhabitant of the city, who bears a high • Soon after I took to the business of which I am now the proprietor, relying on the statements of other makers as well as on the assurances of a person in my employ, as to the fire-resisting capabilities of safes made fireproof by the use of a simple non-conductor, I had, in June, 1854, a public test, in Wolverhampton, of two safes made on this principle, and invited my friends and fellow-townsmen to be present at the trial. One safe was in an intense fire of coals, wood, and rosin barrels for three hours, and the other for five hours,-Mr. Milner's foreman, from Liverpool, and his agent and lock manufacturer in Wolverhampton, being present and assisting at the trial. The contents comprised books, bound in leather and forril, loose papers, and a parchment deed. After the safes were cooled and opened, the books were found to be burnt black at the edge for some distance towards the centre of the paper, the loose papers were more or less burned, the leather destroyed, and not a vestige of the parchment could be found. The disappointment, vexation, and chagrin, I experienced at the result of this my first test, caused me to study the manufacture, not only as a mechanical art, but as a science requiring some research. From that day it has had my undivided study and attention,* and my two patents and this little work are the result. I may state, that I have no reason to regret the failure of the first test, as the result of the next in the same town, on August 22nd, 1854, and another at Manchester, immediately after, were most successful, and perfectly satisfactory to those who were present, as well as to myself. It must be stated, however, that all the safes and chests manufactured by me since the period of the unsuccessful test, including those tested subsequently, have been made on the steamgenerating principle-Milner's Patent, 1840. Although there may be some few exceptions, yet in general it holds that when the bent of the mind is wholly directed towards some one object, exclusive, in a manner, of others, there is the fairest prospect of eminence in that , whatever it may be. The rays must converge to a point in order to glow intensely.” —Blair. G2

84

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE -PROOF .

character for integrity and honour, and who stated , before the safe was placed in position, that he had been at several tests before , but that he did not consider them as such, and requested that he might be allowed to have the safe placed in the position he wished, and elevated from the ground.

I replied

I had not come there to act collusively, and that he was at perfect liberty to do as he pleased.

He

then had the safe placed upon two rows of bricks, five courses high, and before

locking the door,

placed a piece of yellow blotting paper and a thin wood shaving in contact with the back-lining of the safe.

He remained on the ground till within a

quarter of an hour of the expiration of the allotted time for its remaining in the fire (two hours and a half) and waited till the last lot of fuel had been thrown on the fire, and returned in time to see the safe opened. tried several

I may observe that having previously safes made

fire-proof on the same

principle, both privately and publicly, I felt certain of the result, as A SAFE OF THE SAME SIZE, WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF COMPOSITION , AND SUBJECTED TO THE SAME INTENSITY OF HEAT, FOR THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME, WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE CONTENTS AFFECTED IN THE SAME MANNER AND IN THE SAME DEGREE ; and to show my confidence in its capability, I placed my own watch on the top of the books therein contained .

The thickness of the composition in this safe was three inches.

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE-PROOF.

85

"An experiment was made on Thursday last, with the view of testing the fire-resisting qualities of a book-safe, manufactured by Mr. George Price, of Wolverhampton.

The trial took place

in a yard near the Wesleyan Chapel, Lever Street.

The safe

was a ' No. 8,' being 28 inches high , 22 inches wide, and 22 The chambers are filled with a steam-generating

inches deep.

composition, the moisture from which, on the safe being heated, is forced within, in the form of vapour, a principle which has been found to answer by other makers. The door was fitted with one of

Tucker and Reeves' patent safeguard locks,' the two

inner drawers being secured by Chubb's patent detector lock.' Printed circulars were placed in the drawers, and six or seven volumes of books - chiefly ' Slater's Directories '-were arranged There were also loose papers, between the partitions above. blotting paper, a wood shaving, and in addition to these, an account book, containing the signatures of parties present, who were witnesses to the various articles being inserted. Between the leaves of the account-book was inserted a £5. note A gold watch was also wrapped up in paper, and placed inside .

The

door was then locked, and the key given to Mr. Councillor Warburton. The safe was raised in the centre of the yard, upon two rows of bricks, (five courses, ) so as to allow the fire to act underneath it. Shavings, wood, and coal, were then thrown around it, the wood being arranged conically, so as to enclose the top of it, on which coal was also placed.

At a quarter to one

o'clock the combustibles were lighted, and in a few minutes the safe was wholly enveloped in flame, which rose about two yards over the top, the heat compelling the spectators to retreat from its scorching influence. Mr. Alderman Heywood, Councillors Thackray, Thompson, Armitage, Worthington, and Howard, with agents of fire insurance offices, and other gentlemen taking an interest in the matter, were present. The fire was kept up burning until a quarter-past three o'clock-two and a half hours from the commencement, and was then withdrawn.

Being ex-

tremely hot, it required to be soused with water until four o'clock before it was sufficiently cooled to be opened.

It appeared to

86

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE- PROOF .

unlock with little difficulty, although the door was slightly warped by the contracting influence of the water. The brass handle seemed to have been partially melted, and broke on being pulled. When the door was opened, the contents presented the following appearance :-The vapour, supposed to be at a temperature of 212° Fahrenheit, had dissolved the glue on the backs of the volumes, and thus loosened the leather. The wood shaving was a little darker, the edges of a few of the circulars were slightly discoloured, but most of them were untinged, and the books, with the exception of being damped, presented no appearance of being near a fire ; the papers in the drawers, opened half an hour later, were also safe. The watch was going, and indicated four o'clock ; but on being taken out, the sudden transition from heat to cold seemed to paralyse its energies, for it held its hands over its face, as if for protection, and refused to move. The bank-note, with the book enclosing it, were unsullied.

The

five members of the city council, named above, with a number of other gentlemen, placed their signatures to a document testifying their opinion of the fairness of the test, and stating the contents of the safe to have come out unscathed from the fiery ordeal. We e may remark that, so far as an artificial fire can be made to resemble that of a building, the test was a fair one. The conical mode in which the wood was made to surround the safe, threw the heat directly upon it, and from the length of time this was continued, the outer case must have been red-hot ; indeed, the warping of the sides and door, and discolouration of the iron, were sufficient indication of this. We understand that Mr. Price rests his claim to a share of public support on two points.

The

first is, that he uses no solder, his objection to it being, that it melts at a comparatively low temperature, and then tends to allow the escape of what should be confined vapour ; the second consideration is one of price, which will, no doubt, have its full weight with the public." * * This safe, with the contents, has been publicly exhibited at Manchester, Wolverhampton, Glasgow, and in London, and is now at my stand in the Hardware Court, Crystal Palace, Sydenham.

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE-PROOF.

87

This faithful, intelligible, and scientific account of a most severe and honest trial, I insert in preference to anything I could say myself.

The writer

of it was a perfect stranger to me, and I do not now even know his name. Mr. Granville Sharp says, at page 312 of the work before quoted, " There can be no uncertainty when a safe is made externally red hot, [exposed to red-heat, ] and kept so for hours, with books and papers in it, which are afterwards brought out uninjured."

This remark is very true, and when

an iron safe is placed in an open space and elevated from the ground, and surrounded with fire on all sides, which is continually fed with combustibles , so that the intensity of the heat is kept up for two or more hours in succession, and the contents, books and papers, bank notes and bills, plate and specie, are brought out uninjured , except that they are damped, such a trial is a scientific experiment of the greatest value, as it demonstrates beyond the possibility of doubt, that such property can be preserved in the hottest fire which should ever occur in any building. I have frequently been asked whether fire-proof safes may be used with safety as magazines for gunpowder ?

To which I answer that those made upon

the steam-generating principle will effectually protect it from ignition , when such safes are exposed to intense heat, for the moment the

outer

case

becomes sufficiently heated, the water of crystal-

88

THE TRUE THEORY OF MAKING SAFES FIRE-PROOF.

lization is liberated from the chemical in the shape of steam, which at once enters the interior, and saturates everything with moisture . The vapour is immediately condensed in and absorbed by the gunpowder, which thus becomes a wet mass, and will Gunpowder should

not explode until again dried.

on no account be placed inside any safe or chest made fire-proof by the use of a non- conductor only. The two principles are diametrically opposite .

On

the vapourizing plan , everything in the safe, when subjected to fire, is kept damp until long after the chemical has parted with its water of crystallization ; whilst on the other plan- non-conduction onlythe heat steadily progresses onwards, until it reaches the interior, and continues to prey upon the contents for a considerable time after the fire is withdrawn from

the

exterior.

Although safes are

advertised as being made fire-proof by the use of the " most perfect non-conductors of heat," there are There are no such substances known in science. various bad or imperfect conductors of heat, which retard its transmission in various degrees,* but the best known non-conductor, -asbestos, -though an indestructible mineral, is a conductor of caloric.

* See Appendix D.

89

CHAPTER VII.

ON THE PRESERVATION OF PARCHMENT DEEDS FROM DESTRUCTION BY STEAM AND DAMAGE BY WATER .

THE preservation of parchment from destruction by steam or damage by water

has been partly antici-

pated in the previous chapter, inasmuch as I have there stated the result to that substance, when placed in an atmosphere of steam at a temperature of 212° Fahrenheit ;

and as the result to parch-

ment in an iron safe made fire-proof on the principle of non-conduction only, when such depository is subjected to intense heat, is, that it totally disappears, leaving nothing to indicate its previous existence but an ash almost too minute to be observed, it follows, that it is impossible to preserve parchment deeds and documents from damage in any iron safe, upon whatever principle it may be con• Some years ago, a quantity of deeds (parchments ) deposited by Messrs. Henshall and Co., of Liverpool, in a common tin box at the Albion Bank, were entirely spoilt by water having gained access to the strong room.-(See Milners ' Pamphlet. )

90

THE PRESERVATION OF PARCHMENT.

structed to resist fire, without some other contrivance, when such depositories are subjected to intense heat. The discovery of this result-the simple effect of a cause -suggested the necessity of inventing a steamtight box, for the express purpose of preserving parchments and other articles of value from the damaging or

destructive

effects

of

steam

and

water. * Figs. 48 and 49 represent the box, which is made of planished tin-plate, and in the lid is an open tube, which encloses a length of India-rubber cord. The latter, when the box is locked, presses upon a flange or sharp edge fixed to the inside of the top of the lower part

of the box, and by hermetically

closing it, effectually makes it air, water, and steamtight.

As the air, on heating, expands, and would

thereby burst the box, a small valve is constructed inside the lock, which latter is placed outside of the India-rubber joint, and thus allows the air to escape through the key-hole, without permitting the steam or water to pass into the interior.

In a small sized

box the act of locking imparts sufficient pressure for the desired purpose ; but larger ones require the aid of several clips constructed on the wedge principle, and fastened to the lower part of the box, which, by drawing over the studs affixed to the lid, * Besides the above purpose for which the steam-tight box was especially invented, it will be found extremely useful for all purposes which require the air or moisture excluded from the contents, and is particularly suited for various uses in India and other tropical climates, more particularly for protecting the contents from the destructive ravages of the white ant and other insects.

THE PRESERVATION OF PARCHMENT.

91

effectually closes it, and secures the interior from any injurious external atmospheric influence. For bankers, who keep " those books of a valuable character which have been filled," and other

Fig. 48.- Price's Patent Air, Water, and Steam-tight Box- shut.

L

Fig. 49.-The same- open.

books and papers not in daily use, in an underground closet or damp cellar, these boxes will be found invaluable.

Such property " must be kept

92

THE PRESERVATION OF PARCHMENT.

dry, which is not easy in the case of papers confined for years underground, except by constant fires ; and whilst Clifford's valuable invention for restoring books and papers may do much, it is a 99 better plan to prevent the necessity for its use. The importance of this branch of the subject, cannot be better illustrated , than by the debate which took place in the House of Lords on the Church Discipline Bill, on Monday, the 21st of April, in the present year, 1856 , when the imperfect and deplorable state of the registries in the numerous dioceses throughout England and Ireland was admitted by the various speakers on both sides of the question.

The cost of a central registry

office in London for twenty-eight dioceses, to be made air-tight, water-tight,

and

estimated in the bill at £ 100,000 .

fire-proof,

was

The importance

of preserving these valuable records, however, is far beyond any considerations of pounds, shillings, and pence .†

* Granville Sharp.

+ See Appendix E.

93

CHAPTER VIII.

ON FIRE-PROOF CLOSETS AND STRONG ROOMS .

MANY of the remarks made in reference to iron safes, chests, and boxes, equally apply to strong rooms and fire-proof closets with iron doors ; but as the latter depositories are not moveable , but are built with masonry, it may be well to state, that these may be made additionally safe from fire, by the use of the vapourizing material in the walls forming such closet.

Mr. Granville Sharp says, on this head, at page 312" Where the property to be secured is so valuable as in banks, it may be desirable to incur some slight inconvenience to place it in a locality which is in itself fire-proof. It is therefore suggested that bankers' safes, especially money safes, should always be underground. If this cannot be arranged, then they should have fire-proof floors above and under them, and be so placed that a passage should run round or about them, and that no wooden fittings or furniture occupy the intermediate space.

The safe

94

FIRE-PROOF CLOSETS AND STRONG ROOMS.

wall should, of course, be constructed of stone and iron.

The

next wall to it might be built of hollow bricks, or these hollow bricks filled with some non-conducting material." *

I quite agree with these remarks , except, that as underground places are always objectionable and inconvenient, I recommend, in preference , the closet to be on the ground-floor, contiguous to the office or room of business, but built with a double wall of bricks or stone, leaving a space between , of from four to six inches, to be filled with the alum and sawdust, with tubes built in the top of the wall, so as, in case of fire, to convey the steam generated by the heat acting on the chemical composition, into the interior of the closet.

Such a closet, with pro-

perly constructed fire-proof doors, would be quite as secure against fire, as the case-hardened door is against thieves.

The doors of fire-proof closets and strong-rooms are constructed in the same manner as the doors of safes, and are made either fire-proof or the contrary, according to circumstances. It may be well to remark here, that the majority of the iron doors now in use , are most insecure, from the circumstance of the locks which secure them being so very large, and the keyhole in proportion. * Filling these hollow bricks with simply a " non-conducting material," would have the effect of making them precisely the same as bricks not hollow, for bricks and brick-dust are considered capital non- conductors. (See Marr's and Chubb's Specifications. )

95

PRICE'S IRON DOORS AND FRAMES .

Fig. 50.-Iron Door and Frame for fire-proof Closet. (Size, 6 feet by 2 feet 6 inches.)

They can be made with sunk panels, to imitate wooden doors, and to any style

of architecture.

The frame is made of bar-iron, four inches by fiveeighths, and the rabbet,

in which the holes or

96

IRON DOORS AND FRAMES.

recesses are made to receive the bolts of the lock, three inches by half-an-inch .

The frames are

dovetailed together, and strengthened at each corner with strong plates.

This frame is sufficiently strong

Fig. 51.-Large Lock for Iron Door, with twelve bolts. a, The lock-chamber. b, The small lock. ccc c, The large bolts.

for any kind of door, and for any purpose . As the width of the door is two feet four-and-half inches, where the risk is very great, the large lock is con-

IRON DOORS AND FRAMES.

97

structed with four bolts at each side of the door , and two bolts each at the top and bottom, which are thrown with a Tor fist-handle, ( figs. 31 and 32, ) and secured by a four-inch lock, with a small key. A plan prevails in Scotland of securing the doors of closets and strong rooms with a lock fastened to the back of the door, about twenty inches square, with

a

proportionate key.

If this is the only

security used, doors with this kind of lock could be opened without difficulty, either by gunpowder or the " jack-in-the-box," as well as by other burglars' instruments.

I heard one banker say himself, that

the lock and keyhole were so large, that he could blow the lock off the door with a blunderbuss. * It is usual with some makers to use only a thin iron plate, of from three-sixteenths to a quarter of an inch thick, for the door, and panel it round the edge with bar-iron .

Where the closet is not re-

quired to be thief-proof, this may do ; but where security against burglars, as well as fire, is to be obtained, the plate should be half an inch thick throughout.

In constructing the large lock, in order to make the bolts move with ease and pleasantness, it is sometimes necessary to fix anti-friction rollers under the bolts ; but when there are bolts at both the " There are means of destroying the interior of a [ large] lock, which a small keyhole renders very difficult. If safe keys are so large as to be unbearable in the pocket, the only way is to provide some very secure receptacle wherein they may be locked up at the several destinations to which they are nightly distributed, and this is perhaps preferable to their being constantly carried about the person."-Granville Sharp. H

98

IRON DOORS AND FRAMES.

top and bottom , as in fig . 51 , they are not required, the weight of the one assisting in moving backwards or forwards the other. The strong room of the Wolverhampton

and

Staffordshire Banking Company, at Wolverhampton , is made of wrought-iron, about six feet cube , and is surrounded with masonry. The interior is fitted with iron shelves. It has both an inner and an outer door of strong wrought-iron , which are covered by a panelled wooden door of the ordinary description. The outer iron door is secured by a compound lock , requiring three separate keys .

A very general method of securing the doors of closets , by bankers, in addition to the lock, is to have two staples rivetted to the back of the door, through which an iron bar, after passing through the upper part of the frame of the door, descends through the staples, and drops into another hole in the bottom of the frame.

This bar is usually in

the manager's chamber, which is over the room in which such closet is situate, and for doors which do not possess in themselves the requisite security, it is a good contrivance. * * A plan adopted by some, with respect to safes, is to have a ringstaple fastened to the top of the safe, with an iron bar fixed to the floor, stand, or building, which is made to come over the door, and fasten with a padlock at the top. This method would certainly assist in preventing a small and light safe from being carried off altogether, as was the case with one from a corn-dealer's shop in Bradford Street, Birmingham, in the early part of the present year. The burglars waited till five o'clock A.M., when the policemen had left their beat, got into the shop, and being provided with a hand-cart, removed the safe to some premises, where they broke it open by violence, and after abstracting the cash, threw the safe into the canal.

99

IRON DOORS AND FRAMES.

Any contrivance, whether applied to safes or the doors of strong rooms, which necessitates more labour in the operation of opening them by other means than with their own keys, adds, in the same proportion, to the safety of such depositories against the attack of burglars . Portable strong rooms are made altogether of wrought-iron plates, which are so constructed in parts that they can be fixed in any required place. They are usually made about six feet cube.

Such

a depository is an iron safe on a large scale. A great additional security to banking establishments is obtained by using inside

iron shutters.

These can be made with sunk panels and mouldings, and when painted and grained, look as well as those made of wood.

The Commercial Bank of

Scotland, in Edinburgh, is fitted with such shutters, which appear to be well made and constructed, and to answer the purpose very well.

H2

100

CHAPTER IX .

THE BEST PLACE FOR A FIRE-PROOF SAFE TO OCCUPY.

It is a matter of opinion as to the particular spot a safe should occupy in the room it is intended for. Some say that it is best to place it on the wooden floor, as before any hurt could happen to the contents, the safe would , by its own weight, be precipitated through the burning, and consequently weakened, timbers, to the floor or cellar below. This, doubtless , would preserve the contents from damage by fire ; but unless the safe were sufficiently strong to bear the concussion, and the effect of building materials falling upon it, the safe and its contents would be damaged by being crushed; and, besides, as no safes , however strong, or well and accurately made, are water tight, the contents, if papers and books, but especially parchments, would be damaged or destroyed by the very agent employed to extinguish the fire- viz ., the water. * * This was really the case at the fire at Lincoln's Inn, in January, 1849. See also Note on page 89, ante.

WHERE TO FIX A FIRE-PROOF SAFE.

101

Others recommend, as a good plan, the placing of the safe on a stone slab on the floor, or upon a slab let into a recess as a shelf.

This would cer-

tainly preserve the bottom, but would necessarily retain the safe in its position to be affected more or less by the amount and intensity of the fire contiguous to it. * Another plan is to place the safe on a wooden stand,† which is decidedly objectionable ; as the less amount of combustible materials about it the better. The best and most secure plan of all is to build the safe in the wall, or otherwise surround it with masonry, because, then the only part subjected to the influence of the destructive element is the door, and in several instances the contents of such safes have been found free from injury, although the doors were not fire-proof, -i.e. , they contained no • " Another plan was to have a dry well beneath the floor of the basement, into which the safe was lowered every night, the greatest care being taken to guard against damp."—" On the Construction of Locks and Keys,” by John Chubb. + An instance is on record of a patent fire- proof box which stood on a painted wooden stand, in the counting-house of a firm, whose premises were burnt out, having preserved its contents uninjured . The account is, that ' a great fire happened in a large manufacturing town, which destroyed the contents of an immense warehouse, in an adjoining room of which was a fire-proof box. After the fire, the proprietors gave the maker a first- rate testimonial as to the fire-proof qualities of the said box, for the contents, very valuable, were perfect as before the fire took place. This was published in the newspapers, when a gentleman of strict integrity, knowing the particulars, expostulated with the proprietors for signing such a paper, when the fact was, that the said box was in a fire-proof room, and stood upon a deal frame, the paint of which was not even discoloured. The owners now seeing the dishonest inference which would be drawn by the public, immediately withdrew their testimonial."

102

THE BEST PLACE FOR A

non-conducting or vapourising composition at the back of the lock-chamber.

(See fig. 5, p . 27.)

An instance of this kind occurred at Manchester, when " the counting-house and blowing-room " of Store

Street Mill,

in the occupation of Messrs.

William Jones and Son, " were completely destroyed by fire," on the 15th of May, 1854. The safe con" taining their books, together with cash, notes, policies, &c. ," after the intense heat it was exposed to, from being built in the " chimney flue," to the " astonishment " of its owners, had preserved the

contents. Having seen a testimonial from Messrs. Jones and Son to Messrs. Chubb and Son,* relating to the above circumstance, and observing the identical safe in the shop-window of the latter firm in Market Street, Manchester, my " astonishment " was great indeed , when I discovered that the door which had borne the whole force of the flame was not fire-proof- it had no fire-proof composition of any kind in it.

The other parts of the safe, from

the paint being only discoloured , —not burnt, — proved that but little heat had been in contact with them ; and this was so, as all the other surfaces, besides the

door, were protected by the

masonry forming " the chimney flue. "

This safe,

then, preserved the contents safe - not from its fireproof capability, but from the position it occupied in the " chimney flue." * See Chapter on Testimonials.

FIRE-PROOF SAFE TO OCCUPY.

103

When it is considered that at the great fire at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Gateshead , in 1854, * the contents of almost every fire-proof safe and box were destroyed, the choice of the situation in a building for the fire-proof safe to occupy, should have the deepest consideration ; and it would be advisable to put up with any little inconvenience which should give additional security to the safe, whether against fire or thieves. The purchase of a

fire-proof

safe should be

looked upon as a kind of insurance, but with this difference -that for the payment of one premium, although it may be considerable, a perpetual policy is granted, there being no renewal except after the great value of the principle has been proved. This principle of insurance, instead of being considered by the Fire Insurance Companies of a competing character, meets with their cordial support and recommendation, as I once heard the manager of one of the largest fire offices in the kingdom state, that he wished Parliament would make a law which should compel every solicitor, merchant, and shopkeeper, to entrust to the custody of a fire-proof safe the whole of their trade books and documents. "Whilst it is of paramount necessity that bank safes, whether for the deposit of money or of books, This fire completely settled the question as to the worthlessness of common iron safes, and sheet-iron fire-proof boxes. After twice making personal enquiries at Newcastle-upon -Tyne, I could not discover a single instance in which such depositories had preserved their contents from destruction.

104

THE BEST PLACE FOR A

should be absolutely protected from the ravages of fire, it is almost as important that the possibility of their being flooded should be equally remote. Under the infliction of the extremely unpopular tax upon insurance, people usually feel that they have gone to the extent of their duty by the payment of this impost, together with the premium, leaving the provision of curative appliances to the fire offices. Some banks, however, have incurred the expense of fixing

hydrants,'

connected with the charged

main, immediately outside their premises ; at the same time keeping one or two lengths of hose pipe in constant readiness for immediate service , within five minutes of the discovery of fire .

This arrange-

ment is extremely valuable ; but with regard to books and papers, next to the devastation caused by fire, must be placed the almost destructive influence of water, which, on such occasions, is supplied so copiously, that a cellar or underground safe is forthwith filled.

To prevent this, it seems desirable

that wherever deep drainage is accessible, a communication with the sewer should be provided, the safe door opening at some distance above the floor of the vault.

When such an exit

cannot be

obtained, perhaps it would be desirable that a well or cess-pool should be dug, and if necessary a powerful external pump

connected

with it,

by

which the water poured upon the building might be drawn off at a convenient distance.

The pump

should be of such a character as not to become

FIRE-PROOF SAFE TO OCCUPY.

105

injured by remaining long unused ; otherwise, any defect which might arise from this cause, or from want of care, would probably be discovered only at the moment when everything depended upon its being found in perfect working order. "* Such a plan may be carried out by bankers , whose requirements are of an extensive character, and whose means are ample

to

effect such an

arrangement ; but what are the thousands of private gentlemen,

merchants,

keepers, to do

manufacturers, and shop-

the aggregate of whose property in

deeds, books, bank-notes, bills , and other perishable articles, amounts to so many millions ? is only one answer.

There

After possessing themselves of

a proper safe, and assisting it to preserve such property by every possible means, from destruction by fire, or abstraction by thieves, they must provide themselves with such a receptacle for placing inside their safe, as will effectually preserve such perishable contents from destruction by steam or damage by water.

The only invention which has yet

been introduced for this purpose, is Price's patent air, water, and steam-tight box, as described in Chapter VII.

* Granville Sharp.

106

CHAPTER X.

ON POWDER - PROOF LOCKS .

SINCE the thieves and burglars have been operating upon the doors of iron-safes, by filling the locks or lock-chambers

through

keyhole with gun-

the

powder, and thereby blowing them open, several modes have been patented venting such depositories means.

and adopted for prebeing

opened by such

The original invention of this kind is that

of Walter H. Tucker, whose specimen lock was exhibited in the Great Exhibition of 1851 , and was patented October 12th , 1852.

The security part of

this, and all the other principal locks,

will be

treated on in the chapters on the old and modern locks.

Mr. Tucker, in his specification , says, —

" My invention consists in so making the frame of the lock that it may be cast when made of metal, or made of wood, so as materially to diminish the cost of production, without lessening the security or durability of the lock ; and this I effect by making the frame so generally solid, that it may be cast complete, or made of wood.

107

POWDER-PROOF LOCKS.

" I may state, in addition, that the lock is, as a whole, so constructed as to be perfectly secure against attempts to open it by gunpowder or gun-cotton, there being no opening large enough to admit either in such a quantity as to cause damage."

O

D

Fig. 52.- Tucker's gunpowder-proof closed-keyhole lock, with the top plate off. b, The keyhole. cccc, The other a, The works of the lock. part of the lock cast solid.

From the above figure, it will be apparent, that very little gunpowder could be inserted in this lock, even if it were placed in a horizontal position. The next patent is Milner's, dated April 21st, 1854, and although described at page 18, I think it will conduce to a better understanding of the subject to repeat it here.

" This invention is designed for the purpose of protecting locks, of whatever construction they may be, from the destructive effect of gunpowder, or other explosive compound or agent, and is more particularly intended to be applied to safes or such strong depositories as are required to be secured from the invasion of burglars or others.

My improvement in locks consists in filling up all the open space or spaces usually left around the 'tumblers '

108

POWDER-PROOF LOCKS.

and other working parts of locks, leaving only sufficient space for the turning of the key, the slight lift of the tumblers, and the limited action of the springs, &c.; thus substituting for what has commonly been the

box ' of the lock almost a solid block of

metal. This ' filling ' may be effected either by casting or forming the lock solid with the exception only of exactly the open

Fig. 53.-Milner's Patent for casting the " box " solid applied to Hobbs's Protector Lock. a a a, The part cast solid. b, The space required by the key in locking and unlocking. c, The tumblers. d, The bolt.

space required for the working or operative portions of the lock ; or it may be made so as to be formed upon the ' cap ' of the lock and fitted into the ordinary box of the lock, and thus also leave only the sufficient space required for working or opening and closing the lock. It will be evident, therefore, that the space which has ordinarily formed a receptacle for a large and destructive quantity of gunpowder being by my invention reduced to the smallest possible capacity, and the resistance also thus afforded to the effect of explosion, will preserve the lock from destruction by any such means, and will necessarily cause the discharge of the violence through the key-hole. "

POWDER- PROOF LOCKS.

109

As stated before , I am unable to discover any difference in principle or construction between this lock of Milner's and that of Tucker's.

(See and

compare figs. 52 and 53.)

After Mr. Milner had obtained this patent, he got up a trial to test its powder-proof capability, which is described as follows in a Liverpool paper of that period : " Messrs. Milner and Son having applied a new patent powderproof lock to their safes, recently submitted the contrivance to the test of a trial at the Phoenix Works, Liverpool, in the presence of William Brown, Esq. , M.P. , several members of the Watch Committee, Major Greig, Head Constable of the Borough, and various other gentlemen. Mr. Milner, after alluding to the frequency with which safes of different constructions had been of late forcibly opened by the introduction of gunpowder into the lock by means of the keyhole ; and having explained that the destructive agent might be introduced in still greater quantity into the chamber which contained the lock, by the process of drilling a hole through the front plate of the door, proceeded to exhibit one of the old locks, and also one of the new ones. The former he showed consisted of an iron box, into which the various wards and levers, popularly known as the ' works,' are fastened, the remaining portions of the lock being completely void, and capable of containing a considerable quantity of any explosive matter which might be forced into it. He explained that into a lock suited to the medium size of safe, constructed on the old or ordinary principle, about half-a-pound weight of gunpowder might be introduced, while larger locks would of course contain a greater quantity.

He next showed one of equal power, but of smaller

dimensions, in which every morsel of space not occupied by the ' works,' or essential to the working of the parts, was filled up solidly with metal, thus reducing the vacuum in its interior to the smallest possible amount. Both of these are what are known

110

POWDER-PROOF LOCKS.

as the patent six-lever locks.

By the improvements thus effected,

the lock last referred to did not afford space for more than half a thimbleful of powder. To obviate still further the possibility of applying gunpowder in any way to the opening of the safe, Mr. Milner showed that the chamber in which the lock was placed was completely filled up with soft spongy timber, which, in the event of being penetrated with a drill, would of itself half fill up, leaving the aperture for the reception of any material whatever exceedingly small .

As a still further protection, however, he

showed that this timber was protected by a plate of hardened steel, which would resist almost any attempt at boring from the outside.

One of the locks being packed as full of powder as

possible, and an explosion produced by means of a fusee, the screws which bolted the outer to the inner door were then unfastened, and it was found that the lock had not sustained the slightest injury, all the levers and moveable portions being still in good working order, the only impediment being the dirt caused by the burnt powder.

An experiment was next tried with a lock

of the old description, into which about half-a-pound of gunpowder was introduced. By the explosion the door of the safe was driven to a distance of several yards, the lock completely destroyed, and every means of barring access to the interior entirely removed." The next patent connected with this subject is Milner's second, dated December 20th , 1854 ; but I cannot discover any difference in principle, and very little in construction , between this and his first patent, except that in the first patent "the space which has ordinarily formed a receptacle for a large and destructive

quantity of gunpowder

being by this invention reduced to the smallest possible capacity," is in the second " reduced to a minimum."

The following figures , with the expla-

POWDER-PROOF LOCKS.

111

nation, illustrating the last patent, are taken from his published list of prices :-

Fig. 54.-" Usual open Detector Six-lever Lock." "Open lock, capable of holding from eight to forty-eight ounces of gunpowder, such as generally used for safes. All locks, excepting Milners' solid lock, [ fig. 55, ] are open to the same objection, more or less, and may be easily blown open."

ΕΙ

Fig. 55.-" Milners' Patent Solid Powder-proof Lock. "Milners' (double) patent solid gunpowder-proof Lock. Keyhole and turning space for key will hold as much powder as may be exploded a hundred times without effect. Put in the key, to lock, at F, turn to the right, and take out at E. To unlock, put in at E and take out at F."

112

POWDER- PROOF LOCKS.

Mr. Milner states that fig. 54 will hold from eight to forty-eight ounces of gunpowder, and he must certainly mean this to apply to the locks on I the 40,000 safes he had up to that time made. * have examined many six-lever locks like fig. 54, but I cannot get any of them to hold even his minimum quantity. The following table shows the exact quantities each lock will hold, both in a vertical and in a horizontal position .

Vertical.

Horizontal.

47 grains . 5 dr. 8 gr. 12 dr . 6 gr.

9 dr. 8 gr. 1 oz. 2 oz. 5 dr.

Tucker and Reeves' Holdfast-3 inch 34 inch 99 99 4 inch ""

5 gr. 6 gr. 12 gr .

20 gr. 23 gr. 35 gr.

Cotterill's Climax Detector - 34 inch 4 inch : 39

9 gr. 9 gr.

26 gr. 26 gr.

Gibbons's Detent, and Price's Gun3 inch power-proof 34 inch 99 22 99 4 inch 29 "" 99

20 gr . 20 gr. 25 gr.

1 dr. 24 gr. 1 dr . 24 gr. 2 dr. 13 gr.

Description.

Common Six-lever Lock29 39 29 99 99 99

3 inch 34 inch 4 inch

It will be noticed that it was an " old lock " that was experimented upon at Liverpool, and which Mr. The representative of Mr. Milner, ( Mr. Miller, of Liverpool, ) whom I met at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in April, 1856, showed me a lock from a Milner's safe which had been opened by gunpowder very recently, at Blackburn. This was a six-lever lock of the kind referred to by Mr. Milner, (see fig. 54, ) but it was considerably larger than the modern six- lever locks as now used by most safe makers.

POWDER-PROOF LOCKS.

113

Milner stated would hold eight ounces of powder ; but fig. 54 represents it as a six-lever lock, which he states, will hold from eight to forty-eight ounces ! Verily, verily, how is it possible to reconcile such statements.

I presume, what he meant by an " old

lock," is the box of wards, as shown in fig. 4 , and which has a keyhole the size of the one shown in fig. 23. To fill such a lock with gunpowder, and then blow it open and call it a six-lever lock, is a deliberate and an absolute mis-statement.

The locks ,

as previously stated, now generally used by safemakers, are only three and a half or four inches square, and I ask, in drawing a comparison between these and Milner's " gunpowder-proof solid lock," if it is correct or fair to state that the former " will hold from eight to forty-eight ounces of gunpowder ?"

Compare Mr. Milner's assertions with

the table on page 112. At another test of this lock, which took place at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in December , 1854 , at the second explosion the door-plate parted from the lock and lock-chamber, and was thereby opened. The following account of this trial is taken from the Newcastle Chronicle, of December 22nd , 1854 . " A trial

of Milner's New Patent Powder Proof Solid

Lock and Safe Door, took place in the Corporation Yard, on Wednesday, in the presence of the Mayor, and about one hundred gentlemen.

The lock-chamber was taken off, and the lock

examined, and the chamber replaced.

I

The safe was carefully

114

POWDER-PROOF LOCKS .

closed, and the experiment commenced by Mr. Dunne, chief superintendent of police, placing about half-an-ounce of powder in the key-hole, which was plugged, leaving only a small space for the insertion of the match. The explosion took place without apparently damaging the safe in any way, but it was found that it had enlarged the cavity of the lock so much that it would now contain about one-and-a -half ounce of powder.

On a second

explosion, the sheet iron front of the door was forced open two or three inches, but the lock still seemed to hold fast .

A gentleman ,

Mr. Middleton, expressed his belief that it could now be forced open by any mechanic, but it required the assistance of four men to effect it, which took half-an-hour.

A trial was then made on

another safe, having the ordinary lock, in the keyhole of which about three ounces of powder were placed ; and at the first explosion the door was blown off, and the safe thrown over on its side. The result was quite satisfactory as to the capability of these locks, and is highly creditable to Messrs. Milner, and proves incontestably the superiority of theirs to the usual locks. "

I may observe, that if the lock in its perfect state would hold only half-an-ounce of gunpowder, it was simply impossible that the first explosion should have so " enlarged the cavity of the lock " as that the latter should be capable of containing one-anda-half ounce.

To have inserted this latter quantity

in the lock only proves that the first explosion had separated the lock from the door, thereby allowing the gunpowder not only to fill the lock, but to occupy the space between the front of the lock and the back surface of the door-plate .

The above

account cannot be reconciled in any other way. The gentleman referred to , Mr. Middleton , whose acquaintance I made some time ago, takes a great

POWDER-PROOF LOCKS.

115

interest in all matters relating to fire and thiefproof safes ; and after relating the above circumstance to me, and reading the above account, declared that instead of taking him half-an-hour to open it, after the second explosion, it was only five minutes. This result confirms

an opinion I have always

expressed upon these solid locks -that their very construction assists the operator in blowing them open.

There is nothing in the lock to give way,

and consequently, the keyhole being plugged, some other part must suffer from the

effects of the

explosion.

a

b

Fig. 56.-A 34-inch ordinary six-lever lock, without gunpowder-proof arrangement. a, The bolt. b, The levers. c, The open space.

The next is my own, as described at page 17 , and to assist in making this part of the subject as clear as possible, I insert accurate representations of an ordinary six-lever lock, without a detector,

I2

116

POWDER-PROOF LOCKS.

and the same

lock with the cellular filling, in

accordance with the specification of my patent, dated January 31st, 1855.

By adopting this simple

contrivance, all lever, and most other locks, can be made powder-proof.

H

b

Fig. 57. The same Lock, with my arrangement for making it gunpowder-proof. a, The bolt. b, The levers. c, The space required for the key in locking and unlocking. dd, The guard and cellular filling of the vacant space.

Fig. 56 shows the cavity that can be filled with gunpowder through the keyhole, and fig. 57 shows the guard encircling the space required by the key in locking and unlocking, from which it will be at once seen that all the gunpowder that can be got into the lock through the keyhole, is the amount the space c will hold, -i. e. , supposing the safe to be in a horizontal position, for if it be vertical, as most safes are, the gunpowder can only be inserted to the level of the keyhole ; therefore, there is not

117

POWDER-PROOF LOCKS.

the slightest advantage in casting the other parts of the lock solid-but the contrary. now made by Chubb, Gibbons,

have

a

Tucker

The locks, as

and

Reeves, and

revolv-

ing " barrel and curtain ," which, added to the beforementioned plan, allows only a very small quantity of gunpowder being inserted in the lock.

( Notice par-

Fig. 58.-Barrel and curtain to Tucker and Reeves' Holdfast Lock.

ticularly the table on page 112. )

In addition to

these contrivances, in the locks I use, there is a hole made on each side of the " cap " of the lock, as shown in fig. 59, which causes the force of the gunpowder, when exploded, to lose itself through these apertures .

To make assurance doubly sure, and especially as my statement differs so widely from Mr. Milner's, in May, a 34-inch

1856, I fixed

Gibbons'

patent detent till lock, fitted with my patent powder-proof contrivance, on the door of

a

26-inch

safe,

and

charged the lock three several times

a

with gunpowder, rammed in as tight Fig. 59.- End view of Powder-proof Lock. as possible, and the keyhole plugged ; a, The back plate. b, The cap. e, The after firing it, the result was, that apertura in the cap. with the exception of the works of the lock being

118

POWDER-PROOF LOCKS.

" furred," both it and the safe door were perfectly uninjured.

In each trial the safe was laid on its

back and well shook, so as to get as much powder in as possible. Chubb's plan is to perforate with numerous holes the back plate of the lock, as shown below.

Fig. 60. -Chubb's Detector Lock, with powder-proof contrivance,

Cotterill's Climax Detector Lock is gunpowderproof in itself. The next

powder-proof lock

is

Tucker and

Reeves's Holdfast, which, also , is gunpowder-proof in itself ( see fig. 61. ) It will be seen that the key moves inside the levers or slides, the latter being separated by pieces of metal.

It is simply impossible to damage this

lock, even when it is in a horizontal position , by ramming it with gunpowder, and exploding it.

I

have tried to do so with one of them by ramming it with gunpowder, and with the keyhole plugged

POWDER-PROOF LOCKS.

119

with a blank key, leaving a minute prime-hole at the end of the bit.

Though the charge exploded

with the report of a gun, and the lock had been tested several times before in the same way, it proved , on examination, to be uninjured, and easily answered to its key.

I am quite convinced that

a

Fig. 61.-Tucker and Reeves's Holdfast Lock, with the barrel and curtain away. a, The bolt. b, The slides or levers. c, The space for the key to lock and unlock.

both this and fig. 57 may be charged and fired a hundred times in succession without enabling the operator to open the safe.

It is but right to state, that it is only the " old " locks, as described by Mr.

Milner, at Liverpool,

which have been blown open with gunpowder.

I

am not aware (and I have made numerous inquiries) of a single instance in which a safe, secured by a modern three-and-a-half or four-inch six-lever lock,

120

POWDER-PROOF LOCKS.

has been opened " by a thief filling THE [ SMALL] LOCK, through the keyhole, with gunpowder." The box of wards

or

other locks, by being

screwed to the back plate of the lock-case, as shown in fig. 4, leaves a space of from half-an-inch to one-inch between the face or cap of the lock and the back surface of the

door-plate,

which thus

allows gunpowder to be freely poured through the key-hole into the lock-CHAMBER, and most lock-cases will hold from five to thirty pounds' weight of gunpowder, according to the size of the safe- door ; but the small lock is very different to the large lockchamber, and must not be confounded with it.

By comparing fig. 57, at page 116, with fig. 4, at page 27, an idea may be formed of the difference of internal capacity between the small lock and the lock-chamber-the one holding from 20 grains to 2 drams of gunpowder, the other from five to thirty pounds. Fig. 23 and figs. 62 and 63 will illustrate the difference in the keys and keyholes of the old safe door locks - the box of wards - and the modern ones, a three-and-a-half or four inch till.

Mr. Milner, in his characteristic style, publishes in his circulars, that " the various safes advertized as having powder-proof locks , may all (with the exception of Milner's) be blown open by filling the locks through the keyhole with gunpowder ." I last year invited Mr. Milner to prove the truth or falsehood of this modest assertion, by operating

POWDER-PROOF LOCKS.

121

upon some of my safes with gunpowder ; but for weighty reasons best known to himself, he did not accept the invitation.

Fig. 62.- Key and keyhole of Tucker and Reeves ' 34 inch Holdfast Till-lock.

Fig. 63.- Key and keyhole of Chubb's 4-inch Iron-door Till Lock.

The liability of a well-made modern safe to be opened by means of gunpowder lies not so much in the small lock, as in the lock-chamber, into which a considerable quantity can be poured, not through the keyhole, -as in well-constructed safes this is prevented, but by drilling a hole in the door-plate, under the small lock.

By adopting my patent case-

hardened

powder-proof lock-chamber,

door

and

(fig. 28, ) even that is effectually prevented.

122

POWDER-PROOF LOCKS.

It is in detached offices and in premises upon which no one resides during the night, or on the Sunday, and which are otherwise so isolated as to be out of the beat of the policemen or passers by, that safes are more especially liable to be opened by gunpowder, as it must be particularly noticed, that most of the safes which can be successfully operated upon by such an agent, can be more easily opened, No and without half the risk, by other means. accomplished thief or " cracksman " would attempt to open a safe by gunpowder in a private house, or other inhabited premises, as the report of the explosion would be sufficient to arouse the heaviest sleeper.

It must be remembered , also, that as the

operator runs the risk of receiving personal injury by the experiment, it obliges him to keep at a respectful distance from the safe till all is over. Soon after the fire at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, some burglars broke into the premises of Messrs. Leidemann , and by means of gunpowder blew up an iron-safe, but through the report of the explosion attracting the notice of the police, they were unable to secure any portion of the contents. There has been so much " humbug " practised with respect to fire and thief-proof safes, that it is necessary to make these remarks to induce those who possess really good ones to place reliance upon their security in this respect, although they may not have a specially constructed powder-proof lock. A burglar would never run the risk of using gun-

POWDER-PROOF LOCKS.

123

powder when, with most safes, he could effect his object by the chisel or drill .

In detached offices

he might use any means without fear of causing alarm, and in that case gunpowder would doubtless be the readiest, consequently, for such situations the safe lock should not only be powder-proof, but, above all, the door should be drill-proof, the safe itself of sufficient strength to resist the greatest violence, and, where practicable, it should be well secured in its position, or firmly built in the wall of the building .

124

CHAPTER XI.

ON THE COMPARATIVE PRICES OF WROUGHT- IRON FIRE-RESISTING AND THIEF-PROOF SAFES.

As the majority of the lists of prices published by the different safe makers are quite unintelligible to the uninitiated and the general public , inasmuch that in some lists, the prices are given without naming the thickness of the iron-plates forming the body and door ; in others the price is given without drawers and partitions ; and the sizes in no two lists are exactly the same ; neither do they state (with one exception) whether the plates are dovetailed

or rivetted to angle-iron or both,

I con-

ceived, that the only way to get at the correct comparative prices of the various makers, was to send to each, a specification in accordance with the size and description of my " first-class safe," both with single and double doors. *

I therefore caused a

* See illustrated list of prices at the end of the book.

COMPARATIVE PRICES OF SAFES

125

copy of the following specifications to be sent to each of the respective makers , whose estimates are as under : -

Fig. 64.-Price's patent " first-class " single-door Safe. No. in List, 101 D, Size : 30 inches high, 23 inches wide, and 23 inches deep. £ 18 . lf with patent case-hardened door and powder-proof lock- chamber, £20.

No. I.

SPECIFICATION for a single-door wrought-iron fire-

resisting and thief-proof Safe. Outer plates 4-inch thick, to be both dove-tailed and rivetted to strong angle- iron inside. The door to be ğ- inch thick.* The chambers for the fireproof composition to be 3 inches thick.

The knob to throw

the bolts ; to be secured by a patent unpickable and powderproof lock. To be fitted with two drawers. Size : outside measure, 30 inches high, 23 inches wide, and 23 inches deep. * Since the public exhibition of one of my best doors, after its mutilation by Milner's representatives, at Manchester, I have given my customers the option of having either one of those or one -inch thick solid, and to this time not a single purchaser has preferred the latter. (See list. )

COMPARATIVE PRICES OF SAFES.

126

ㄓ 17 18 20 22 23 23 24

John Tann, late E. Tann and Sons George Price W. Marr and Son Samuel Whitfield · John Leadbeater and Co. Chubb and Son . Thomas Milner and Son

9. d. 00 0 0 0.0 00 00 10 0 08

Fig. 65.- Price's patent " first-class " double-door Safe. No. in list, 102 D. Size : 36 inches high, 36 inches wide, and 24 inches deep. £31 . If with patent case-hardened doors, and powder -proof lock- chambers, £35.

No. II.- SPECIFICATION for a double-door wrought-iron fireresisting and thief-proof Safe.

Outer plates 4 - inch thick, to

be both dove-tailed and rivetted to strong angle-iron inside. The door to be -inch thick. The chambers for the fireproof composition to be 3 inches thick.

The knobs to throw

the bolts ; to be secured by a patent unpickable and powderproof lock.

To be fitted with two drawers, two partitions, Size : outside measure, 36 inches high, 36

and one shelf.

inches wide, and 24 inches deep.

127

COMPARATIVE PRICES OF SAFES. 8. 0 0 0 0 0 0 12

000

£ 30 31 32 36 • 37 40 46

W. Marr and Son George Price John Leadbeater and Co. Chubb and Son John Tann, late E. Tann and Sons Samuel Whitfield . Thomas Milner and Son

d.

0 0 0 0 0

The estimates for the two safes, added together, give the following result :-

George Price W. Marr and Son John Tann John Leadbeater and Co. Chubb and Son . Samuel Whitfield • Thomas Milner and Son*.

ཅ་ བྂ

Single-door Safe.

18 20 17 23 23 22 24

8. 0 0 0 0 10 0 0

d. 0 0 0 0 0 0

Double-door Safe. £ 31 30 37 32 36 40 46

8. d.

0 0 0 0 0 12

0 0 0 0 0 0

For the two.

£ 49 50 54 55 59 62 70

8. 0 0 0 0 10 0 12

d. 0 0 0 0 0 0 8

These prices include Milner's double patent powder-proof lock and door, as described at pp. 18 , 19, 20, and 111 , ante.

After noticing such a disparity of prices for the same article, in size, strength, &c. , my readers will naturally enquire how such a difference arises. Since I have been a safe manufacturer, it has been my endeavour to bring the manufacture in my own establishment to a system, and the result is that I can tell to a trifle the cost of every safe that leaves my works.

From the very limited number of safes

and chests that can be made annually by a great number of hands, even with the

aid of steam

machinery, the profit on them is nominally very great, but in some of the before-mentioned estimates

128

COMPARATIVE PRICES OF SAFES .

it must be excessive .

The weight of the single-

door safe (fig. 64 ) is 5 cwt. 3 qrs. , and the doubledoor (fig. 65 ) 10 cwt. 1qr. , which, allowing at the rate of 121.

per

ton for the iron and fire-proof

composition, amounts for the two safes to 97. 12s . , thus leaving a considerable balance as a margin for cost of labour, wear and tear of machinery and tools , locks , knobs, and other incidental expenses , together with the profit.

The principal item of

cost is labour, and therefore it follows that safes can be made cheapest where labour is cheapest. The next item is iron, and the same remark equally * applies. Since the re-building of my works, with "On Monday last, we availed ourselves of an opportunity of inspecting the new Works of Mr. Price, Fire-proof Safe Manufacturer, Cleveland Street, and we were as much surprised as pleased with our visit. We had no idea of their extent, or of the number of hands employed. The manufacture of wrought-iron safes we have always considered one of the legitimate trades of Wolverhampton, as it is well known that both the iron plates of which they are made, and the locks which secure them, are made in the town and neighbourhood of Wolverhampton ; and yet their manufacture has hitherto been almost entirely confined to London and Liverpool. We were shown a monster fire-proof safe, ordered by a wholesale drug house, in London , measuring 6 feet 6 inches high, 4 feet 6 inches wide, and 2 feet 6 inches deep, which, we are informed, will con vince the most sceptical of the superiority and cheapness of Mr. Price's safes. The back plate, 6 feet 7 inches by 4 feet 7 inches when sheared, is one of the widest ever rolled in this neighbourhood, and was made at the works of Messrs . Dimmack and North, Monmore Green, near this town. We were much pleased with the machinery and fittings, and also with the engine, made by Thompson and Co. , of Bilston - the whole appeared to work " as easy as an old shoe." The buildings are substantially erected, being cased with blue brick, and we must add that the shopping presents a pattern upon which we should like many other establishments erected. The rooms are wide, lofty, and well ventilated. Crowding of workmen is completely avoided. The iron of which the safes are constructed goes in at one end of the building in sheets, and comes out at the other end a finished and painted safe, ready to be lowered into the carrier's waggon. We understand Mr. Price has introduced several

COMPARATIVE PRICES OF SAFES.

129

sixty pairs of hands at full work, with the aid of the most approved steam

machinery, and every

contrivance which ingenuity could suggest, I have only been able to manufacture three hundred and ten safes and chests in a period of six months, which will give an idea of the number that can be made by those who employ a greater number of hands . The cost of plant and machinery being so great, a fair allowance for interest of money on the outlay must be included in the cost of manufacturing a safe ; but beyond this and the other items named , there is no important item of expense, except that of advertising, which, on such a limited and small return, must in some cases amount to something like twenty-five per cent. on the cost of the safe. As the general usefulness of an article is always enhanced by its comparative cheapness,

so as to

bring it within the reach of all classes of society, it should be the object of all manufacturers to do away with all unnecessary and extraneous expenses , which must be paid for by the increased selling price important improvements into the construction and manufacture of these indispensable articles, to render them as secure as possible both against thieves and fire, and we trust his enterprise in establishing such an important trade in Wolverhampton will not go unrewarded." -Wolverhampton Chronicle, June 20, 1855. * It must be borne in mind that with respect to safes, as with all other things, it is not the lowest in price that is always the cheapest ; therefore, strength of materials, workmanship, and construction, must always be well considered before coming to a decision on this point. The following is from a London paper, of May 2nd, 1856 : " No person should be without a fire-proof safe that has valuable deeds and documents. " Price of safe, 24 inches high, 18 inches wide, 16 inches deep , £3 10s." I would simply ask, whoever would expect such a safe to preserve " valuable deeds and documents" either from fire or thieves ? Who ! K

130

COMPARATIVE PRICES OF SAFES.

of such article, and hence it follows, that in reality indiscriminate

and extravagant

expenditure,* of

whatever kind, connected with the manufacture and sale of any article, must be paid for by a proportionate profit, which being paid by the purchaser, becomes a heavy and unnecessary tax upon the public. We appear to be in such favour with indirect taxation, that it is seldom we enquire what is the proportion of the sum we pay for an article which goes for extraneous and unnecessary expenses ; but if the retailer were to tell us that on a 201. article 51. went for such expenses, we should be as uneasy and as dissatisfied as we are in paying a direct tax, such as the income and property tax.

Yet in too

many cases such is the fact. A manufacturer, no matter of what article, who by purchasing his materials at the cheapest hand, who adopts machinery and economises labour, who * The cost of advertising at the various Railway Stations in England, Ireland, and Scotland, added to the cost of indiscriminate advertisements in the London and provincial periodicals and newspapers, amounts to the large sum of from £3,000. to £7,000. per annum. Such an expenditure may do very well for articles of general consumption , as medicine, provisions, wines and spirits, clothing, &c. , where the returns are so considerable ; but even in these cases the public must pay for it. It must not be understood that I disapprove of judicious advertising : certainly not ; as it is, without doubt, one of the best means of bringing any particular article before the notice of the class it may be intended for ; but since the abolition of the duty on advertisements, and the alteration in the law respecting newspapers, so many of these, and other periodicals have started into existence, that it is a most difficult matter to decide, after selecting one or more of the London daily papers, one or more of the London weekly papers, the " Illustrated London News," the local journals, and the magazine peculiarly suited for the particular article, what others to make use of.

131

COMPARATIVE PRICES OF SAFES.

by careful management, and being satisfied with a moderate profit, produces such article at a moderate price, deserves the support and encouragement of all liberal-minded men. An important feature of the Royal Society of Arts , of John-street, Adelphi, London, is, offering prizes and the patronage of the society, to

obtain various articles of general

utility and efficiency, at the lowest possible cost to the public. * * In my own and some other lists of prices, the depth of those sizes of safes most in general use is from 20 to 24 inches, outside measure ; whilst in others, it is from 24 to 30 inches. I may observe, that during my own experience, and that of my predecessors in the business, no complaint has ever been made that the former depths were not enough ; but in many instances I have been told that the former were preferred to the latter, as the great depth, instead of being useful, makes the safe unnecessarily large, and on that account is not so convenient. Extra depth in any safe or chest increases the cost but very little. The following table shows the internal space required for the various sizes of commercial account books ::-

Foolscap broad folio, bound Demy . Medium Royal · Super Royal Foolscap long folio

13 inch by 94 · 16 " by 11 18 " by 13 191 "" by 154 201 39 by 16 17 by 7플

K2

inch. 99 ""

99

132

CHAPTER XII.

ON

TESTIMONIALS .

" THE upright man is guided by a fixed principle of mind, which determines him to esteem nothing but what is honorable, and to abhor what is base and unworthy in moral conduct. He seeks no mask to cover him, for he acts no studied part ; but he is, in truth, what he appears to be-full of truth, candour, and humanity. In all his pursuits he knows no part but the fair and direct one ; and would much rather fail of success, than attain it by reproachful means. In his manners he is simple and unaffected ; in all his proceedings open and consistent." " No calculation of probabilities can insure safety to him who is acting a deceitful part." "A man of enlarged capacity and extensive views is always upright. Craft is merely the supplement of inferior abilities. It characterizes a narrow comprehension and a little mind." "The man of moderation, as he is temperate in his wishes, so in his pursuits he is regulated by virtue. A good conscience is to him more valuable than any success. *** * He can have patience. He can brook disappointments. He can yield to unsurmountable obstacles ; and, by gentle and gradual progress, is more likely to succeed in the end than others are by violence and impetuosity. In his highest enterprise, he wishes not to have the appearance of a meteor, which fires the atmosphere ; or of a comet, which astonishes the public by its blazing eccentric course ; but rather to resemble those steady luminaries of heaven, which advance in their orbits with a silent and regular motion. He approves himself thereby to the virtuous, the wise, and discerning ; and by a temperate and unexceptionable conduct, escapes those dangers which persons of an opposite description are perpetually ready to incur."-Blair.

As the value of all testimonials depends altogether upon their accuracy and truthfulness, I must be

133

TESTIMONIALS.

allowed to express my dissatisfaction with the character of those generally circulated in connection A testimonial , to convey a with fire-proof safes. correct impression

to the minds of its readers ,

should state not only the result to a safe after its exposure to fire, but all the attendant circumstances --such as the position of the safe in the building in which the fire occurred ; how long the fire exerted its influence on the spot where the safe was situate ; whether it was built in a wall, or otherwise sur rounded with masonry, or whether it was in a fireproof closet ; the room containing the combustible materials

on which the fire fed ;

in an

upper

counting-house, or a ground-floor office ; how long the fire had been about the safe before the fireengine deluged its

locality with water.

If the

contents are singed it should say so , and should not attribute such stains to essential oil or pyrolignous acid.

If the fire was so slight that the contents

were only " slightly warmed," it should not state that the external heat was intense .

It should also

state the exact appearance of the whole of the contents of such safe, when opened .

It should not,

like some witnesses, whose integrity is questionable , at a trial in a court of justice, state but part of the truth, withholding the most essential points of the evidence, but should state " the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." There is no necessity for collusiveness, misrepresentations, or the keeping back of facts, as all that

134

TESTIMONIALS.

safe manufacturers can be expected to do , is to make

such a

depository as secure

against

fire ,

thieves, and burglars, as the laws of nature and science will permit . A great fault with some makers is, that they declare their safes and chests will do too much-more than is possible.

The

public can only require from inventors such results as are within the bounds of practicability, and do not expect to see perpetual motion, or to hear of the actual discovery of the

philosopher's stone.

Those who offer such gratuitous results must not be surprised to be generally disbelieved , and witness their statements ridiculed and laughed at. I am compelled to express my surprise and regret that men of the highest character and attainments should append their names to such

documents,

which doubtless , contrary to their intentions, are only calculated to mislead the public , who place implicit belief in the truth of the statements therein contained, simply on the strength of such an array of influential and respectable signatures . Before reading the following

testimonials, se-

lected from those published by the safe manufacturers, whose names they respectively bear, it may be well to enquire the meaning of certain words and expressions therein used, as follow : When deeds are spoken of as having been preserved, it is invariably understood to mean parchment deeds, though in many cases the word " parchment" will be found omitted.

TESTIMONIALS.

135

Where the word " seal " or " seals " is men66 wax " tioned, it must be understood to mean seals. " Perfectly uninjured " means that the material remained in its pristine state, after the depository enclosing it had been subjected to intense heat. " Intense heat," " severe fire," " " fierce fire," are synonimous terms, and mean red-heat, i . e. 1000 degrees of Fahrenheit.

Only slightly warmed " means that the articles were of the temperature known as " milk-warm. " " Thoroughly steamed " means that the articles were of the temperature of boiling water-212 deg. Fahrenheit. "The iron was melted," when applied to wroughtiron, is a misnomer, as wrought-iron does not melt -it only fuses -and the lowest heat at which iron will weld being 12,777 deg., it follows, that such a temperature can only be produced by a blast. * " In immediate contact with the top of the chest " means that the articles touched the iron lining of the interior. " Not in the slightest degree injured,” when applied to wax seals, means that the sealing wax retained its impression ;

that it did not run or

spread upon the surface of the deed .

" Perfect conductor " means that it has no power of transmitting heat. A simple non-conductor only, when acted upon

* See Appendix F.

136

TESTIMONIALS.

by fire, evolves no vapour, and is the opposite principle to that of " steam-generation," " evaporation ," " vapourising," and " vapourization , " " chemical composition," and " chemical filled " safes. composition in all of these, on the

The

application

of external heat of 1000 deg . of Fahr. , generates

steam . Steam , unless under artificial pressure , is neither cooler nor hotter than boiling water - 212 degrees Fahrenheit. All safes, the

chambers

with alum and sawdust, resisting

on 99

conduction

the

of

which

are filled

are thereby made fire-

combined

principle

of

" non-

and " steam - generation ."

Many testimonials must be looked upon like the representations of various factories which one sees hung up at the principal railway stations.

If the

building has ten storeys in the picture, in order to arrive at the proper height, it will be necessary to take off five ;

and so

with

windows,

chimney

stacks , & c . * * Some weeks ago, on returning home from a journey to the north, my attention was attracted by a glazed show- card at the Derby Station, which purported to be the representation of a manufactory in my own town ; but as I could not exactly recognise it in its improved and extended appearance on the pasteboard, I thought that very extensive improvements and additions might have been made to it during my absence from home. On my arrival, however, I was much puzzled to make the premises represented and the representation agree. At last I discovered that various lofty steamengine stacks, vomiting forth the smoke of immense works, had been brought up from another part of the district, and placed amongst the buildings of the said factory. Not a bad idea, to give an important appearance to a building insignificant in itself.

137

TESTIMONIALS. " Lincoln's Inn , Jan. 10, 1849.

Testimonial,

This

66 Sir, I beg to inform you, that the Patent Fire - proof

which is doubtless so far correct,

as

to

confirm

Chest, which I purchased from you about eighteen months ago, was exposed to the fire which

what I have before stated as to the impossibility of

destroyed No. 2, New Square, on Sunday last. The safe was full of deeds and papers. A few of the deeds which were in

an

immediate contact with the top

was, on the principle of

of the chest, and which appears to have been exposed to the

non-conduction only, ( see Marr's specification , page

fiercest heat, are in some degree

preserving parchment in iron

safe,

whether

made fire-proof, as this

11 , ) or that of evapora-

injured, being shrivelled in parts ; but, I believe, will not prove to

tion .

be illegible .

few of the deeds ” (parch-

All the rest of

the documents , being more than nine-tenths of the whole, are quite safe and uninjured . " I am, sir,

The injury to "a

ment) is not attributed to

the

natural

conse-

quences of intense heat acting on such a sub-

" Yours faithfully , (Signed ) " JOHN MARTIN ."

stance, “ for a period of thirty-four hours," but to

"P.S. -The safe was exposed to the fire for a period of

the

thirty-four hours."

deeds being " in imme-

"To Mr. Marr, 52, Cheapside.

accident

diate

of these

contact with the

top of the chest."

As

iron is one of the best conductors of heat, it is simply impossible to make a safe so hot that it shall injure deeds at the top, without in the same degree injuring

those

situated

in

other

parts .

It implies that the top plate of the chest was hot, while the others were cool.

From some of the

138

TESTIMONIALS.

deeds being in immediate contact, i. e. , touching the inner plate of the top of the chest, the latter must have been pressed full.

I presume the expla-

nation is as follows : the chest, although in the burning premises for thirty-four hours, was subjected to heat but for a very short time ; but short as it was, it was sufficient to " shrivel " the few deeds without injuring the other nine-tenths of the contents, which very probably consisted of paper.

" Color Works, 115, Upper East Smithfield, " London, June 17th, 1852.

" Sir,--The safe we bought of you three or four years back

This testimonial states that besides "the books"

the " parchments were uninjured,"

although the

was unlocked by us this morning, and all the books and parch-

safe was exposed to " the

ments were uninjured.

The safe

fury of the fire," and was

was exposed to the fury of the fire from nine o'clock, p.m., to

red hot for the space of eleven

hours,

" during

which

period

not less

eight o'clock, a.m., during which period not less than forty tons of oil and one hundred barrels of tar were consumed close to

than forty tons of oil and one hundred barrels of

the safe.

tar were consumed close

The safe was red

hot.

" Sir, "Your obedient servants,

to the safe."

How can

this be reconciled with

(Signed ) " THOS. HUBBUCK & SON. "To Mr. Marr, 52, Cheapside."

the previous one ? the

former

the

In

deeds

were " in some degree injured ; " in this, " all the books and parchments were uninjured."

The only solution is, that the external

heat was insufficient to " shrivel " the parchments.

139

TESTIMONIALS.

Mr. Marr, in order to prove the fire-proof capability of his safes, subjected several boxes to an "experimental test."

" To ascertain their security, several ofthe boxes were thrown

The making

of the

outer plates of several

into furnaces, and allowed to boxes made fire-proof, on

remain there till they became red hot ; but the boxes and their

the principle of non-con-

contents, consisting of parch-

duction only, simply red

ment and paper, were perfectly

hot, and then withdraw-

uninjured . The patentee begs to refer to Messrs. Evans and

ing them, is no test at their

of

all

fire-proof

Co., of Queen Street, Cheapside ; and Messrs. Gladill, of Clerkenwell Close, in whose

ing them red hot for

furnaces the boxes were thrown

several hours in succes-

when the experiment was made,

sion.

and which was witnessed by

mental test " the parch-

more than forty gentlemen."

ment is said to have been

capability without keep-

In this " experi-

" perfectly uninjured " —which is proof positive of the character of the test.

"24, High Street, Manchester, "March 6th, 1854.

If this is true, it is

We have

miraculous , as it is phy-

communi-

sically impossible for a

cating to you, that the large "patent fire-proof safe " that

safe made fire-proof with

we purchased from you twelve years ago, for our late offices in New High Street, has been

as specified in Chubb's

the means of preserving our books, cash, notes, &c., enclosed

to

66 Gentlemen, great pleasure

in

a simple non-conductor ,

specification, at page 11 , have

preserved the

contents from such slight

140

TESTIMONIALS.

therein, on the evening of the 1st of March, when our entire

damage, — cepted, " -

premises were destroyed by fire. The safe, after being subject to

jected "to fourteen hours

" water when

exsub-

Does it

intense heat." fourteen hours intense heat, was unlocked on the morning of

mean that it took " four-

the 3rd of March, the locks all

teen hours " to ravage

answering to their respective keys, and all the damage the contents received ( water excepted) was that only some of

the " entire premises ? "

the books were slightly singed

the contents , come from ?

at the edge. You are at liberty to make what use of this communication you may think

Not from the fire-proof

proper. "We are, gentlemen, "Yours respectfully,

Where did the " water

excepted ," that damaged

composition ,

as it con-

tained no chemical material of a vapourizing nature .

(Signed) " RYLAND & SONS. " Messrs. Chubb and Son."

If

any

fire-

engines attended the conflagration,

it

does

not

appear that their water lessened the intensity of the heat outside the safe ; but it does appear that such water by some means or other got inside the safe , " which was all the damage the contents

received,"

except

slightly

singing the edges of the books.

" Store Street Mills , Manchester, " May 16th, 1854. "Gentlemen,-We have the satisfaction of informing you,

In addition to the remarks made in reference to this safe and the fire

that the fire-proof safe we pur-

at page 102, I may state chased from you about three years ago, for our premises in

that soon after its occur-

Street, (the counting-

rence, I mentioned to the

Store

TESTIMONIALS. house and blowing - room of which were completely destroyed

141

gentlemen who attended the test of my safe, in

byfire last evening, ) has secured the entire of our books contained

Lever Street, Manches-

therein, together

cash,

ter, October 17th , 1854 ,

notes, policies, & c., to our astonishment, considering the intense heat the safe was exposed

the fact of the door of

with

to from being built in the You are at chimney flue. liberty to refer parties to us, should any further particulars be required. "We are, gentlemen, "Yours respectfully, (Signed ) " WM. JONES & SONS.

Chubb's safe , which was the only part subjected to " the intense heat the

safe was exposed to from being built in the chimney flue," was not fireproof, and the representative of Messrs . Chubb and Son, being present,

"Messrs. Chubb and Son."

was appealed to , and at once unhesitatingly confirmed the truth of my statement.

What, then,

is such a testimonial worth in reference to the fireproof capability of the safe ?

It preserved the con-

tents simply from the circumstance of its " being built in the chimney-flue," -i. e. , every part of it was surrounded with masonry, except the door, which latter was not fire-proof, and consequently proves , that a cast-iron safe, occupying the same position , and subjected to the same " intense heat," would undoubtedly have preserved the contents equally well. Doubtless many who delight in the possession of testimonials will say, " Better this than none at all."

Be it so.

142

TESTIMONIALS.

" A test of Tanns' Patent

" The principle upon

Safes was made on the 13th of

which

June, 1850, in the Islington

constructed and rendered

Old Market, Liverpool , in the presence of the worshipful the

fire-resisting,

mayor, and numbers of gentlemen of the professional and commercial classes of LiverThe chest contained pool. papers, a £50 bank note, a £5 bank note, a silver watch, and a parchment deed with four

these

safes

are

filling

is,

the spaces between the outer and inner surface with a chemical preparation (the discovery of the patentees ) ; the basis of this

being

composition

After having

chemical salts , it remains

been exposed to a severe fire,

unaffected until the safe

consisting of forty cwt. of coal, and other combustibles, for three hours, the chest was re-

is exposed to a high tem-

SEALS attached .

perature , and merelyfuses when the

heat is

in-

moved and opened, when the whole of the contents were

creased to a degree at

found perfect-the watch indi-

which most

cating the exact time. At the suggestion of several parties on

(except the metals) be-

substances

come decomposed ; the

the ground, the chest was subjected to a second ordeal for an hour, and with the same satis-

water ofcrystallization being driven off, affords a

factory result ; a gold watch ,

great amount of vapour,

deposited by a gentleman ( a

which is effectually con-

casual visitor) , and several other articles of value, were restored

densed in the interior of the safe, and keeps it at

to their respective owners as such a temperature that perfect as before the test, and cannot,

in

the

most

the parchment deed with the four seals was quite perfect, the

powerful

impression on the wax being as

creased

perfect as when first deposited

which fusion takes place,

fire, beyond

be

in-

that at

TESTIMONIALS.

in the chest.

An offer was then

made by the representatives of the patentees to subject the chest to a further test, but the ma-

143

until decomposition ;

an

operation which would require a much longer continuance of heat than

jority were of opinion that it was unnecessary, and that the chest had been subjected to a much more severe heat than

ever it could possibly meet with in any accidental fire.

the destruction

of the

most substantial houseproperty would occasion. This fact has been estab-

"The foregoing facts are

lished beyond all doubt,

certified by the signatures of

by the result of many

upwards of seventy witnesses."

experiments , attested by persons of the highest

respectability , and in every trial to which the Reliance Safe has been subjected, whether accidental or for the purpose of testing its qualities, has proved it to be perfectly secure against the action of fire. * The simple principle of steam-generation is here described in mystical and ambiguous language. Why not have stated simply that the " chemical salts " when merely fusing at a high temperature— 1000 °-and becoming decomposed, part with the water of crystallization in the shape of steam or vapour, and that the temperature of the latter is 212 deg., and that this temperature cannot, " in the most powerful fire, be increased " so long as the generation of steam can be kept up. It must be observed that the annexed testimonial states that although " the chest had been subjected to a much more severe heat than it could possibly * Copied from John Tann's Circular.

144

TESTIMONIALS.

meet with in any accidental fire," yet, that " the parchment deed with the four seals was quite perfect, the impression on the wax being as perfect as when deposited in the chest."

" An extraordinary test of E. Tann and Sons' Patent Reliance Safes took place at Glasgow, on the 17th of October, 1850 , in the presence of the superintendent of police, and a large number of the bankers, merchants, and tradesmen of that city. The safe was placed in the midst of 48 cwt. of coals and several waggons of wood , and was exposed to the action of the fire for three hours and a half. The result was quite satisfactory, as the testimonials underneath will testify."

66 Glasgow, October 15, 1850. Being present at the commencement of the advertised

This is a duplicate test

66

similar in all respects to

public test of the fire-resisting qualities of E. Tann and

the one which took place

Sons' (of the Hackney Road,

the like results .

at Liverpool, and with This

London) Patent Reliance chemical filled safes, we certify that this document, with several

"chemical filled safe," 66 deposited in a testing

books, bank notes, &c. , among them PARCHMENT deeds with

fire, consisting of 48 cwt. of

coals

and

several

SEALS, and a watch was de-

waggons of wood, after a

posited in one of the safes im-

severe test of three hours

mediately before being placed in the fire.

and half" preserved the

"We certify that the pre-

" PARCHMENT deeds with 99.66 perfect as when SEALS

fixed, and all other documents,

145

TESTIMONIALS.

watch, bank note, &c., placed in E. Tann and Sons' Patent

lodged ; " the protecting medium being a tempe-

Reliance Safe, prior to its being rature of 212 degrees ! deposited in a testing fire, consisting of forty-eight cwt. of coals, and several waggons of wood, to prove its fire- resisting qualities, were, after a severe test of three hours and a half, found perfect as when lodged.

(Signed)

"JAMES SMART, " Superintendent of Police ."

[ And twenty-eight more signatures . ]

In order to perfectly understand the principle of vaporization, and the latter and following testimonials , I think it best to copy T. Milner and Sons' own explanation from their pamphlet, pages 8, 9 . " With reference to the superiority of this method of maintaining low temperature in the heart of a strong fire, by vaporization , prolonged in chemical non-conductors , —in other words, by substituting boiling for burning, -it may be observed, that from every pint of fluid discharged from the materials of the safe or box, by heat, into the interior, nearly two thousand pints of steam are evolved and condensed in the contents, rendering the whole mass damp and humid as a newspaper from the press. By this means , one thousand degrees of heat is neutralized, and rendered latent and harmless-one-half of which temperature would destroy the contents of the best safe or box that can be put together of dry materials ;

whilst the papers are

made difficult of ignition , the whole process being L

146

TESTIMONIALS.

conducive throughout to their preservation for a much longer period than that during which a box or safe would be in contact with fire in the successive conflagration of the parts of a building ; no greater heat than 212 ° will pass through this medium into the interior— a temperature perfectly harmless to books, papers, PARCHMENTS ,

even bank-notes ;

or

the cause of the exhaustion of the moisture being so protracted , is its being sheathed and protected from

rapid vaporization in the absorbent nonIn long continued heat, the non-

conductor.

conductor discharges its pyroligneous acid, which , combining with the alkali, forms a carbonaceous crust or pyrolignate of potass -the worst conductor of heat known ; and from within this shelter the papers or books slowly give out again the large volume of STEAM that has been passed into and condensed in them, reacting most favourably in keeping down their own temperature, that of the box or safe,

and the surrounding fire.

The tea-kettle,

boiling at 212 °, in immediate contact with red-hot fire, into which a handful of bank-notes or gunpowder may be placed with

safety,

simply and

Another beautiful aptly illustrates this principle. and forcible illustration of its extraordinary preserving capabilities, may be shown in a very simple manner, by folding

a piece of common writing

paper into the form of a tea-cup, having a wire circle inside, and another outside, round the top, tied together with small binding-wire , and two half

147

TESTIMONIALS.

circles of wire crossing each other under the bottom , merely to keep the form .

If this paper boiler be

filled with water, and put over a red-hot place on the fire, where there is no smoke, it will boil away With great without even discolouring the paper. care, the boiler may be a bank-note ; and with perfect safety notes may be doubled up , and boiled in the water, with only paper betwixt them and redheat, and afterwards dried ; or, as the inside of a loaf in an oven is preserved for hours from being more than boiled, under circumstances wherein it would be reduced to a blackened , charred mass , were

it not for its own self-contained moisture,

materials the most combustible

are

kept

from

injury in a similar but more perfect manner, within these boxes, when surrounded with burning coal . The same heat that would serve to make an iron safe red-hot in twenty-minutes will not bring the interior of Milners' boxes, of one foot inside measurement (which dimensions are necessary for the full advantage of the resistance and reaction of this principle) to the boiling point, 212 °, which cools down rapidly the moment the fire subsides around. • Whereas the red-hot iron safe remains an immoveable burning prison for its dry contents, consuming them for hours after the fire has left them.

In

short, the Milners ' safe and the iron safe, standing near each other in Messrs . Walker's fire, may be aptly compared to an oven and boiler in vigorous operation.

In which of the two would you deposit L2

148

TESTIMONIALS.

a bundle of deeds, bank-notes, or gunpowder, with a view of preserving

them from being

burnt ?

Within each of these depositories, a sentinel engine may be supposed always attendant and self-acting, ready not only to extinguish, but prevent, fire, with its pipes charged and laid into the most valuable property which a public, professional , or mercantile office, or private dwelling, contains- property uninsurable, and yet often exceeding in value all that is deemed needful to insure-the fire itself, in its first approaches, letting loose, and arousing, in concentrated operation within the box, its only efficient antagonist.

T. M. and S.

have now briefly to

allude to the insecure state of the monetary and documentary property

of the

country, from the

custom -house, excise, and public offices, with their fire-proof ( ? ) iron safes, strong rooms, with iron doors ! -surrounded by piles of desks, cupboards, office furniture, and floors sufficient to make the safes and doors red hot ten times over -burning them out with red-hot safety !—the banks and extensive professional offices,

consisting

of rooms, storeys

upon storeys, whole piles of massive buildings, full of wooden chests, drawers , secretaries , deed boxes , and iron safes and closets, little better - the whole property in which an hour's strong fire would sweep into destruction ; and lastly, to the immense amount and value in commercial books and documents, without any more

efficient protection than the 6 worthless depositories which are sold as fire-proof,'

149

TESTIMONIALS.

without any rational claim to the quality of resisting fire.

It is as absurd so to denominate these

gewgaw-looking things, like gilt bird-cages, —as if fire had any respect for these things, -as it would be to nail the old horse-shoe over the door to keep out the fire-witch, instead of keeping her effectually out by giving the water-witch (the only fire-tamer ! ) scientific and permanent possession .

"Earnestly soliciting consideration of these remarks, T. M. and Son proceed to give the following testimonials : -

[From the "Ipswich Journal."] " PUBLIC

TESTING OF MILNERS ' PATENT FIRE RESISTING SAFES .

"The triumph of science was completely shown by the result of the trials of Milners' Safes that took place in Messrs. Ransome and Sims's Old Foundry premises in this town, on Wednesday last, at eleven o'clock, to witness which a large and * influential body of gentlemen were present. Two large fires were made in A furnace of bricks , furnaces of bricks with flues all

*

through, in one of which was

with flues all through , is

placed a common iron safe, filled with loose papers, and one

a capital contrivance for conducting and driving

of Milners' fire-resisting safes, also filled with books, papers, a

the heat

away from a

silver watch, gold, silver, and

safe, when under such

steel chains, with the half of a £ 100 note. The whole were

circumstances it is sub-

jected to fire. inspected by the great body of gentlemen present, and locked down by Mr. S. H. Cowell, the Mayor.

Fifteen minutes after being so placed, the cast -iron

150

TESTIMONIALS.

box burst from the great heat conveyed to each, while the patentees' chest firmly stood the test for two-and-a-half hours. When it was opened, everything was taken out in such a perfect. and uninjured state as to surprise and astonish all present. In a second furnace of similar construction was deposited Milners' Double Bankers' Safe.

After being filled by Mr. D.

Wendon, the representative of T. Milner and Son, assisted by S. H. Cowell, Esq., and W. D. Sims, Esq., with the following

When a half-note is

articles, namely, the half of a £ 100 note, several copies of

deposited it is an evidence of doubt as to the

various publications, including a beautifully illustrated edition of

capability of a safe to preserve it from destruc-

" Uncle Tom's Cabin," a casket

All the newly pub-

of jewellery, with gold and sil-

tion.

ver watches belonging to Mr. Read, jeweller, of this town ; a gold watch belonging to Mr.

lished works, like " Uncle Tom's Cabin ," are invariably bound

Dorling, a silver watch belonging to Mr. D. Wendon, a silver watch belonging to Mr. Baker,

as

cloth,

in

previously

which, stated , is not in the least

and others, the property of gentlemen present, with which was

injured by the steam—

also a box containing several metals, to try the heat within, consisting of bitumen , iron, lead, zinc , by a scientific gentleman

calico , and is a vegetable production .

present. This safe was allowed

temperature

it being identical

with

Bitumen or

asphaltum melts at the of boiling

to remain five hours, during which time every exertion was made to increase the heat, the fire being superintended by four of Messrs . Ransome's men , and

to this mineral .

1½ tons of coal, 50 cwt. of

not the result to this and

firewood, four large and three

the iron , lead, and zinc

water, and therefore the remarks made relative to sealing wax equally apply Why is

151

TESTIMONIALS. small hogsheads, several faggots, &c., were consumed. At the time of opening the safe the most intense anxiety pre-

stated ?

Cast-iron begins

to melt at 17977° Fahr. , lead melts at 594°, and zinc at 700°.

Instead of

vailed ; the company, including a great number of ladies from

these, in order to prove

the town and neighbourhood,

the temperature of the

being very great. Every accommodation was afforded to

interior during the fire, such articles should have

give all parties a fair opportu-

been enclosed , as melt at

nity of seeing, a ring being roped round for the occasion.

a lower temperature than

Exactly at a quarter to five,

212°.

the Mayor, with the gentlemen superintending, entered the ring, and the safe was opened. On

this safe.

No parchment is

named as having been in

presenting its contents, the greatest delight and satisfaction were evinced ; each watch was correct to the time, being compared with the dial at the Old Foundry no variation had taken place ; every manuscript, book, paper, &c., was quite as perfect as when placed therein the £ 100 note was delivered to The half-note during the Mayor, who exhibited it

the operation appears to

round, with all the other deposits, to the great assemblage,

have grown into a whole one-all risk of its loss

who at once expressed their entire satisfaction at the result

now being at an end.

of the experiments, and proceeded to sign testimonials recording the same.

We before

briefly alluded to the common iron safe, which was also exhibited at the same time with the two patent safes from Milners', and certainly presented a powerful contrast, the papers all being burnt to a calcined ash. A slight discoloration appeared on the corners of one or two papers taken from the No. 1 Safe, which Mr. Wendon was glad to see, as it gave him an opportunity

152

TESTIMONIALS.

of explaining the same, being the

This is a very clever

essential oil from the non-conduc-

idea of Mr.

tor ; and proving, that however

which

discolored, no injury is derived from the same. At the close of these experiments, Mr. Wendon

of knowledge as to the properties of wood and

made a short address to the

essential oil.

Wendon's ,

shews his want

What is

body of persons present, thank-

the

ing the Mayor for his kind

the stain of essential oil

attendance and impartial attention ; to which his worship re-

and a veritable singe ?

difference

between

What is the distinctive plied, expressing his extreme name of this

essential

satisfaction at the whole proceedings, and heartily wishing so good an invention its deserved

oil ?

support. "

destruction .

Naptha is distilled

from wood by its total Essential or

volatile oils require a temperature, to raise them to a state of vapour, of 212°, which is in this case said to have been produced, and " discolored the Yet it does not covers of one or two papers. "" appear that the bitumen which melts at the same temperature ( 212°) did so . * " London and Birmingham Railway Office, " Euston Square, April 8th, 1844. " Sirs, -I am instructed to send the enclosed report of the

results of the public experiment on your Fire-proof Boxes and Safes at the Camden station of this Company, which was authorised by the Directors to be made under the immediate superintendence of their own officers, and to congratulate you on the complete success of the very severe trials by which you have allowed your admirable invention to be tested. " I am, Sir, your obedient servant, " R. CREED, Secretary." "To Messrs. Milner and Son." * See Ure's Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures , and Mines, 4th edition, 1853.

TESTIMONIALS .

153

(COPY. ) " London and Birmingham Railway, " Camden Station, April 8th, 1844. " Mr. Bruyeres having requested me to superintend in person the trial of Messrs. Milners' Boxes and Safes at this station, on Thursday last, I beg to report as follows :" Early in the morning about one ton of coals and the same quantity of wood were piled upon a foundation of brick. Within the fire was placed a safe of double 24 - inch chambers,

containing

papers.

books

and

The fire was lighted

at half-past eight, and quickly burnt up. At the same time a

Double 24-inch chambers shews that the chemical composition is 5 inches thick.

placard describing the case as representing Milners' double- chambered Bankers' Safe, was fixed in the ground. 66 At nine o'clock a similar safe was placed in a similar fire, several gentlemen having previously placed inside books , on which they had written their names, and Mr. Milner a ten-

pound note.

A placard was

again hoisted, ' Milners' Double

The

composition

this safe was

in

3 inches

thick.

Chambered Safe, each chamber 13 inch .'

This fire also burnt up to a great heat.

" A Deed Box was placed in another fire at 11 a.m., which had also been filled in the presence of a number of gentlemen. A brisk wind having blown steadily all day, the fires had from the commencement soon burned into an active heat, and

The

composition

in

this was especially intensely hot.

this box was 2 A placard was again fixed near the fire, ' Milners' Portable

inches

thick.

Deed Box, 14 inch thick.' " By this means the number of persons assembled having considerably increased, the cases were shortly after one o'clock removed and examined.

154

TESTIMONIALS.

" First, the Bankers' Safe,

This fire was lighted

although taken out of a bed of red heat, the inner chamber and

at half-past eight a.m. , and

the

Bankers ' safe

contents were, after five hours' was withdrawn at one

trial, quite cool and perfect as when put in. Next the double 1 -inch chambered safe was

p.m. , consequently was

taken out and opened ; its contents were found perfect like

arising from " one ton of coals and the same quan-

subjected

to the

heat

the first. The papers, including tity of wood" for four-

the £ 10 note, were only slightly warmed. " The Portable Deed Box

was then examined ; when taken from the fire parts of it were at a white heat on the outside, but

and-a-half hours.

The

steam in this safe

was

" quite cool. " Thesecond safe was in " a similar fire" for " four hours,"

the books and papers were all and the " Portable Deed

thoroughly steamed

and preBox" for two hours.

served ; some were slightly disAll

the

three

safes

colored at the edges, near the cover, by the non- conductor, but

were made on the same

all in a very good and sound state.

principle, viz ., that of steam · generation , and

" The Bankers'

Safe was yet in the safe with the 3-

again placed in a strong fire, and with two short intervals of

inch composition the con-

a few minutes for examination,

tents are only " slightly

kept there till eight p.m .; when

warmed," while in the

it was finally removed quite red

box with the 24-in. com-

hot outside , but the inner chamber and contents perfectly fresh

position the contents are 66 thoroughly steamed ."

and unaltered.

The severity of the test here stated may be con-

Steam

sidered as far exceeding that of

sented as being of three

any ordinary fire ; and the per-

degrees of temperature-

is

here

repre-

155

TESTIMONIALS.

fect state in which the papers were found, after a trial of so

one

" quite

cool ,"

an-

other " slightly warm,

many hours, should satisfy the and the third its

most sceptical of the protective properties of the invention under the most trying circumstances. " H. WYATT." (Signed) " R. Creed."

true

degree - that of boiling

water.

I cannot reconcile the plate of a safe becoming " red-hot," vapour.

which plate

Messrs .

encloses

a neutralizing

Milner illustrate this principle

by " the tea-kettle boiling at 212°, in immediate contact with fire, into which a handful of bank notes or gunpowder may be placed with safety," which, they say, " aptly illustrates this principle. " Also : " Another beautiful and forcible illustration of its extraordinary preserving capabilities may be * When at Newcastle- upon-Tyne, some time ago, a hardwareman, who sells Milners' Safes, and who is also connected with the press, declared that at the great fire, in 1854, he saw Leidemann's Safe brought out of the ruins in a " red-hot" state, and that he was present at Edinburgh when one of Milners' Safes was publicly tested, and that that was red-hot also in the open day-light. On my reasoning the point with him, and expressing my doubts as to the correctness of the circumstance, he indignantly asked me if I thought " he could not believe his own eyes ?" Of course such an appeal was decisive, and the matter dropped for the time ; but, on my arrival home, to prevent the possibility of a misconception on my part, I wrote to the gentleman, asking if I had understood his statement correctly, and also enquiring by what instruments or other means the red-hot safe was withdrawn from the burning ruins ; but he did not condescend to reply. I notice this the more particularly, simply because of the narrator being a member of the " fourth estate," and therefore not so easily deceived or imposed upon. I can only repeat what I have before stated, that if a safe made fire-proof on the steam-generating principle ( Milners' patent, 1840 ) should ever get red-hot, the contents would very soon feel the effects of the increased temperature of 1000 ° instead of 212 ° . To say so is a flat contradiction of the theory, as Mr. Milner aptly illustrates the principle by a kettle made of a £100 note boiling on the fire at red-heat.

156

TESTIMONIALS.

shewn in a very simple manner by folding a piece of common writing paper into the form of a tea-cup, having a wire circle inside

and

another outside

round the top, tied together with small binding wire, and two half circles of wire crossing each other under the bottom, merely to keep the form . If this paper boiler be filled with water and put over a red-hot place on the fire, where there is no smoke, it will boil away without even discoloring With great care the boiler may be a the paper. bank note ; and with perfect safety notes may be doubled up and boiled in the water with only paper betwixt them and red heat, and afterwards dried." Messrs. Milner blow hot and breath.

cold in the same

The paper, or bank note boiler, does not

get red-hot, neither does it burn ; and yet, according to this testimonial , the iron boiler does get red-hot. * What can any one understand from these palpable contradictions ? The contents of these safes are said to have been preserved by steam at the temperature of boiling water, and yet the interior did not arrive at that degree of heat.

The principle is

illustrated by a kettle boiling on a fire, and yet the outer plates of these safes, the kettles or boilers, * These safes, as Messrs. Milner " aptly illustrate," are made upon the principle of boiling water upon a fire in any kind of vessel. The boiler, whether of paper or iron, not being material, for so long as the water is contained in such boilers, the substance of which they are made cannot get red hot, and the only injury that can happen to the contents would be that caused by the temperature of the liquid at boiling point,-212º Fahr., --which does not injure paper, or the cloth bindings of books, gold, silver, &c.

157

TESTIMONIALS.

become quite red-hot outside, whilst " the severity of the test" of the Bankers' Safe " may be considered as far exceeding that of an ordinary fire." *

Liverpool, May 24th, 1841.

In

all these testimo-

"We,theundersigned, having nials , the amount of com-

this day witnessed the testing of one of Milners' fire-resisting

bustibles

boxes, by its having been placed

fire, the time the boxes

in a large fire consisting of

or safes were subjected

wood and upwards of six hundred-weight of coals, for the

to the heat, the articles

used

for the

enclosed, and their ap-

space of two hours and twenty

pearance when the safe minutes, do hereby express our conviction that the fire-resisting

or

boxes manufactured by them, are a perfect security in all The cases of ordinary fire.

noticed .

box

should

was be

opened ,

particularly

box was filled with commercial and other books, papers, parchments, and deeds, (one of which, of the 16th Henry VIII. , had five large thick seals appended to it,) and, within an inch of the cover, several Bank of England notes ; and previously to being closed, were submitted to the examination of J. S. Leigh, Esq ., R. Frodsham, Esq., L. Graham, Esq., and others present. The whole contents , on the box being taken out of the fire and opened in our presence, were found to be in a perfect state of preservation, the seals attached to the deed abovementioned not being in the slightest degree injured.

This certi-

ficate is written on the deed of the 16th Henry VIII. abovementioned, which was submitted to the test." [ Here follow eight signatures.]

* Mr. Granville Sharp says " No one should purchase a fire-proof safe without first reading the interesting pamphlet of fire-proof statistical detail, published by Milner and Son, safe manufacturers. This contains full particulars of their patent principle, which is founded upon the use

158

TESTIMONIALS. 66 Manchester, Jan. 20th, 1842.

It appears " an old

"We,the undersigned, having witnessed the testing of one of

ledger " was put in this

Milners' new patent fire -resisting

safe , which most likely was bound either in lea-

boxes , by its being exposed to the action of an open fire of wood and seven hundredweight of coals , for the space of one hour and a half, do hereby express our conviction that their

ther

new patent boxes afford a per-

slightest degree injured . "

or

forril .

This ,

with the other contents , " and even the seal " of wax, were " not in the

fect security in all cases of ordinary fires. The box was filled with miscellaneous papers , an

old ledger, and the deed on which this certificate was written, with the seal attached. On opening the same, after it had been taken out of the fire, its contents were found to be preserved, and even the seal attached to the above deed was not in the slightest degree injured. " [ Here follow eight signatures . ]

" In the fire beside this box, the contents of a fire-proof box of another make were consumed."

" Durham, 25th January, 1841.

The remarks previous-

"We, the undersigned, having this day witnessed the testing

ly made will apply to this

of one of Milners ' Patent Fire-

timonials, as all the lat-

and all the following tes-

resisting Boxes, by its having

ter state the same thing, been exposed to the action of an open fire of wood and coals for

viz., that the parchment and wax seals were in

the space of an hour, do hereby express our conviction that the

every case preserved un-

of chemical non-conductors, together with water, which, in case of fire, by its gradual conversion into vapour, has a powerful influence in reducing heat."

159

TESTIMONIALS.

Fire-resisting Boxes manufac-

injured,

tured by them are a perfect security in all cases of ordinary

saving medium

although

the

was

a

vapour of the temperafire. The parchment upon which this certificate is written formed

ture of boiling water-

part of an indenture which was

212°.

in the box during the whole time of its being exposed to the fire."

ment will always produce

As the same ele-

the same effects, I shall here copy from Milners'

Here follow fourteen signatures.] pamphlet another testimonial, and afterwards repeat the account of the test of one of my safes at Manchester, which, as before

stated, was made fire-proof on the

same

principle and by the same means as those which were tested by Messrs . Milner in various parts of the kingdom .

" Gentlemen, -A quantity of [ PARCHMENT] DEEDS we had deposited in a common tin box at the Albion Bank, about a month since , were entirely spoiled, by water having gained access to the strong room ; whilst, at the same time, and in the same situation, there were two or three of your fireresisting boxes also in the water-the PAPERS in which were quite safe and dry. " I am, gentlemen ,

" Yours respectfully , " JAMES WENSLEY , "(Agent to Henshall and Co., "Carriers, Liverpool. ) " "Messrs. Milner and Son."

160

- TESTIMONIALS.

In the latter case it must be distinctly noticed that the parchments were

" entirely spoiled " by

" water" at the temperature of the atmosphere .

TESTING OF PRICE'S FIRE-PROOF SAFES . " An experiment was made on Thursday last, with the view of testing the fire-resisting qualities of a book safe, manufactured by Mr. George Price, of Wolverhampton.

The trial took place

in a yard near the Wesleyan Chapel, Lever Street.

The safe

was a ' No. 8, ' being 28 inches high, 22 inches wide, and 22 inches deep. The chambers are filled with a steam-generating composition, the moisture from which, on the safe being heated, is forced within, in the form of vapour, a principle which has been found to answer by other makers. The door was fitted with one of "Tucker and Reeves' patent safeguard locks," the two inner drawers being secured by ' Chubb's patent detector lock.'

Printed

circulars were placed in the drawers, and six or seven volumes of books -chiefly ' Slater's Directories '—were arranged between the partitions above.

There were also loose papers, blotting paper, a

wood shaving, and, in addition to these, an account book, containing the signatures of parties present, who were witnesses to the various articles being inserted.

Between the leaves of the

account-book was inserted a £5 . note. A gold watch was also wrapped up in paper, and placed inside. The door was then locked, and the key given to Mr. Councillor Warburton.

The

safe was raised in the centre of the yard, upon two rows of bricks, (five courses, ) so as to allow the fire to act underneath it. Shavings , wood, and coal, were then thrown around it, the wood being arranged conically, so as to enclose the top of it, on which coal was also placed.

At a quarter to one o'clock the combustibles

were lighted, and in a few minutes the safe was wholly enveloped in flame, which rose about two yards over the top, the heat compelling the spectators to retreat from its scorching influence. Mr. Alderman Heywood, Councillors Thackray, Thompson, Armitage, Worthington, and Howard, with agents of fire insur-

161

TESTIMONIALS.

ance offices, and other gentlemen taking an interest in the matter, were present. The fire was kept up burning until a quarter-past three o'clock- two and a half hours from the commencement, and was then withdrawn. Being extremely hot, it required to be soused with water until four o'clock before it was sufficiently cooled to be opened .

It appeared to unlock with little difficulty,

although the door was slightly warped by the contracting influence of the water. The brass handle seemed to have been partially melted, and broke on being pulled.

When the door was

opened, the contents presented the following appearance : -The vapour, supposed to be at a temperature of 212 ° Fahr. , had dissolved the glue on the backs of the volumes , and thus loosened the leather.

The wood shaving was a little darker, the edges of

a few of the circulars were slightly discoloured, but most of them were untinged, and the books, with the exception of being damped, presented no appearance of being near a fire ; the papers in the drawers, opened half-an-hour later, were also safe.

The watch

was going, and indicated four o'clock, but on being taken out, the sudden transition from heat to cold seemed to paralyse its energies, for it held its hands over its face, as if for protection, and refused to move. The bank note, with the book enclosing it, were unsullied. The five members of the city council, named above, with a number of other gentlemen, placed their signatures to a document testifying their opinion of the fairness of the test, and stating the contents of the safe to have come out unscathed from the fiery ordeal. We may remark that, so far as an artificial fire can be made to resemble that of a building, the test was a fair one. The conical mode in which the wood was made to surround the safe, threw the heat directly upon it, and from the length of time this was continued, the outer case must have been red-hot ; indeed, the warping ofthe sides and door, and discolouration of the iron, were sufficient indication of this. We understand that Mr. Price rests his claim to a share of public support on two points. The first is that he uses no solder, his objection to it being that it melts at a comparatively low temperaM

162

TESTIMONIALS.

ture, and then tends to allow the escape of what should be confined vapour ; the second consideration is one of price, which will, no doubt, have its full weight with the public. ” —Manchester Examiner and Times. It will be noticed, that the size of the safe is here given, - the time it was subjected to intense heat, — the way in which it was cooled before it could be opened ,—and the appearance of the whole of the articles after such a severe trial.

In addition to the

facts already named, it may be well to state, that even after the cooling of the safe, the contents could not be handled ; the watch which had been wrapped in a single sheet of paper was handed from one to another like a " hot potatoe, " thus proving that the heat of the interior was that of boiling water - 212°, and although the steam had " loosened the leather " of the books, it was apparent that whilst those in leather had their backs denuded of the cover, those bound in cloth were quite perfect. Another point to be noticed is, that although the watch indicated the correct time on its withdrawal from the safe, yet to say it was uninjured would be to tell an untruth and deceive others ; for, in consequence of the steam having entered the interior of the watch, the whole of the steel parts were oxydized the next day, and had to be replaced by new ones.* This injury was the effect of the * This experiment, as regards the watch, cost £3. The whole of the steel parts had to be replaced, &c. , which was done in November, 1854, by Mr. Penlington, of Liverpool. It was given to him in less than twentyfour hours after it was taken out of the safe.

TESTIMONIALS.

163

vapour- not the degree of heat -which is another reason why all such delicate articles should be first inclosed in a steam-tight box. It must also be particularly noticed that the watches in all the other tests came out perfectly uninjured .

By comparing this notice with those testimonials which precede and follow it, one of two alternatives is arrived at, viz. , that either this or the others state the truth .

66 Hull, July 9th, 1841. "We, the undersigned, having witnessed the testing of one of Milners' Fire-resisting Boxes, the same being submitted to a great heat from a fire in the Railway Bonding Yard, consisting of wood, coals, and coke, for one hour and fifteen minutes, do hereby express our conviction that they are a security in all cases of ordinary fire. The box was filled with books and parchments, part of which was the piece on which this certificate is written ." [Here follow ten signatures. ]

" Nottingham, Sept. 8th, 1841. "We, the undersigned, having this day witnessed the testing of one of Milners' Patent Fire-resisting Boxes, the same being submitted to a great heat from a large fire of wood and coals, allowed by kind permission of Messrs. Bell and Corven, at their Iron Foundry, Beck Works, for one hour and twenty minutes, do hereby express our conviction that they are a perfect security in all cases of ordinary fire.

The parchment on which this certificate.

is written, with seal attached, was presented by John Buttery, Esq., Solicitor, and was in the box, with other papers and books, during the whole time of the above test." [Here follow six signatures. ] M 2

.164

TESTIMONIALS.

" Leicester, October, 15th, 1841. "We, the undersigned, having this day witnessed the testing of two of Milners' new patented safety boxes, in the Cricket. Ground of this place, do hereby express our conviction that they are a great security in all cases of ordinary fires . The boxes were filled with papers, books, parchments, deeds, & c., and subjected to an intense heat, from a strong fire of wood and five hundredweight of coal for one hour and fifteen minutes . The parchment on which this is written, containing the seal, was in the box the whole time of the test."

[ Here follow nine signatures. ]

"Edinburgh, April 20th, 1842. "We, the undersigned, having this day witnessed the testing of one of Milner and Son's Patent Fire-resisting Boxes, and its having been exposed to the action of an open fire of wood and coals for upwards of an hour, do hereby express our conviction that the Fire-resisting Boxes manufactured by them are a perfect security in all cases of ordinary fire.

A considerable part of the

Patent Box, previous to being taken out, was red-hot.

A Box

manufactured in Edinburgh, in imitation of Messrs. Milners', was tested at the same time, but not having arrived on the ground till the Patent Box had been nearly half-an-hour in the fire, it consequently did not undergo so severe a test.

Both boxes were

filled with account books, parchments, and miscellaneous papers ; and, on being taken out and opened in our presence, the papers in Milners' Patent Box were found to be in a complete state of preservation, while those in the spurious imitation box were nearly burnt to ashes. The parchment upon which this testimonial is written formed part of the contents of the box made by Messrs. Milner and Son." [ Here follow eight signatures. ]

66' Glasgow, May 5th, 1842. " We, the undersigned, having this day witnessed the testing of one of Messrs. Milner and Son's newly patented Fire-resisting

165

TESTIMONIALS.

Portable Safes, in the yard of Messrs . John M. Rowan and Co. , Atlas Foundry, do hereby express our satisfaction and approbation of these Safes , as calculated to preserve books, papers, and other property, in all cases of ordinary fire .

The box was

filled with books, papers, parchment, &c., and though it was exposed to the action of a coal and wood fire for an hour (thereby becoming red-hot), the contents were taken out in a perfect state of preservation.

The parchment on which this testimonial is written

formed part of the contents of the safe." [ Here follow six signatures. ] Grantham, July 12th , 1843. " Mr. D. Wendon, representative of Messrs. Thomas Milner and Son, new Patent Fire-resisting Box and Safe Manufacturers, of Liverpool, having announced by circular his intention of submitting some of these boxes to a public trial, we the undersigned beg to testify our approval of the principle, and satisfaction of their security in all cases of ordinary fire. " At ten o'clock a.m. a fire was made in Mr. Green's yard, adjoining the Duke of Rutland's premises, consisting of seven cwt. of coals, sugar hogsheads, a quantity of wood and shavings, and a barrel without its ends placed over the same, forming a chimney, and causing a very strong draft.

At this period a round safe,

in which was placed papers, parchments, and a small packet of gunpowder, also a deed box, nearly filled with books, papers, three parchment deeds, a watch, and pamphlets (upon which several gentlemen previously wrote their names ) was placed in the fire, after being examined by the gentlemen present, and locked down by R. H. Johnstone, Esq., Mayor. At half-past twelve o'clock. they were drawn from their bed of heat and opened, when the contents of the circular safe

In this test the " powder" is said to have been

were as perfect as when put " quite cool " in a temtherein, the powder being quite cool and dry. The papers, &c. in the box were also preserved,

perature of 212° , and 66 dry," though it had

166

TESTIMONIALS.

and the watch marking off the

been preserved by ab-

time as though it had not been The circular on deposited. which the certificate is written

sorbing and condensing

vapour evolved " by the chemical

formed part of the contents in the box during the whole time of the above test."

non - conduc-

tors," in the proportion of " nearly two thousand

[ Here follow 21 signatures. ]

pints of steam " to " every pint of fluid discharged from the materials of the safe."

" MILNERS ' FIRE -RESISTING BOXES . "A very interesting demonstration of the capabilities of these Boxes to resist heat took place in the City of Peterborough, at one o'clock on Tuesday last, in a spacious yard belonging to Mr. William Crisp, of Cumber-gate.

Perhaps nothing at the present

time has so great a claim to public attention as this invention, warranting, as it does, in the common occurrence of casual fires, to preserve their contents uninjured. Certain, also, it is, that many opinions arising from the supposed impossibility of the thing will start in opposition .

In order, therefore, to remove such,

and establish a confidence in the excellence of this patent, Mr. Thomas Milner, one of the patentees, and Mr. D. Wendon, representative of the firm, on their journey to Huntingdon, &c., waited for the purpose of publicly testing one, from the stock of Mr. J. Sawyer, their agent at Peterborough. To witness the testing, a very large body of gentry and respectable tradesmen assembled. A Box was filled with papers and books ; a parchment deed, dated 1657, with two very thick seals attached,* belonging to John Broughton, Esq., Solicitor ; and a £5 Bank of England note, placed in by the patentee, and a very * The fact of all letters posted for tropical climates being sealed with wafers instead of wax, in consequence of the latter melting by the heat of the atmosphere, simply shows how inconsistent with the truth such statements are.

167

TESTIMONIALS.

curious gold watch by Mr. Wendon, all of which were closely . examined by the gentlemen abovenamed, and locked down by F. J. Jenkins, Esq., Solicitor, who kept possession of the keys. during the whole period. At half-past one it was placed in a fire made for the occasion, consisting of a large quantity of coals, wood, shavings, barrels, crates, &c., superintended by Mr. Battersby, the foreman of the Gas Works. At twenty minutes to three it was removed and opened, when every thing deposited was as perfect as when put in. The watch was set by Mr. Jenkins prior to being locked up, and when taken out was still going, not having varied scarcely a minute. Every person present was now satisfied that sufficient had been shewn fully to establish the principle ; but on a request being made for a second trial, to ascertain how much more heat it would stand, the box and contents were given up to the parties, who placed it on the top of the fire, which was then at as strong a heat as could be made, every person exerting himself to put the fire on the box. It was allowed thus to continue, until a general opinion that all was destroyed began to circulate, when it was again removed, and to the surprise, astonishment, and gratification of all, everything remained still uninjured- not even a discolouration, or the slightest scorch, being perceptible. testimonial :-

The gentlemen then signed the following

" We testify our conviction that Milners' new Patent Fireresisting Boxes are a perfect security in all cases of ordinary fires, and that the principle upon which they are manufactured is the best and most scientific ever brought before the public." [ Here follow twenty signatures . ]

66 Glasgow, May 7th, 1849.

This testimonial is un-

" Gentlemen, - We beg to inform you of the occurrence of

questionably of a very different character to the

one of the largest fires that has taken place here for many years.

whole of those of Messrs .

We send you,

however, the

Glasgow Herald of this date,

Milner and

Son which

have preceded it.

But

168

TESTIMONIALS.

which will give particulars, from

instead of admitting the

which you will perceive that there have been a great many

liability to

buildings burned down, a sugar refinery, a church, and several

binding of books under

including the

such circumstances , the

extensive premises of Messrs.

writer, perhaps in igno-

Charles Boyd and Son, soap and They candle manufacturers.

rance of the

manufactories,

damage or

destruction of the leather

to

fact,

account for " only the

had one of your No. 3 Safes, binding " of “ the large

with drawers , got from us about five years ago ; and the writer, upon calling upon them this morning , was perfectly astonished at the sight it presented. First of all, the brass knob , as well as the brasswork round the

ledger" being " slightly discoloured at the back," jumps to the conclusion that it " must have been

touching the door. " the [other]

" All

books

and

knob, was completely melted off, papers with which it [the

and the sides of the safe had blistered out nearly a couple of

safe] was filled , and also

inches .

The heat to which this

notes to a considerable

safe has been exposed must

amount , were perfectly

have been tremendous ; after enduring the fire above, it fell

saved,"

the

whole

of

which, I presume, were from the counting-house to the in mid-air , like " Mahocellar beneath, and there was met's coffin ."

" As this

exposed for hours to the most was

most severely

intense heat from the flaming

safe

oil and tallow. All the books and papers with which it was

pen that none

tested," how did it hapof the

filled, and also notes to a considerable amount, were perfectly saved.

"books and papers" were stained by " the essential

The large ledger, which oil from the " non-con-

must have been touching the door, was slightly discoloured

ductor, " which,

at the

169

TESTIMONIALS.

at the back-only the binding and no other book was in the slightest degree damaged. On account of the absence of the

test at Ipswich,

in

as

severe a fire, " discolour99 ed one or two papers, which Mr. Wendon was

principal this morning, the certificate of this splendid test of

so glad to see, as it gave

the complete and perfect resist

him an opportunity of explaining the cause. I

ance which your invaluable safes present against the ravages of fire will be obtained this even-

suppose that as this safe was " in long-continued

ing." "Thomas Milner and Son,

heat, the non-conductor "

with the deepest feeling of gratification, lay before their friends,

discharged

the public, the above extract

bined " with the alkali ,"

its

pyrolig-

nous acid, which

com-

from their Agent's letter, reand formed " a carbona-

porting the strongest testimony they have received to the use-

ceous crust,

fulness of their safes, and have equal pleasure in adding the promised certificate of the

thus showed that it had

quate

or pyroli-

of potass,"

and

a greater affinity for the owners."

" alkali " Clyde-street, Anderston, Glasgow, " May 7th, 1849. 66 Gentlemen, -At the cala-

than for the

" books and papers. "

It

must be particularly noticed that this " "ledger "

mitous fire yesterday morning,

was

bound

in

either

by which our premises and stock of oil, tallow, &c. were totally destroyed, our books were pre-

leather or parchment , as all " large ledgers " are

served in the Milners' Fireproof Safe purchased from you.

invariably bound in one or the other. Ifthe cause

We have great pleasure in thus

assigned for the discolobearing testimony to the great efficiency of these safes." " This safe was most severely

ration of the binding is the correct one, it simply

170

TESTIMONIALS.

tested; the brass knob and brass

proves that

work about the lock were melted off. " CHARLES BOYD & SON."

plate of the door must

the

back-

have been red-hot, and consequently would have

discoloured the other papers and books in a similar manner.

If the plate was red-hot, then it cannot

be reconciled with the apt illustration of a kettle boiling on the fire . Whilst commenting upon these testimonials, the amount of evidence against my hypothesis, viz . , that it is a physical impossibility to preserve parchment , leather, and sealing wax uninjured in a temperature of 212°, the only means by which paper and books , bank hotes, plate and specie, can be preserved from destruction in an iron safe , when the latter is subjected to the influence of fire, appeared so overwhelming, that I began to doubt whether my senses had deceived me, and immediately had a saucepan of boiling water brought to me, in which I placed two pieces of parchment, on one of which was a wax seal,* the result being that the parchment immediately diminished in size one-half, and the wax seal run and spread upon the decreased surface, and in twenty minutes after the water had commenced boiling upon the fire, the parchment had lost two-thirds of its original dimensions, and the scaling wax remained in a liquid state, having lost Solicitors appear always to have been aware how heat affects parchment, as they invariably drop the wax upon silk ferret, which is attached to the parchment deed for that purpose, well knowing that the heat of the melted wax would irreparably disfigure the deed by shrivelling it.

TESTIMONIALS.

171

all appearance of the impression it bore when first placed in the water.

This simple, effective, and

interesting experiment can be tried by any one with a vessel of boiling water, a piece of parchment , and a wax seal, and by folding a piece of paper and putting it in also, it will satisfactorily prove that

the vaporizing

principle has no injurious

effect upon that material, although so destructive to the others .

For the purpose of procuring all the

additional information on this very important subject, I wrote to Mr. Thomas Myers , of Gretton , near Uppingham, who carries on an extensive business in the preparation of parchment skins, for his opinion as to the possibility of preserving parchment by vapour at the temperature of boiling water, and he states in reply, that " Parchment will not stand either FIRE or WATER. From the whole tenor of most of the before-mentioned testimonials, it will be gathered , that leather, parchment, and sealing wax were preserved uninjured in a temperature of 212°

Fahr., in the

various safes that were severally tested in different United Kingdom . It will also be

parts of the

noticed that in my tests and experiments the contrary result has happened, although these safes were made fire-proof on precisely the same principleMilners' patent, 1840.

It will be noticed further ,

This confirmation of my hypothesis from such a practical man is entitled tothe deepest consideration. I have named the subject to numerous scientific men, chemists, bookbinders, stationers, curriers, and leather dealers, the whole of whom coincide with my theory.

172

TESTIMONIALS.

that in one testimonial the parchments were 66 entirely spoiled " by simply water at the temperature of the atmosphere ; that Mr. Myers, from his practical knowledge of the substance of parchment, and how it is affected by different temperatures, states, that it " will not stand either fire or water ;" and, therefore, if the latter evidence is true, and I challenge its refutation , then the whole of the testimonials referred to mis-state the real facts, and consequently lead the public to believe that such depositories will preserve these substances from injury when subjected to intense heat, at the same time that the contrary will invariably be the result, it being in accordance with a physical law of nature.

Admitting this to be so , then it follows

that the appearance of these substances, when the safe is opened, is an infallible test of the severity and duration of the trial, for if they come out uninjured, it is a clear proof that little or no vapour has been generated , -the fire having little power or intensity,

and therefore that such tests are no

tests at all, and that the notices and testimonials having reference thereto are deceptive, and therefore unworthy of credit.

ON

LOCKS

AND

KEYS .

On

Locks and Keps.K

ON

LOCKS

AND

CHAPTER

KEYS .

XIII.

EARLY HISTORY .

As, doubtless, thieving has been practised in every age, it is only right to assume, that fastenings to the doors of apartments of some kind, by whatever name known, were

employed from the

earliest

period of the world's history ; but so little is known about them, that all is mere conjecture as to their construction . Very little information can be gathered from the works hitherto published , either in this or in any other country, relating to the early examples of the manufacture of locks and keys, or to their particular construction, and there is the same dearth of information as to the lock-trade of England in general, and that of Wolverhampton in particular. Mr. Tomlinson, in his " Rudimentary Treatise on the Construction of Locks," says, in the chapter N

178

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

"On Locks and Lock Literature,"-" The manufacture

of locks,

and

a

consideration

of

the

mechanical principles involved in their construction and security, have never yet been treated with any degree of fulness in an English work. " This is so, as, although several locks invented in this country have been very minutely described, and illustrated by engravings, in the various foreign* treatises on this subject, yet it is as Mr. Tomlinson says, " both in England and in America, men are more disposed to do the work than to describe it ' when done. In the Encyclopædia Britannica ,' in 6 6 Engineers' and Rees' Cyclopædia,' in Hebert's ( Encyclopædia Mechanics' Cyclopædia, ' in the 6 Penny Cyclopædia,' and Metropolitana,' in the in other similar works, locks are described as well as can be expected within the limits assigned to the articles.

Mr. Bramah's essay on locks , and on

his own lock in particular, is one of the few English pamphlets devoted expressly to this subject. An excerpt from the proceedings of the Institute of Civil Engineers, in 1850, gives an interesting paper on locks by Mr. Chubb ; and shorter reports of papers and lectures have been published in various ways .

Perhaps the best account of locks

In the French Treatise, published more than eighty years ago by the Académie des Sciences, the writers of that work most minutely and faithfully performed their allotted tasks, and which are fully illustrated by engravings. In 1767, the Art du Serrurier, comprising 290 folio pages , and illustrated by 42 folio plates, was published ; the author or editor being M. Duhamel du Monceau. The article on locks in Prechtl's Technological Encyclopædia written by Karmarsch , and published in 1842, occupies about 140 pages.

EARLY HISTORY.

179

which we have, considering the limited space within which a great deal of information is given in a very clear style , is that contained in Mr. Tomlinson's 'Cyclopædia of Useful Arts.""* The latter work, unfortunately, is only so far better than the others in respect to the description of locks, inasmuch as it gives a longer account of Chubb's than is contained in any of the former, and an account of the American locks introduced subsequently ; otherwise, it is almost the same as the article on " lock " in the " Penny Cyclopædia," which gives the most lucid description of the locks in general use up to the period when it was written, "within the limits assigned, " of any work we have met with. No one can question the antiquity of locks and keys, as there is abundant testimony to the circumstance of fastenings of this kind having been used for many centuries previous to the Christian era.

In Solomon's Song, chap. v. , verse 5 , this passage occurs : " I rose up to open to my beloved , and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet-smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock."

In Nehemiah, chap . iii. , verse 3 , is the fol-

lowing : " But the fish-gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and

* Rudimentary Treatise on the construction of Locks. Edited by Charles Tomlinson.

N2

180

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. "

And these words are repeated in

the 6th, 13th, 14th, and 15th verses .

It will be observed that in the previous quotations no key is mentioned ; but in the following the key is mentioned in connection with the lock. In Judges, chap . iii. , verses 23-25 , " Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.

When he

was gone out his servants came ; and when they saw that, behold the doors of the parlour were locked , they said surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.

And they tarried till they were

ashamed ; and behold he opened not the doors of the parlour ; therefore they took a key and opened them . " It may be well to notice in connection with these passages, that the word

(misgar, ) translated

" smith," is rendered by Buxtorf " locksmith " in the following passage-Jeremiah, chap . xxiv. , verse 1 : " The Lord showed me, and behold two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord ; after that, Nebuchadrezzar, King of Babylon , had carried away captive Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, King of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters, and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. " The most ancient lock ever discovered , is that described by Mr. Bonomi , as having secured the gate of an apartment in Khorsabad .

He says-

one of the palaces of

181 .

EARLY HISTORY.

"At the end of the chamber, just behind the first bulls, was formerly a strong gate, of one leaf, which was fastened by a large wooden lock, like those still used in the East, of which the key is as much as a man can conveniently carry, and by a bar which moved into a square hole in the wall.

It

is to a key of this description that the 6 prophet probably alludes, And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder ; ' and it is remarkable that the word for key in this passage of Scripture,

(muftah), is the same in use

all over the

East at the present time.

The key of an ordinary street door is commonly thirteen or fourteen inches

Fig. 67. Egyptian Key.

long ; and

the key of the gate of a public building, or of a street, or quarter of a town,

is

two

length.

feet

and more

We have annexed a

drawing of a key (fig and the mode it

(fig. 68),

Isaiah .*

in

67)

of carrying

alluded

to in

The iron pegs at

one end of the piece of wood correspond to so many holes. in the wooden

bar

or

bolt

of the lock, which when the door or gate is shut, cannot Fig. 68.-A Merchant of Cairo carrying the keys of his magazine. * Isaiah, chap, xxii, v. 22.

be opened till the key has

182

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

been inserted, and the impediment to the drawing back of the bolt removed by raising up so many iron pins that fall down into holes in the bar or bolt corresponding to the peg in the key. "* The above discovery, and also the figure of one being sculptured among the basso-relievos of the Great Temple of Karnac, prove it to have been in use in Egypt for above four thousand years, during which period it does not appear to have undergone any sensible change .

It was first described by Eton

in his “ Survey of the Turkish Empire, " published in 1798 ; but it was not generally known in Western Europe, until the French invasion of Egypt, at the beginning of the present century, when a further account of it was given by M. Denon , in his great work on that country . From a letter which appeared in the " Journal of Design and Manufactures," for July, 1850 , p . 160 , signed " W. C. Trevelyan," it appears that this pinlock has been found elsewhere than in the East ; he says, " It is remarkable that the locks which have been in use in the Faroe Islands, probably for centuries, are identical in their construction with the Egyptian.

They are, lock and key, in all their

parts made of wood ; of which material, if I mistake not, they have also been found in Egyptian Catacombs, and so identical with the Faröese in structure and appearance, that it would not be easy to distinguish one from the other. " * Nineveh and its Palaces. By Joseph Bonomi , F.R.S.L.

EARLY HISTORY.

183

It is said also , that a lock similar in character has been in use in Cornwall from time immemorial , which might have been introduced there by the Phoenicians. Mr. Chubb says, in his paper on the construction of locks and keys, read before the Institution of Civil Engineers , April 9th, 1850 : " It is evident, however, that in the East, another lock and key, of a different description, were in ordinary use for fastening large doors and gates. There is nothing recorded as to the construction of the lock ; but it can be inferred from the description given of the key, which is stated to have been in the form of a large sickle.

Aratus, in order to give

his readers an idea of the form of the constellation Cassiopeia, compares it to a key ; and Huetius states that the constellation answers to such a description , -the stars to the north composing the curved part, and those to the south the handle. " There is some curious information on this subIn the Hebrew Lexicon. * 6 early ages,' he observes, they made use of certain

ject in Parkhurst's

crooked keys, having an ivory or wooden handle. These keys were placed in the holes of doors , and by turning them one way or the other, the bolt was moved forward or backward, in order to open or shut the door.

This is evident from the testimony

of Homer, where he says

(Odyssey,

xxi. ) that

Penelope wanting to open a wardrobe, took a

* See Parkhurst's Lexicon,

fifth edition , page 600. London, 1807.

184

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

brass key, very crooked ,

hafted with ivory,

on

which Eustathius* remarks that this kind of key was very ancient, and differed from the keys having several wards which have been invented since , but that those ancient keys were still in use in his time. The poet Ariston ,

in the Anthologia, book vii,

gives a key the epithet βαθυκαμπη i. e. , one that is much bent. These crooked keys were in the shape of a sickle, Speπаvoeideis according to Eustathius, but such keys not being easily carried in the hand, on account of their inconvenient form, they were carried on the shoulder, as we see our reapers carry on their shoulders, at this day, their sickles, joined and tied together.

Callimachus, in his Hymn to

Ceres, says that the Goddess, having assumed the form

of

Nicippe,

her priestess

carried

Kaтwμadiaν that is, superhumeralem,

a key,

fit to be borne

on the shoulder .' 6 " It is most probable that the

crooked keys'

here spoken of were used to fasten and unfasten a simple horizontal wooden bar, moving into and out of a staple on the door-post, the key being inserted in a hole in the door, at some distance below the bar, and then turned to the right or left by its handle."

Very little information can be gathered from any published works relative to the locks used by the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Most of the door

* Eustathius, a Greek Commentator on the Works of Homer, flourished at Constantinople about A.D. 1170.

185

EARLY HISTORY.

fastenings of the former people cannot lay claim to the title of a lock. * Mr. Donaldson, in his work on ancient doorways, says

" The fastenings to the doors consisted

of bolts, bars, and locks ( Pessuli , Obices, Serae . ) Commentators are uncertain as to the time when keys were first used .

Eustathius in his notes on

the xth book of the Odyssey attributes the invention to the Lacedemonians : Pliny 1 , vii, c. 56 , on the other hand, gives the credit of the discovery to a certain Theodorus of Samos.

At all events , the

use does not appear to be so remote as the Homeric Ages, for in the

eighth

book of the

Odyssey,

Ulysses is represented securing the rich and costly robes, vases, gold , and other valuable presents of Alcinoüs and his queen by a cord or rope, fastened in a knot

closed with Circæan art.'

This knot of

Ulysses became a proverb to express any insolvable difficulty, σχοῦ Οδυσσέως δεσμὸς ; and a proof of the esteem in which the ancients held this

art,

so

necessary in the absence of locks, may be adduced from the Gordian Knot, famous in antiquity.

And

in fact Homer describes the treasures and other valuable

objects as

being kept

in

the

citadel,

secured merely by a cord intricately knotted .

This,

* At this early period, " handicraft arts were not yet become trades in Greece ; even Princes exercised them for themselves. Ulysses, in the height of opulence, made his own bedstead , adorning it with gold, silver, and ivory." " While it was thought not unbecoming a prince to be a carpenter to supply his own wants or luxuries, to be a merchant for gain was held as a mean employment."-Mitford's History of Greece.

186

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

of course, was soon found to be a very insufficient protection, and therefore a wooden bar was adopted inside the doors of houses, to which it was attached by an iron latch, fastened or removed by a key adapted to it ; this key was easily applied from within, but in order to get at it from without, a large hole

was made in the

door, allowing the

introduction of the hand, so as to reach the latch , and apply the key. "The

lock

called

the

Lacedemonian,

much

celebrated by ancient writers, was invented subsequently ;

it was especially fitted for the inner

chamber of houses, the bar fastenings continuing to be employed for

closing the outer

doors

dwellings and the entrance gates to cities.

of

The

Lacedemonian Lock did not require a hole to be made in the door, for it consisted of a bolt placed on that side of the entrance door which opened, and on the inside of a chamber door.

When a person,

who was outside, wished to enter it, it was necessary for him to insert the key in a little hole, and so raise the bolt ; and in time this species of fastening was improved by the insertion of the bolt in an iron frame

or rim, permanently attached to the

door by a chain , and fastening the door by the insertion of the hasp, through the eye of which was forced the bolt inside the lock by applying the key. Hence Varro lib vi de LL.- Nec satis reserare ab sera dictum , id est aperire.

Hinc etiam

quibus remotis fores pandunter.'

Seræ,

As also Nonius

187

EARLY HISTORY.

in Patibulum - Sera suâ sponte delapsa cecidit, reclusæque

subitò

fores

admiserunt

intrantem.'

Thus it appears that the locks of the ancients were not of the same constructions as ours, not being inserted

or morticed

into the

doors,

nor

even

attached except by a chain , and being in fact mere padlocks . 66 Lipsius, in his comments on the second book of Tacitus, is the first to

allude to the ancient

usages respecting keys, some of which he states to have had a ring the size of the little finger, for the purpose

of being

worn,

and

answer the purpose of a seal .

engraved so as to Garlæus, in

his

Dactyliotheca, gives in his forty-second subject an example of a key with a ring attached to put on the finger ; the ring has an onyx engraved with the helm of a vessel between two ears of corn, in allusion probably to the occupation of the wearer, who may have been engaged in the importation of corn from the provinces : the wards of this key given by the learned

Antwerpian

are precisely

similar to those of the present day ; and numbers 205 to 209 inclusive are other keys with rings. There are several specimens of keys

among the

bronzes of the British Museum .

" The bolts (pessuli ) were generally two to each 6 Ostium ambobus occlude pessulis ;

door, as Plautus

Aulularia ; ' for which reason the ancient writers generally use this word in the plural number.

The

reader will have observed that frequent reference

188

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

has been made to passages taken from the Odyssey which abounds in allusions to the domestic habits of the Greeks, it being a picture of the domestic manners of the ancients , as the Iliad is of their 99 public life and usages.

We shall here insert " a passage, forming part of the last paragraph to the second book of the Odyssey.

Telemachus, after an angry debate with

the suitors of Penelope, has retired to his chamber , attended by his old faithful servant,

' the sage

Eurycleia .' "Whilst to his couch himself the prince addressed, The duteous nurse received the purple vest : The purple vest with decent care disposed , The silver ring she pulled, the door reclosed ; The bolt, obedient to the silken cord, To the strong staple's inmost depth restored, Secured the valves."

"When the gate was opened among the Romans, the folds (VALVE

quòd intus

revolvantur) bent

inwards, unless it was granted to any one by a special law to open his door outwards ; as to P. Valerius Poplicola, and his brother, who had twice conquered the Sabines ( ut domûs eorum fores extra aperirentur), Plin . xxxvi . 15 , after the manner of the Athenians, whose doors opened to the street (in publicum) ;

and when any one went out, he

always made a noise, by striking the door on the inside, to give warning to those without to keep at a distance . Hence CREPUIT FORIS, concrepuit a Gly-

189

EARLY HISTORY.

cerio ostium, the door of Glycerium hath creaked , i. e. is about to be opened ; Hec. iv.

1. 6.

Ter. And. iv. 1. 59.

Plaut. Amph. i . 2. 34.

Greeks called yopew

This the

Ovpav ; and knocking from

without KOTTE , pulsare vel pultare. "The door, when shut , was secured by bars (obices, claustra, repagula , vectes) , iron bolts, (pessuli) chains, Juv. iii. 304, locks (sera), and keys (claves) . obdere pessulum foribus, to

Hence

bolt the door,

Ter.

Heaut. ii. 3, 37 , occludere ostium pessulis, with two bolts , one below, and another above ; Plaut. Aul., i, 2, 25 , uncinum immittere, to fix the bolt with a hook ; obserare fores, vel ostium, to lock the door, Ter. Eun iv. 6, 25, seram ponere, Juvenal, vi. 34 , apposita janua fulta será, locked, Ovid, Art. A. ii . 244, reserare, to open, to unlock, Ovid. Met. x , 384, It appears excutere poste seram, Am. i . 6. 24, &c. that the locks of the ancients were not fixed to the pannels (impages) of the doors with nails like ours, but were taken off when the door was opened, as our padlocks :

hence et jaceat tacitâ lapsa catena

será, Propert. iv. 12 , 26. "* That mechanical contrivances for securing doors,

which were essentially locks with keys, were in use by the Romans,

at

a later

period,

question, " for the keys found

is

beyond

at Herculaneum

and Pompeii, and those attached to rings prove that a kind of warded lock must have been well known .

There

are

the

remains

Adam's Roman Antiquities.

of a tomb

at

190

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Pompeii, the door of which is made of a single piece of marble, including the pivots, which were encased in bronze, and turned in sockets of the same metal ; it is three feet high, two feet nine inches wide, and four and a quarter inches thick ; it is cut in front to resemble panels, and thus approaches nearer

in

appearance to a modern

wooden door ; and it was fastened by some kind of lock, traces of which still remain. "

No. 1.

&

No. 2.

No 3.

O

10001

9

Fig. 69.-Bronze and Iron Keys from Pompeii and Herculaneum . (Drawn full size from the specimens in the British Museum. )

" In the year 1689 , during some excavations in the plain at the foot of Vesuvius, where it was subsequently proved that Pompeii had flourished, a workman observed the regularity with which successive layers of earth and volcanic matter had been deposited .

He compared them to pavements

191

EARLY HISTORY.

one upon the other ; with remains of burnt vegetation,

charcoal, and

volcanic deposit.

common earth beneath each

Under one of these dense masses

of scoria, dust, and pumice stone, he found large

O ???

No. 1 .

No. 2.

No. 3.

Fig. 70.- Bronze and Iron Keys from Pompeii and Herculaneum. (Drawn full size from the specimens in the British Museum.)

quantities of carbonized timber, locks, and iron-work, evidently the remains of the inhabitants , which, together with some old keys, and inscriptions giving the name of the locality, satisfied the learned of the day that they belonged to the ancient city of Pompeii. "* * Venuti, p. 37, Mém. de l'Académie Fran.; Mém. de Littérature, tom . xv. Des Embrasemens du Mont Vésuve, and also Bianchini, Istoria Universale, Roma, 1699, p. 246, Cochin, p. 31.

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

192

" In the garden was found a skeleton with a key by its bony hand , and near it a bag of coins.

This

is believed to have been the master of the house, who had probably thought to escape by the garden ,

lik

OUR

No. 2.

No. 1.

No. 3.

Fig. 71.- Bronze and Iron Keys from Pompeii and Herculaneum. (Drawn full size from the specimens in the British Museum.)

and been destroyed either by the vapours or some

fragment of stone.

Besides some silver vases lay

another skeleton , probably of a slave. "*

* Bulwer's Last Days of Pompeii.

EARLY HISTORY.

193

The examples of Roman keys found in various parts

of England

and

contained in the British

Museum fully bear out the previous statement, and

Fig. 72.- Copper Key found at Meopham, Kent.

Fig. 73.-Early English Key. (Full size.)

these, with the very beautiful specimens of the early English keys in the Museum at Marlborough House, being of such high interest, are well worth, and will amply repay, examination .

We may remark here that this important subject has not had the same attention and research of

194

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

learned antiquaries which other branches of science and art have received ; and it is in part to this circumstance that so little can be said upon this interesting portion of our work.

We may note

that between the keys found at Herculaneum and Pompeii (figs. 69 , 70 , and 71 ) and the Roman keys found

in various

parts

of England

(fig.

72 )

there is a distinctive difference, although the whole of them belong to the same description of lock— the warded lock ; and in the absence of any locks having been found , by which their particular construction might be ascertained, the shape of the cuts and holes in the " bits " of these ancient keys , prove beyond question, that in locking and unlocking, the key did not perform a complete revolution , and that consequently, they were identical with the spring locks of modern days. It is remarkable, also , that the early English locks were constructed in a similar manner, as will be apparent on a close examination of the locks and keys at Marlborough House.

Several of the latter

which were purchased at the Bernal sale are most elaborately and beautifully finished , and are the best specimens of any that have yet come under our observation, and prove that the locks were of the most complex character ; and it may be fairly questioned whether they could be excelled either in ingenuity of design,

or beauty of workman-

ship, by any of those manufactured at the present day.

195

EARLY HISTORY.

" It was in the sixteenth century, in Germany, Italy, France , and England, that the art of the locksmith was at its highest perfection ; and the keys were likewise treated, as M. de la Barte 6 remarks in his interesting Catalogue of the De

STEP

Fig. 74.-Old English Key.

Bruges Collection , ' centuries,

Fig. 75.-Old English Key.

during the

16th

as absolutely artistic objects. '

and

17th

Nothing

could be imagined more graceful than those little figures in the round, those escutcheons and armorial insignia, those ornaments and piercings, with which

o 2

196

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

the end of the key was enriched ; that part which is grasped in the hand, and for which we have

டு

substituted a common ring.'

Fig. 76.-Old Elizabethan Link- plate Chest Lock. +

The English locks of this period are of such superior excellence in point of workmanship , that * Journal of Design and Manufactures, vol. 1 , 1849, p. 138. + This interesting specimen of the lock manufacture of the 16th century was kindly lent to us by its proprietor, Mr. A. C. Hobbs. It was taken off an old oak chest, and contains a tumbler and also a revolving barrel.

197

EARLY HISTORY.

too high a value cannot be put upon the specimens now in existence, as they prove the advanced state of the lock manufacture in England three hundred years ago. The ornamental

locks

and

keys which have

recently been introduced , are mostly copies of those made in the sixteenth century, and as far as design and workmanship go , cannot claim superiority over the former.

Look at figs.

74 and 75 , which represent two

keys sold at the Bernal Sale. * more beautiful or artistic ?

Can anything be

Compare the modern

" fancy bow keys " with these, and the superiority of the former will be at once apparent

The comb-

++++

+++++++

Fig. 77.-Old English Key at Marlborough House, purchased at the Bernal Sale.

like nose-wards of the Elizabethan Keys are truly wonderful,

and the tissue-paper thinness of the

The Bernal keys ( as figs. 74, 75, and 76) realized at the sale £ 2 10s. , £4 4s., and £4 each respectively, and we should be glad to give even a higher price for similar specimens equal in design and finish.

198

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

other wards are not less amazing. which these are

made

must

The iron of

undoubtedly

have

been of a superior quality.

Fig. 78. - Old English Key found in the ruins of an Abbey.

These ancient keys are variously composed of bronze,

copper,

or iron, and the variety of the

locks corresponding thereto must have been

as

numerous as the modern ones. The great antiquity of locks and keys being admitted, we shall, in the following chapters, describe and illustrate every principal lock which has been invented, from the wooden pin-lock of the Egyptians, to the most scientific and elaborately finished locks of the present time.

X

199

CHAPTER XIV .

ON THE OLD LOCKS AND KEYS .

IN the use of the word " old " at the head of this chapter, it may be proper to remark, that we use it only to distinguish the whole of the locks which were in use previous to May, 1851 , from the modern locks which have been invented since that period , and which will be fully described in the chapter on modern locks . We shall endeavour to describe the various locks mentioned, with all possible regard to their chronological order, and also the usual modes of picking each variety as we proceed . The first lock, of which there is any distinct account or representation, fig. 79. in

These

locks

is the

are

Eton's Survey of the Turkish

lished towards the

end

Egyptian lock ,

described

generally

Empire,

of the last

pub-

century, as

200

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

follows : -"Nothing can be more clumsy than the door-locks in Turkey ; but their mechanism to prevent picking is admirable.

It is a curious thing to

с d

a

Fig. 79.-Egyptian Lock, copied from a wooden block recently brought from Alexandria. a a is the staple, which is fixed to the outside of the door, in the upper part of which three loose pins, bb b, are fitted ; these pins drop into three corresponding holes in the bolt c, so as to fasten the door when the bolt is pushed in to its full extent. The key d is a straight piece of wood, and at one end, there are three pegs, e e e, corresponding in position with the pins in the lock. The key is inserted lengthways through a slot, f, formed in the bolt, and then the pins in the key, corresponding with the vertical holes in the bolt c, into which the pins of the lock have dropped, lift up the said pins, raising them flush with the top side of the bolt, thus disengaging the moveable pins from the bolt, and allowing it to be moved backwards and forwards.*

see wooden locks upon iron doors, particularly in Asia, and on their caravansaries and other great buildings, as well as upon house-doors.

The key

* Both the above diagram and explanation are copied from the work, before referred to, by Mr. Chubb.

201

THE EGYPTIAN LOCK.

goes into the back part of the bolt, and is composed of a square stick with five or six iron or wooden pins, about half-an-inch long, towards the end of it, placed at irregular distances, and answering to holes in the upper part of the bolt, which is pierced with a square hole to receive the key.

The key

being put in as far as it will go, is then lifted up ; and the pins , entering the corresponding holes , raise other pins , which had dropped into these holes from the part of the lock immediately above, and which have heads to prevent them falling lower than is necessary.

The bolt, being thus freed from

the upper pins, is drawn back by means of the key ; the key is then lowered , and may be drawn out of the bolt.

To lock it again, the bolt is only pushed

in, and the upper pins fall into the holes in the bolt by their own weight ." In respect to the picking of this lock , the main difficulty consists in obtaining any false key to correspond with the position of the pins.

But this is

easily accomplished in a manner analogous to that which is practised in connection with other kinds of locks.

By laying a small piece of wax on a

blank key, and pressing it up against the holes, their impression would of course be left on the wax, thereby showing the position of the pins, which furnish a guide to the fabrication of a false key that would open the lock .

There is also little

difficulty in picking it by a single instrument .

202

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Although warded locks are next in antiquity to the Egyptian,

after which followed those

with

tumblers, it must be particularly noticed that the Egyptian lock , in reality, lays claim to be considered as the type of all tumbler and most other locks. The most essential part of all locks is the bolt, which

can be

shot backwards

and forwards , —

locked or unlocked -only by its own key, and the greatest point of security that can be obtained in the construction of locks is, that the possibility of effecting this purpose by other instruments shall depend entirely upon

chance.

It has therefore

been the object of every inventor and manufacturer of locks that have any pretensions to security, so to construct them , that there shall be no possible means left by which the particular form of the key or the requisite position of the security parts can be ascertained, except by having possession of the original or true key, or by an examination of the interior construction and arrangement of each particular lock.

Now although each of the great

number of inventors of locks has

produced one

more or less complex in character or new in form , nearly the whole of these innumerable ingenious contrivances for rendering locks unpickable, may be classed under one or other of two systems of security.

Some consider there are three distinct

principles of security exhibited in the numerous variety of locks, viz. , the fixed obstacles, the move-

CLASSIFICATION OF LOCKS.

203

able impediments, and the arrangement of the letter lock ; but without questioning the propriety of such a classification , we prefer arranging the whole under two heads. The first consists in inserting in the lock, a series offixed or stationary obstacles, called wheels or wards, in and about the key-hole, or between the key-hole and the bolt, to prevent any other instrument than the proper key having access to the bolt. The second mode consists in the insertion of such impediments to the retraction of the bolt, which are not fixed or stationary like the wheels or wards, but moveable and of various combinations, and which prevent other instruments than the true key opening the lock ; and to this class belong all the locks which have been invented, from the first of Barron's, the patent for which was enrolled October 31st, present year.

1778, downwards to the

As before stated, the Egyptian lock

is constructed on the latter principle, a consideration of which does not appear to have suggested itself to any inventor previous to the year 1778, therefore Barron was the first to improve upon this ancient principle, by affording

additional security

in the introduction of his double-acting tumblers . Most of the latter class are called either tumbler or lever locks, in contradistinction to the former. These two

principles, viz . , fixed or stationary

wards and moveable wards or tumblers, may be applied separately or in combination .

204

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Previous to the reign of James I , there is little or nothing on record relative to the inventions of our forefathers, as every inventor (having no protection, as we have under the patent laws,) kept the secret of his invention to himself, in order to secure the monopoly of the trade to his own exclusive benefit.

On this account it is a most difficult

matter to fix the date or introduction of any particular invention , not only in reference to locks and keys, but to nearly all scientific discoveries of whatever kind, as having taken place in any year, or even in any century.

The moment protection

was granted to the inventor, records of all the improvements in the arts

and

sciences,

which

subsequently took place, abound . * Since that period little difficulty exists for ascertaining the exact date of all meritorious inventions ; but from the above circumstance, it is not surprising that not a tittle of evidence can be found to prove whether the warded lock was the invention of any person in this kingdom , or whether it was introduced from some other country. The fact of its being of great antiquity is proved from " the representations of warded keys in early missals , and other MSS . since the commencement of the Christian era," and the keys preserved in the metropolitan and provincial museums.

Beyond

this nothing more can be said as to its origin. * The first invention ever secured by law to the inventor, was for " Engraving and Printing Maps," -to Aaron Rathburne, and is dated March 2nd, 1617.

THE PUZZLE LOCK.

205

Before noticing the warded lock further, we will, for convenience sake, first describe the puzzle or letter lock, which, although not so ancient as the Egyptian, must certainly be considered as one of the oldest locks in use in Europe. "The puzzle lock is generally in the form of a padlock, which is opened and closed without the use of a key, and which has certain difficulties thrown in the way of its being opened by any one who is not in the secret of the person who closed it.

It is, in fact, one of the locks in which the

doctrine of permutation is made to contribute to the means of security.

The key to open it is a

mnemonic or mental one, instead of one of steel or iron.

Two centuries ago, the puzzle-lock attracted

far more attention than any other. certain moveable

It has always

parts, the movement of which

constitutes the enigma.

Some of these very curious

and out-of-the-way locks are so formed as to receive the name of dial-locks ; but the chief among them are ring-locks - a name the meaning of which will be presently understood . " The puzzle or letter-lock of the ring kind, then, consists essentially of a spindle, d ; ( fig . 80 ) a barrel c encompassing the spindle ; two end-pieces, a a , to keep the spindle and barrel in their places ; and the shackle b,hinged to one of these end-pieces.

To unfasten the

lock, one of the end-pieces must be drawn out a little, to allow the shackle or horse-shoe to be turned on its hinge ; and the question arises, there-

206

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

fore, how this end-piece is to be acted upon.

This

is effected in a very ingenious way ; there are four studs or projections in a row on the spindle d, and as the spindle fits pretty closely in the barrel , the

L

TAB

Fig. 80.-Puzzle or Letter Lock. aa, The ends of the lock. b, The shackle. c, The barrel. d, The spindle, which fits inside the barrel c. e is one of the four rings. ff, A side view and an enlarged section of the rings e. g, One of the external lettered rings. h, The same ring showing the internal grooves corresponding to the letters on the exterior.

former cannot be drawn out of the latter unless there be a groove in the interior of the barrel, as a counterpart to the studs on the exterior of the spindle ; four rings , e, fit on the barrel, on the interior

THE LETTER LOCK.

207

of each of which there is a groove ; and unless all these four grooves coincide in direction , and even lie in the same plane as the groove in the barrel , the studs will not be able to pass, and the spindle cannot be drawn out.

Each ring may be easily

made to work round the barrel by means of the fingers, and to maintain any position which may be given to it.

There are outer rings, g, one over each

of the rings just described , with the letters of the alphabet (or a considerable number of them ) inscribed on each ; and these outer rings, by means of notches on the inside, h, govern the movements of the inner rings. " The action is, therefore, as follows ; when the padlock is to be locked, the rings are so adjusted that all the grooves shall be in a right line ; the spindle is thrust in , the end-piece is fixed on, and the shackle is shut down.

The padlock is now

fastened ; but a reverse order of proceeding would 6 as easily open it again, and therefore the safety' or ' puzzle ' principle is brought into requisition . The outer rings are moved with the finger, so as to throw the various interior grooves out of a right line, and thus prevent the withdrawal of the spindle. As each ring may be turned round through a large or a small arc , and all turned in different degrees, the variations of relative position may be almost infinite.

The letters on the outer rings are to assist

the owner to remember the particular combination which he had adopted in the act of locking ; for no

208

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

other combination than this will suffice to open the lock.

There may, for instance, be the four letters There

LOCK in a line , which line is brought to coincide with two notches or marks at the ends

of the

apparatus ; and until all the four outer rings are again brought into such relative position as to place the letters in a line, the lock cannot be opened . * 66 Respecting this lock, Vanhagen von Ense , in his Memorabilia, furnishes the following information -Speaking

of M.

Regnier,

Directeur

du

Musee d' Artillerie in Paris, he says, Regnier was a man of some invention , and had taken out a patent for a sort of lock, which made some noise at the time : every body praised his invention , and bought his locks .

These consisted of broad steel rings,

four, five, or eight deep, upon each of which the alphabet was engraved ; these turned round on a cylinder of steel, and only separated where the letters, forming a particular word, were in a straight line with one another.

The word was selected

from among a thousand, and the choice was the secret of the purchaser.

Any one not knowing the

word, might turn the rings round for years without succeeding in finding the right one. The workmanship was excellent, and Regnier was prouder of this, than he was of the invention itself. latter might be contested.

The

I had a vague recol-

lection of having seen something of the sort before ,

* Tomlinson's " Rudimentary Treatise on the Construction of Locks ."

209

THE LETTER LOCK.

but when I ventured to say so, my suspicions were treated with scorn and indignation, and I was not able to prove my assertions ; but many years afterwards, when a book, which as a boy I had often diligently read, fell into my hands, Regnier's lock was suddenly displayed .

The book was

called

Silvestri a Petrasancta Symbola Heroica, printed at Amsterdam in 1682 : there was an explanation at page 254, attached to a picture ; these were the words - Honorius de Bellis, serulæ innexo orbibus volubilibus ac literatis circumscripsit Sorte aut labore.*

hoc lemma—

However, neither luck nor labour

would have done much towards discovering the secret of opening Regnier's locks, from the variety of their combinations ; and their security seemed so great that the courier's despatch boxes were generally fastened with them. " This interesting extract which was brought forward by Mr. Chubb, in the paper before quoted, shows that the invention cannot be claimed

by

M. Regnier, as the above and other allusions to this kind of lock occur in authors who flourished two or three centuries ago. Fletcher's play

of the

In Beaumont and

" Noble Gentleman " the

following lines occur : -

" A cap case for your linen, and your plate, With a strange lock that opens with A ME N."

"Honorius de Bellis wrote this inscription-By chance or by labour -round a lock composed of revolving rings graven with letters." P

210

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

In the verses addressed to May, by Carew, in the "Comedy of the Heir," is the following passage : -

"As doth a lock That goes with letters ; for till every one be known The lock's as fast, as if you had found none." But it does appear that although M. Regnier was not the original inventor of the letter-lock, he considerably improved it, as in the first example of this lock, supposed to have been invented by Carden ,

E T R

AVT

O

ABO

R

S

Fig. 81.- Puzzle-lock of the seventeenth century.

only one particular word or cypher could be used in each lock, Regnier, to increase the chances of opening it, doubled all the rings, making each pair concentric, and enabling the user to vary the word at pleasure, by taking off the outer ring and placing what letter fancy chooses over the notch or groove in the inner ring, as contrived in all modern locks of this kind.

(See fig. 80. )

In the work mentioned by Vanhagen , a copy of which is in the British Museum , is a drawing of a

211

PUZZLE LOCK.

puzzle or letter lock (fig. 81 ) which consists of a cylinder or barrel , on which seven rings revolve. Letters are inscribed on each of these rings , and the ends of the cylinder are grasped by a kind of shackle . During the progress of the "lock controversy " the following paragraph relating to this description of lock appeared in the Observer : —

"The French, in their exposition of 1844 , availing themselves of the permutation principle , produced some marvels in the art ; but the principle has not been adopted in this country.

The Charivari had

an amusing quiz upon these locks when they first came out.

It said the proprietor of such a lock

must have an excellent memory : forget the letters and you are clearly shut out from your own house. For instance, a gentleman gets to his door with his family, after a country excursion, at eleven o'clock at night, in the midst of a perfect deluge of rain . He hunts out his alphabetical key, and thrusts it into his alphabetical lock, and says A Z B X. lock remains as firm as ever.

The

' Plague it ! ' says

the worthy citizen , as the blinding rain drives in his eyes.

He then recollects that that was his

combination for the previous day.

He scratches

his head to facilitate the movement of his intellectual

faculties,

BCLO ;

and

makes

a

random

guess

but he has no better success.

In

addition to his being well wet, his chances of hitting on the right combinations and permutations P 2

212

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

are but small , seeing that the number is somewhere about three millions five hundred and fifty three thousand five hundred and seventy eight. Accordingly, when he comes to the three hundredth he loses all patience, and begins to kick and batter the door ;

but a patrol

of the National Guard

passes by, and the disturber of the streets is marched off to the watch-house . There is one adaptation of the principle of the letter lock, designed as an " escutcheon lock," for securely closing the key holes of locks on the doors of safes and strong rooms, and another modification is the dial lock, but both are too complicated and expensive to be generally used.

The escutcheon has long been a favorite resource with lock makers, and various contrivances have from time to time been invented, more or less novel, and of various degrees of merit.

But none of them

when fixed to the doors of safes or such like depositories, can afford any security against the thief or burglar, from

the

circumstance

of their

being

usually placed outside the surface of the doors, and consequently they can easily be removed by violence . We have just had lent to us a puzzle-lock of French manufacture and of exquisite workmanship, having blued steel ends and shackle, and instead of letters it opens to figures and symbols, which have been stamped on the outer rings and filled up with red wax or paint. It was sent to a lock manufacturer of this town, about the year 1815, to be opened, as the combination was unknown, and as it belonged to the private baggage of Napoleon the First, it is probable the secret was known only to him. Since the above period numerous and persevering, though fruitless, attempts to open it have been made ; but whilst this portion of our work was being printed, Mr. C. Aubin discovered the combination and unlocked it.

213

ESCUTCHEON LOCK.

One of the first premiums awarded by the Society of Arts, after the commencement of their " Transactions,"

was

to

Mr.

Marshall

for

a

" secret

escutcheon," in 1784 , which invention was one of the many attempts which have been made to realize the properties of that " secret apparatus, " suggested by the Marquis of Worcester in his " Century of Inventions," as follow : " 69. A way how a little triangle screwed key, not weighing a shilling, shall be capable and strong enough to bolt and unbolt, round about a great chest, an hundred bolts, through fifty staples, two in each, with a direct contrary

motion ; and as

many more from both sides and ends ; and at the self-same time, shall fasten it to the place beyond a man's natural strength to take it away ; and in one and the same turn both locketh and openeth it . " 70. A key with a rose-turning pipe and two roses pierced through endwise the bit thereof, with several handsomely contrived wards, which may likewise do the same effects. " 71. A key perfectly square, with a screw turning within it, and more conceited than any of the rest, and no heavier than the triangle screwed key, and doth the same effects .

" 72. An escutcheon , to be placed before any of these locks , with these properties ; first the owner, though a woman, may with her delicate hand vary the ways of causing to open the lock ten millions of times beyond the knowledge of the smith that

214

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

made it, or of me that invented it. stranger open it,

Second, if a

it setteth an alarum a-going,

which the stranger cannot stop from running out ; and besides, though none shall be within hearing, yet it catcheth his hand as a trap doth a fox ; and though far from maiming him, yet it leaveth such a mark behind it as will discover him if suspected ; the escutcheon or lock plainly showing what money he hath taken out of the box to a farthing, and how many times opened since the owner had been at it . " We cannot , of course, tell whether an " escutcheon 99 may have or lock plainly showing what money been " taken out of the box to a farthing " will ever be invented ; but the locksmiths of Wolverhampton, in the sixteenth century, were celebrated for constructing locks that would tell " how many times " a lock had been " opened since the owner had been at it." " The dial lock suitable for doors is made with one or more dials, each with a series of letters or figures stamped on it, and secured to the door.

To

each dial is a hand or pointer connected by a spindle to a wheel.

On each wheel inside the lock is a

notch or groove which has to be brought to a certain position to allow the bolt to be withdrawn , also a series of false notches to add to the dif.culty of finding the proper notch.

In order to change

the relative position of the hand or pointer to the true notch, a nut on the back of the wheel is loosened, and the pointer set at any figure or letter

215

THE DIAL LOCK.

the parties using the lock may please, and it can be changed as often as they wish.

There is a very

general belief, that as these locks are susceptible of so many changes, they must necessarily be secure against any skill or ingenuity that can be brought against them ; but by a little further investigation , it will be apparent, that they afford no further security than the Egyptian and the warded locks.

A dial lock was invented some years ago by William Brown , Esq. , M.P. , and was described in a paper read before the Architectural and Archæological Society of Liverpool , in 1852.

The follow-

ing is an abridged account of it from a Liverpool paper of that period . " As your Society are

desirous

of seeing

any

improvements or attempts at them, I send you a stock-lock for inspection . The idea for its construction I took from a letter-padlock.

I had a

lock of this description made by Mr. Pooley twentyfive years ago, which has been in use ever since on Brown, Shipley, and Co.'s safe. * " Its advantages I

conceive to be - First,

cannot be picked , for there is no key-hole.

it

Second ,

it cannot be blown up by gunpowder, for the same reason.

Third, you cannot drill through the door

so as to reach the lock , for you are intercepted by a steel plate on which your tools will not act ; thus you cannot introduce gunpowder that way to force the lock off.

Fourth, you cannot bounce off the

wheels in the interior with a muffled hammer, for

216

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

vulcanized India-rubber springs resist this.

Fifth ,

you cannot drill the spindles out, as their heads are case-hardened.

Sixth, you cannot drive them in ,

for they are countersunk in the door about halfway through. * " Now let us set the lock to the word Wood (any other four letters might be used).

When you set

the lock, make a private record of them, so that you may not forget them.

If parties do not know

your letters, nothing but violence, applied by some means or other, can enable them to get into your safe ; for the lock will not open to anything but its talisman .

Take off all the large wheels and open

the lock ; you will see that the large wheels have a number of false chambers ; if you get the spurs of the bolt into three real chambers and one false, you are as fast as ever, for all four must be right. 66 Having placed your key and pointer outside

the door to point to W on brass-plate No. 1 , the small wheel inside obeys the same impulse ; then maintain your small wheel steadily on this point, and the large wheel No. 1 will only fit on at the right place, the true opening compartment being opposite the spur of the bolt.

It being necessary

at the time you set your lock that it should be open, proceed with Nos. 2 and 3 in the same way ; your pointer standing steadily at O.

No. 4 is the

same, the pointer being held steadily at D.

You

should then shoot your lock two or three times, to be sure you have made no mistake.

. Every time

217

BROWN'S DIAL LOCK.

you shoot your bolts out, turn your wheels away from the true chamber, and see when you again turn your pointers to " Wood," that your lock opens freely ; it is the proof that you have have made no mistake, and you may now venture to lock your safe.

When you unlock the door, and find

it necessary to leave it open for a time, you should shoot the bolts as if locked , and turn the wheels, so that no one may find what your real letters are ; and again adjust them to their proper places, in order that the bolt may go back and enable you to re-lock.

Once having locked the door and turned

the wheels from your real letters , you need not trouble yourself with carrying the key, but leave it in any place beside the lock.

"I believe two wheels would make a perfectly I adopted

safe lock ; three would be quite so. four to make security doubly sure, be impossible changes.

in

On

might open ;

two you

as it would

any given time to work the wheels by chance can,

however,

the lock

calculate

the

chances against this ; and also three or four, the false compartment on the outer rim being taken into calculation . " If this lock is of any value, it should be known ; if it has weak points, let them be pointed out, and they may admit of a remedy ; for we ought not to be led to believe a lock is safe which is not so. " It will be observed that Mr. Brown stated that his lock could not be picked because there was no

218

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

key-hole ; it being in this respect the same as its ally —the ring or letter lock.

The same remark

has been repeatedly made with respect to all the varieties of these locks .

They are unquestionably

difficult to pick by merely turning the rings round and round , in order to hit upon the right combination , but can easily be picked on the mechanical principle of applying pressure to the desired parts. It is only necessary to take a small piece of common wire, bend it in the form of the shackle, and put it between the ends of the lock ; the spring or tension of the wire forces the ends apart, and causes the studs on the rod to bear against the rings.

On

feeling the rings some of them will be found to bind, and by turning those that so bind the notches or grooves are successively felt and brought into a straight line, and the lock is thereby opened . In a similar manner the bolt of the dial lock is withdrawn, by feeling the " bind " or friction of the pointers, and the result is the same. Not long after Mr. Brown made the previous statement, Mr. Hobbs was in Liverpool, and was taken to the office of Messrs. Brown , Shipley, and The safe door Co. to inspect the lock referred to . was closed and locked , and whilst Mr. Hobbs was explaining his views as to the construction of the lock, it immediately sympathised with his manipulation, so that the door was opened in a few minutes.

219

INDIAN LOCK.

A puzzle, or letter lock, which is really unpickable, was invented in 1855 , by Mr. F. H. Wenham , of Effra Vale Lodge, Brixton, which obtained the medal of the Society of Arts in that year.

(See the descrip-

tion of this lock in the chapter on modern locks. ) We think it is not improbable that most nations have their " puzzle-locks. "

There are several known

by the name of Russian, Chinese, and Hindoo puzzle-locks, some of which have the forms of various animals or birds, and they are locked and unlocked by pressing upon or moving some particular portion of their bodies .

The security of these locks, like

the ordinary secret escutcheons, depends in most cases upon keeping the part to be pressed or moved secret. Some time ago there appeared in the Illustrated London News, the following engraving and description of one of the latter, which was so far secure in proportion to the amount of reverence felt for the Hindoo God it is supposed to represent. " This curious Lock is in the form of a bird ; probably, representing the Hindoo god, Garuda, the carrier or bearer of Vishnu , the second of the Hindoo Triad, Garuda being to Vishnu what the eagle is to Jupiter.

Garuda is worshipped by the

natives of Madras ; and, his living type, a kind of large hawk, is diligently fed by the devotees : the writer has often seen the worshippers with little baskets, filled with flesh, which is thrown skilfully, a small piece at a time , into the air, while they shout

Hari ! Hari ! ' a name of Vishnu, and the

bird stoops on the wing and takes the prey.

Garuda

220

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

is supposed to possess human, or, rather divine, intelligence, and is much revered.

Many stories are

told of his discernment and cunning ;

and it is,

probably, on this account that the native artist has made his lock in the form of Garuda, a sufficient guarantee, in his notion, for its acting as a safety

Fig. 82.- Indian Lock.

or detector, equal, or even superior, to the more mechanical and scientific inventions of Bramah or Chubb.

We should add, that, in this Indian Lock,

the key-hole is on the side, one of the wings of the bird serving as a shifting escutcheon . "

In ordinary locks the key consists of a circular shank with a loop-shaped handle at one end, called the bow, and a piece called the bit projecting from the shaft at a right angle at or near the other end.

ORDINARY LOCKS.

221

The bit end of the shank is, in the keys of locks which are to be entered by the key from one side only, made hollow or tubular-hence called the pipe-to fit on to a pin or axis fixed in the lock ; but in locks which may have to be opened from either side, such as ordinary room- door locks, as no pin can be fixed in the lock, the shank is made solid, and is prolonged beyond the bit, so as to enter, and turn as in a socket, within the upper part of the key-hole of that plate of the lock which happens to be farthest from the person applying the key.

The projecting bit, after being introduced

into the body of the lock by a narrow opening (the key-hole), is turned round within the lock by a rotatory motion imparted to the shank, until it comes in contact with a part of the bolt, which is so shaped that the bit of the key cannot pass it, to complete its revolution, without shooting the bolt either backwards or forwards, as the case may be. When thus moved the bolt is retained in its position by a spring , or a tumbler, or by some other means, until it is again moved by the reverse action of the key. The first and

simplest

means by which the

entrance of a false key may be rendered difficult, is by giving a peculiar form to the substance of the bit, and either adapting the form of the key-hole exactly to it, or inserting pieces of metal in the lock in such a way as to prevent the admission of a bit of different shape.

Fig. 83 represents numerous

222

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

forms of bit commonly used, the keys, which are all repressnted as of the pipe or tubular make , being presented to the eye endways.

Of these

a b c and d are adapted for key-holes of various corresponding forms, while e and f, though suitable

d

h

k

Fig. 83.-Fancy Bitted Keys.

for key-holes of the same general form as the bit a, admit of further security by forming projections upon the sides of the key-holes, and also by forming the key-holes of the peculiar shape of the keybits g to s, the whole of which

are cut through

the front plate of the lock to fit the notches and grooves cut in the sides of the bit. The next and principal means of security of the first class before mentioned is the use of pieces of iron or brass of various forms, fixed within the lock in such a way

INTERIOR OF A WARDED LOCK .

223

that no key can be turned round within it unless corresponding notches or slits are cut in its projecting bit.

Fig. 84, which represents a portion

of the interior of a lock in isometrical projection with the bit end of the key in its place, will illustrate this.

The tinted

surface in this

cut

represents part of the back-plate of a lock with a tubular key turning upon a central pin in the plate.

Fig. 84.-Key Bit and Wards.

Attached to this plate are two concentric prominent rings, of different degrees of elevation , one of which for the sake of variety is represented as complete or unbroken, while the other is cut away for a small space at the under side .

It is obvious that

no key could be put into a lock provided with wards as in the cut, unless a slit or notch were made in its bit to correspond with the larger and more prominent of the two rings - the round wardand it is equally evident that, although it might be put into the lock, no key could be turned round

224

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

without having a notch also to correspond with the smaller and less prominent circle - the short ward— which, being cut off near the key-hole, could not be discovered by an inspection from the outside of the lock.

In the common kind of locks the wards

seldom form a complete circle, but their effect is the same if they occupy only a small segment of it.

They are commonly made of thin sheet iron,

rivetted to the plates of the lock ; but locks with similar wards of copper are made for use in cellars, and other places exposed, to wards would become rusty.

damp, where iron A thicker kind of

ward, known as solid wards, (figs. 85 and 86) formed

Fig. 85. -Key to Solid Warded Lock.

Fig. 86.- Key to Sash Warded Lock.

by casting in brass, and finished in the lathe , is used in many superior locks.

Figure 84 represents

wards of the simplest possible shape, which require nothing but a simple straight notch in the key to Many wards, however, are of a more fit them.

225

KEYS TO WARDED LOCKS.

complicated character, such as what are termed L, T, Y, and Z wards, from the resemblance of their sectional form to those letters respectively .

2 4444

4444

10 4444

15

14

16

4444

L 22 23 4544

Fig. 87.- Keys to Warded Locks.

There are also nose wards, top and bottom wards, step wards, bridge wards, &c. Q

226

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

By referring to the various forms of key represented in figs. 85, 86, 87, and 88, the peculiar advantages and defects of that principle of security which depends on the use of wards, may be readily comprehended.

The first and greatest defect of

the system arises from the circumstance that , in ordinary cases, it is not absolutely necessary that a surreptitious instrument should perfectly thread the mazes of the wards.

Thus the form and arrange-

ment of the wards in the three keys numbered 1 , 2 , and 3 (fig. 87 ) is so different that none of the three could be employed to open the other's lock, the first having two plain or simple wards, the second two L wards, and the third a T ward between two plain wards ; but while these afford security against ordinary keys, they afford none whatever against a pick or skeleton key like 4 (fig. 87 ), which would also open any other lock which is guarded merely by wards attached to the back-plate, as in Nos. 17, 18, 19 , and 20 ; the

moving of the

the

only part essential to

bolt

being

of the bit, which is retained

in

extremity

the the

skeleton

key with nothing but a slender piece to connect it with the pipe or shank. greatly increased

by the

The security may be use

of other

wards,

attached to the opposite plate of the lock, and requiring notches in that part of the bit of the key which is represented by the slender

connecting-

piece in the skeleton 4.

Such is the case in all

the keys represented in

Nos. 5 to 15 (fig. 87. )

227

KEYS TO WARDED LOCKS.

Number 5 represents a key for a solid-warded lock , which

might,

however,

be easily picked by a

skeleton key resembling No. 12. complication

of the wards in

No.

The greater 6

increases

the difficulty of picking ; while by the adoption of the arrangement shown in No. 7 , the difficulty of introducing a false key is made perhaps as great as possible, since no instrument that does not thread all the intricacies of the wards could answer the purpose. This form, however, requires very accurate workmanship , and unavoidably weakens the key to such an extent that it is in danger of breaking in the lock.

All the keys represented in figs. 83,

84, and 87 , are pipe-keys, adapted for such locks as have a fixed pin or axis , and opened from

one side.

can only be

It is, therefore, of no

consequence that the wards attached to the back and front plates of the locks should resemble each other.

In ordinary door locks, however, in which

the key may have to be inserted from either side, it is essential that the wards attached to the two plates, if such be used, should either be precisely similar, or should bear such a relation to each other that notches may be cut in both sides, or rather in both edges of the bit of the key, to suit both sets of wards, it being a necessary condition that the two sides of the bit, marked a and b in the cut, (fig. 88) should be perfectly alike.

In such locks there is

an intermediate plate, or bridge ward, which enters the opening marked c in the following figure, and Q 2

228

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

which carries, on one or both of its sides, the principal wards ; and in many cases the bit of a key divided by such an opening may be considered as constituting a double key, of which only one half is used at one time, that half being either a or b, according to the side through which the key is put

b

Fig. 88.-Room- door Key to a lock with bridge ward, &c.

into the lock.

Such is, in some measure , the case

in the key from which fig. 88 is drawn ; although, as it is the key of a tumbler lock, both halves are brought into use at once, whatever may be the direction in which the key is applied, with this difference, that when the key is applied from the outer side of the door the part marked a moves the tumbler and b the bolt, while when the key is put into the lock from the inner side a moves the bolt and b the tumbler.

The other illustrations of

warded keys are intended to explain the theory of master keys, which was early understood by the ingenious locksmiths of Wolverhampton. *

In fig.

See Chapter on the Lock Manufacture of Wolverhampton.

229

WARDED LOCKS.

87 the wards of the keys Nos . 9, 10, and 11 are so far different from each other that neither of those three keys would open the lock designed for either of the other two , but a key formed like No. 12 would readily open any of the locks of the other three, or any other of a more extensive series or suit of locks constructed on the same principle. One defect of the principle of security by wards is, that however complicated they may be, an ingenious picker will mostly be able to detect their form and position, by inserting a blank key with the bit covered with wax or tallow, so as to receive an impression of the concealed obstructions in the lock.

It is well to observe that it is a very common

practice to cut more notches in the key than there are wards in the lock, so that the complex appearance of a key is no

certain

proof of the secure

construction of the lock to which it belongs.

Indeed

some of the commonest locks are manufactured without any wards at all, although the keys are invariably made as if wards were employed . *

A system prevails in the manufacture of warded locks of making quantities in suits, i. e. , making so many locks - say ten or twenty - each to differ, but with a master key to pass all of them, and also grosses

of locks for the same key to pass ; and

these orders are constantly repeated by the various ironmongers to the lock manufacturers or factors, so that in every town there are sure to be a con. Adapted from the article " Lock " in the Penny Cyclopædia.

230

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

siderable number of locks precisely the same in every respect, and which can be opened by each other's keys.

A set of twenty skeleton keys, similar to

fig. 89, would probably open nearly all the outer door locks in any city or town in the kingdom ; and the keys of the patterns Nos. 4 , 12 , 21 , 22, 23 , and

52

24, (fig. 87 ) will open nearly three-fourths of all the

Fig. 89.-Skeleton Key.

common locks which are annually manufactured . There is doubtless an advantage to ironmongers in supplying locks to their customers , which, when the key is lost, can so readily be opened by another key or one of the pick-locks (fig . 87 ) ; but such a system should be at once abolished, as there can be no real security to those who use such locks whilst it exists.

We cannot better illustrate the consequences of this custom, than by stating a circumstance which occurred some short time ago in London. A gentleman occupying one of a row of houses , the fronts and internal arrangements of which were

231

WARDED LOCKS.

exactly the same, went home late one evening , and by accident went to the door of the wrong house , but having inserted his key in the lock and let himself in, the mistake was not discovered till he found himself in his neighbour's chamber. Tens of thousands of warded locks are made annually, the whole of which are only duplicates of those which have been made every year for the last century. We frequently expend from two to three pounds in the purchase of a brace of pistols , or a gun, as a means of preservation from the attack of burglars, when for less than half that amount spent in secure outer fastenings, the citadel might be kept perfectly safe against unwelcome intruders. Locks, like all other articles in such common use,

are considered of little

importance by the

majority of those who use them, and when from time immemorial we have been in the habit of purchasing a large lock for two or three shillings , it undoubtedly requires a certain amount of courage to give fifteen to thirty shillings for a lock similar in size ; and size with many is the only standard of comparison of the merits of various locks . M. de Réaumur says-" There are no machines more common than locks : they are sufficiently. complex to merit the name of machine ; but I know of no others, the structure of which is so little understood by those who use them.

It is rare to

find any one who knows wherein the goodness of a

232

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

lock consists, or the degree ofsecurity that he can attach to it.

The outside of a lock is usually all Doubtless the important

that attracts attention. uses to which locks

are applied

would

excite

curiosity respecting their structure, if curiosity were always excited for worthy objects. "

16

Ha

Fig. 90.-Wards of an Old French Lock.

" Some of the warded locks of the last century are curious.

While the idea prevailed that a com-

plicated ward gave security, there was room for the exercise of ingenuity in varying the shape of the wards .

Fig. 90 is copied from the great French

work.

It represents the cuts in the key, and also

(seen perspectively) the complicated forms of the pieces of metal which constitute the wards corresponding with those cuts.

The aperture in the key

at 16 fits upon the metal surrounding the key-hole at 18 ; and the M shaped cuts at 17 fit in like manner upon the similarly-shaped pieces at 19. " Another example of a similar kind is shewn in fig. 91 , where an anchor appears to have been the

233

WARDED LOCKS. favorite form .

The anchor cuts in the key are

shown at 26 ; while in the wards the bottom of the anchor is near the key-hole at 29.

at 28, and the top

26 T

28 Fig. 91.-Wards of an Old French Lock.

“ A similar illustration occurs in fig. 92, where the star-like cuts at 34 on the key correspond with the star-like wards at 33.

34

Fig. 92.-Wards of an Old French Lock.

" From the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries locks were made in

France,

on

which a vast

amount of care and expense was bestowed.

They

were, in an especial degree, decorative appendages as well as fastenings .

They were of three kinds :

room -locks , buffet-locks, and chest-locks ; they were fixed on the outside of the door or lid, so as to be fully visible.

The key had a multitude of perfor-

ations which bore no

particular

relation to the

234

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

wards of the lock, but which were regarded as tests of the workman's skill.

The honorary dis-

tinctions awarded to apprentices and aspirants in the art, depended very much on the number and

O

CA

2

DS

A

Fig. 93.-Exterior of an old Secret Lock.

Fig. 94.-The same with a portion of the front let down, shewing the key-hole.

fine execution of these perforated keys.

The locks

considered as fastenings, had slender merit ; although usually throwing four bolts, they were not very

WARDED LOCKS.

secure.

235

Fig. 93 represents the exterior of a lock

made about the year 1730 , by Bridou, a celebrated Parisian locksmith .

It was a lock belonging to a

coffer or strong chest ;

all the works being sunk

below the level of a carved architectural moulding or ornament.

There is a secret opening near the

part c , forming a portion of the ornamental design ; it allows a bolt, shewn at D, (fig. 94) acted on by the spring E, to be touched , by which a door- way opens upon the hinges at в B. A A are a sort of pilasters, which aid in forming a hole for the bolts. The little ornament at c is drawn down by the hand, opening the secret door and revealing the key-hole G. ss, o o, z z, are ornaments fastened on at b, c, d, fig. 94, by nuts and screws, intended to display the skill of the workman .

The lock itself,

access to the key-hole of which is obtained within the

secret

door,

has

nothing very remarkable

about it. "*

Fig. 95 represents a safe door lock-case with a box of wards as generally used for cast-iron and common wrought-iron safes and chests, and is the kind of lock which enables any ordinary thief so readily to open such depositories, not only by a skeleton key, or other pick-lock , but by gunpowder also.

The outer circle of metal which encloses the

wards of the lock, will of itself hold several ounces

* Tomlinson's " Rudimentary Treatise on the Construction of Locks."

236

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

of gunpowder, and the lock-case or chamber a will hold some pounds . *

IT L L

be

Fig. 95.-Lock-case, with Box of Wards.

The comparative security or chances of opening the warded locks were supposed to depend upon the complexity or simplicity of the form of key required, consequently great ingenuity was displayed in

arranging

and shaping the forms of

the wards and the keys corresponding to them ; but such locks can never be secure, the principle being bad.

The number of combinations the lock

is capable of is comparatively so small, that even in an ordinary dwelling-house, when the key of any

* See chapter on Powder-proof Locks, page 120 ante.

237

WARDED LOCKS.

particular lock is lost, how often does another on the

same

ring

supply

its

place

equally well.

Although this is so, yet there are millions of pounds worth of convertible property constantly under the care of such a worthless guard .

The cuts in the

key give it such an appearance of security, that many believe the warded locks to be far more secure than the improved modern locks which have plainer keys.

This is not altogether to be wondered

at, when all a purchaser sees of the fastenings of The his safe, or other depository, is the key. owners of safes, which are secured by such locks, only find out that they are valueless, when they have been robbed of the contents. The mode of picking these locks is as follows : A blank is first made like c, (fig. 95 ) generally of tin, the bit of which is smeared over with a composition of bees' wax, oil, and powdered charcoal ; it is then inserted in the key-hole, and pressed against the wards, and an impression of their shape and position is thereby taken .

A skeleton key, or pick-

lock d, is next formed out of the marked blank, and for every purpose of locking and unlocking, it answers quite as well as the proper key b, as it is only necessary to preserve the end of the key bit, which comes in contact with, and moves the bolt. But most of these locks can be picked by an instrument e, which is made of steel, and may very properly be

called the burglars '

skewer.

It is

passed outside of the outer ward , or wheel, and by

238

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

a strong grip, will at the tumbler and move the bolt .

same

time lift the

By inclining the door

towards the hinges, it is only necessary to lift the tumbler with this instrument, when the bolts will fall down by their own weight, and the door is thereby opened - by such

assistance

it

unlocks

itself. Thousands of warded locks are annually made, in which the only security is a single tumbler, so that the only instrument requisite for locking and unlocking, is a skeleton

key,

like e, or even a

blank. The multiple locks on the foreign coffers belong to this description of lock , and display considerable ingenuity in their construction .

We have described

the general construction of these coffers at pp . 6-8, and shall here confine our remarks to their locks . The security consisted doubtless in the number of the bolts, but by far the principal security lay in the size of the key, and the great strength required to withdraw the bolts.

In many of these foreign

coffers the lock is covered with a beautifully pierced and chased ornamented plate, as in fig. 2, page 7 ante, which partially hides the works of the lock. Fig.

96 represents the " strong German coffer "

described

by

Réaumur,

who

says- " Notwith-

standing the large size of these locks, and all the apparatus with which they are provided , they correspond but ill with the solidity of the rest of the coffer.

If we have given a representation of one,

239

MULTIPLE LOCKS.

it is chiefly to show how little confidence one could have in such a lock, and what are its defects, in order that we may avoid them. "

Ο

010

10 O

10

C

10

10

HO

O

D

Ο

Ο

Ο

1709

Fig. 96.-Strong German Coffer.

It may be observed, that there are in fig. 96 , twelve bolts, each of which is connected by a powerful spring, z, to a long bar or lever, which may be properly designated the main bolt.

h, f, d, c are

the four corner bolts ; ade are the three each at the back and front, and b g one at each end . are no

staples or bolt-holes

There

in the top of the

coffer to receive the bolts but a projecting inner rim round the top at A A, under which all the bolts shoot.

The bolts are usually bevilled , so that the

coffer locks itself, by closing the lid with a little

240

force .

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. The key-hole in the front of the chest at D

is a deception or mask ; the real key-hole being in the middle of the lid, concealed by a secret escutcheon, which is secured in its place by a spring. In unlocking, the key moves the main bolt, which simultaneously withdraws the other bolts P, Q, R, s, T, &c. , and whilst the key is holding them back the lid is lifted up and the key taken out.

V v are

studs which act upon two of the bolts.

Y Y are

k, l, c, p, x are

staples confining the main bolt.

small levers which transmit the action to the corner bolts ; q, r, s, t, u, are

other small

levers which

render a similar service to the front, back, and end bolts ; LL within the chest are the studs by which the " dogs " M M on the lid assist in securing the back of the chest when locked . As previously remarked at page 8 ante, the multiple lock is only the rude lock multiplied by the number of its bolts , which if comprising twenty can as easily be picked as if it had only one. It is not so much a lock as a series of spring latches,

and

any instrument

sufficiently strong to move the main bolt will easily unlock it. Besides the key there is usually an instrument like a turn-screw, which is used for releasing the escutcheon and to put through the bow of the key for a lever.

Without the aid of such a lever the

bolts cannot be withdrawn. These coffers are by no means scarce, as we have frequently met with specimens in various parts of

241

BACK-SPRING LOCK.

the kingdom, as well as in London , and there are several smaller ones at Marlborough House, in all of which the construction of the multiple lock is the same . There are different opinions as to the country in which these coffers were manufactured ; some consider they are from Spain , while others pronounce them to be of German manufacture.

The keys to these multiple locks form a strong contrast to the

keys of the locks belonging to

similar depositories of modern date.

The enormous

size of the coffer keys precluded their being carried about the person, except when attached to the girdle. Many of them measure from ten to twelve inches in length . As before stated, some contrivance is necessary to keep the bolt steadily in the position in which it is left by the key ; and in locks which depend upon wards for their security, this is usually effected by means of a spring, as illustrated by fig. 97, which represents the interior of a small cupboard lock , with the bolt, a b, locked out, and capable of being moved backwards by the action of the key at c in a curved hollow formed in the lower edge of the bolt, which hollow or curve is called the " talon . "

The

top of the bolt carries a long elastic piece, formed by nearly separating a stout lamina of metal from the body of the bolt, or as is more frequently done, by fastening a piece of tempered steel into a slot made in the top of the bolt, as shown in fig. 97 , and

giving

it

an

inclination R

to

diverge

from

242

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

the bolt at the

end b ;

of the bolt, behind the

and the curved

lower

edge

part acted upon

by the key, is indented with two deep notches, b and d, with a smooth convexity between them. The opening in the back rim of the lock through

Fig. 97.-Back-spring Lock.

which the end b of the bolt passes, is so small as to

compress

force.

If, therefore, the key be so applied as to

the

spring

with

considerable

shoot the bolt forward, the re-action of the spring will cause the notch b to hold firmly on the edge of the rim, from which it cannot be disengaged without raising the bolt, and compressing the spring, so as to allow the convexity between 6 and d to pass over the edge of the rim, after which the notch d will hold on the rim in like manner.

The necessary

raising of the bolt and compression of the spring, is properly effected by the action of the key, but as it may be effected by pressure upon the end of the bolt, the security of locks in which such an arrange-

COMMON TUMBLER LOCK.

243

ment is adopted, which are called back-spring locks, is inferior to that of tumbler locks, in the means of retaining the bolt in its position , as well as from the defects already explained as incident to the use of wards.

We pass naturally from the consideration of the back-spring, as an essential feature in a lock protected by wards alone, to the explanation of one of the simplest modes of applying the second principle of security, that which consists in the use of moveable impediments to the motion of the bolt, and which may be applied, as an additional security, to

Fig. 98.-Common Tumbler Lock.

locks in which the most ingenious arrangements of wards is employed to prevent the access of a false key to the bolt.

Fig. 98 represents a lock similar

to 97, provided with a common tumbler.

In this

figure the bolt a b, though shot backwards and forwards in the same manner as that of fig. 97, has no spring or notches to catch on the back rim of R 2

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

244

the lock, to hold it in any required position ; but it is provided with two notches in its upper edge, at c and d.

Behind the bolt is a piece of metal called

Fig. 99.-Common Tumbler. a, The centre, or the fulcrum on which it works. b, The projecting stud or stump which falls into and detains the bolt. c, The lower edge with which the key comes in contact in locking and unlocking.

the

tumbler, (fig.

99) pivoted to the plate

of

the lock at f, (fig. 98 ) and continually forced downwards by a spring which presses upon its upper edge .

The upper part of the tumbler, which

is visible above the bolt, is distinguished in fig. 98 by being covered with a light tint, while the shape of the lower part, which is concealed by the bolt, is indicated by dotted lines.

At the angle

e (fig. 98 ) the tumbler carries a projecting stud b, (fig. 99) which, when the bolt is fully shot, falls into the notch d, and holds it firmly, until, by the application of the key, the bit of which reaches the lower edge of the tumbler, the tumbler is lifted up to the position shown in fig. 98, by which the bolt is released, so that the further turning of the key

245

COMMON TUMBLER LOCK.

shoots it back, when the stud of the tumbler falls into the notch c, and again secures the bolt.

It is

obvious that so long as the tumbler remains in its proper notch, the bolt cannot be moved backwards or forwards by any pressure upon its ends ;

and

also that the lock cannot be opened by any pick or false key unless its bit be so formed as to reach the tumbler as well as the bolt. To render this more difficult, the tumbler is often made to fall a little lower than the bolt, so as to be acted upon by a step formed on the bit of the key ; while further complication and security may be obtained by the use of two or more tumblers, which may be acted upon by different steps on the key.

The great

exactness requisite in the length of the bit forms a strong recommendation

of even the

commonest

tumbler locks ; for if the bit be ever so little too short it will not lift the tumbler out of its notch, while if it be but a very little too long, it will not enter the curved portion of the bolt. * The common tumbler lock, like the back-spring lock, is easily picked, as it is only necessary to lift the tumbler sufficiently high , when the bolt is easily set free. An expert mechanic, therefore , finds little difficulty in throwing out the tumbler, and at the same time moving the bolt. There is nothing on record relative to the date

* This description of the back spring and common tumbler locks has been adapted from the article " Lock " in the Supplement to the Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge.

246

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

when the tumbler was first invented, neither can we ascertain in what country it was first used. " The invention has been claimed by or for persons subsequently to the year 1767 , when the celebrated French treatise ( Art du Serrurier) already referred to was published ; and yet this treatise contains numerous examples of simple tumbler locks of ingenious construction, as will presently be shown . "* That

tumblers

were

in

use

in

the

sixteenth

century, in England , is evident from the specimens of that period now in existence.

The Elizabethan

lock, shown in fig. 76 , contains a well-constructed tumbler, and also a revolving barrel, the latter a contrivance which is to be found in many of the French locks of a later period.

The revolving

barrel in combination with the curtain has only recently been adopted by the manufacturers of firstclass locks .

We shall discuss this part of the

subject at length in its proper place. " The great French treatise proves that the locksmiths of France were familiar with tumbler locks a century ago.

The plates of that work represent

the details of numerous locks , on the upper edge of the bolts of which were notches called encoches, as at o k, fig. 100 ; into these notches sank a small iron

stud or stump called the arrêt du pêne, or

bolt stop, shown in fig. 101 , attached to the upper portion of the gâchette or tumbler, which for the sake of economy of metal, is made in the form * Tomlinson's " Rudimentary Treatise on the Construction of Locks."

247

OLD FRENCH TUMBLER LOCKS.

of a triangular spring in front of the bolt ki ; and not until the key, by its circular action, had raised this stud out of one or other of the notches, could The stud was the bolt move to the right or left. generally fixed to a spring which forced it down again into the notch as soon as the action of the

C

d

k

k

k

Fig. 100.

key had ceased.

Fig. 101.- Old French Lock.

Sometimes, however, the stud

was fixed to the bolt, and the notches were in a separate tumbler or gâchette (see E E, fig. 103 ) ; and in other instances again, the stump was fixed to the case of the lock and caught into notches in the bolt. It will be seen, when we come to treat of tumbler locks of later date, that there was much in these early locks to point out the way.

Fig. 101 , copied

from the French work, represents a lock of the box

248

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

or casket kind.

Two staples, fixed into the cover,

fall into two cavities or receptacles at cd ; and a short bolt in each receptacle

catches into

staple, one near g, and one near h.

each

The small bolt

q is attached to the upper extremity of the lever qrs, (fig. 101 , ) and shown separately in fig. 102 ; and by the pressure of a spring a (fig . 101 ) upon this lever, the bolt q is kept locked in the staple. The vertical portion of this spring presses at its lower end on

another

spring p (fig .

102) of

singular curvature ; and attached to the horizontal part of this second spring is the stud , which falls into a notch in the top of the bolt.

The action of these parts, then ,

is as follows : when the key is placed upon the key-pin at z, and turned round in the direction in which the hands of a watch move, the bit presses against the tails of Fig. 102.

the lever, moves it upon its centre z (fig.

101 ), v (fig. 102) to the left, and

consequently

moves the upper part q to the right , drawing it out of the receptacle and liberating the staple within Thus it will be seen that the lever q r s, held C. in one position by the spring a, forms in itself a simple kind of spring catch-lock, and was, in fact, formerly used as such, without any other appendages except the staple in the lever, into which the a fitted on shutting down the lid. catch q

So also

we may regard the other portion, fig. 100 , or ki ph, (fig. 101 ) as forming a separate lock ; for the

249

OLD FRENCH TUMBLER LOCKS.

key, after having passed s , comes in contact with the triangular spring, which it raises thereby , lifting the stud out of the bolt, and exerting pressure against the barbs of the bolt n.

Fig. 100 shoots

the bolt k, and also the short bolt 1, which passes through the staple in the cavity d, (fig. 101.) "The lock represented in the four following figures is also from M. de Réaumur's chapter on

K

Fig. 103.-Details of an Old French Lock. locks in the work referred to.

In this lock the

tumbler principle is carried out in a very elaborate

Fig. 104.-Another view of the same.

manner, for not only is the stump or stud н (fig. 105 ) attached to a very strong spring (best shown at н, fig. 104 ) which holds it with considerable force

250

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

in one of the three notches of the principal bolt R S (fig. 106 ) ; but there is also a second set of notches EE in the gâchette Go (fig. 103) and a pin attached to one of the plates of the lock fits into one of

Fig. 105.-Another view of the same.

these notches , thereby preventing the bolt from being moved until the gúchette is lowered by the revolution of the key ; so that in attempting to pick

M

K

Fig. 106-The two bolts detached.

this lock, not only must the spring н be raised so as to release the stud from the notches of the great bolt, but the gâchette must be lowered to disengage the fixed pin from the notches. third source of security.

There is yet a

Attached to the large

bolt are short projecting pins F (fig. 103 ) against

251

OLD FRENCHI TUMBLER LOCKS.

which an arm or detent, G F, of the gâchette projects, thus preventing the bolt from being

shot

back by any pressure applied to its extremity s. " There are a few details relating to this remarkable lock, which may as well be introduced here in order to complete the description .

The principal

bolt can be shot twice, or be double- locked ; hence it is furnished with three barbs for the key to act against, and with three notches for the spring-stud. The lower bolt I к can be shot by the horizontal pressure of the button P (figs. 104, 105 ), which is situated on the inner side of the door to which this lock is attached, so that a person inside the room can secure the door against any one on the outside who is not furnished with the proper key, for it must be remarked that the small bolt as well as the large one is acted on by the

key.

Now

supposing the small bolt to be shot or locked, it is kept so by the pressure of the coiled spring a (figs. 103 , 104 ).

But this small bolt is connected with

the large one by means of the bent lever o N M (figs. 103 , 106 ), which turns on a pin N attached to the main bolt.

Now, when both bolts are either

fully shot or unshot, the arm o N lies flat against and

parallel

with

the main bolt ;

but

the large bolt is unshot and the small

when one not

moved, the arms o N, N м, fall into an inclined position, and the arm o N passing a little below the main bolt comes within the range of the web of the key, which in its revolution causes the bent lever

252

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

to move upon its centre N, thereby restoring o N to its horizontal position, and at the same time causing the arm N м to move from right to left, or in the direction for unshooting the small bolt ; the end of this arm thus catches into a mortise v (figs . 103 , 106 ) in the small bolt, and immediately unlocks it. "* We have now described the whole of the locks known in England previous to the reign of James the First, and we shall here insert a correct list of all the patents granted for " locks and latches " since that period , to

April

1851 , and

describe

those which contain any peculiarity of construction, or any contrivance of sufficient merit to interest our readers .

List of Patents granted for Locks and Latches, from the time of James the First, to April, 1851, compiled from an " Alphabetical Index of Patentees and Applicants for Patents of Invention," published by order of the Honourable the Commissioners of Patents, under the Act of 15 and 16 Vict., cap. 80, sec. 32. BY BENNET WOODCROFT, Superintendent of Specifications, Indexes, &c.

No. of Patent.

* 1071 1193 1200 1226 1247 1317

Year. 1774 1778 1778 1779 1780 1782

Date.

May 27 May 29 October 31 May 28 March 4 January 18

Name of Patentee. Black, George. Martin, Joshua Lover. Barron, Robert. Henry, Solomon. Campion, John. Hutchinson, Samuel.

Tomlinson's " Rudimentary Treatise on the Construction of Locks."

PATENTS FOR LOCKS AND LATCHES.

No. of Patent.

Year.

Date.

1430 1636 1692 1730 1778 1819 1835 2062 * 2203 2232 2277 2306 2521 2851 3188 3676 3891 4027 4036 4096 *4101 4219 4275 4402 4443 4519 4812 4862 4972 5171 5656 5798

1784 1788 1789 1790 1790 1791 1791 1795 1797 1798 1798 1799 1801 1805 1808 1813 1815 1816 1816 1817 1817 1818 1818 1819 1820 1820 1823 1823 1824 1825 1828 1829

April 23 January 15 July 7 February 23 October 29 July 19 November 3 August 28 November 18 May 3 December 8 April 11 June 24

5880

1830

* 5886 6105 6116 6143

1831 1831 1831

1830

253

Name of Patentee.

Bramah, Joseph. Angell, James. Cornthwaite, Thomas. Rowntree, Thomas. Bird, Moses. Ferryman, Robert. Antes, John. Spears, James. Langton, Daniel. Bramah, Joseph. Turner, Thomas (London. ) Davis, George. Holemburg, Samuel. May 18 Stansbury, Abraham Ogier D. December 29 Tompson, William. March 30 Egg, Joseph. March 7 Mitchell, Wm. and Lawton, John. Ruxton, Thomas. May 14 Kemp, Robert. May 27 February 1 Higginson, George Montague. February 8 Clark, William . February 3 Chubb, Jeremiah. June 30 Roux, Albert. October 18 Strutt, Anthony Radford. April 11 Jennings, Henry Constantine. December 14 Mallett, William. Fairbanks, Stephen . July 10 November 13 Ward, John. June 15 Chubb, Charles. Young, John. May 14 Chubb, Charles. May 17 June 1 Gottlieb, Andrew. Carpenter, James AND January 18 Young, John. Arnold, John. January 26 Rutherford, William. April 14 Barnard, George. May 23 Young, John. July 27

254

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

No. of Patent.

Year.

6350 6516

1832 1833

6527

1833

* 6532 6674 6694 6792 6960 7000 7715 7872 7972 8106 8140 8163 8181 8293 8402 8440 8489

1833 1834 1834 1835 1835 1836 1838 1838 1839 1839 1839 1839 1839 1839 1840 1840 1840

December 20 Parsons, Thomas. December 3 Parsons, Thomas. Chubb, Charles, Dec. 20 AND Hunter, Ebenezer. December 20❘ Pierson, Josiah Gilbert. September 6 Longfield, William. October 11 Audley, Lord Baron. March 18 Hill, Richard. December 16 Warrick, John . February 10 Fenton, Samuel. June 30 Uzielli, Matthew. November 13 Thompson, Sally. February 21 Uzielli, Matthew. June 12 Sanders, Joseph. Cochrane, Alexander. July 3 Schwieso, John Charles. July 20 Williams, William Morrett. August 1 December 2 Guest, James, jun. March 20 Williams, William Morrett. February 27 Gerish, Francis William. Peirce, William. May 2

8543

1840

June 13

8747

1840

Deember23

8903

1841

March 29

8953 9029 9104 9144 9224 9364 9395 * 9497 9578 * 9879

1841 1841 1841 1841 1842 1842 1842 1842 1842 1843

May 6 July 14 Sep. 28 November 9

Date.

Name of Patentee.

Wolverson, Joseph, AND Rawlett, William. Baillie, Benjamin. Tildesley, James, AND

Sanders, Joseph. Hancock, James. Berry, Miles . Strong, Theodore Frederick . Smith, Jesse. Poole, Moses . January 15 Duce, Joseph , jun. May 24 June 13 Williams, William Morrett. October 20 Statham, James. December 29 Rock, Joseph , jun. September 6 Thomas, William.

255

PATENTS FOR LOCKS AND LATCHES. No. of Patent.

Year.

9963

1843

9965 10,032 10,182 10,611 10,978 11,015 11,152 11,283 ⚫ 11,299 11,491

1843 1844 1844 1845 1945 1845 1846 1846 1846 1846

11,523

1847

11,659 11,869 12,274 12,604 13,184 13,595

1847 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851

Date.

Name of Patentee.

Tann, Edward, Tann, Edward, jun., Nov. 25 AND Tann, John. November25 Rock, Joseph, jun. Fletcher, William. January 30 Pitt, Benjamin. May 14 Carter, George. April 15 December 4 Poole, Moses. December 22 Smith, Philip. March 25 Cotterill, Edwin. De la Fons, John Palmer. July 6 Thomas, William. July 15 December 14 Chubb, John. Chubb, John , AND January 11 Hunter, Ebenezer, sen. Collett, Charles Minors. April 15 Hancock, William. Sep. 16 Newall, Robert Stirling. Sep. 28 Wilkes, Samuel. May 8 Bradford, James. July 22 Newell, Robert (America) . April 15

Those marked thus are not for improvements in the construction of locks or latches, but for contrivances in some way connected with themand for fastenings for doors, windows, shutters, &c.

The following lock was invented previous to May 1851 , though not patented till 1852.

It was

exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 , and consequently it will be described in this chapter : Closed key-hole Detector Lock, by Walter H. Tucker. Besides those named in the preceding list, there "" are many other locks which are called " patent whereas no patent has ever been taken out for any

256

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

of them, and we understand it is a very common circumstance for applications to be made at the office of the Commissioners of Patents for information relative to " patents " which never existed . The following list comprises all the other locks we have heard of, the improvements in which were not patented.

Many of these will be described as

we proceed. Ainger's Andrews's, Dr. (America) Arkwright's Aubin's, 6 locks Benton's Bickerton's Brierley's Brookes' Bryden and Son's Burton's Bullock's Chesterman's Cope's Daniells's Davis's Downs' Duce's (senior) Duce's (junior) 3 locks Eagle's Edwardes' Foster's Friend's Giles's Gould's Gray and Son's Hicken's Hipkins' Jones's (America) Jones's Lea's Lees' Mace's Machin's Marshall's Marr's

Mason's Mackinnon's Meighan's Mordan's Moore's Nettlefold's Norton's Odell's Parkes' Peer's Perry's Picken's Prices' Roberts' Scott's Smith's Somerford's Spicer's Stanley's Steele's Strong's Stuart's Taylor's Thompson's Thomas's Tildesley's Toy's Walton's Windle, Blyth, and Windle's Wright's Worcester's, Marquis of Wolverson's Walters' Yale's (America ) Young's

BACK-PLATE, CAP, AND TALON.

257

Having arrived at that portion of our work when plainness of diction and perspecuity of description becomes absolutely necessary for a correct appreciation of the various patented and other locks, and the differences in their construction, and their comparative merits, we think it will conduce to an easier understanding of the subject, to first explain and illustrate the several principal parts of which most locks are composed.

The " back-plate " is that into

6

which the " drill-pin " which receives the

key,

and other por-

tions of the works

of the lock

are rivetted . The " cap " is that part which covers the internal mechanism of the lock.

It is usually fastened

to the back-plate by two screws. The cap used to be made of iron hammered and bent to the required size and shape, and rivetted to the back-plate.

The caps of

the very commonest locks of the present day are made

and fitted

Fig. 107.- Back-plate. a, The back-plate. b, The fore-end. c, The drill-pin.

in the latter way. The talon of the bolt, b, ( fig. 109 , ) is that part by which it is moved backwards or forwards by the end of the key-bit being forced against it. S

258

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

A common tumbler bolt has the " racks " "notches " in its top edge,-as shown in fig. 108.

Fig. 108.-Common Tumbler Bolt.

The bolt of a Barron's lock has the " gating " in the position shown in fig. 109.

Fig. 109.- Bolt to a Barron's Lock. a, The " gating. " b, The "talon."

99 The term " double-acting

means that the slot

in the bolt or lever has " notches " or " racks " at the top and bottom of each opening, as shown in figs. 109 and 111 .

259

BARRON'S TUMBLERS.

The " gating " in the bolt is the slot or narrow passage through which the stud or stump of the tumbler moves .

The " gating " in the levers is the

slot or narrow passage through which the stump of the bolt moves . The bolt with the gating belongs particularly to all the locks known as Barron's, and the bolt with the stump to those known as Chubb's, or other lever locks.

The " stump " of the bolt is that

which

stud

projects at right angles from the face of the bolt , and which passes in and out of the " slots " through the gating in the levers , or combinations , or other moveable obstructions contained in the lock.

Fig. 110.- Pair of Barron's Tumblers. a, The Front Tumbler. b, The Back Tumbler.

Fig. 110 represents a pair of Barron's tumblers , the stumps of which move in and out of the slots through the gating in the bolt a (fig. 109. ) Fig. 111 represents a lever as used for most locks of that kind.

All the writers on locks up to the present time have used the terms tumbler and lever

synony-

mously, but as there is a difference between the R 2

260

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

two, as shewn in figs.

110 and

111 , we

shall ,

throughout the work, observe the distinction ; and this distinction is strictly attended to in every workshop in the district, for as a master locksmith remarked to us when discussing this point, if he were

a d

Fig. 111.-A Lever. a, The pivotted end of the Lever on which it works, or the fulcrum. b, The " gating " to admit the stump of the bolt from one hole to the other. c, The notch or slot for the stump when the lock is unlocked. d, The notch or slot for the stump when locked. e, The belly of the lever.

to send one of his men for a tumbler, he would certainly bring him a Barron's tumbler ; asked him for a lever, he

and if he

would give him

one

similar to Chubb's. We have often heard the word tumbler used to express the different locks having moveable impediments to the passage of the bolt, and in this sense only is it admissible . strictly observed

Unless the distinction be

between the tumbler and the

lever, confusion of ideas must be the result.

261

BLACK'S LOCK. BLACK'S LOCK, Patent dated May 27, 1774.

99 The first patent granted for " locks and latches ' was to George Black, May 27 , 1774, for " a latch or lock so made as to raise the door over the carpet, and so made as to admit air into the room without opening the door."

Although there is nothing in

the construction of Black's lock to add to the security of those which were then in use, yet as it is the first patent in connection with this subject, and as a curiosity, we should have printed the specification at length, could we have procured a copy of it in time. * It has been thought by many that Black invented the " double-acting " tumbler,

which, they say,

Barron improved and patented in 1778, but there is nothing whatever to support such a supposition.

BARRON'S LOCK, Patent dated October 31 , 1778.

As shown in the list of patents , it was in the year 1778† that the first great improvement in the art of making locks secure took place. Mr. Barron , who had directed his attention to what is called the " tumbler " principle, added it to the warded lock. In his specification , he claims " the gating or racking * The original specification was in the hands of the printer when we applied at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents for information respecting it, in June, 1856. It will, therefore, soon be published. + Most writers on this subject have put the date of Barron's patent in the year 1774. In Hebert's Encyclopædia it is 1774. Mr. Chubb, at page 11 of his work, says-" In the year 1774, Mr. Barron patented his very useful and secure lock ;" and in the list of patents in the Appendix to the same work Barron's name is put under Black's , but without any date at all.

262

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

to allow a stump on the tumbler to pass through the bolt, or an opening in the tumbler to allow a stump on the bolt to pass through."

This clearly proves that

the invention of the modern " lever," as well as the " double-acting tumbler," belongs to Barron. Besides the above , he

employed

two or

more

tumblers , of the construction shown in fig. 110 , which, although similar to the common tumbler before described, are so arranged that they must

Fig. 112- Barron's Lock.

be operated upon at different times or altogether , and be moved so as to take the " stumps " completely out of their notches , and release the bolt, so that it can be moved backwards or forwards , by the step of the key which acts upon it. Fig. 112 represents Barron's lock with wards and tumblers : a is the bolt ; b and c are the two tumblers , which are kept in their position by the spring d. The studs or stumps , ef, which project from the tumblers , retain the bolt in its locked position , and

BARRON'S LOCK.

263 ""

it is only with its own key g, which is cut in " steps of different lengths to correspond with the varying lifts of the tumblers, that the latter can be raised to the exact height to bring the studs or stumps into a line with the slot in the bolt through which they pass, and thus allow the top step of the key to act on the talon h, and unlock it.

In the common

tumbler locks, as stated before, it was only necessary to raise the tumbler sufficiently high to open the lock- it could not be raised too high ; but in Barron's there is a limit, for if the tumbler be raised either too low or too high, they either remain in the lower notches or get into the upper notches, and in either case prevent the moving of the bolt. tumblers, whether two

or more,

The

must be lifted

exactly to the same height, at precisely the same time, and in a line with the slot in the bolt.

The

steps of the key are made to fit the inequalities in the width of the tumblers, so that all shall be raised to the required

position

at the

same

instant.

Though the upper and lower notches are applicable to a single tumbler, yet Barron , by using two, considerably increased the amount of security in his locks.

This lock, therefore, contains two impor-

tant improvements on the common tumbler lock, viz., the double action of the tumblers in the bolt, and using two instead of one tumbler. this lock is

constructed

Although

on precisely the same

principle as the Egyptian, it is far superior, as the

264

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

overlift of the tumblers is a most important improvement and adds considerably to the security of the lock. " In the simple form of the tumbler represented in fig. 99, there is the disadvantage, that, while it effectually prevents the removal of the bolt unless the tumbler be raised high enough, it presents no obstacle to its removal when, by the use of a false key, the tumbler is thrown up beyond the proper degree.

This defect is remedied in Barron's lock

and in many more recent contrivances which are based upon it, by the use of from four to twelve levers, each of which requires to be raised to a different degree, and any one of which, if lifted too high, will form as effectual a barrier to the motion of the bolt as if it were not lifted at all. illustrate this, let a (fig.

Το

113 ) represent a lever

pivotted at b, pressed downwards by the action of a spring, not shown in the cut, at c.

Underneath , or

behind the lever, lies the bolt, a part of which only is shown in the cut, where it is distinguished by a dark tint, and at d , an opening-the gating and Н in shape racking -somewhat resembling the letter H is cut through the lever, to allow a prominent square pin or stud-the stump-which is attached to the bolt, and is shown in the cut by a light tint, to pass through it. such a lever

It is obvious that the bolt secured by can only be shot when the lever

is raised precisely to such a degree as to bring the horizontal portion of the H-shaped aperture opposite

265

BARRON'S LOCK.

to the stud, so that the stud, which fits it accurately, may slip through it. raised to this

Fig.

114 shows the lever

position , and the bolt half shot.

When fully shot the lever again falls ; the stud is secured in that division or notch of the H-shaped

Of Fig. 113.-A Lever.

Fig. 114.-A Lever.

aperture which lies nearest the end of the lever ; and an equal security is afforded against any attempt to return it to its first position by any key which does not lift it precisely to the proper height. Many such levers may be placed in one lock, the whole being mounted upon one pivot ; and if the horizontal connecting portion of the H-shaped aperture be placed at a different elevation in each, each will require to be raised to a different degree to allow the stump of the bolt to pass.

These

different degrees of motion are provided for by variations in the curved portion of the lower edge or bellies of the levers, e, (figs. 111 and 113) against which the bit of the key acts, and by dividing the end of the bit into a series of steps and notches, each acting upon a single lever.

Fig.

115 re-

266

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

presents the bit of such a key adapted for a lock with either three tumblers or three levers.

As may

be seen from the cut, the lock to which this key is adapted, is guarded by two wards, of different forms, and the end of the bit is divided into four portions,

P

Fig. 115.-Barron's Key.

of various degrees of projection, of which that marked a is employed for moving the bolt, while b c and d act upon the three tumblers or levers. In the event of such a key being lost to a lock with levers, or it being suspected that an impression of it had fallen into wrong hands, the levers of the lock might be taken out and returned on to their common axis in a new order, so as to require a key in which the members b c and d would stand in a different relation to each other, by which means the old key would be rendered utterly useless . "* Barron's

Lock, when well made,

with

three

to six tumblers, and a well-constructed series of wards, is extremely difficult to pick ; for the wards, as previously shown, though useless as preventives * Adapted from the Penny Cyclopædia.

PRICE'S LOCK.

267

to the operation of lifting up a single common tumbler, greatly impede so delicate a proceeding as the elevation of three or more to the precise height required for the passage of the stumps through the gating in the bolt.

A strong recommendation in its

favour, is its simplicity, and the strength of the various " limbs" which form the internal mechanism There is also nothing in the

construction

of a

Barron's lock to render it very liable to get out of order. The only successful

method

of picking the

tumbler and lever locks, is by applying pressure to the bolt through the key-hole.

We shall defer

saying more relative thereto, till we discuss this part of the subject in the chapters on the Lock Controversy.

PRICE'S LOCK, invented about 1778. About the year 1778 a lock was invented by Price, and was the first lock ever constructed with This lock bears a very four double-acting levers. close resemblance to those of more recent introduction.

We have been furnished with a sketch

of one of these locks , which was till lately in the possession of Mr. Aubin, of Wolverhampton, and which has been traced back to the above period.

The peculiarity of this lock was, that it locked without the key by pressing a stud or knob, which released a common tumbler in the main bolt ; the four levers had plain gatings.

The bolt was driven

268

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

forward, or locked out, by a powerful spring and "follow" pressing against the bolt-head .

To unlock

it the key was used in the ordinary way.

It may be well to remark here, that all the modern spring, or self-acting locks, are constructed precisely on the same principle as that exhibited in this lock, except, that in the modern locks, the driving spring is placed against the bolt tail instead of the bolt head.

BRAMAH'S LOCK.

No lock has been more generally used, the mechanism

of

which

is

less

understood,

than

Bramah's, and as it has continued to have a most extensive sale from the period of its invention to the present time, we must beg to be excused for giving at such length the following description and particulars relating thereto, for however great the number of new locks which may be introduced , none will interfere much with the almost universal employment of the Bramah

lock,

from the cir-

cumstance of its construction being so peculiarly adapted for all cabinet purposes, and the key of it being so conveniently small. The majority of locks that are now or ever will be in use, are not required to be secure against the accomplished scientific thief, but only against the prying curiosity of children,

servants,

and

employés ; against petty fraud , and the designs of

BRAMAH'S LOCK .

269

ordinary thieves ; therefore, such locks as Bramah's or Barron's , well made, —and there are now a great variety—will always command an extensive sale. When locks

are required to secure property of

considerable value, as in banks, the fastenings to the depository should be as perfect and inviolable as possible, as the anticipated booty being so valuable, stimulates the ingenuity and enterprise of the highest class of burglars in devising complete and effective measures to accomplish the robbery. A lock possessing perfect security with simplicity of construction, and which could be sold at a moderate price, is the article which all inventors, since the time of Barron, have been trying to fabricate, and almost every patentee, in his specification , states , that he has accomplished this great and important desideratum, but it will be seen, as we proceed, that nearly every inventor, instead of simplifying that which had gone before, has complicated the construction without giving additional security ; in the language of the workshop , he has added more "limbs" to the machine without increasing its security or utility, and it will most likely surprise many of our readers, to find in the great number of locks that have been introduced , how few there are that can be called original, and how many there are that are " new" only in respect to the altered form or position of the several parts or " limbs" they contain.

We shall not forget the motto " Honour to

whom honour is due," and it will be our object to

270

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

point out to the general reader those locks in which this copying

or repetition

exists.

It is a fact

which will be corroborated by a little enquiry and observation, that in the majority of inventions the so-called

improvements

are

only complications .

The object of all improvements should be to simplify that which has preceded it ; in other words, to construct a machine, say a lock, to be composed of only five pieces, which shall offer all the security, strength, and durability of others which comprise ten pieces. Man's inventive powers seem to be like a lawyer's in a bad cause where there is plenty of money ; the object being to complicate rather than simplify it. It would appear that our law-makers also frequently act upon the same principle.

How different are

all the contrivances of Nature - how beautifully simple are all the constructions of her machines. We do not see in her " handiwork " two "limbs " performing that which is better effected by one ; and it is a fact, that wherever an inventor has taken Nature for his guide, he has triumphantly succeeded in his design, as for instance, the "toggle," or knee-joint, &c . Although Bramah's lock is constructed on the principle of the Egyptian, it will be seen , that the mode of application is, however, very different , as it is a compound of both endway pushing and revolving motion, which is also different from the simple rotatory movement of Barron's lock.

271

BRAMAH'S LOCK. We here insert,

at length, the specification of

the patent, published in the Repertory of Arts, for 1796 . BRAMAH'S SPECIFICATION, dated April 3rd, 1784. "The principle of all locks hitherto known , or in public use, is too well understood to require any particular description here ;

yet it may not be

improper to observe on what ideas their security was always founded , and likewise how far such principle may tend to render

them

perfect

or

effectual ; by which may be obtained some comparative information necessary to show or explain the advantages and superior utility of this my said invention.

The means hitherto

adopted for the

security of all locks are, the inserting or fixing, between the key-hole and the bolt, a greater or a less number of wheels or wards ; which said wheels or wards may be crossed or interwoven, in such a manner as to render the communication between the key-hole and the bolt as irregular and crooked as possible, in order to prevent the said bolt from being moved by any counterfeit application when the key is absent ; the bit of which said key is so cut or shaped as to form a complete tally with the said wheels and wards, and is thereby capable of producing the required effect, when applied for the purpose of moving the bolt.

Now the insufficiency

of this method of rendering locks a perfect security is as follows, viz .,

notwithstanding the said

272

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

wheels and wards may be variously placed and disposed, yet they cannot by any means become sufficient to answer the intended purpose , owing to their being always left fixed in the lock. form and disposition

can be

impression ;

notwithstanding

so

that

Their

easily obtained

by

they may

prevent the use or effect of pick-locks, yet the making a perfect or skeleton key is always extremely practicable.

And further, the variations

capable of being made in the disposition of the said wheels or wards , and the form of the key's bit, are not sufficient to produce the required number of locks, without having great quantities exactly alike, and their keys capable of opening each other reciprocally ; from which they become a very imperfect security, as any ill-disposed person may, by furnishing himself with a number of old keys, be enabled to

open

almost

all the

common locks in the

kingdom, with as little difficulty as if he had in his possession the key belonging to each lock. remedy

these

objections,

by

discovering

To some

principle or method whereby the success of picklocks, false-keys , and all other counterfeit means of opening locks , may be infallibly prevented, has been the ultimate design of my said invention , and may be effected in manner following, viz .: instead of introducing (for the security of the bolt and other moveable

parts of the lock) a number of

wards and wheels, I have found out and invented much more simple and effectual means of rendering

BRAMAH'S LOCK.

273

the said bolt and other parts entirely immoveable, without the absolute application of the real key ; by those said means, the effects of pick-locks , the practicability of obtaining the form of the key, and the having a number of the said keys alike, are entirely avoided, by having a greater or less number of moveable

parts, such as levers ,

sliders ,

&c.,

adapted and placed in the lock, so as to require each of them in their

a separate

situation

and

distinct

change

and position, before the bolt,

and other parts of the lock on which its safety depends, can be set at liberty or moved. These said levers, sliders , or other moveables, by the assistance of an elastic, gravitating, or other power, have the property of maintaining, or restoring, their given position or situation , after it may have been destroyed by any forcible application for that purpose.

From this said property, the said levers,

sliders, or other moveables, are rendered capable of receiving (as it were) any impression or required change in their position or situation , correspondent to the cause which produces such said change, and are also thereby always restored to their former state, or resting situation , when the said cause is withdrawn ; so that the opening these , my said invented locks, is as difficult as it would be to determine what kind of impression had been made in any fluid, when the cause of such said impression was wholly unknown ; or to determine the separate magnitudes of any given number of unequal subT

274

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

stances, without being permitted to see them ; or to counterfeit the tally of a banker's cheque, without having either part in possession .

The form of

these said levers , sliders, or other moveables , and also the manner of fixing them in the lock, may be varied without end, without altering or losing any of the intended properties or advantages, as the principal merits and efficacy of my said invention do no ways depend thereon but entirely depend on the said levers , sliders, and other moveable parts, being so fixed or disposed as to prevent the bolt, or other parts of the lock on which its safety depends, from being moved , without the said levers , sliders, or other moveables , first receiving each of them a separate and distinct change in their position or situation, by a key or other contrivance for that purpose ; which, being pushed or pressed in a progressive direction , without revolution , against some part of each of the said levers, sliders, &c. , occasions them to change their positions, in manner exactly correspondent to the part of the key so applied.

And the said part, being formed with a

number of irregular surfaces, equal to the number of levers, sliders, & c. , against which it is pushed or pressed, causes them to move at different times, and to different distances from their original situation . And the said key, by having a stop, or some mark whereby to limit or determine the length of its push against the said levers , sliders, &c. , puts a period to each of their motions, notwithstanding

BRAMAH'S LOCK.

275

they are at liberty to move farther, but are prevented by the resistance of a spring, gravity, or other power, always endeavouring to restore them to their original situation .

So that the motion of

each lever, & c . , separately, depends on the height or depth of that surface of the key against which it falls.

So that a perfect tally is formed , similar to

any impression made in a soft body by the forcible application of any harder one ; which said hard body represents the essential part of the key, and may be of any determinate shape, formed by rule or by accident ; and the moving the bolt, or other parts of the lock whereby it may be opened , entirely depends on the positive motion of the said levers , sliders , & c . , as any one of them would, by being pushed the least degree too much or too little, entirely prevent the bolt, & c. , from being moved or set at liberty. And, as the whole of the said levers , sliders , &c. are restored to their resting situation when the key is withdrawn, by the properties or powers abovementioned, the said tally or

impression is then

totally destroyed, and consequently the opening of the lock is then left wholly dependent on chance , whilst the said key is absent, as there is no rule whatever, nor imagination founded on certainty, that may in the least degree tend to assist in discovering the required position or situation of each or any of the said levers, sliders , or other moveables whereby the form of the key, or the part of the said key necessary to the opening T 2

of the lock,

276

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

might be ascertained.

Now, admitting that no

lock on this said principle can be picked, or the form of the key obtained , their farther security then depends on the number of different keys that may be made without having any two of them alike, which number I trust will appear indeterminate from the following demonstration ; suppose the number of levers ,

viz. ,

sliders,

or

let us other

moveables by which the lock is kept shut, to consist of twelve, all of which must receive a different and distinct change in their position or situation by the application of the key, and each of them likewise capable of receiving more or less than its due , either of which would be sufficient to prevent the intended effect ; it remains, therefore, to estimate the number producible, which may thus be attempted, viz . , let the denominations of those levers, &c. , be represented by twelve arithmetical progressionals , we find that the ultimate number of changes that may be made in their place or situation is 479,001,600 , and by adding one more to that number of levers , & c. , they would then be capable of receiving a number of changes equal to 6,227,020,800 , and so on progressively, by the addition of others in like manner, to infinity.

From this it appears , that one

lock, consisting of thirteen of the said levers, sliders, or other moveable parts, may (by changing their places only, without any difference in motion or size) be made to require the said immense number of keys, by which the said lock could

only be

BRAMAH'S LOCK .

277

opened under all its variations ; wherefore it likewise appears that the said number of locks may be made, consisting of the same parts, without the smallest difference whatsoever , and, by varying the places of such said parts, would require each of them a separate key, and not one out of the whole number above-mentioned be capable of opening any lock, except that particular lock to which it belongs.

Now it must be observed, that the number

of different locks, above stated, is produced by thirteen moveables, ( to wit, ) levers, sliders, & c . , which having all a distinct difference in their required motions , determines their denominations or names, without any relation being had to the separate value or positive motion of each, which said motion may be given at discretion ; so that it plainly appears that the number producible from a like number of levers, &c. , is far from terminating here, as their motions, and the difference in proportion one to another, may be varied without end, and are to be added to the former ; it is therefore very obvious from this demonstration, that a much less number of the said levers, sliders , or other moveables, will be found sufficient to produce any required number of the said locks, without having any of their keys to pass each other.

These said levers , sliders , or other

moveables above-mentioned , may be adapted and applied to all sorts of discretionary fastenings whatever, such as bolts, bars, turnbuckles, &c.

The

figures or drawings hereunder written, or hereunto

278

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

annexed,

together

with

the

demonstration

or

description therewith given , will more fully show the true nature and intent of this my said invention . " Before I refer to the drawings, I think it proper to observe, that the art of constructing locks wholly depends on some method or means, so adapted or contrived as to be rendered capable of admitting or preventing,

at

discretion,

the

motion

of some

fastening, such as bolt, bar, or other moveable part ; which may be made of iron, brass, wood, or other materials sufficient for the purpose."

K

H

Fig. 116.- Bramah's Lock. Fig. 116 represents the till

lock, with three

principle of the sliders .

exterior of a Bramah

diagrams to illustrate the

BRAMAH'S LOCK .

279

G represents a sliding bar, or bolt, in the frame K, that hath cut in its edge six notches of any proper depth.

In these notches are placed six

sliders, or small bars, A B C D E F, that are sunk into the bottom of each notch, so that the motion of the bar or bolt G is thereby totally prevented, till these sliders are moved some way or other to give it liberty, which must be done from their ends at II , as no other part of them is meant to be exposed for the purpose of moving them ; which ends at II always have an equal projection when the bar G is set fast.

Now we will suppose each of these sliders

capable of being pushed upwards towards a B, &c. to any determined distance , and when each of them has exactly received its due motion , the bar G is set at liberty, so as to slide backwards and forwards as required.

Now in order to determine the sepa-

rate and distinct motion that shall be given to each , we will suppose the part н to be made ; which part serves to represent a key, and the ends 1 2 3 4 5 6 are cut of different lengths , either by rule, or by chance, so that, when pushed against the ends of the sliders at II, they will cause each of them to be slided up at different times, and to different distances from II, in a form exactly correspondent to the ends of the part H.

When they have thus

received their correspondent position , and their ends 11 form a complete tally with the part н, by making a notch in each slider at 1 2 3, &c. , in a line with the bar G, the said bar will then have liberty to be

280

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

slided backwards and forwards without obstruction ; and, when brought into its original situation , and the part н withdrawn , the sliders A B C, &c . will then fall down into their notches, and fasten it as usual ; their ends at 11 will be restored perfectly even, as before, and not the least trace be left of the position

required in them to set the bar Gat

liberty ; it depends, therefore, entirely on chance when the part н, or key, is absent. or barrel that moves the bolt in

which barrel

or

frame

are

A is a frame

by its turning, fixed

any other given number of sliders.

eight,

or

B is a thin

plate fixed in the lock, through which the barrel or frame a passes, and is prevented from turning for the purpose of moving the bolt, by the projecting parts of the sliders that move in the fixed plate в, till the notches in each of them are, by the application of the correspondent part of the key, pushed into contact, or in a line with the plate a .

At the

end of each slider, in the cylindrical parts cc c, &c. , is fixed a spiral spring, which always restores them after the key is withdrawn, similar to A B C, & c., by their own gravity."

c (fig. 117 ) represents a spiral spring, which is lodged in each of the cells cc c, &c. , in the barrel A, (fig. 116. )

The other half of the barrel is filled

with a slider which rests on the spring.

b is the

nib which is projected through the interior groove into the space which forms the centre or key-hole on which the key is pressed.

The office of these

281

BRAMAH'S LOCK .

sliders exactly corresponds with that of the levers in the diagram K, (fig. 116)—" When lodged in their respective cells, they

are upheld, like the

levers, by the elastic power of the springs on which they rest, till a pressure superior to that power is f

Fig. 117.-Bramah's first slider. b, The nib. c, The spiral d, The notch. spring. f, Top section.

Fig. 118.-Bramah's slider with spiral spring, and false notches, as in troduced in the year 1817. b, The point on which the key presses. c, The spiral spring. d, The principal notch or main gating. ee e, The false notches.

applied ; and are again restored to their stations by the re-action of the springs, when the weight which depressed them is withdrawn. " It

will be

well to

notice

particularly that

Bramah's first locks were constructed with a spiral spring to each slider, as shown in figs. 116 and 117 , as we shall have to refer to this point hereafter. We have had lent to us for examination an example of these early locks -a large padlock .

It is a

beautiful piece of workmanship and proves the great mechanical skill of its inventor, and from its expensiveness must have been used to secure some depository of great importance. It has eight sliders

282

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

of the pattern fig. 118 , with a spiral spring, c, to each, and a slide escutcheon before the key-hole. At the top of the nozel is a chamber for holding sealing wax to prevent the raising of the slide. We have omitted several of the diagrams annexed to the foregoing specification , for the purpose of substituting others contained in another version of the same specification , which forms a continuation of " A Dissertation on the Construction of Locks, containing, FIRST-Reasons and Observations, demonstrating

all

LOCKS

which depend

on FIXED

WARDS , to be erroneous in principle, and defective in point of security.

SECONDLY

A Specification

of a lock constructed on a new and infallible principle, which, possessing all the properties essential to security, will prevent the ruinous consequences of HOUSE ROBBERIES , and be a certain protection against

thieves of all

descriptions :

by Joseph

Bramah," which was published soon after the date patent. A second edition of this

of the first

interesting, and now very scarce, pamphlet, was published in the year 1815.

We shall quote at

some length from both editions, * and shall conclude our description with numerous diagrams of the details of the lock as it is at the present time constructed, and with such additional explanations as may appear necessary. We are indebted to Mr. Hobbs, as we have been for many other documents, and much valuable information, for a loan of a copy ofthe first edition of the " Dissertation ," and to Messrs. Bramah and Co. for a loan of a copy of the second edition.

BRAMAH'S LOCK.

283

At the time Mr. Bramah wrote the " Dissertation," house-breaking had risen to a most fearful London , which caused the public to examine into the nature of the fastenings to their

height in

doors, and to their money depositories.

The warded

lock was the kind almost universally employed, Barron's being at that period but little known. That

Mr.

Bramah thoroughly

principle and the defects

understood

and insecurity

the

of the

warded locks is evident from his writings , and it would appear, from the following pages, that although he appreciated the ingenuity of Mr. Barron in the construction of his double-acting tumbler lock, yet that he considered it insecure, from the circumstance of the tumblers having an uniform motion, and their being presented with a face which tallies exactly with the key. " But if the variations of locks in which the bolt is guarded only by fixed wards could be multiplied to infinity, they would afford no security against the efforts of an ingenious locksmith .

For though

an artful and judicious arrangement of the wards , or other impediments, may render the passage to the bolt so intricate and perplexed , as to exclude every instrument but its proper key, -a

skilful

workman having access to the entrance, will be at no loss to fabricate a key which shall tally as perfectly with the wards, as if the lock had been open to his inspection .

And this operation may

not

to the highest

only be performed

degree

284

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

of certainty and exactness , but is conducted likewise with the utmost ease.

For the block or bit,

which is intended to receive the impression of the wards, being fitted to the key-hole, and the shank of the key bored to a sufficient depth to receive the pipe, nothing remains but to colour the bit with a preparation, which, by a gentle pressure against the introductory ward, may receive its impression , and thus furnish a certain direction for the application

of the file.

The block or bit being thus

prepared with a tally to the first ward, gains admission to the second , and a repetition of the means by which the first impression was obtained , enables the workman to proceed, till by the dexterous use of his file he hath effected a free passage to the bolt.

And in this operation he is directed by an

infallible guide ; for, the pipe being a fixed centre on which the key revolves without any variation , and the wards being fixed likewise, their position must be accurately described on the surface of the bit which is prepared to receive their impression . The key therefore may be formed , and perfectly fitted to the lock, without any extraordinary degree of genius, or mechanical skill .

It is from hence

evident, that endless variations in the disposition of FIXED WARDS , are not alone sufficient for the purpose of perfect security. " I do not mean to subtract from the merit of such inventions, importance.

nor to dispute their utility and

Every approach towards perfection in

285

BRAMAH'S LOCK.

the art of lock-making may be productive of much good, and is at least deserving of commendation and encouragement ; for if no higher benefit were to result from it, but the rendering that difficult or impossible to many, which is still practicable and easy to a few, it furnishes a material security against those from whom the greatest mischiefs and dangers are to be apprehended. " The first claimant to merit in this branch of mechanics is Mr. Barron, whose lock is undoubtedly, and beyond all comparison, more excellent

and

more secure than any lock that ever was in use before his invention was made known.

An obser-

vation or two upon Mr. Barron's lock will however illustrate what I have said on the subject of fixed wards, and prepare my readers to comprehend more readily the principle on which my own lock is constructed. " It appears from the object of improvement which employed Mr. Barron's attention in the construction of this lock, that he was aware, and as sensible as I am of the impossibility of guarding the avenues to the bolt so effectually by FIXED WARDS as to prevent all access to it ; for leaving the entrance and passage to the common protection of wards and outworks, his ingenuity hath been wholly applied to the interior fortification of the bolt, by a new and judicious application of additional tumblers .

These are a kind of grapple, by

which the bolt is confined as well in its active as its

286

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

passive station , and rendered immoveable , till set at liberty by the key.

One of these instruments is

commonly introduced into all locks that are of any use or value ; it is lodged behind the bolt, and is governed by a spring which acts upon the tumbler, as the tumbler acts upon the bolt.

The application ,

therefore, of any force to the tumbler, which is superior to the force of the spring , will cause it to And in

quit its hold, and set the bolt at liberty. this operation

no skill or nicety is required to

ascertain the degree of force to be applied ; for it matters not how far the tumbler is lifted above the point at which it ceases to control the bolt. Mr. Barron's lock the case is otherwise .

But in

He hath

not only improved upon the practised method of applying the tumbler, but hath given it an office which is perfectly new, and of more importance to its security, than any impediment which art can oppose to the introduction of a false key.

Instead

of leaving his tumblers liable to be forced to an indefinite distance from the point at which they cease to control the bolt, he hath confined their action within

a circumscribed space, cut in the

centre of the bolt, of a dimension barely sufficient This to the purpose they are intended to answer. space or groove is , in form, an oblong square, and is not only furnished with niches on the under side, into which the hooks of the tumblers are forced by the spring as in other locks, but is provided likewise with correspondent niches on the upper side ,

287

BRAMAH'S LOCK.

into which the hooks are driven , if any greater force be applied to the tumblers than is required to disengage them from the bolt.

Hence it becomes

absolutely necessary in the fabrication of a false key, that the pressure of the extreme point of its bit on the tumblers be proportioned with the greatest degree of exactness to the point of height to which they must be raised, to release the bolt ; for otherwise the power which disengages the hooks on the one side will fix them on the other, and still leave the bolt immoveable .

This improvement, which

does great credit to Mr. Barron's mechanical skill and invention, being as useful and important in effect as it is new and curious in principle, must be admitted by every competent and impartial judge to be a very valuable acquisition to the art of lockmaking.

But greatly as the art is indebted to the

ingenuity of Mr. Barron, he hath not yet attained that point of excellence in the construction of his lock which is essential to perfect security .

His

improvement hath greatly increased the difficulty, but not precluded the possibility of opening his lock, by a key made and obtained as above described ; for an impression of the tumblers may be taken by the same method, and the key be thence made to act upon them as accurately as it may be made to tally with the wards.

Nor will the prac-

ticability of obtaining such a key be prevented, however complicated the principle or construction of the lock may be, whilst the disposition of its

288

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

parts may be ascertained , and their impression correctly taken from without.

I apprehend the use of

additional tumblers to have been applied by Mr. Barron as a remedy for this imperfection , because a less object would not have been worthy the exercise of his great talents and ability ; and because ( if such were his intentions) he did not over-rate the effect which the cause was capable of producing. He seems evidently to have conceived the principle, but hath certainly failed in the execution.

For, by

giving an uniform motion to the tumblers, and presenting them with a face which tallies exactly with the key, they still partake in a very great degree of the nature of FIXED WARDS , and the security of his lock is thereby rendered in a proportionable degree defective.

To make these

remarks more

intelligible, I must intreat my readers to suppose the key, with which the workman is making his way to the bolt (by the process above described) to have passed the wards , and to be in contact with the most prominent of the tumblers.

The impres-

sion, which the slightest touch will leave on the key, will direct the application of the file, till sufficient space is prepared to give it a free passage. This being accomplished, the key will of course bear upon the tumbler, which is most remote ; and being formed by this process to tally with the face, which the tumblers present, will acquire as perfect a command of the lock as if it had been originally made for the purpose . And the key, being thus

BRAMAH'S LOCK.

289

brought to a bearing on all the tumblers at once, the benefit arising from the increase of their number, if multiplied to fifty, must inevitably be lost ; for, having but one motion, they can act only with the effect of one instrument.

But nothing is more

easy than to remove this objection, and to obtain perfect security from the application of Mr. Barron's principle." From this last passage it would seem that Mr. Bramah had some idea that Barron's lock was capable of being made perfectly secure, and that by some easy method.

" If the tumblers, which project unequally, and form a fixed tally to the key, were made to present a plane surface, it would require a separate and unequal motion to disengage them from the bolt ; and, consequently, no impression could be obtained from

without that would give any idea of their

positions with respect to each other, or be of any use even to the most

skilful

and

experienced

workman in the formation of a false key. "The correction of this defect would rescue the principle of Mr. Barron's lock, as far

as I am

capable of judging , from every imputation of error or imperfection ; and, as long as it could be kept unimpaired, would be a perfect security.

But the

tumblers on which its security depends , being of a slight substance, exposed to perpetual friction , as well from the application of the key as from their own proper motion , and their office being such, as

V

290

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

to render the most trifling loss of metal fatal to their operation, they would need a further exertion of Mr. Barron's ingenuity to make them durable. "

It is evident, that at this period Mr. Bramah had not conceived any other method of picking locks, than by taking impressions of the fixed obstacles to the passage of the bolt and the fabricating of a skeleton key.

The mechanical or tentative method

was then unknown. "The idea of constructing a lock that might resist every application and effort of art, was first suggested to me by the alarming increase of HOUSE ROBBERIES ; which, there is great reason to believe, are as often perpetrated by perfidious servants - or accomplished by their connivance -as by any means that are used by the common house-breaker.

In

this view of the evil to be remedied , it was evident that a lock or fastening, which might effectually exclude the one, would be no security against the other ; and that no lock would completely answer its intended purpose , unless a free and deliberate access to the key-hole could be rendered as useless to the purpose of obtaining a key by impression, as the pick-lock, and other instruments of mischief, may be rendered (to the purpose of opening the lock) by the multiplicity and intricacy of its wards. The hasty execution of a midnight robbery, in which the servants of a family do not act a part, will not allow sufficient time, (if proper instruments were at hand) to overcome the difficulties which

291

BRAMAH'S LOCK.

ingenious locksmiths have opposed to foreign invaders ; my chief attention , therefore, was applied to contrive a security against the advantage which a domestic enemy possesses, in the opportunity of executing his purposes at his leisure .

But, practi-

cable as I conceived this to be, I did not venture to attempt it by any means which had hitherto been found ineffectual.

I had not the presumption

to imagine that I could give perfection to an instrument, which men of much greater knowledge and ability had left defective .

I was, therefore ,

as solicitous to avoid their excellences, as to escape their imperfections,

which are so blended in the

best locks, as to make it impossible to adopt the And a very one, without falling into the other. little thought on the subject convinced me, that my success would

depend

on the

application of a

principle as dissimilar as possible to that by which other projectors had in vain sought to attain perfection in the art of lock-making .

And as nothing

can be more opposite in principle to FIXED WARDS , than a lock which derives its properties from the motion of all its

parts,

I

determined that the

construction of such a lock should be the subject of my experiment.

In the prosecution of my purpose

various models were constructed , and I had the satisfaction to receive from the least perfect of them the clearest demonstration of the truth and certainty of my principle .

The exclusion of wards made it

necessary to cut off all communication between the

V 2

292

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

key and the bolt ; as the same passage which (in a lock simply constructed ) would admit the key might give admission likewise to other instruments .

The

office, therefore , which in other locks is performed by the extreme point of the key, is here assigned to a lever, which cannot approach the bolt till every part of the lock hath undergone a change of position.

The necessity of this change to the purposes

of the lock, and the utter impossibility to effect it, otherwise than with the proper key, are the points to be ascertained by a specification of the component parts of the movement, and an explanation of their respective offices . " Among the various methods of applying the principle of motion, in the construction of locks, which have yet occurred in my practice, I think those described in the subjoined plates are to be preferred for their simplicity. " The first plate shows the interior face of a lock which was constructed at a very early period of my experiment, and was intended merely as a model to try the efficacy of the principle ; but, to my great admiration , it turned out a complete instrument of security, and gave the clearest demonstration that the principle was certain and infallible.

" The lines which cross the face of the lock (fig. 119) represent six levers, which are united in a joint, and turn on a common axis.

Each lever

rests on a separate spring, of sufficient strength to sustain its weight, or, if depressed by a superior

BRAMAH'S LOCK .

293

force, to restore it to its proper position, when that The curve F represents force has been withdrawn. a frame, through which the levers are carried by separate grooves or passages ;

these grooves are

exactly fitted in their width to the thickness of the levers, but are of sufficient length to allow them a

B

Fig. 119-Bramah's First Model.

free motion in a perpendicular direction , whether lifted by the elastic power of the springs on which they rest, or sunk by the pressure of a superior weight from above.

The part which projects from

the opposite side of the joint inserts its extreme point in the bolt at в, and is a lever of a different form , which acts in subordination to those above described ; to this lever, two offices are assigned, the

294

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

one to keep the bolt in a fixed and immoveable position in the absence of the key ; the other to give it its proper motion when the key is applied. The joint or carriage of the levers, and the springs on which the levers bear, are fixed on a circular platform , P, which turns on a centre, and in its motion impels the bolt in either direction , by means of the lever which is projected from the joint before-named. " To give this machine the property of inviolable security, it was necessary to subject its motion to some restraint which the key only could remove . This power is lodged in the part p, which is a thin plate, bearing at each extremity on a block, and having, of course, a vacant space beneath , equal in height to the thickness of the blocks on which it rests.

This plate is applied either to check or to

guide

the

motion

of the

machine,

and

these

opposite offices are thus performed :-On the edge ofthe plate , which faces the movement, six notches are expressed , into which the points of the levers projecting beyond the frame F, are received ; and whilst they are so

confined ,

the motion

of the

machine is totally suspended, and the bolt so fixed , as to defy every effort of art or force to move it. The necessity of the proper key to the purpose of opening this lock, and the impossibility of effecting it by other means, will be clearly seen from the process by which the machine is put in motion . is to be

observed that

each lever has

It

a notch

295

BRAMAH'S LOCK. expressed on its extreme point ; notches

are

disposed as

and that those

irregularly as possible.

To give a capacity of motion to the machine these notches must be brought parallel to each other, and by a distinct and unequal pressure upon the levers be formed into a groove, in a direct line with the edge of the plate p, which the notches are exactly fitted to receive . The least motion of the machine, whilst the levers are in this position , will introduce the edge of the plate into the groove ; which, controlling the power of the springs, will give liberty to the levers to move in an horizontal direction , as far as the space between the blocks which support the plate p will admit, and which is sufficient to give the machine a power of acting on the bolt. The impossibility of thus bringing the

notches

expressed on the points of the levers, to fall into a direct line, and to form a groove, which shall perfectly tally with the edge of the plate p by any other means than the application and impulse of the key, is the principle of security which constitutes the peculiar excellence of the lock. " The key (fig. 119) exhibits six different surfaces on its bit, against which the levers are progressively admitted in the operation of opening the lock ; the irregularity of these surfaces describes the distinct and unequal degree of pressure which each lever requires to bring them to their proper bearings, for the purpose of putting the machine in motion.

It hence appears, that unless the various

296

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

heights of the surfaces expressed on the bit of the key are exactly proportioned to the several distances to which the levers must be carried to bring their notches into a direct line with each other, they must remain immoveable ; and, as one stroke of a file is sufficient to cause such disproportion as will prove

an insurmountable

impediment

to

their

motion, I may safely assert, that it is not in art to produce a key, or instrument, by which a lock, constructed on this principle, can be opened.

"It will be a task indeed of great difficulty , even to a skilful workman, to fit a key to this species of lock, though its interior face were open to his inspection ; for the levers being raised by the subjacent springs, to an equal height in the frame F, present a plane surface ; and , consequently, convey no direction that can be of any use in forming a tally to the

irregular surface

which they present, when

acting in subjection to the proper key. therefore, a method

be

Unless ,

contrived to bring the

notches, expressed on the extreme points of the levers, in a direct line with each other, and to retain them in that position till an exact impression of the irregular surface which the levers will then exhibit can be taken, the workman

will in vain

attempt to fit a key to the lock ; or , by any effort And when it is conof art, to move the bolt. sidered, that this process will be greatly impeded , and may perhaps be entirely frustrated, action of the springs, it must

by the

appear that great

297

BRAMAH'S LOCK.

patience and perseverance, as well as great ingenuity, will be required, to give succeeding in the attempt.

any chance of

I do not state this

circumstance as a point essential, or of any importance to the purpose of the lock , but to prove more clearly, what I have before observed upon its principle and properties ; for, if such difficulties occur to a skilful workman , as to render it almost, if not altogether, impracticable, to form a key, when the lock is open to his inspection , and its parts accessible to his hand,

it pretty clearly demonstrates,

the impossibility of accomplishing it, when no part of the movement can be touched or seen. " It will naturally be imagined by the reader, that the same difficulties which occur in the formation of a key, in the second instance, must have been experienced by the maker of the lock ; and that, however insuperable they may be to other workmen,

they were

easily conquered by him.

But the contrary is the case.

No such difficulties

occur in forming the original key ;

nor is any

greater ingenuity exercised in the formation of it, than falls to the share of a common workman ; for the key is not fitted to the lock but the lock adapted to the key ; and this is effected by a mean, the most simple, and the most easy that can be imagined.

The sur-

faces expressed on the bit of the key are worked as chance, or fancy, may direct, without any reference to the lock.

The

key being so completed and

applied to the surface of the levers, a gentle pres-

298

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

sure will force them to unequal distances from their common station

in the frame F,

and sink their

extreme points to unequal depths into the space beneath the plate p. Whilst the levers are in this position, the edge of the plate p will mark the precise point at which the notch, on each lever, must be expressed. " The notches being cut by this direction , the irregularity which must appear in their disposition when the levers resume their station in the frame F, and the inequality of the recesses expressed on the bit of the key, will be as a seal and its impression to each other."

Fig. 120.-Top face ofthe barrel or cylinder.

Fig. 121.-Locking-plate with plain notches or gatings .

66 Fig. 120 represents the face of a circular block or barrel of

brass,

having

a cylindrical

cavity

throughout, and divided from the center into sixteen compartments , separated by grooves passing also quite through, and fitted with as many steel sliders.

The upper parts of these sliders project

299

BRAMAH'S LOCK.

into the cylindrical cavity, and are elevated to be flush with the prominence in the centre of the barrel.

The notch in one part of this prominence

Fig. 123

Ꮕ

C

Fig. 124.

Fig. 122.-Section of a complete Bramah Lock.

Fig. 125.-The Bolt.

receives the bit or lever on the key, which turns round the barrel in the operation of opening the lock.

300

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

66 Fig. 122 is a section of a complete lock ; ii, is the brass barrel, as fig . 120 , having a groove cut in the middle of its spherical surface of a depth equal to the notches expressed at different distances on the outer edge of the sliders 7 7, and into which is fitted a thin plate of iron, shown at fig. 121 , and divided in halves for that purpose .

This plate is

screwed to the cap or covering, m, at n n, with its internal edge to fit the cylindrical cavity,

being

previously notched thereon to correspond with the projection of the sliders in the groove ; p is a pin attached to a brass plate at the interior end of the barrel ; the plate is made to confine the parts in their places on that side, and the pin carries a small socket, b, on which the overhanging ends of the sliders rest, and which by the action of the spiral spring keeps the sliders buoyant. covering plate,

The cap

m, screws down to the

or

external

plate of the lock, q, limiting the upward pressure of the sliders, and protecting all the operative parts. When the barrel, i i, is moved round, the bolt, r, is thrown forward by a process which will be hereafter explained. " The description to fig . 119 so well explains the action of the lock shown in fig. 122, that we shall only here describe the analogous parts represented in the latter figure.

The plate n n , (fig. 122) cor-

responds to the plate p, in fig. 119 , and which in this lock is called the locking-plate, into which are cut sixteen notches, as shown in fig. 121.

The

BRAMAH'S LOCK. sliders

301

project into the cavity of the barrel, and

are upheld in their respective grooves by the elastic power of the central spring on which they rest .

All

these sliders, as before observed, have a notch in the outer edge d, (figs. 118 and 126 ) disposed as irregularly as possible, and all admit of pressure beyond the point which brings these notches parallel with the notches in the locking-plate .

By a dis-

tinct and equal pressure on the sliders , the notches therein must be formed into a groove in a line with the locking-plate n n, (fig. 122 ) which those notches are exactly fitted

to

receive , before a revolving

motion can be given to the barrel or cylinder.

This

can only be performed by the key, which is represented in

fig.

123 , and

its

indented

point or

extremity corresponding with the depths of the notches is seen at fig. 124. " It will be recollected , that the upper ends of the sliders overhang, or project into the cylindrical cavity which forms the key-hole ;

when the key therefore is applied, it

must of course encounter these interior projections, and its extremity being notched in exact proportion to the several distances to which the sliders are to be carried, it will, when pressed forward , force the sliders to unequal distances from their bearings , and bring the notches on their exterior projections in a direct line with each other, and parallel with the plate, leaving the barrel at liberty to be carried round by the bit or lever on the key ( see s, fig. 123 ) and which fits for that purpose into the notch

302

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

on the prominence of the barrel, as explained in the description of fig. 120 , serving at the same time to stop the key at its proper point of pressure . When the key is withdrawn , the sliders , of course, resume their station by the re-action of the spring , and the barrel returns to its confinement . "

a

e d

Fig. 126. Steel Slider.

Fig. 127. Steel Slider.

Fig. 128. Section of a Steel Slider.

Fig. 126 represents one of the sliders 17, ( fig . 122) ; b is the nib which projects into the keyhole ; d is the notch. Fig. 127 is a similar slider for a two-sided lock, and fig. 128 shows a section of a slider split in its thickness so that it may move up and down in its groove with a slight friction , and thereby not fall simply by its own weight. " Fig. 129 is a plan of a complete lock , with a part of the cap or covering removed, to show the original mode of applying this principle of security . The dotted lines on the bolt are the spring and tumbler, situated beneath, and having the

same

BRAMAH'S LOCK . office as in the common lock.

303

The lever a which

is firmly attached to the barrel, represents the web or bit of an ordinary key, and which being carried round with the barrel, takes hold of the bolt in the notch , which it releases by lifting up the tumbler,

の Fig. 129.-Complete Lock, showing the original mode of construction. and projects or withdraws in its revolution .

But

as circumstances might by possibility occur, where ingenuity could gain access to the tumbler and release the bolt without attempting the principle of security, locks are now fabricated in the manner shewn at figs. 122 and 125 , a method which can only be accomplished on this principle, and which vies in importance with the original invention. 66 Fig. 125 is a plan of the bolt of the lock fig. 122. The point u is a pin fixed in the bottom of the barrel e e ; and which, when the barrel is carried round, moves in the direction of the dotted circle ,

304

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

and, of course, carries the bolt to and fro with it. The pin v is attached to the covering plate, and serves to steady the bolt in its motion.

The prin-

ciple of security is thus made to restrain the bolt without the intervention of any other agent ; and the slightest inspection must convince, that no power can move the bolt, but that which also puts in motion the barrel."

Fig . 130.-Drawer or Till Lock-complete.

66 Fig. 130 shows the appearance of a drawer lock in its complete state."

It would appear that previous to the publication of the second edition

of the

" Dissertation ," a

main central spring had been substituted

in the

* Although nearly all the Bramah locks made at the present time are constructed with the central spring only, Messrs. Bramah have informed us that they have not abandoned the use of the separate spring to each slider, as in many of their larger locks the separate spring is still employed.

305

BRAMAH'S LOCK. place of the separate

spring to each slider.

In

the words of the writer of the article " Lock " in the Encyclopædia Britannica, " Such was Bramah's lock as it first came extensively into use, and as it continued for many years, employed for the most important purposes, and by the most distinguished persons . advertisement

appeared

At length

in the

public

an

papers ,

requesting those who had lost keys of Bramah's locks , not, as had hitherto been done, to break open their doors or drawers, but to apply to the advertiser, who would undertake to save this destructive process

by picking ;

and it appeared

that

an

individual of great dexterity could perform this operation almost with certainty. "The effect of this discovery on the demand for the locks may easily be imagined ; but the effect it had in stimulating ingenuity to provide a remedy, is one of the best illustrations of the proverb that necessity is the mother of invention .

Within a few

days or weeks , Mr. Russell, who was at that time employed in Mr. Bramah's establishment, devised an alteration

which at once,

and without any

expense, entirely overcame the difficulty, and converted the lock into one of perfect security.

This

contrivance is the most simple and extraordinary that ever effected so important an object ; but before we describe it, we will endeavour to explain what has been called the tentative process of lock-picking, and which has been so successfully applied to W

306

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Bramah's locks.

To do this, we will refer to the

diagram (fig 131 ) in which a represents a bolt fitting loosely an outer-case, and tending to move

Fig. 131.-Diagram to explain the false notches.

in the direction of the arrow.

It is, however ,

prevented by three studs, which are moveable upwards and downwards by their knobs, 1 , 2, and 3 ; but it would be free to move if these studs were elevated

or

depressed

to

correspond

notches made in the end of the bolt.

with the

Now, if the

case were closed, it would be perfectly easy to place these studs in the requisite position by the following process :-Apply a pressure to the bolt, which can be done in any lock, tending to move it for unlocking.

This will, of course, be resisted by the studs

1 , 2 , 3, but not by all equally ; it will in fact be resisted by only one of them ; the necessary imperfections of all workmanship would prevent more than one at a time from coming into sensible contact with the bolt. Having therefore applied

307

BRAMAH'S LOCK .

pressure to the bolt with one hand, with the other the operator would ascertain which of the studs was most bound by the pressure .

This would be

easily done, and then he would move the stud gently up and down till he felt it catch in the notch to which it belonged .

The bolt would move

till the next most prominent stud received it, which would be tracked to its notch in the same manner, and so on till all were disposed of. 66 By a similar process the picking of Bramah's lock

was effected .

A tendency to revolve was

given with some force to the barrel ; then by means of a pair of small forceps, the several sliders were tried, and it was ascertained which was most detained by the pressure against the locking-plate. That which offered most resistance was gradually depressed till its notch was felt to hang itself upon the locking-plate, and so on till the whole were depressed in succession , exactly as they would have been depressed simultaneously by the key. 66 Returning to figure 131 , it will be easily understood, that if, in addition to the three principal notches, a number of shallower notches, as indicated by dots, be made, equal however in depth to any possible inequality in the projection of the studs, the process we have described is entirely prevented , because it will be perfectly impossible for the picker to tell whether he has brought the stud to one of the deep notches or to one of the shallow or false notches, and he will of consequence be entirely baffled .

w 2

308

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

" This was the happy suggestion to which we This will explain the two or three

have alluded .

shallow or false notches which now appear in the edges of Bramah's sliders, ( see e e e, figs. 118, 126, and 127 ) and which require corresponding false notches, or rather false widening in the notches of the locking-plate. "* The Bramah lock has thus far been described in

Fig. 132.- Exterior of a Bramah Box or Desk Lock.

the words of its inventor.

Its importance will in-

duce us, at the expense of being considered too prosy, to illustrate and explain one of these locks , as at the present time constructed, and we shall do so as briefly as possible.

Fig. 132 represents the exterior of a box or desk lock, a variety for which the Bramah principle is peculiarly adapted .

The neat appearance of the

nozle, the small key-hole, and the corresponding small key, are properties

not to be

overlooked .

Encyclopædia Britannica, 7th edition, 1842.

309

BRAMAH'S LOCK.

A A shows those portions which rise from the bolt through the holes in the fore-end or selvage of the plate B B of the lock, upon which the bolt has a backward and forward motion.

c

is the cap, which is secured to the back-plate by two screws at 1 1.

The cylindrical pro-

jection or barrel, D, contains a

the whole of the security parts The pins, 4 4,

of the lock.

are employed for securing the locking-plate ff (fig.

133 )

firmly in its position between the cap c and the back-plate

f

B B. Fig. 133 shows several of

7

the internal limbs of the lock separately .

E is the cylinder

or barrel with the hole in its

F

centre for the key, and into which the steel sliders a aa a (fig.

Fig. 133.- Details of the interior of a Bramah Lock.

134) project from the

grooves cut inside the cylinder.

As mentioned

before, the sliders are split open about half-way up, and

since the

year

1817 ,

besides the

8 principal notch or main gating, there are two or three false notches cut in addition, as before shown in figs. 126 and 127 , and at 33, (fig. 134 ).

2 a

F is the circular plate of Fig. 134. Steel Slider.

metal into which the drill-pin is rivetted ;

310

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

the former being secured to the bottom of the barrel by two screws. c is the stud which works in that portion of the bolt d, (fig. 135 ) by which it is moved backwards and forwards.

6 is the central

spring coiled loosely round the

drill-pin ;

the

pressure of the spring forces up the collar 7 , on which the upper part or nibs of the sliders 8 (fig. 134) rest.

The locking-plate ffhas six notches at

5 5 5 , which, in consequence of the false notches in the sliders, are made wider or more open for the purpose of increasing the difficulty of opening the lock by any other instrument than its own key. By comparing this figure with figure

121 , the

difference between the former and the lockingplate as first used will be understood .

The locking-

Fig. 135.- The Bolt.

plate fits upon the cylinder at e e, (fig. 133 ).

The

key, as shown in the upper part of figure 133 , has six notches or cuts at the end of its pipe or shank, which are cut to different depths to correThe

spond with the true notch on each slider.

small projection , 10, near the end of the pipe, is

BRAMAH'S LOCK.

311

fitted to enter the notch D in the cylinder (fig . 133. ) The bolt of the lock, (fig. 135 ) when locked, is prevented from being forced back by the stud c in the bottom of the plate F, through the cylinder coming in a direct line with its centre of motion, and in this position no force applied to drive the bolt back, would have any tendency to turn the cylinder round. We consider the adoption of the central spring a great improvement, and one that quite accords with our views in relation to inventions, as expressed at page 269, as it was effected, not by the addition of more parts to the mechanism, but in a lock with sixteen sliders, by actually dispensing with fifteen limbs.

The additional security thus

obtained, consists in obliging the

operator, who

attempts to pick the lock by depressing the sliders separately by means of any small pointed instrument, and who by chance might bring two or more of them to the proper depth for turning round , if he pressed any one too low, so that the true notch went below the locking-plate, —to release the central spring 6 , (fig. 133 ) which would force the whole number of sliders to their original position , and would compel him to commence the operation de novo. After Mr. Chubb read his paper " on the construction of locks and keys, " in 1850, before the Institution of Civil Engineers, an interesting discussion followed on several of the principal locks,

312

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

when Mr. Farey observed― relative to the Bramah lock

" that the mechanism of locks had been a

favourite subject with him, from an early period of his studies, when he had the good fortune to be intimate with Mr. Joseph Bramah, and had acquired a knowledge of his locks, which were then in high repute. were

The secret workshops wherein the locks manufactured

contained

several

curious

machines for forming parts of the locks, with a systematic perfection of workmanship , which was at that time unknown in similar mechanical arts. These machines had been constructed by the late Mr. Maudslay with his own hands, whilst he was Mr.

Bramah's

chief

workman .

The

machines

before mentioned , were adapted for cutting the grooves in the barrels, and the notches in the steel plates, with the utmost precision.

The notches in

the keys, and in the steel sliders, were cut by other machines, which had micrometer screws, so as to insure that the notches in each key should tally with the unlocking notches of the sliders in the same lock.

The setting of these micrometer screws

was regulated by a system, which insured a constant permutation in the notches

of succeeding

keys, in order that no two should be made alike. Mr. Bramah attributed the success of his locks to the use of those machines, the invention of which had cost him more study than that of the locks ; without the machines, the locks could not have been made in any great number with the requisite

313

BRAMAH'S LOCK . precision ,

as

an article

of

trade.

There

was

great originality in those machines, which were constructed

before

analogous cases (beyond

clock-maker's wheel-cutting

machines )

were

the in

existence ." He said further, that " the security of Bramah's lock against being

picked,

depended

upon

the

circumstance that its several sliders must, each one for itself, be pushed in so far and no further ; but how far the lock afforded no indication . nevertheless

very

objectionable that the

should be so completely exposed to view. been suggested that

It was sliders It had

an universal false key for

Bramah's locks might be made with the bottoms of its several notches formed by as many small steel sliders, extending beyond the handle of the key, so as to receive

pressure

from the fingers for

moving each one of the sliders within the lock, with a sliding motion in its own groove , independently of the others ; and during such sliding motion a gentle force could be exerted, tending to turn the barrel round.

Under such circumstances,

supposing that the motion of the barrel was prevented by any one slider only, that one having to resist all the turning force would be felt to slide more stiffly endways in its groove, and therefore it

Mr. Bramah was the first in the lock trade who adopted the use of machinery in the manufacture of locks and keys ; and, we believe, the late Mr. Mordan was the next ; and, after him, the late Mr. Parsons, whose valuable and exquisite machines are now in the possession of Mr. Duce.

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

314

could be felt when its unlocking notch arrived opposite the steel plate, and left some other slider to begin to resist the turning force ; such a circumstance

presumed a palpable inaccuracy in

the

radiating correspondence between the notches in the steel plate and the grooves for the sliders in the barrel,

which

could not happen

with

Bramah's

workmanship . " The universal pick above alluded to , is, without doubt, a most formidable instrument when employed on a badly-made or spurious Bramah lock .

In the

hands of a practical locksmith , or an ingenious amateur, the probability of opening such locks by its aid is certain .

ƒ

Fig. 136.

Universal Pick for a Bramah Lock with Six Sliders.

We shall merely illustrate and explain the instrument here, as all other particulars relating to its use, will be found in the chapters on the Controversy.

Lock

315

BRAMAH'S LOCK .

This ingeniously constructed instrument consists of a stem with six grooves, in each of which a sliding wire moves up and down.

The stem and

sliding wires are fitted into the cylindrical part of the handle a, and the sliding wires are held in any required position by the set-screws e e e e e e. In operating upon the lock, the bottom of the pick, b, is forced into the key-hole, when the bit c comes in contact with the neck of the barrel, which presses the cylinder, and the latter causes the steel sliders of the lock to bind more or less against the locking-plate.

The set-screws e,

&c. , all

being

released, a small handle, f, is screwed on to the end of one of the sliding wires at d, when a gentle pressure is applied to discover if that one binds ; if not, the next is tried in the same way, and so on till the particular steel slider that binds is found , when it is gently set free, and the set-screw is turned round till the sliding wire becomes fixed in that position ; one slider being thus released , another of the remaining five will be found to bind in the same way as the first, when it is relieved in the same manner, and so on till the whole six are set free, when the pick becomes as complete a key as the true key itself.

When the bottom of the pick ,

b, is put in the key-hole , it at once takes away the force of the central spring. We must, however, mention , that the above pick will only do for a six-slide lock of the particular size of the pick ; consequently, though it has been

316

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

called " universal," a separate pick would be required for every lock which had more or less sliders, or which had a key-hole of a different diameter. We have now so fully described and illustrated the Bramah lock, that we feel assured its merits cannot fail to be understood and appreciated by all It will be apparent, that although

our readers.

many persons talk of opening the Bramah lock with a turkey quill, a pocket-pencil case, or other similar simple instrument, that it is only when these locks are made with wide slots in the locking-plate and sliders, or when the sliders are purposely made too short to reach the locking-plate, that they can so easily be opened with a pick of that description ; or, as is the case with thousands of locks with " BRAMAH'S PATENT - SECURE " stamped upon each, which are made without any sliders at all.

Many

such locks, on examination, appear to be filled with sliders, but upon a still closer examination , what appeared at first to be sliders are found to be only bits of iron wedged across the neck of the barrel.

It

will be readily conceived how all such locks can be opened by a quill or a pencil- case.

The principal

cost in making a Bramah lock secure is the time consumed in carefully fitting the several internal parts, without which careful fitting the lock is worthless, and it is to produce these locks at lower prices that the above deceptions are practised . A three-inch till lock with sliders , and well-made, is

317

BRAMAH'S LOCK .

worth five shillings, whilst a lock of the same size and similar in external appearance with wide slots in the locking-plate and sliders, and other parts as carelessly made , is worth but three shillings , and one without any sliders at all, only two shillings. The public have to thank themselves, in the first instance, for the insecure and worthless locks they are furnished with, as they usually expect to be supplied with a genuine Bramah lock at the same price as the spurious imitation, and this remark will equally apply to all the other kinds of locks.

In-

stances have come under our observation , where locks of this description have been required, when the party giving out the order has stated, that he did not care how they were made so that a certain price was not exceeded-for instance, two shillings for a three-inch box or desk lock.

We only wonder

that more robberies of ladies' cabinets and workboxes, gentlemen's writing desks and despatch In such cases the boxes, & c. , do not occur. * principle of the lock must not be condemned on * It has been our object, as far as practicable, to prove our assertions relative to the security or insecurity of certain locks, by actual experiment, and we cannot better illustrate the above, than by relating the particulars and stating the result of one of these experiments in reference to these spurious Bramah locks. We purchased in the early part of the year a Russia leather desk of a superior description, the price of which was £5 15s. from Messrs. Henderson and Perry, of Birmingham, who informed us it was one of a new design, and only just introduced, and that it was manufactured by Messrs. T. J. and J. Smith, of London, whose address is on the cover of the blotting book. Its construction is so adapted for commercial purposes, that it has generally been admired, and we fully expected that its price would have afforded and guaranteed a really good Bramah lock. The lock is so fixed that we could not remove it for examination,

318

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

account of the niggardly disposition of the purchasers, or the want of integrity on the part of the maker of the lock , or the manufacturer of the article to which the lock is attached.

If the public wish

to have good locks, they must give fair prices . In concluding our remarks upon the Bramah lock, we feel bound to state, that we consider it, when well-made, a most difficult lock to pick, even by a practised and scientific locksmith, † and as to the merit of the invention , we cannot find words to express our admiration of the great mechanical skill and ingenuity of Mr. Bramah, so clearly exhibited

but that it had five real sliders we could easily discover. Whilst this sheet was in the printer's hands, we desired an acquaintance, who had never seen the key, to cut a quill and try the security of the lock, when, to our great annoyance and indignation , he succeeded in unlocking it at the first attempt in less than half a minute, and the quill will lock and unlock it as well as its own key. We should strongly recommend Messrs. Smith and all other manufacturers of these useful articles, in future, not to subject their customers to so great a liability of being robbed, for the sake of saving the paltry sum of two shillings in the cost of the materials. * Sometime ago a celebrated firm of electro platers, at Birmingham, required a piece of counting-house furniture, comprising a considerable number of drawers ; and sent a specification to two cabinet makers of the town for estimates, stating in the document that the drawers were to be fitted with good locks. The two estimates were received and the lowest tender accepted. The article was in due time made and placed in its position in the counting- house, and several months afterwards it so happened, that the maker who had sent in the highest tender called at the office of the said firm and saw the piece of furniture, and whilst making some observations about other business, sat upon the principal's chair before the article, took a quill, unlocked the principal's private drawer, and pulled it open, much to the surprise of the members of the firm. He was asked to lock it by the same quill, and he did so. This fully explained to the satisfaction of all parties concerned, the great difference in the amount of the two estimates . It was simply the difference in the value of the locks. + The difference between the scientific locksmith, or professor, and the thief, in picking locks, will be discussed and explained in the chapters on the Lock Controversy .

319

BRAMAH'S LOCK. in the beautiful construction of this lock. was no

That he

ordinary mechanic is evident from the

number of his meritorious inventions . we believe, patents ,

at one time,

among

which

"He held ,

not less than twenty

may be

mentioned

the

hydraulic press ; the force-pump ; the beer-engine ; the machine for numbering notes at the Bank of England (now in use ) ; a patent pen , still in great demand ; the mounted fire-engine, also now used ; the water closet ; a planing machine, extensively adopted ; the ever-pointed pencil case ; a slide cock, which has superseded the use of steam valves ; and various other improvements in the details of the steam-engine. " We must not . forget to mention Mr. Russell in connection with the Bramah lock, who in the year 1817 , as before named , introduced the false notches in the sliders , as shown in figs. 118 , 126 , 127 , and 134, thereby increasing the security of the lock so considerably.

The value of this improvement, effected

so simply, and without any appreciable cost in the manufacture of the lock, is of the greatest consideration .

The only parallel case we can think of, is the

improvement in the book clasp, introduced about the year 1840, * which consisted in dispensing with the eight sprigs which were employed for securing the flaps of the clasp to the boards of the book, by * We cannot learn to whom the merit of this invention belongs, otherwise we should have mentioned the name. The circumstance caused quite a revolution in the clasp trade, and serious losses to the manufacturers was the result, as no one would purchase the old kind.

320

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

leaving an elongation of the metal at each side of the flap, which is put through a hole in the board and rivetted in the inside. Besides more effectually securing the clasp to the book, the improved method is much neater in appearance, and the improved clasps are sold at lower prices than the old ones. It may be proper to remark, that we shall so far

depart from describing the various locks in their strictly chronological

order

of

invention,

as to

describe the whole of the improvements introduced by the same inventor into the same lock, in their consecutive order.

BRAMAH'S SPECIFICATION, dated May 3rd, 1798 .

This patent has two objects, the first is to make a lock that shall not require a key, which shall put all the sliders right simultaneously ; and the second is for the construction of a kind of universal or changeable-bit key, by which the sliders shall be adjusted, one after the other, to a scale of variations supplied by the owner at the time of purchasing the lock. The patentee states distinctly in his Specification , that he abstains from

giving any details,

as he

takes out the patent as a claim to the principle of such modes of constructing locks and keys, reserving to

himself the

right to

make

any mechanical

arrangements for its proper carrying out that experience may show him to be the most suitable.

TAYLOR'S LATCH LOCK.

321

In the absence of any drawings or detailed explanations in the specification , we cannot tell how the " two objects " were to be effected, and from the circumstance of the present firm of Messrs. Bramah and Co. being ignorant of what the patent was for, we are inclined to think that the intentions of the patentee were never carried into operation.

TAYLOR'S LATCH LOCK, invented about 1784. " The latch or spring bolt of door locks on the common construction (whether mortice, case , or rimmed locks ) is very liable to be out of order as soon as the oil is dried up between the tumbler and tail of the latch, from the erroneous manner in which the tumbler is made to act ; and more especially when the lower arm of the tumbler is engaged, for then the friction is very great, and the bolt very hard to be moved. "

To remedy these defects, Mr.

Taylor constructed " the tumbler and tail of the latch or spring bolt in such a manner that the lock might be constantly used for many years without any oil to those parts, and always move alike both ways, that is, by turning the knob or handle either to the right or left, and with less force of the hand in turning it. " The alteration which constitutes the difference between this lock and those in common use is, that the tumbler is reversed, so that the curved side of the tumbler acts against two stubs fixed on the tail of the latch and thrusts it easily back, whether X

322

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

the knob is turned to the right or left in opening the lock ; behind the tail of the latch is also fixed a guide, having within it a groove wherein runs a small friction-wheel, serving to keep the latch in its direct situation, and lessen its friction ; the arms of the tumbler are not so long as they are generally made, because the latch or spring bolt must move the easier by their being shorter. " By the above construction , those parts of the tumbler and tail of the latch that are in contact move in a line, the nearest to the chord of a circle, whose radius is the arm of the tumbler, and consequently pass over the greatest space under the least angle possible.

The

friction-wheel

before

mentioned being placed on a stub rising from the tail of the latch, and in a line with the centre of the tumbler, and having the spring that pushes the latch or bolt forward, touching also in the same line with the friction-wheel, is a still further im provement for all kinds of latch locks, though lowpriced locks will do very well, according to this construction, without it."* The inventor of this lock was rewarded by the Society of Arts with the silver medal.

MARSHALL'S SECRET ESCUTCHEON, invented about 1784 . As before observed , at page 213 , this is one of the many attempts which have been made to con-

• Transactions of the Society of Arts, vol. iii, 3rd edition, 1792.

323

MARSHALL'S SECRET ESCUTCHEON.

struct a machine possessing the properties proposed by the Marquis of Worcester in 66 Century of Inventions," viz. : -

No. 72 of his

" The owner, though a woman , may with her delicate hand vary the ways of coming to open the lock ten million times beyond the knowledge of the smith that made it , or of me who invented it." The construction of this escutcheon is an improvement on the principle of the common letter lock, and consists in allowing the owner to produce an almost infinite variety of changes in one minute and in such a manner " that even the maker would be as unlikely to open it as he would be of gaining the highest prize in a lottery by the chance of a single ticket. " B slides ; "A, (fig. 139 ) the barrel in which the bar в

part of this barrel is concealed within the rollers, but the ends of it appear at a and b, fig. 137.

в, B, the

bar with projecting teeth, by which the rollers c prevent its being drawn back till the nick in the recess is brought exactly over the tooth ; the square c, a roller, of end of this bar is seen at c, fig. 138. which there are five , each composed of two circles, the outer circle having four rows of letters at equal distances engraved on its surface, with small knobs, for the

more

commodiously turning the rollers

round , the inner circle D being moveable within the outer one on the barrel A ; to the surface of each of the inner circles is fastened a small spring d, serving to keep the outer circle in its place , till 2 x

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

324

an alteration in the position of the letters, which are the foundation of the secret, is intended to be made ; and within the inner circle is a recess to

Fig. 137.-Marshall's Secret Escutcheon.- (BACK. )

Fig. 138.- Marshall's Secret Escutcheon.- (FRONT. )

B D

d

T

Fig. 139.--Details of Marshall's Secret Escutcheon.

prevent the bar в being drawn back, unless the teeth and the nick are in their proper situations, at which time, by drawing back the bar by the square

325

MARSHALL'S SECRET ESCUTCHEON .

end c, (fig. 138 ), which is otherwise retained in its proper place by means of the feather-spring h, the catch e, ( fig. 137 ) is released , and the door of the escutcheon is thrown open by the spring g.

" When an alteration of the arrangement of the letters on which the secret depends is desired, the bar в must be held back by the square end c, while one or more of the outer circles are turned round till the letters chosen are uppermost .

The

escutcheon cannot afterwards be opened till that same arrangement is again made, and so on according to whatever situation of the letters the owner may choose ; hence it is evident that whichever of the letters have been chosen must, at the time of opening the escutcheon , be brought in one line to the upper surface of the rollers ; and then the bar being drawn back, the door of the escutcheon will be thrown open. 66 Fig. 137 represents the under or inner side of the escutcheon,

and fig. 138 the upper or outer

side ; and appears as when fixed over a lock, and covering the keyhole. "*

This escutcheon would be secure only so long as the combination could be kept secret.

See the

description of the letter-lock at page 205 .

The inventor received a bounty of ten guineas from the Society of Arts, in 1784 , for this secret escutcheon .

* Transactions of the Society of Arts, vol. iii, 3rd edition, 1792 .

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

326

BICKERTON'S FIRST LOCK, invented about 1784. This was a good step in advance on the common tumbler lock, by adding to the common tumbler a double-acting limb at the back of the bolt, very similar to a detector.

The front end of this limb,

when at rest, presses against the main bolt, and holds it fast ; and if over-lifted by the tumbler, the back end of this limb grasps the bolt, and detains it until the exact height of the lift is discovered .

CORNTHWAITE'S LOCK, invented about 1784.

Patent dated

July 7th, 1789 . This lock comprises one of the most simple movements ever invented .

Its construction is an im-

provement on the common tumbler lock, and consists of four levers, which are pivotted at one end, and at the other end have a tongue which works into a corresponding slot in the bolt-head .

When the bolt

is locked out, these tongues fit into the slot, and make the bolt, as it were, quite solid . locked, the levers springs.

When un-

are forced downwards by the

It is worth noticing that the curve in the

bolt-head gives a wide range of combinations to this lock.

There is no stump in the bolt, neither

are there any slots or racks in the levers ; and the peculiar construction admits of it being made particularly strong .

This lock obtained a premium of ten guineas from the Society of Arts in 1784, though it does not appear to have been patented till 1789 .

327

ROWNTREE'S LOCK. ROWNTREE'S LOCK, Patent dated February 23, 1790.

Rowntree's is a very elaborate tumbler lock, and contrasts remarkably with the simplicity of Barron's lock.

This lock is constructed with tumblers in

combination with revolving discs or wheels .

Its

mechanism may be understood from the following

I HE

Fig. 142.

Fig. 110. B

Fig. 143.

Fig. 141.

Fig. 144.

description and engravings, which we have copied from Mr. Tomlinson's Rudimentary Treatise on the Construction of Locks.

The same letters refer to

the same parts in the several figures :-" A A is the plate which encloses the whole mechanism of the

328

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

lock, and fastens it to the door ;

B B is the bolt

guided in its motion by sliding under the bridges CD ; E E are pillars which support a plate covering the works ;

F are the circular wards surrounding

the centre or key-pin ; and a shews the position of the key, which, in turning round, acts in a notch r in the bolt, and propels it ; G, the tumbler, is a plate situate beneath the bolt, and moving on a centre-pin at d ; it has a catch or stump, e, projecting upwards, which enters the notches for g in the bolt, and thereby retains the latter for backward or forward motion , as the case may be ; H is a spring which presses the tumbler forward.

The key a, in

turning round, acts first against the part cc of the tumbler, and raises it so as to remove the stump from the notches ; it can then enter the notch r in the bolt, and move it.

So far there is no particular

security ; but Mr. Rowntree sought to obtain it by the following means.

There is a piece of metal h

fixed to the lower side of the tumbler, called the pin ; when the tumbler is caught in either notch of the bolt, the pin applies itself to a cluster of small wheels 1 , fitted on one

centre-pin beneath the

tumbler ; the edges of these wheels stop the pin , and prevent the tumbler from being raised .

But

each wheel has a notch cut in its circumference I ; and it is only when the wheels are so placed that all their notches lie in a right line that the pin can enter this compound notch and allow the tumbler to rise.

The wheels must therefore be all adjusted

BIRD'S LOCK.

329

to position ; and this is effected by a number of levers, K, centred on one pin at k ; at the opposite end each lever has a tooth m entering a notch in the wheel belonging to it ; so that when any lever is pressed outward, it turns its wheel round .

Now

this pressure of the levers is brought about by a spring n applied to each ; and when so pressed , the levers rest against a pin o fixed in the plate.

The

key is so cut as to determine the extent to which the levers shall act upon the wheels.

The key first

operates from the curved part pp of the levers K, and, raising them , turns all the wheels, 1, at once into the proper positions ; in turning further round it then operates on the part c c of the tumbler, causing the latter to rise and to release the bolt ; and in turning still further round, it (the key) seizes the notch r of the bolt, and shoots it.

The

key is cut into steps of different lengths, as shown at v v ; each step operates on its respective lever K in a different degree from the others ; the notch at s acts upon the tumbler, and the plain part t moves the bolt." BIRD'S LOCK, Patent dated October 29, 1790.

The peculiarity of this lock consists in the levers and springs being attached to the bolt, and moving with it, so that the bolt, the levers, and the springs, in locking and unlocking, all move together, and the stump which in other locks is generally fixed in the bolt, is, in this lock, fixed in the plate .

Before

330

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

the bolt and the levers , is fixed a contrivance which we shall designate the grate, through which the steps of the key have to pass to reach the bolt and the levers.

This " grate " is identical with the " bar-

ricadoed guider " of Mallett's lock, patented at a subsequent period .

Fig. 145.- Key to Bird's Lock.

FERRYMAN'S LOCK, Patent dated July 19 , 1791 . This lock is described as " acting by lever, toothwheel, and drop , chiefly without springs, simple in principle, and not liable to be injured by accident or friction, applicable to prisons and other places where strong fastenings are required . "

BICKERTON'S SECOND LOCK, invented about 1792.

The construction of this lock is an improvement on Mr.

Bickerton's first-it has a double-acting

tumbler, having a stump on each end of it, and works in racks at the front end of the bolt, and also at the back of it.

The centre of motion is in

the middle of the tumbler.

There is a pin fixed

fast in the lock-plate, and the bolt in locking and

ODELL'S LATCH .

331

unlocking is lifted over it, thereby giving to the bolt an oscillating motion.

Should the true posi-

tion of the tumbler be found, the bolt will not move until lifted over the fixed pin .

ODELL'S LATCH, invented about 1792 . This invention is commonly called, and is well known by the name of, a French latch, and is very curiously constructed .

The keys are cut of various

patterns in the form of letters, figures, & c. , with secret contrivances attached in various ways before the keyhole, but

which in use , are found to be

very objectionable, more especially in the dark .

Fig. 146.- Key to French Latch.

The peculiarity of the construction consists of a large tongue, which drops down behind the keyhole,

and has merely to be lifted up to unlock .

This is the night-latch, which gentlemen who have lost their keys, open with their address cards — a very convenient substitute when used by themselves , but not a very desirable safe-guard to the domicile.

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

332

MASON'S LATCH, invented about 1796 .

The improvement introduced by Mr. Mason was chiefly in the latch bolt, by jointing it to a swinging piece similar to a " follow," to prevent friction , and which required considerably less action in working the knob .

Also by adding a bar across

the gating of the main bolt, above and below, one fast and the other loose.

To prevent a false key

opening the lock, the bolt, if preferred, shot twice, and the lock required two

keys,

one of which

locked out and the other was a master-key. It is supposed that the

" shifting or reversing

bolt" was the invention of Mr. Mason .

TURNER'S LOCK, invented about 1798. This is what is called a flush-bolt lock, i.e., the bolt of a desk lock, when unlocked , does not project above the fore-end or selvage, as in most other locks of this kind.

The peculiarity of the con-

struction consists in the key working within a cylindrical cup , which fits

within another

There are three or more levers .

cup .

The outer cup,

which is moveable, drives the bolt, whilst the inner one is stationary.

The

levers receive a sliding

motion at right angles with the face of the cups. The lock has a nozel similar to Bramah's, and the key is also as convenient in size .

It must be

noticed that the key reaches to and moves inside the levers .

333

BULLOCK'S LEVER LOCK-BOLT. PEDLEY'S LOCK, invented about 1798.

Pedley's lock was an ordinary tumbler lock, but to lock and spring.

The peculiarity was the key.

The bit of the key was jointed to the pipe or A round

shank, and the lock had no drill-pin .

tube was fixed on the cap, into which the key was inserted, and when it reached the back-plate , the key-bit moving in the

joint at a right angle,

reached the bolt and tumbler, and required the reverse action of the key to act on the spring bolt on the ancient secret principle, before the lock could be opened .

BULLOCK'S LEVER LOCK-BOLT, invented about 1800.

"The lever lock-bolt is for folding doors, by means of which the

upper and lower bolts are

withdrawn with ease by the turn of a common door handle, and the same bolts shot and fastened merely by pressing the door to its proper place. “ The handle, in external appearance , resembles the round door-handles in

general

use ;

when

moved, it acts in a double chain ' follow ; ' the lower chain communicates with a lever which has a pivot near its centre, the extremity of which lever raises up the lower bolt of the door when shut ;

the

upper chain communicates with another lever connected with the upper bolt, which it draws down by moving on a pivot near the centre of the lever ; and thus the bolts are opened .

The upper bolt

334

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

being stopped down by a reliever at the top of the door, the bolts are prevented from grating either at the top or bottom of the door.

On shutting the

door, the reliever is pressed in by the wood-work at

G

E

D

Fig. 147.- Bullock's Lever Lock- Bolt.

the top of the door, which sets the bolts at liberty ; the lower bolt then falls down, and the upper bolt is propelled by two springs which act upon the upper and lower levers,

and the

door

remains

firmly bolted.

" A great advantage arises in the use of this invention, from the whole of the machinery acting upon pivots, which are not liable to rust, but allow a regular and easy motion to the bolts. "* The inventor of this lock was rewarded by the Society of Arts with a bounty of ten guineas. * Transactions of the Society of Arts , vol. xviii , 1800 .

335

ARKWRIGHT'S LOCK. ARKWRIGHT'S LOCK, invented about 1798 .

This is a " double-bolted" lock, with a doublebitted key.

Its peculiar construction will be under-

stood from fig. 148 .

M

0 Fig. 148.-Arkwright's Lock.

" A, the pointer

on the shank of the

the pin on which the key turns ; of the lock ; top bolt ;

key ;

B,

c, the top-bolt

D, the upper higher tumbler for the

E, another tumbler for the top bolt, and

placed underneath it ;

F, a lever which works

336

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

both bolts ,

and

moves on a centre G ;

H, the

lower bolt, with a joint, 1 , upon its head ; K, the lower tumbler, with two joints L L, which fall into two notches of the top-bolt. Underneath the lower-bolt is another tumbler similar to that marked E.

There are five springs within the lock, four of

which act upon the upper and lower tumblers, the other on the joint-bolt H. the key.

м, the bottom part of

The dark ring in the centre represents

the hollow to be applied to the lock pin, в, abovementioned. "

To work the lock it is necessary first " to place the head or bolts of the lock towards the left hand ; then take the key with the right-hand, with the small pointer a, in the shank of the key towards the right

after this, put the key down to the

bottom of the socket upon the centre-pin B, in the lock, and give one half-turn with the pointer in the shank of the key, upwards ; by which the bolt c , at the top will be locked .

In the next place, draw

back the key about one inch, so that the webs or bits of the key may clear the tumblers in the lock ; then turn the key with the small pointer towards the right hand, and put down the key in the manner above-mentioned .

After this, make one-

half-turn with the pointer in the shank of the key downwards, by which means the lower bolt н is locked, and the higher bolt c unlocked. Then draw up the key as aforesaid, and turn it with the pointer in the shank to the right hand .

In the last

337

DAVIS'S LOCK.

place, thrust down the key, and give one half-turn with the pointer in the shank of the key, upwards, by which operation both the bolts, c and н, will be locked ; so that, when the bolts are to be unlocked , the pointer in the key must be towards the left hand, and must be worked as above directed . "* This lock obtained for its inventor a bounty of fifteen guineas from the Society of Arts.

DAVIS'S LOCK, Patent dated April 11, 1799. " Davis's lock was made with a double chamber, and had wards on the sides of the keyhole .

The

key was inserted into the first chamber, and turned a quarter round ; it was then pushed forward into the inner chamber, where there was a rotating plate, containing a series of small pins, or studs , which were laid hold of by the key.

By turning

the key the plate was moved round, the tumbler was raised, and the bolt shot backwards or forwards. This lock was now used to some extent on the cabinet despatch boxes ; but it was expensive, without affording any very great security."†

A circumstance occurred some years ago ( 1815 ) which will serve to illustrate the amount of reliance which was then placed upon the security of Davis's lock.

One of these locks, by some chance, was sent

to Wolverhampton to have a key fitted to it, and

* Transactions of the Society of Arts, vol . xviii, page 17. + Chubb on the Construction of Locks and Keys, page 30. Y

338

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

was for that object given into the hands of a certain locksmith , who, on taking it to pieces, discovered an inscription inside the lock, stating that into whosesoever hands that lock came to have a key or keys fitted, the individual, on application to Mr. Vansittart, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, should receive the sum of twenty guineas.

The amount was

applied for, and was duly paid by the right hon . gentleman, who also offered to the said locksmith a further sum of £ 100 if he would give up the name of the person who had sent him the lock.

We can

vouch for the correctness of this statement, having seen the original letter, dated 25th April, 1815 , from Downing-street, which enclosed a bank post bill for the amount, and requesting a receipt for it.

On

a similar occasion Mr. Davis posted from Windsor direct to Wolverhampton , to get possession of one of his locks . There is another anecdote in connection with the inventor of this lock, which we cannot refrain from giving here.

Mr. Davis was

an inhabitant of

Windsor, where he carried on his business as a lock manufacturer,

and

who

was

honored

with the

patronage of his late majesty, King George III, who paid the patentee frequent visits, and who also evidently took a great interest in his welfare.

On

one occasion, when in his workshop , his majesty offered to confer on Mr. Davis the honor of knighthood, which Mr. Davis respectfully and humbly declined, saying to his majesty

" Sire , it would

339

NORTON'S LOCK .

sound very odd, were I to meet a gentleman in the street, and he were to say, Sir George Davis, please to come and mend my smoke-jack.”

We need not

say that no further reason was required by his majesty, who seemed much pleased with so sensible and consistent a reply.

NORTON'S LOCK, invented about 1800.

In this lock the key, instead of being adjusted to the main bolt, is gated to a wheel, and the wheel is gated to the bolt.

There is also a tumbler, the

stump of which works in a semi-circular slot cut in the wheel or disc .

There is another slot cut in the

wheel or disc from the circumference towards the centre, through which is fixed a slide and set-screw, and by means of such slide and set-screw the bolt can be made to shoot out a longer or a shorter distance as the slide and set-screw is nearer to or further from the centre of motion .

In ordinary

locks, if it is desired to give the bolt a long throw, it is effected by the length of the key-bit, but in this lock, no matter whether the bolt is required to be shot out much or little, it can be done at pleasure by merely altering the position of the slide and setscrew . HOLEMBURG'S LOCK, Patent dated June 24th, 1801 . This lock is simple in construction, its principal peculiarity being the circular bolt. front representation of the

2 Y

lock.

Fig . 149 is a a is a screw

340

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

which secures the spring in its place on the lockplate ; b is an inside tumbler gated to a stump on the extremity of the orbicular bolt, c ; d is the key-bit which works inside the orbicular bolt ; e is a stud for stopping the return of the principal bolt ; f is the quadra-circular conductor for the principal

9

Fig. 149.-Holemburg's Lock.

bolt ; and g is the catch which answers to the linkplate in other

locks .

A fastening for

sashes ,

shutters, and doors, the patentee claimed , which is constructed on the same principle.

EAGLE'S LOCK, invented about 1801 .

The peculiarity of the construction of this lock consists in the employment of spring wards - that is, the wards are made in two separate parts, with

341

DOODY'S LOCK.

the back part made to fall out of the true circle, towards the centre or drill-pin ; so that a key cut to correspond with the front wards in moving round would come in contact with and would be stopped by the end of the spring wards, but the true key has the cuts of the bit made sufficiently wide to pass both the front and the back or spring wards, and is thus enabled to reach the tumbler and move In all other respects it is a common

the bolt.

tumbler lock.

DOODY'S LOCK, invented about 1804.

This lock is constructed on the secret principle, with wards.

It is so made that the key will pass

round either way without acting upon the tumbler and bolt.

The back part of the ward is cut out in

two places for the purpose of allowing the key, by being drawn towards the keyhole, to pass through one of the openings , when it comes in contact with the talon of the bolt, which is thus moved, and the key is then pushed through the

other opening,

moved round, and withdrawn in the usual way. The wards of the key are cut to correspond with this " shifting " action.

Two studs are fixed in

the cap of the lock to prevent the key revolving, unless pushed in to the proper depth. The inventor of this lock was favored by the authorities of Stafford Gaol with the repairing of the locks connected with that establishment, and about the year 1812 he was unfortunately in pecu-

342

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

niary difficulties, and became an inmate gaol for debt.

of the

By some means he picked the locks

placed between him and liberty,

and made his

escape, but finding he was likely to be punished if again caught, in the words of the narrator, " he went and picked himself in again."

This is one of the

many facts which might be brought forward to prove the inferiority and insecurity of the locks in use at that period. STANSBURY'S LOCK, Patent dated May 18th, 1805.

The inventor of this lock, an American, came over to this country in 1805 , and patented it, " and was very assiduous in endeavouring to get it introduced ; in which attempt, however, he met with so little encouragement, that it might be deemed a failure. Nevertheless , there was sufficient originality in his contrivance to merit a notice in this place ; the key was of the ordinary shape of those with a pipe, but longer and narrower in the bit, on the lower side ‫سالابملحاد‬

0+ 0-

Fig. 150.-Key to Stansbury's Lock. of which were a number of pins projecting from its surface ; the key had no wards, and the lock, consequently, none ; the bolt was not moved by the

343

THOMPSON'S LOCK.

key immediately, but through the instrumentality of a revolving circular plate, attached to and underneath which was a fixed pin that took into a notch in the bolt ; it was therefore the office of the key to remove the impediments to the motion of the revolving plate, which impediments consisted in a number of pins passing through it

and another

fixed circular plate or bridge underneath, the said pins being pressed through both and made flush with the surface of the upper plate by the action of springs rivetted to the bridge.

The two plates thus

locked together were separated by the projecting pins upon the key, which, entering the holes in the upper plate, pressed the spring pins out of them and turned the plate round .

The pin-holes in the

circular-plates were not opposite to the keyhole but on one side leading towards the bolt ; so that, to find them out, it was necessary to push the key slightly against the plate whilst turning it round. "* THOMPSON'S LOCK, invented about 1805 .

This lock is constructed with one single-acting tumbler combined with one double-acting tumbler, and is especially adapted for sliding doors , or such doors as are divided in the middle, and which at this period were generally in use.

One bolt of the

lock shoots into the door-frame, and the other bolt, which is hook-shaped , shoots into the lower part of the door. These locks in former years were very extensively used. Hebert's Encyclopædia .

344

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

MACE'S LOCK, invented about 1807. This lock is constructed on what is commonly called the " sun and planet " wheel, and the action is alike easy and beautiful.

There are double-

acting tumblers, the stumps of which are gated into semi-circular slots in the wheel or disc for a long or short shoot of the bolt, as the case may be.

The key passes into slots or openings cut

in the tumblers, and so moves them into their proper position, moves the wheel, and shoots the bolt. The inventor of this lock was considered in his day one of the best and most ingenious locksmiths ofWolverhampton.

His locks were well made and

particularly strong.

Cox's Lock, invented about 1808. This lock was invented particularly for fastening the glazed doors or sashes of rooms opening on to lawns.

Many contrivances have been adopted

for this purpose, both in this country and in France , but it is questionable whether any of them have surpassed this in effectiveness and simplicity of By the use of a rack and pinion a bolt1 is shot at both the top and bottom of the one door at

action.

the same time as another bolt at right angles to the The inventor of others is shot into the other door. this lock was celebrated for the general quality of his other locks, viz . , rim and mortice.

345

ROBERTS' LOCK . ROBERTS' LOCK, invented about 1809.

The peculiarity of the construction of this lock consists in the employment of a circular disc, which is placed on the drill-pin, in which are two holes at certain

distances from the centre.

On the

bottom of the key-bit are two studs corresponding In using the lock, to the two holes in the disc. these studs enter the holes of the disc and move it round,

which at the same time

either lifts the

tumbler or moves the bolt, whichever the maker of the lock may desire.

The disc in this lock is the

auxiliary which moves the bolt, and in this respect is similar to Bramah's.

STUART'S LOCK, invented about 1810 . This lock is very ingeniously constructed, and is one of the many attempts which have been made to introduce into the construction of locks the toothwheel.

The wheel or disc has cut into its circum-

ference many notches , all of the same depth, except one, which is cut much deeper.

There is also a

double-acting lever, and a blade rivetted on to the bolt, which blade works into the deep notch.

The

action of the lock is as follows : the key is inserted and the bolt shot out in the usual way ; the key is then lifted up against the cap and moved round six, seven, eight, or more times , till the requisite number of the shallow notches are passed and the true or deep notch or gating of the wheel is moved

346

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

away as many notches as may be desired .

To open

the lock, the exact number of times the key has to revolve before meeting with the deep or true notch of the wheel must be kept in mind , otherwise it would be a question of time how long it would take As a lock on the secret principle,

to open it.

perhaps it is second only in security to the letterlock .

This lock would much puzzle a person to

open even if he were possessed of the true key.

The

shallow notches on the disc correspond to the false notches which were subsequently introduced into the lever.

The notches in the lever of Strutt's

lock are upon the same principle.

TOMPSON'S LOCK, Patent dated December 29th, 1808. Tompson's

was a flush bolt

lock, with

two

tumblers ; one was gated to work the bolt up, then the key met another talon and tumbler placed at right angles to the first, and shot the bolt. lock in its day had a good sale.

This

Tompson was the

first to cast the projections in flush-bolt and other locks, to save the time and trouble occupied in fixing them in the manner previously adopted .

ALPORT'S LOCK, invented about 1812 . The peculiarity of the construction of this lock consists in the introduction of moveable wards into chambered locks, that is, where there are one, two , or more platforms raised off the lock-plate,

and

DANIELLS' LOCK.

347

with the keyholes set in various positions in the platforms.

These locks are made to lock twice or

thrice, as desired.

In using them, the key is inserted

in the lock and pulled up towards the cap and passed round,

which unlocks one shoot of the

bolt ; the key is next pressed down on the first platform, tried round to discover where the second keyhole is, and when found the key is then passed through to perform the second operation of locking, and in the same way for the third or bottom tier, when the key comes in contact with wards that move with the key. There are two clicks which the nose of the key has to pass , which press against these moveable wards ; and should the key nose be too long, it lifts up the first click, which then falls down behind the key, so that it cannot be brought back again, and in passing further round meets with and is blocked against the nose of the second click, which forces a stud on the back of the first click into the main bolt, and prevents the lock from being opened .

To shoot back the bolt, vio-

lence must be resorted to, the key being held fast in the lock. We may remark that the chambered lock is very ancient, and the inventor of it unknown.

DANIELLS' LOCK, invented about 1814. Mr. Daniells, a justly celebrated lock-maker, was one of the first who in inventing an improved lock, abandoned the complicated constructions of those

348

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

locks which had preceded it, and by taking the common tumbler and placing another stud upon it made it a double-acting one, without materially augmenting the cost (say two-pence per lock. )

It

is to be regretted that he did not proceed with his simplifications, but most probably the time was not ripe for the introduction of such simple movements , as his next improvement, viz . , the security bolt for latches or spring locks for front doors, is not so simple in construction , but still it is very excellent ; in fact, nothing to the present time has been invented to supersede it.

Previous to the date of this

latter invention anything that could reach the bolt of spring door latches would easily shoot it back, but Daniells added a secondary bolt either above or below the main bolt, and the tumblers or levers being gated upon it, the bolt could not be easily tampered with until the security part of the lock was passed.

The general quality of Daniells ' locks

in his day was second to none , and the locks at the present time, made by his successors , are of a very superior quality.

GILES'S LOCK, invented about 1814.

Mr. Giles was the inventor of the padlock, in shape of a ring, and of various other similar forms. They were jointed in the ring part, and the lock was sometimes made as a slip upon the ring, and frequently with a projecting barrel, through which

MITCHELL AND LAWTON'S LOCK.

349

the key was forced to reach a spring latch, or someThese locks were remarkably

times to turn a screw.

cheap and very useful for all ordinary purposes.

MITCHELL AND LAWTON'S LOCK, Patent dated March 7, 1815 . This lock, invented by Mr. J. Lawton, is one of considerable merit.

The principal peculiarity of its

construction is the employment of a sliding steel curtain before the keyhole.

Fig. 151

" represents

a six-inch dead lock with the cap removed.

A is a

circular steel curtain, with two keyholes pierced in it, connected with the curved aperture shown at a.

B

Fig. 151.

The curtain A turns upon the centre pin a, and is united to the bolt в by the screw b, which passes throngh the curtain, and enters the stud c, to be described hereafter ; the stud c moves in a slit shown in dotted lines at b ; de represent two stumps fixed to and being part of two tumblers which are placed below the curtain A ; these stumps drop into the racks or notches made to receive them in the cur-

350

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

tain 1 2 3 , 1 2 3, and while there, prevent the bolt A from moving either way.

The action of this part

is similar to Barron's principle ; but in this lock the

B

это

Fig. 152.

motion of the parts is compound ; for while the bolt в moves in a straight line, the curtain a turns at the same time upon the centre-pin a, and con-

ATH O

Fig. 153.

Fig. 155.

Fig. 154.

sequently it moves in a circular direction .

Fig. 154

represents a key ; f shews a groove formed in the cylindrical part to

admit a portion of the steel

curtain to enter and move therein, while the key is employed in moving the bolt either backwards or forwards, as occasion may require.

Fig. 155 repre-

SCOTT'S LOCK.

351

sents the key-pin of the lock detached , so as to give a correct idea of its form, which exactly corresponds with the hole drilled in the key shown in dotted lines at g, fig. 154. " Fig. 152 represents a lock with the steel curtain removed, so as to show the position of two of the tumblers c D, the stumps of which enter the notches of the curtain, and keep it stationary.

The

circular plate E has a rack or set of notches 4 , 5 , 6, in which a third tumbler acts similar to those that have been described.

c shows the position of a

strong stud, fixed in the circular plate E, which comes through a slit formed in the bolt.

This stud

is tapped to receive a screw, which unites the B and circular plate E. See b, in curtain to the bolt в fig. 151. " detached.

Fig. 153 shows the cap of the lock

SCOTT'S LOCK, invented about 1815. The peculiarity of the construction of this lock consists of one of the most

elegant and

simple

movements ever introduced, viz. , a pair of tumblers gated into two circular discs or wheels.

The se-

curity of this lock is equal to Barron's. Fig. 156 represents this lock as it appears on the the base of Aubin's Lock Trophy. * A is the bolt ; в the tumblers ; c c the two discs ; D D the studs of the tumblers in their true position in the lower * We shall fully describe this ingenious piece of mechanism at the end of this chapter.

352 disc.

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. The action is as follows : when the tumblers

are lifted to their true positions, the discs revolve, and the studs in the tumblers appear stationary, but when the bolt is shot back, they fall into their

0

Fig. 156.-Scott's Lock.

original positions in the wheels or discs.

We regret

that this is the only invention bequeathed by Mr. Scott to posterity, as he evidently understood the beauty and desirableness of simplicity. This is nearly the last

simple

movement

we

have to

chronicle, as in most of the other locks we have yet to describe a complicated construction prevails.

353

RUXTON'S LOCK. DEANE'S LOCK, invented about 1815 . The peculiarity of this invention

consisted in

combining a Bramah's with a Barron's lock - the Barron's at the front, the Bramah's at the back. The security was of course increased , but at the expense of adding considerably both to the complexity of the lock and the cost of making.

SOMERFORD'S FIRST LOCK, invented about 1815 . The peculiarity of this lock consisted in its being constructed with one double-acting draw-tumbler, which is the reverse of the principle of Barron's lock.

RUXTON'S LOCK, Patent dated May 14, 1816.

This is unquestionably the most meritorious lock invented

to

this

period

( 1816 )

since

that of

Bramah's, and is essentially a detector lock, and the first of its kind. Fig. 157 represents a drawer or till lock, with the cap removed to show the works. 33 is a ward.

2 is the drill-pin ;

The two parallel lines below 2, and

apparently connecting the ends of this ward 3 3 , are two other wards.

The key passes these wards,

having apertures or cuts (technically

called the

wards of the key) for this purpose in its bit. wards are rivetted to the plate of the lock.

These AAAA

are the screw holes, through which the screws are put that fasten the lock to the drawer Z

B is the

354

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

bolt, which has a cap or metal cover, being a plate c is a steel that is screwed on by the screw a. fence, to guard against the effects of any instrument Fig. 158 that might be introduced at the keyhole. represents the inside of the lock when the cap of

Fig. 157.- Ruxton's Lock. the bolt is removed. This cap in fig. 157 conceals from view what here appears . c is the lever turning on a pivot a, and acted on by the spring 2 2. BB is the bolt, the motion of which, up or down, is not hindered by the pivot a, nor by the spring 22.

a is the hole into which the screw goes that

screws the cap of the bolt.

This screw is seen in

fig. 157 where likewise the cap of the bolt is seen . The pivot a (fig. 158 ) projects from and is fastened to the lock-plate. The upper end of the spring 22 is also fastened to the main bolt. The bolt в в can move up and down .

Its upper part moves through

the selvage, and its bottom moves through the lower

RUXTON'S LOCK. part of the rim.

355

In fig. 158 the bolt is locked out.

In the lever c is a slit n, and unless this slit be placed under the blade r, which is a part of the bolt, the bolt cannot descend .

Fig. 159 shows the

position of the bolt after the operation of unlocking

Fig. 158.-Ruxton's Lock. has been performed ; and here the blade of the bolt appears in the slit of the lever.

It must be

observed that there are three levers, and that the slit in each is differently situated, and that the tails of the levers are of unequal lengths.

The tails of

the three levers when in the locks are concealed from view by the steel fence c, fig. 157.

The

three levers being on their pivot are acted on by the springs 2 2, fig. 158, or rather each of them is acted on by one of the three tails which the extremity of 2 2 forms.

The edges of the three

levers, when on their pivot, and when the operation of locking has been performed , present an even

2 z

356

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

smooth surface perpendicular to the main-plate of the lock for the key to act on in its progress through the lock.

Each lever yields to a moderate pres-

sure and may be moved by such pressure far beyond its limit.

On removing the pressure, it

regains its former position .

The patentee states,

that for greater security he sometimes makes the steel fence c (fig 157 ) extend round as far as the bolt B. These levers admit of six permutations ; four would admit of twenty-four ;

five of one

hundred and twenty ; seven of five thousand and forty ; and eight of forty thousand three hundred and twenty.

The maker, therefore, has it in his

power to increase the means of security to any extent at pleasure .

Such is Ruxton's lock in its

simplest form , but it was also constructed with the addition of a detector.

As before stated, the fence

c (fig. 157 ) conceals from view the tails

of the

Fig. 159.-Ruxton's Lever.

levers, but in fig. 160 the tail of one appears .

of them

The ends d of all the tails come close to

a small and thin plate of metal, which the patentee

357

RUXTON'S LOCK.

calls the prop, 1 , (fig. 160. )

The outer edges of the

tails touch the cheek 4 5 (fig. 160. )

The prop has

two pivots, and one part of it is lower than the other.

The prop, though it turns on pivots, cannot

turn towards the tail d of the levers further than to be perpendicular to the main-plate of the lock, but it can turn from the levers so far as to be

Fig. 160.-Ruxton's Detecting-bar. flat against the main-plate, with its edge, 1 , removed from the levers.

To prevent the

prop turning

too far towards the levers, the spring a b that presses on it has a shoulder, against which shoulder the prop rests.

n, fig. 160 , is the lower termination of the detecting-bar, the only support for which is the spring In fig. 157, the whole of this detecting-bar is seen ; it is there marked with the letters n n, and

ab.

it moves in a piece of metal , a, rivetted to the mainA portion of the upper part of plate of the lock. g ctin -bar is larger than the rest of it, in the dete order to prevent its passing down too far through x, and likewise to prevent its passing too high.

Its

358

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

upper end is , except when violation is attempted , on a line and even with the selvage of the main-plate of the lock, as represented in fig. 161.

w (fig. 161 )

marks the spot occupied ( except when there is an attempt to violate ) by the upper end of the detect-

Fig. 161 .

ing-bar.

An attempt at violation is to be supposed

to have occurred , and such an attempt would cause the detecting-bar to fall as far as x (fig. 157 ) would permit it.

If the prop 1, (fig. 160) should be

pushed or stirred by the tails d of the levers, or by any one or more of them, it must turn so as to lie flat against the main-plate of the lock.

The

spring a b must press upon , that is, lie flat upon the prop, and the detecting-bar, losing its only support, must fall down.

The lock being screwed on to the

front of a drawer, the detecting-bar is perpendicular to the plate of the horizon , and therefore, losing its support, it must fall. It has been mentioned before that the tails of the levers

were of different lengths.

They are so

placed, and the prop 1 (fig. 160 ) is so placed, as that if the tail of either

of the levers

should

move in the slightest degree beyond their true position, the prop would be pressed upward, the

359

RUXTON'S LOCK.

spring ab would press it so as to make it lie closely to the main-plate of the

lock,

and the

detecting-bar, wanting the support of the spring which would have followed the prop, would fall , leaving to the view of the proprietor of the lock, when he should next open his drawer, a hole in the upper part or selvage of the lock, as in fig. 161 , which hole, had there been an attempt at violation, would be filled to a level with the surface of the selvage with the detecting-bar.

Fig. 162.- Ruxton's Key.

In the specification the patentee names other modes of employing this detecting apparatus. In order to facilitate the re-adjustment of the detecting apparatus, after an attempt to violate, a part of the main-plate of the lock is sometimes made moveable, up and down , in grooves ; which moveable part, when withdrawn, brings with it the detecting-bar, the prop, and the lever, if there be a lever.

The simplicity of the lock is not affected by this apparatus for betraying clandestine efforts to open

360

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

it, the operations of locking and unlocking being quite independent of such apparatus , and therefore the lock

may be

considered to be independent

of it. The patentee further states that, in order to deter from any attempt at violation , he sometimes constructs the lock so as that such an attempt must produce an alarming noise, which may be effected in various ways.

Also , that an attempt to violate it causes to be exhibited an indication that such an attempt was made to every person who may chance to look at the thing secured , as, for instance , a drawer.

This is effected by the disengagement

of the spring a b (fig. 160 ) letting fall a bar within the lock, the end of which bar is, until an attempt to violate be made, on a level with the outer surface of the front of the drawer, but, falling, a cavity appears in the front of the drawer.

Another mode of adapting the principle of a detecting apparatus is (where local situation does not forbid) to construct the lock so as that the person making the attempt will, without sustaining personal injury, be

caught in the act ;

but the

particular mode of effecting it the patentee thought it better not to publish. The patentee states also that he sometimes constructed this lock so as that an attempt to violate it must cause the false instrument used in the attempt to be detained ; but then such an effect is produced that the lock becomes unopenable by any means,

RUXTON'S LOCK.

361

even by its legitimate key, and recourse must then be had to the sledge-hammer, the saw, the drill , or the chisel. He further states that he sometimes so constructs the key so as that, if lost or carelessly kept, a

D

0

Fig. 163.- Ruxton's Tell-tale Lock. (From Aubin's Lock Trophy.) A, the bolt ; B, the levers ; c, the blade ; D, the main spring ; E, the detector or tell-tale ; F, a thin steel spring, which works up the detector or tell-tale when any of the levers are overlifted.

person finding or procuring it shall not be able to perform the operation of unlocking.

This object

is attained thus : - In some spot of the nose of the

362

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

key, from which should issue no projection, a mock projection is affixed , so contrived as to be removeable in a moment, and without trouble.

KEMP'S LOCK, Patent dated May 27, 1816 .

The security of this lock

" consisted

in the

adaptation of tumblers or sliders , operated upon by two, three, or more small concentric tubes, of different lengths, placed inside the barrel of the key.

These tubes were made of such a length as

to push back the pins or sliders that detain the bolt to the required positions, until each one corresponds with the notch that is cut in it for the projecting part of the bolt.

Mr. Kemp calls his

invention the union lock, from the circumstance that it unites the qualities of Barron's and Bramah's locks ; and from the manner in which the combination is effected,

it affords, according to the

inventor, a greater degree of security than either of the former, or than both of them together, supposing a lock of each kind was placed on the same door ; and that a dishonest servant, who does not possess any particular ingenuity, may be instructed by a locksmith how to take the requisite impressions of either Barron's or Bramah's keys, even if he could be intrusted with them only for a few minutes ; but this cannot be done with the key of the union lock, as it would require the locksmith to examine it himself, and to make several tools to ascertain its different dimensions, which he could

363

KEMP'S LOCK .

not do without having it in his possession for some considerable time, with leisure to make repeated trials.

In this remark of Mr. Kemp's we entirely

coincide ; and it still applies to all locks hitherto made ( 1834) , that the keys, when in the possession of a workman, may be copied ; and, in many, without possession.

Mr. Kemp's invention may supply

a partial remedy for this defect ; but until a complete one is provided the art

of lockmaking is

imperfect, and no locks are inviolable. 66 Viewing the subject in this light, it affords the

editor of this work ( Hebert's Encyclopædia) much satisfaction to state that he has in his possession a lock, the key of which cannot be copied ; a locksmith possessing no tools by which an exactly similar one can be made ; and the machine by which the original one was made is so arranged as to be deprived of the power of producing another like it.

The lock is very simple, very strong, and can

be very cheaply made.

The cost of a complete

machine to make them would be about one hundred pounds ; with that they might be manufactured at one-half the expense

of any patent lock .

The

inventor is desirous to have the subject brought before the public under a patent, but want of time to devote himself to such an object at present obliges him to lay it aside. "*

The machine here

referred to has not to the present time ( 1856 ) been

Hebert's Encyclopædia.

364

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

patented, and therefore nothing is known of its particular construction ; but that such a machine is capable of being constructed to do all that has been stated we verily believe ;

and further, we

believe that such a machine may even be made self-acting.

If the

attention

of the

Lancashire

machinists were to be given to the manufacture of locks and keys , a perfect revolution in the trade would be the result.

SOMERFORD'S SECOND LOCK, invented about 1816. This lock is constructed with a lever and two tumblers, but with the tumblers so arranged that one is made to ascend, and the other to descend, before the bolt can be shot.

The lower ascending

tumbler has an iron plate attached to it, the use of which, besides receiving the key and thus bringing it down to its central place, is, that it stands as a complete guard in front of the riding tumbler which descends.

The lever on the top of the bolt is also

of a new construction , having the tumblers working in its racks, and refusing to let them pass till it is brought to its proper position ; on which account the inventor calls it the master lever. Fig. 164 is a front view of a door lock, with the cap or upper plate removed ; a a is the bolt, having a longitudinal perforation , in each side of which are four notches opposite each other ; bb is a plate of brass fixed to the bolt by the pin and collet c, under

SOMERFORD'S SECOND LOCK.

365

which it freely moves ; this plate has a perforation with four notches in the upper side, and three in the under, corresponding with the notches in the bolt, but deeper ; d d is a spring fixed to the top of the bolt acting on the protuberance b of the master lever bb, and pressing it on one side, so as to pre-

Fig. 164.-Somerford's Lock.

vent the notched perforation corresponding with that of the bolt.

Under the bolt are two tumblers ,

one standing before the other, both working on a centre pin fixed in the bolt under the lever at the letter of reference c, and their stumps working in the slots and gatings of the bolt and master lever. By the aid of a double spring acting on the tails of the tumblers the stump of one tumbler is kept in one of the upper notches of the bolt, while the stump of the other tumbler is kept in one of the

366

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

lower notches, and whilst in these positions the bolt is kept from moving either backwards or forwards. Therefore, to move the bolt, the key (fig. 165 ) must by its hook 7, travelling in the groove of the under

O Fig. 165.- Somerford's Key.

tumbler f, pull the stump just out of the upper notch, and no more, while the front of the key, pushing the second tumbler, moves its stump just out of the bottom notch, and no more ; and now the stumps being even, the bolt is free of them, but is locked by its upper plate , or master lever bb , catching them in two of its upper notches ; therefore the upper front of the key must raise this master lever to make its perforation or gating coincide exactly with that in the bolt, and then it is quite free, as in fig . 166, where the key is in its place, moving the bolt.

Fig. 167 shows the bolt

advanced, the key just left it, when one stump

BURTON'S LOCK.

367

rises into the upper notch, and the other sinks into the lower notch of the bolt, and the main lever, bb, falls with one of its notches on the upper stump , by

d

H

Fig. 166.

d

H

Fig. 167.

which the bolt has three securities, and these are divided by the plate n n, or bridge-ward , which passes through the middle of the key, two being below and one above.

BURTON'S LOCK, invented about 1816 . The improvements introduced by Burton were in locks for doors made in two parts and for sliding doors, and consisted in making the bolt-head hollow

368

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

for the purpose of containing the tumbler, and which is the full length of the bolt.

On the end of the

tumbler there is a hook, so that when the bolt is shot out, the tumbler being attached to the bolt, and projecting from the hollow bolt-head fastened on to the lower part of the door ; or if sliding doors, then the tumbler hooked behind a plate fixed to the one door and so secured both. There is a stud in

the lock-plate for the tumbler to catch and

hold on.

DUCE'S (SENIOR) LOCK, invented about 1816 . This is a very simply-constructed lock .

Its pecu-

liarity consists of a plain bit of iron, which forms both the bolt and a double-acting tumbler.

The

lock is nearly as secure as Barron's, and can be produced at a lower price than any other lock which is equally secure that we know of.

The action is

as follows : the piece of plain iron that forms the bolt and tumbler is gated through a cheek or other projection of the lock-plate ; in which projecting piece is cut a slot for the bolt to move through, and a corresponding slot in the bolt ; the bolt has either an up or a down motion from the key, a light steel spring being rivetted to the bolt or the lock-plate, forces the bolt either up or down ; and this forms the combination against the cheek or other projection of the lock-plate .

We should recommend the

locksmiths ofthe present day to take this specimen of simple but effective mechanism and count the

TOY'S IMPROVEMENTS . few limbs it contains.

369

This lock appears to be

almost unknown, and it is not improbable that the absence of complexity in the construction , and want of show in its appearance, were sufficient objections at that period to prevent its being more generally used. The principle of this lock is similar to the principle upon which the modern medical man acts, and the dissatisfaction expressed by the purchaser of the lock and the patient of the doctor is equally the same.

In the first case the buyer exclaims

with astonishment-" Why there is nothing in it ;' in the other case the patient exclaims when he receives his bill-" By the powers !

I have had

nothing for my money. "

Many persons in the one case think that to make a lock secure it must necessarily be complicated ; in the other case they as certainly believe, that if the doctor is to do them any good , he must send them plenty of physic ;

and in both these cases, when

such a principle is carried out, they are fully satisfied of having had " value received " for their cash.

TOY'S IMPROVEMENTS, introduced about 1816 .

It is to Toy that the merit is due for improving stock or wood locks , by the introduction of solid brass wards of peculiar and various designs , and also combining the common tumbler with a lever, and working both from one

centre

of motion ,

thereby adding materially to the security of the 2 A

370

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

lock, with but little addition to the cost of manufacture.

He also introduced barrels of a peculiar

form , which worked in the keyholes ; and some of the latter had the drill-pin fixed in them. All wooden locks are called stock-locks , from the circumstance of the mechanism being embedded in a piece of wood, the same as the gun-barrel and lock are embedded in their wooden stock.

There is

another lock of this description , called the " Banbury lock," in which the various limbs composing it are fixed separately in the piece of wood hollowed out for the purpose ; whereas in the former the lock is first made complete on its plate , which is then inserted in the cavity of the stock prepared for its reception . The Banbury locksmiths are in the trade called "wooden jewellers," but from what cause history doth not inform us.

HIGGINSON'S LOCK, Patent dated February 1 , 1817.

This invention

consists in the

adoption of a

cylindrical roller in a particular and novel manner attached so as to prevent the introduction of picklocks for opening the works. Fig. 168 is the representation of the external part of a cylindrical box, to be attached to or upon the cap-plate . The keyhole of the cylindrical box is reversed to that of the cap. Fig . 169 is a roller, to be placed within the cylindrical box , with a slight spring only for the

371

HIGGINSON'S LOCK. purpose of tightening it within the box.

The

object of this roller, which revolves (by turning the key) is to cover the keyhole from the introduction of a picklock ; for when the key is out of the lock, this roller prevents all communication with the

Fig. 169.

Fig. 168.

keyhole, and consequently with the interior ; until by its revolution the aperture for the key to pass is brought opposite to the keyhole of the cap-plate. Another mode which the inventor claims for the purpose of preventing the possibility of picking the

Fig. 170.-Higginson's Lock.

lock is described in fig. 170, and consists, first, of a cylindrical piece, a, sliding upon the circular ward,

2A2

372

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

and closing or preventing all access to the works from the centre, having an aperture for the introduction of the key, by which the cylindrical piece is carried round, and upon withdrawing the key the aperture remains opposite to the hole of the cap-plate, or by the adoption of a revolving cross, fitting to and acting within the wards, so as to exclude all passage to the inner works.

To pre-

clude the introduction of a picklock through the outer channel of the wards a projecting piece is placed marked b, bearing against the circular ward, and supported by a spring lever to admit the passage of the key.

This piece b, if attempted to

be raised by a picklock, or any other force , would recede into the notch c, and prevent the bolt from returning ; or, instead of attaching this projecting piece to a spring, it may be suspended , against which a spring acts for the same purpose as the former,

and by its receding into the

notch, as

before described, locks or confines the bolt.

GOULD'S LOCK, invented about 1817 . Gould was the inventor of the lock with a sliding talon, i. e., the back talon or gating of the bolt is filed off, and a slide attached thereto which crosses the bolt, and is forced down by a spring at the back.

On to the slide is rivetted a spring with a

stud upon it, and which holds to the main bolt. There is also a piece or nib which projects from the spring, which the key acts upon when required.

LEES' LOCK . The locks were

373

constructed with two or three

levers, and sometimes with a common tumbler. The talon is the secret ; for after locking the bolt out, the key is turned round again quietly to catch the nib and force the talon up, so that any key would pass by without moving

the

bolt.

Το

bring the talon down again the key is used the reverse way.

Fig. 171.-Barron's Fly-talon.

This is the second invention of a moveable talon . The first is that of Barron's, which was introduced soon after his patented lock, and was called the 66 fly-talon," as shewn in fig. 171 . LEES' LOCK, invented about 1817 .

Lees' invention consisted of a peculiarly

con-

structed escutcheon or blind for the keyhole of trunk locks, and although keyholes were in the locks , yet no keys were required to lock and unlock them. There were studs which had to be forced down in various positions, or sometimes these studs had to be pulled up to release the bolt.

The escutcheon

or blind was either lifted up or turned part way round, whichever was necessary to move the obstruction to the passage of the bolt.

374

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. BRUETON'S IMPROVEMENTS, introduced about 1817.

The late Mr. Thomas Brueton ,* of Bilston, whose father and grandfather were dog-collar lock makers, introduced various improvements into these useful little locks. Some he constructed on the secret principle, others had two drill-pins, whilst some had fluted keys and corresponding keyholes.

We

have been presented with an assortment of these curious locks,

selected from a stock left by Mr.

Brueton, and now in the possession of his successor in the business, Mr. John Harper, jun . , of Willenhall .

We are indebted to this gentleman for

several other specimens of locks and much interesting information , which we shall make use of in the course of the work. CHUBB'S ORIGINAL LOCK, Patent dated February 3, 1818. The patentee in his specification states-" My improvements in the construction of locks are appli* Mr. Brueton, whom we knew personally, was one of a very few wealthy lockmakers. He died in 1844, much respected by all who knew him, and after leaving various legacies, devised the residue of his estate to be divided equally amongst the following charitable institutions :-The Wolverhampton Dispensary (now the South Staffordshire Hospital ) ; the Birmingham General Hospital ; the Queen's Hospital, Birmingham ; the Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, Birmingham ; the British and Foreign Bible Society ; the London Missionary Society ; and the Wesleyan Missionary Society. These institutions received considerable sums, and but for the Statute of Mortmain, would have had much more, the estate comprising considerable real property and many mortgage debts, amounting to about £40,000. The testator leaving no heir, the estate will have to be divided amongst the next of kin. We feel unfeigned pleasure in recording the above as a small tribute of esteem for the memory of a member of the lock trade, who was a man of the strictest integrity, a kind neighbour, a sincere friend, and a good Christian.

375

CHUBB'S ORIGINAL LOCK.

cable to all such locks as contain tumblers, sliders , or detents, for the purpose of detaining the bolt of the lock and preventing all motion , or withdrawing it, unless

such tumblers, sliders,

first disengaged from the bolt.

or detents are

They also render

these locks more secure, and likewise give notice to the owner if any attempt has been made with a false key, or otherwise to violate the lock. " After describing the various kinds of locks then in use, he states-" I do not make claim to the invention of any such lock as aforesaid, or to any particular combination of its parts, but my invention consists in the following improvements thereupon. " First, in what I call detecting mechanism, of which the parts are as follow : the detector is a detent or lever, moving upon a fixed centre-pin, and formed with a hook or catch, adapted to interlock with a notch or stud in the bolt of the lock, so as effectually to stop and resist the motion of such bolt whenever the detector is moved on its centrepin, so as to come into contact with the bolt.

But

if the detector is moved on its centre-pin, so as to be clear of the bolt, it will then make no opposition to its motion.

The detector spring is a spring

applied to the detector in such a manner as to urge its hook or catch towards the bolt when the detector is moved, or as to bring the said hook or catch nearer to the bolt than a certain position, which may be called the point of detection .

The said

376

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

detector spring will urge the detector hook away from the bolt whenever the same is at a greater distance from the bolt than the said point of detection.

The detector is so placed as to be operated

upon by the tumblers of the lock when the whole or any of them are raised ; and if any one of the tumblers is raised too high, that is to say, is moved further from the centre of motion of the key than the required position in which the notch in such tumbler comes opposite to the stud of the bolt, as before described ; then such tumbler, which has been too much raised, will move the detector beyond or within the point of detection ; in which case the detector spring will throw the hook of the detector into contact with the bolt, and the detector will effectually stop any motion of the bolt, even though the tumbler, which occasioned the detection, should be restored to its proper position ; for though any one of the tumblers which may be raised too high will operate against the detector, to throw its hook into the bolt, yet there is no connection between such tumbler and the detector, which can occasion the detector to leave its then position , as the true key of the lock will raise each tumbler to its required position, and no farther : it will never throw the detector beyond or within the point of detection, consequently the detector-spring will always keep the detector hook disengaged from the bolt ; but if a false key or pick-lock be employed to raise the tumblers, there will be every probability that some

CHUBB'S ORIGINAL LOCK.

377

one will be raised too high, and will move the detector beyond the point of detection , so that the detector-spring will then throw the hook into contact with the bolt ; in this state the lock is what I call detected , and the possessor of the true key has evidence that an attempt has been made to violate the lock, because the said true key will not now open it, for neither the true key or tumblers have any means of communication with the detector after it has passed within the point of detection.

The

remaining parts of my detecting mechanism are for the purpose of regulating the lock, or releasing its bolt from the detector ; they are as follow : the regulating bolt is a bolt or slider within the bolt, adapted to operate upon the detector in such a manner as to raise or remove the hook thereof away from the bolt of the lock beyond the point of detection , and is operated upon by an adjusting instrument, which I call the regulating key, which may be similar in form to other keys, but will not open the lock, it being designed only to discharge the detector and restore the lock to such a state of adjustment that its own key will open it ; for this purpose it has a different arrangement of the steps on its bit, one of which shifts or moves the regulating bolt.

The regulating bolt may be placed over or

under the bolt of the lock, and has a pin or stud which projects from it, and applies against the same, or other tumblers, which are adapted to resist the motion of this regulating bolt, unless each one of

378

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

the said tumblers are raised or moved into a given position, and neither more or less, by means of the several steps in the bits of the regulating key.

The

regulating key being applied in its place in the lock, and turned partly round , its several steps will first raise each tumbler to its exact required position , and then it will move the regulating bolt, by which means the detector will be moved without or beyond

• 0 Fig. 172.-Chubb's Original Detector Lock.

the point of detection , and the detector-spring will throw the hook of the detector out of the reach of the bolt, which may be effected by a small inclined

379

CHUBB'S ORIGINAL LOCK. plane, or wedge, upon the regulating bolt.

By this

means the lock will be regulated or restored to its original state, and can be opened by its true key. "* Fig.

172 represents a lock from Aubin's Lock

Trophy, made according to this first patent. the bolt ;

A is

B are the levers , or , as called in the

specification , tumblers ; c is the detector ; D is the regulating bolt ; E is the detector-spring. There is an important difference between the original lock and all Chubb's other locks in the action

of the

" detecting

mechanism . "

In the

original lock the detector was released by a separate key acting on the regulating bolt, which left the main bolt unmoved ; while in the others, in order to release the detector, the bolt has to be shot further out, which necessitates great care in the fixing of these locks, for unless sufficient play is allowed in the bolt-hole for the extra shoot of the bolt when the lock has been detected, the main bolt remains fixed in its detected position , and cannot be moved, and consequently the lock cannot be opened.

It is

therefore necessary to allow from one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch, according to the size of the lock, in the depth of the bolt-hole, to allow for this second shoot of the bolt, in releasing the detector. We may here remark on the subject of detectors in general, that we do not attach that importance to them

which many do.

The

ready

manner of

* Repertory of Arts, vol. xxxiv, second series, page 321.

380

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

releasing the detector lessens considerably its value as an indicator of the lock having been tampered with, for on attempting to unlock the lock with its proper key, the hindrance would in most cases be thought to be accidental, or arising from some misplacement, and in a moment, without consideration or reflection , the key would be reversed, and the idea never occur that the detector had been thrown at all. "The detector, although possessing some advantages, is not without its evils, especially in locks where it is liable to be thrown by the tumbler being very slightly overlifted, as in this case , the pressure commencing almost immediately upon the tumbler being raised to its proper elevation for allowing the bolt to pass, may indicate to the lock-picker the character of instrument to be used ; and in such locks, when by long use the tumbler springs are considerably weakened , the detector may sometimes be started by a sharp movement of the proper key.

Where there exists the remotest possibility

of this occurring, the contrivance were far better absent, as the discovery of a detector being thrown is one of grave importance . "* The editor of Hebert's Encyclopædia , in his remarks on this subject, says -

" In Barron's and

Bramah's the picker has no means of knowing whether the tumblers are lifted too high or not ;

* Granville Sharp's Prize Essay on Practical Banking.

CHUBB'S ORIGINAL LOCK .

381

but in Chubb's he has only to put the detector hors de combat in the first instance, by a correct thrust from the outside of the door (which might be accurately measured), so as to fix it fast in its place ; the detector then becomes a stopper to the undue ascent of the tumblers,

and the extent of their

range is thereby correctly ascertained ;

thus it

appears to us the detector might be converted into a director of the means of opening the lock."

Our greatest objection to the use of detectors is, that these locks frequently, from various causes, detect themselves, and the mischief which may be caused in an establishment under such circumstances is most distressing to

contemplate .

detector is thrown , and the proprietor

The

at once

jumps to the conclusion that some one of those who had access to the apartment or depository has been tampering with the lock. Fig. 173 represents Chubb's Lock as it was constructed at the time of the Great Exhibition of 1851. shall Mr.

Having described the original invention , we here insert a description of this lock from

John

Chubb's

paper

" On

the

Construc-

tion of Locks and Keys ," read before the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1850 , and which he afterwards published .

We are indebted to Mr. John

Chubb for a copy of this interesting paper.

Mr.

Chubb stated that the lock had been " improved upon by the successive patents of Charles Chubb , in

382

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

1824 ;* by Charles Chubb and Ebenezer Hunter, in 1833 ; by John Chubb, in 1846 ; and by John Chubb and Ebenezer Hunter, in 1847." " The last-patented lock, which, while retaining the

PAULS C LONDON

SHUBER ITER

ん

Fig. 173.-Chubb's Lock of 1851 . peculiarities of the former inventions, has received such modifications and improvements as were, in practice, found to be necessary. " It may here be stated, in order to render the drawing more intelligible, that Chubb's lock consists

of

six separate and distinct double-acting

levers ,† with the addition of a detector, by which any attempt to pick or open the lock by a false key is immediately notified on the next application * The improvement for which the second ( 1824 ) patent was obtained consisted in so constructing the main bolt, that instead of requiring a separate key to release the detector, the true key should effect it by merely turning " the key in a backward direction, or in the same direction that it is turned in the act of locking or shooting the main bolt." + In this as in several other patentees ' descriptions we have substituted the word lever for tumbler, in accordance with our definition of these two terms at page 260.

383

CHUBB'S LOCK. of its own key.

The detector is the great and

peculiar feature by which Chubb's lock is so well known.

" In fig. 173, " a is the bolt, b the square stud rivetted into and forming part of the bolt ; c are the levers, six in number, moving on the centre pin d, placed one over the other, but perfectly separate and distinct, so as to allow all of them to be elevated to different heights.

e is a dividing

spring, forming six separate springs, pressing upon the ends of the six levers .

fis the detector-spring.

It will be observed that the bottom lever has a tooth near the detector-spring.

g is a stud or pin,

fixed into and forming part of the bottom lever, and h is the key.

Now it will be obvious that the

whole of the levers must be lifted precisely to the different heights required, to allow the square stud b to pass through the longitudinal

slots

of the

levers, so that the bolt may be withdrawn .

There

is no means of telling when any one lever is lifted too high, or not high enough, much less can the combination of the six be ascertained ; and if a false key should be inserted, and any one of the levers should be raised beyond its proper position , the detector-spring of will catch the bottom lever c, and retain it, so as to prevent the bolt from passing ; and thus, upon the next application of the true key, immediate notice will be given of an attempt having been made to pick the lock, as the true key will not then at once unlock it.

By turning the

384

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

key, however, the reverse way, as in locking, the levers will be brought to their proper bearing, allowing the bolt to move forward, and the stud b to enter into the notches i.

The bevelled part of

the bolt a will then lift up the detector-spring f, and allow the bottom lever c to fall into its place. The lock being now restored to its original position, may be opened and shut in the ordinary manner. It will be seen that when the lock is

detected,

nothing but its own key can restore it to its former condition . " The following calculation will show the number of changes which may be made in the combinations. of Chubb's locks.

The same principle will, of

course, apply to any other locks having a number of moveable levers , tumblers , or sliders . " The number of changes which may be effected on the keys of a three-inch drawer lock l, is 1 by 2 by 3 by 4 by 5 by 6 = 720 , the number of different combinations which may be made on the six steps of unequal lengths, as in fig . 173 , without altering the length of either step.

The height of the

shortest step is, however, capable of being reduced twenty times, and each time of being reduced the 720 combinations may be repeated ; therefore 720 by 20 = 14,400 changes .

The same process , after

reducing the shortest step as much as possible, may be gone through with each of the other five steps ; therefore

14,400

by

6 = 86,400 ,

which

is

the

number of changes that can be produced on the

CHUBB'S LOCK. six steps.

385

If, however, the seventh step, which

throws the bolt, be taken into account, the reduction of it only ten times would give 86,400 by 10 = 864,000 as the number of changes on locks, with the keys all of one size.

Moreover, the drill-pins

of the locks and the pipes of the keys may be easily made of three different sizes, and the number of changes will then be 864,000 by 3-2,592,000 , as the whole series of changes which may be gone through with this key.

" In smaller keys, the steps of which are only capable of being reduced ten times, and the boltstep only five times, the number of combinations will be 720 by 10 by 6 by 5 by 3 = 648,000 .

On

the other hand , in larger keys, the steps of which can be reduced thirty times,

and the bolt-step

twenty times, the total number of combinations will be 720 by 30 by 6 by 20 by 3 = 7,776,000 . ” Our readers will most likely remark that this lock ought indeed to be secure, combining, as it does, improvements secured by no less than six patents, * but most of the so-called improvements we consider the reverse, as we believe the original lock, with its simple detector and regulating-bolt, the most meritorious, as well as the most secure, of any of the subsequent inventions.

* This same lock, which has been since the year 1851 further improved, and which improvements have been secured by two additional patents, will be further described in the chapter on modern locks. 2 B

386

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. DYASS'S LOCK, invented about 1818.

Dyass was the inventor of the semi-circular boltlock.

The bolt of the lock was flush, and there

were no limbs projecting from the link-plate.

This

contrivance made the lock very convenient to use. It was cheap, and had an excellent sale . It is supposed the same inventor introduced the common flush-bolt or dog-lock, in which the bolt is moved by a limb called a " dog " working on the drill-pin. SMITH'S LOCK, invented about 1818 . Smith is supposed to have been the inventor of the flush-bolt Bramah desk-lock.

The bolt, which

is of a semi-circular form , works out of the selvage, and is driven forward by a very curiously-formed scroll or eccentric perforation in the bolt.

He also

very much improved the flush-handle . WRIGHT'S LOCK, invented about 1818 . The peculiarity in the construction of Wright's lock was that no key was required to open it.

The

drill-pin was rivetted into a slide which formed a spring-catch.

To open the lock, the drill-pin was

pulled down with any convenient instrument, to release the catch ; but if a key were put on the drill-pin, the keyhole being made very close, would not come down.

it

In trunk, letter-bag, and

similar locks, the thumb nail was sufficient to pull down the moveable drill-pin which released the bolt.

STRUTT'S LOCK.

387

STRUTT'S LOCK, Patent dated October 18, 1819. Although the construction of this lock rendered it tolerably secure at the period of its invention, and although it was not an expensive one to make, its adoption was never considerable,

and at the

present time it is scarcely used at all .

a

640

Fig. 174.- Strutt's Lock.

A serious objection to its use is the circumstance of the key having a reverse action, i. e. after locking, the key is moved a short distance in the opposite, or unlocking direction , before withdrawing it from the keyhole . Fig. 174 represents a spring-box or desk-lock ; a a are those parts of the bolt b which lock into the link-plate.

i is the top lever which moves the

bolt at the same time that the under-levers with the notches on their circumference are acted upon

2 B 2

.

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

388

by the true key.

We cannot better explain its

construction than in the words of the patentee himself.

He states that " the advantages attempted to

be obtained by the patentee of this lock (which was originally invented for private use) are -perfect security, simplicity, strength, and durability ; moderate price ; and a construction allowing the use of one master-key to a very great number of locks. " The security of the lock depends on combination carried to a very great extent, so far that any person acquainted with the principle would never think of attempting to pick a lock of this kind : in addition to this, the deceiving notches on the edges of the plates or levers most effectually mislead the pick-lock, and make him think he is proceeding properly, when he is

as far from doing so as

possible.

" Much has been said about the facility of making false keys to any locks of moderate price .

In this

lock the key acts upon the plates near their centre , and the notches (which allow the bolt to be shot when they coincide )

are

at the

circumference ;

hence the slightest variation in the false keys from the true one causes these notches not to coincide, and till that is the case the locks cannot be opened. It must also be remembered that the true key is made at random, and the notches in the plates made afterwards.

Now the chances are almost innumer-

able against the steps on the web of the key being any regular curve, or the curve of one step being

STRUTTS' LOCK .

389

similar to the curve of another step.

It is impos-

sible, too, for any person to ascertain on what part of each step on the key each plate or lever rests ; and the difficulty of taking any impression in wax, &c. sufficiently accurate to work from , will be very obvious to any person conversant with this subject. " For the strength, simplicity, and durability of this lock it will only be necessary to say that the parts are all large and strong, the friction very trifling, and the use of springs unnecessary in all larger sorts of locks, such as are used for doors, gates, & c.

This in external or damp situations

contributes materially to their durability.

" It allows of a master-key to a suit of any number of locks , and even of a sub-master-key,* without increasing the works, or diminishing the simplicity in the least degree :

for suppose any

number of locks of the same size to be made, each having a different key, if another key having its steps made at random was introduced into each lock, and a set of nicks cut in the plates to allow the bolts to be shot, it would then be a master-key capable of opening that set of locks.

Again , let

another key be made at random, and introduced

" The use of sub-master-keys and a grand-master-key will be very great to gentlemen who wish to have one key with which they can unlock all the locks of their establishment, be they ever so numerous, and yet preserve a distinction in the several departments ; as, for instance, a bailiff or overseer may have a set or suit to be unlocked by his sub-master-key, and no other ; gardener the same ; butler, &c. &c.; and one key to have access to the whole."

390

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

into any part of that set, say 10, 20, or 30, and nicks made in the plates to allow the bolts to shoot, that would then be a sub-master-key, capable of opening that 10, 20, or 30 locks, and no others. It must be observed that the space obtained on the circumference of the plates is so very large as to allow of several sets of nicks, and yet to leave an immense number of changes.

Locks in suit may

be made capable of millions of changes .

Another

advantage is, that if the master-key to a large set of these locks is lost ( a very serious thing in all other locks ), the nicks in the plates brought into action by that key may, at a very trifling expense, be soldered or otherwise filled up,

a new key and

fresh nicks made, and the lost key thus rendered entirely useless .' In this lock the stump is loose and is attached to the main-bolt, but does not move with it ; but as the bolt moves there is a stump on the mainbolt which works through a curiously-formed slot in the loose tongue which carries the stump or blade.

As soon as pressure is applied to the lever

that works the main bolt (which may be termed an auxiliary -the key not touching the bolt), the stump on the loose tongue falls into the notches in the levers.

false

This is consequently the

first moveable stump lock on record, as well as the first with false notches.

* Repertory of Arts, vol. 37, second series, page 321.

391

SPICER'S LOCK.

SPICER'S LOCK, invented about 1819.

This lock is constructed with double fly-talons or detents, which are applicable also to spring-bolts or latches, and which by this improvement are made self-acting or locking.

A small stud projects out of

the selvage or fore-end of the lock, which by coming in contact with the staple or striking-plate releases the main-bolt, which then shoots and fastens into the staple . This inventor is supposed to have been the first who introduced the imitation or " sham" Bramah lock ; also the first who shut up the keyhole of locks by the limb termed " bang-up," which consists of either a thin steel spring working over the drill-pin, or a scroll spring driving up a thin disc of metal.

He also introduced the common book-

lock, so very extensively used at the present time. He was considered in his day one of the most ingenious workmen in the trade,

and when he

declined the business he sold his principal workman for £42 to a manufacturer in Birmingham. This custom of buying and selling workmen still prevails in the trade .

We shall make some obser-

vations on this practice in a future chapter.

We may observe in connexion with Spicer's book lock, that about the year 1825 the late Mr. Mordan introduced a Bramah book or ledger-lock, which was cast solid in the same manner as the solid locks of Milner, recently patented.

392

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

MALLET'S LOCK, Patent dated December 14, 1820. This lock is of a complicated character, and is constructed with sliding guards in the place of tumblers or levers.

These sliding guards, with a

"barricadoed-guider" and a barrel and curtain, form the peculiar limbs of this lock, and it is quite evident that the " barricadoed-guider" was intended as an improvement upon Bird's lock, invented in 1790, and described at page 330.

Fig. 175 is a

perspective representation of the lock with the key

20

Fig. 175.-Mallet's Lock.

in it, and the bolt b b half way in the passages or gatings of the sliding guards .

a a is the lock-plate.

On the bolt is fastened the barricadoed-guider c c ; d is a guide-stud which keeps the sliding-guards e e e, when moving in a parallel line, from much

393

MALLET'S LOCK.

friction ; f is the centre-pin on which the end of the split-spring is fastened, and round which it plays.

The barricadoed-guider c, the guide-stud d,

and centre fixed pin ƒ, are all attached to the bolt b, and move in the lock-plate,

a a, forward and

backward in locking and unlocking.

g is a stud

rivetted to the lock-plate a, which keeps the bolt locked or unlocked by standing beyond the slidingguards when the bolt is shut out or locked ; and the notch h, when the bolt is withdrawn or unlocked .

i is a guard-stud , also rivetted to the lock-

plate, between which and g the sliding-guards must pass with great nicety in locking and unlocking. There is a small projection j on the back of the sliding-guards, which, when they are all raised to the height wished by the manufacturer, keeps the lines or surfaces of them which are exposed to the action of the key, or any other instrument, by which the lock might be attempted to be picked, in the same plane with each other, higher, but parallel with the surface of the barricadoed-guider, or in a variety of places differing from the steps of the keybit as required.

The use of this arrangement is to

prevent any indication of the corresponding steps of the key-bit, which , if they were not thus stopped, could be ascertained by raising them.

7 is a move-

able collar, playing in circular holes , into which it is fixed in the cap and plate of the lock ; the part of the collar at the letter of reference (1) is the entire breadth or depth, and it prevents, therefore,

394

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

the plates being crushed together, while its outer diameter is so large that its periphery comes nearly in contact with the bolt, barricadoed-guider, and sliding-guards in their passage, occupying the space of the ward with more effect and at less expense, and therefore rendering it difficult, if not impossible, to introduce the pick-locks in general use to operate on the sliding-guards to open the lock. m m is the outer rim of the lock, which meets the bolt and the barricadoed-guider at each extremity, and when the cap is on prevents damp and dust from rusting or impeding the action of the spring or the works. " There is a notch in the top of the front of the collar, into which falls a lever-bolt, for the purpose of preventing the collar from being turned round.

When the key is introduced and

passed through the collar, it presses the reverse end of the lever, and brings the lever-bolt out of the notch, by which the collar is enabled to turn round . This, the patentee states, " is an additional security to the lock, as it is obvious that without lifting the lever the collar could not be passed round so as to get at the sliding-guards. "*

A plainer description of the modern " barrel and curtain," patented by Mr. De la Fons in 1846 , and claimed by him as his own original invention , could not be written.

* For a further description and numerous other diagrams see Repertory of Arts, vol. 41 , second series, page 82.

395

AINGER'S LOCK. AINGER'S LOCK, invented about 1820.

In the construction of this lock " the two following objects were proposed : -In the first place, to render it more difficult of violation by a pick than those in general use ; and in the second, to apply a key to it, of which no ordinary person could take an impress, and which, even in a workman's hands, would be very difficult of imitation .

Figs.

176

and 177 represent a plan and section of the lock divested of the key, and of the springs which press

Fig. 176.

Fig. 177.

the tumblers towards each other : a a is the plate or case of the lock ; b b the bolt which is moved by a pinion c, acting in a rack d ; ef are the tumblers of which four or more might be used, though two

396

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

are sufficient to exhibit what are deemed the improvements.

These tumblers have projections at

their ends which dip into the grooves g h cut in the bolt.

The projection of e (see fig. 177) is equal

to twice the thickness of that part of the bolt in which the grooves are formed, but the projection from fis only half that quantity, in order to avoid in its passage the spring i, which is seen across the

Fig. 178 .

groove h, and whose situation under the bolt is described by a dotted line.

The shape of the pro-

jection is shewn at k, fig. 178 : they are guided by the key through the grooves, as will be described ; it is first, however, requisite to explain the nature

Fig. 179. and effect of the spring i.

Fig. 179 shows the

under side of the bolt, with the grooves and the notches on a larger scale ; it also exhibits the partial

AINGER'S LOCK .

397

reduction of half its thickness, in order to contain the spring.

The notches 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 , and 8 are

similar in their nature and mode of action to the securities already applied to locks of various descriptions : it will be seen that the notches 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 have a hook or beak not attached to Nos. 1 and 5.

In the notch 8 this hook or beak is formed

by a catch at the end of the spring i, so that it will recede towards 7 by a slight pressure on its bevilled edge ; its capability of doing this totally prevents the possibility of disengaging one tumbler from the notches at a time, which is the practice pursued in attempting to pick locks, and by which means the tumblers are removed from the situations in which the pressure of the springs places them, as is shewn by the dotted lines in 3 and 7 , and they are placed one after the other, as described in 4 and 8, in which position they offer no impediment to the motion of the bolt ; but this effect cannot be accomplished in the notches 2 and 6 , care being taken that the projection made by the spring be somewhat greater than that in the opposite notch.

When

this is the case, if, for instance, it was attempted to relieve the tumbler out of No. 2 first, it is evident it would fall in again before No. 6 could be disengaged, and the

contrary mode

is

impossible,

because, as soon as the pick ceases to act on the tumbler, its pressure would repel the spring, and it would again take its old situation.

398

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

" The form of the key is described in figs . 180 and 181 ; the lower part of fig. 181 , supposed to be a section shewing the internal chamber, or pipe,

O

Fig. 180.

Fig. 181 .

77B

Fig. 182 .

in three divisions, the upper and lower being circular, and the middle one triangular : the use of these three parts may be better understood by referring to fig. 182, which is the pinion c, drawn on a larger scale ;

a a is part of the lock-plate in

which an iron pin is fixed ;

round this pin the

cannon-pinion c turns, having the lower part of its barrel circular, and the upper part formed of as large a triangle as can be inscribed in the circle , and having one side circular, as seen in fig. 176 ; immediately above, on the extremity of the iron pin , is fixed a similarly shaped piece of metal m, secured from revolving by a pin passing through it ; when, therefore, the key is introduced , this part not turning with the rest, it requires that a second portion of the chamber should be cylindrical , to permit its remaining stationary during the motion

AINGER'S LOCK. of the key.

399

To the lower extremity of the key are

attached two irregularly curved collars, n and o, fig. 180, each of which acts on one tumbler, and causes them, during the motion

of the bolt, to

describe curves similar to the grooves g and h .

To

prevent either collar from touching the tumbler for which it is not intended, a portion of each of the latter (being the upper part of one and the lower part of the other) is removed.

(See figs. 177 and

178. ) 66 Fig. 183 describes the means of making a secret or master-key on this principle : the lower part of the pipe (which is supposed to be manufactured in

Oo

2

I O

Fig. 183.

Fig. 184.

two lengths, and afterwards brazed together ), is formed into an octagon and surmounted by a screw; the pieces x and y, similar in their nature to the collars before described, and having octagonal perforations, are to be slipped on to the pipe of the

400

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

key, and followed by the screw-nut z .

The two

lengths of the key, being then soldered or brazed together, the three pieces x y and z can never be lost, being secured from

coming off by a small

fillet p, which buries itself in a recess formed in the piece x for that purpose.

The appearance of

the key, when the collars are on the octagon and the nut screwed down , is

described in fig. 184 .

Though the collars cannot be wholly removed , it is evident that by withdrawing them from the octangular to the cylindrical portion of the key, they may be turned round, and made to take any required position on the octagon ; and if letters or figures were engraven

on each of its sides, the collars

might be withdrawn and returned to their places by the person acquainted with the secret, while to others there would be 512 chances to one against their being able to make use of it. 66 Figs. 185 and 186 exhibit the means of rendering a drawback lock as difficult to pick when on the first shoot as when double locked : q q is the bolt acted on by the spring t, and having the piece s attached to it ; r is an inner or secondary bolt, to which may be applied any species of security now in use for locks .

It requires only to be made

long enough to receive the apparatus for giving it such security, and therefore its length is not defined .

It is connected with the bolt q by a stud

holding in the piece s, thus permitting the latter to recede by striking against the staple, while the

AINGER'S LOCK.

401

keyhole having communication only with the inner or secured bolt r, there will be as much difficulty

Fig. 185.

Fig. 186.

in picking it while on the latch or first shoot as in other cases when double locked . "*

COPE'S LOCK, invented about 1821 .

Cope was the inventor of the rivet lock, and also the lock in the form of a pocket telescope, as well as the double-bolted escutcheon lock, the mortise padlock, the fancy or ornamental portfolio lock, the secret link lock, and the jointed link lock, i. e., making the links to lie flush with the link-plate. * Transactions of the Society of Arts, vol. 38, page 111.

2 c

402

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

FAIRBANKS' LOCK, Patent dated July 10th, 1823. This lock is the invention of a foreigner, who communicated the construction to Mr. Fairbanks, an American gentleman, who at the time resided " The improvement consists simply in in London. the employment of a spiral or worm spring, instead of the Scotch spring. "

In other respects it is simply

a common tumbler lock.

The advantages claimed

for this lock are that the bolts or latches are moved with greater ease than by any other sort of spring ; and also that the spiral springs, whether constructed to exert their force by expansion or contraction , are more durable, and less likely to get out of order than any other description of springs hitherto applied to locks and latches . "

WARD'S LOCK, Patent dated November 13th, 1823. This lock was constructed with five levers ; two lifted up and two were drawn down , and the top lever worked across the others, and kept them from moving either up or down .

The key was made

with a jointed bit, and so constructed that when it was inserted in the lock and turned round the bit elongated, and thus carried the bolt or levers, whichever was desired.

DUCE'S QUADRUPLE LOCK, invented about 1823. This lock was especially invented for the purpose of securing iron safes and chests.

With a single

403

DUCE'S QUADRUPLE LOCK.

turn of the key it throws out four bolts , one at right angles to each side of the lock ; and would, therefore, prevent any door to which it is applied from being opened, even if the hinges were cut away.

" It is a combination of four distinct single-

10

P

の

❤

p

S W

Fig. 187.-Duce's Quadruple Lock.

bolt locks, fixed in the same frame and opened by the same key ; the bolts , therefore,

are shot or

withdrawn in succession , and present the two following advantages : -Whatever time and trouble

2c2

404

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

may be required for picking one of the locks must be quadrupled before the whole can be opened ; and as the key opens the four locks in succession, the strain on the wards will be much less than in those cases where two or more bolts are moved simultaneously ." Fig. 187 represents a front view of the lock with the bolts shot out.

o o the case, p p the first bolt,

qq the second, rr the third, and s s the fourth bolt ; the upper plate is removed, and the lock rests on the inner casing tttt ; uu uu an inner plate, v vv three levers lying on it for the three first bolts ; beneath each of these levers , and under the plate u u, are two more levers , making three for each of these bolts ; the last bolt s s has but one lever w, placed under the plate u u, which is moved by the corners of an intermediate piece xx, which turns on the pin y, as is shewn by dotted lines : the key z is represented as having thrown out the first

0

Fig. 188.- The Key.

bolt P, and beginning to protrude the second q ; it then acts on the bolt r, and lastly on the bolt s, moving them to places shown by dotted lines.

It

405

YOUNG'S LOCK.

withdraws the three first bolts in a reverse order, but finishes with the last s s, in either case .

The

levers are of the ordinary kind.

YOUNG'S LOCK, Patent dated May 14th, 1825. The construction of this lock was intended as an improvement on Barron's, and was particularly adapted to stock locks.

The tumblers have two

stumps each, one behind and the other before the bolt, which is racked both on the top and bottom edges.

Overlifting would in place

single stump (as in Barron's,

of lifting a

out of one notch

into another in the bolt) lift the bottom stump in the tumbler into the under rack in the bolt ; if underlifted , the top stump would not leave the top rack.

In addition to that, there is a revolving-plate

working round the drill-pin at the bottom of the 66 lock, which revolving-plate or swivel," as the patentee calls it, is acted on by a forked spring having a tendency to drive it towards the front of the lock.

This plate has a notch in it, and there

is a projection or hook fixed to the back-plate, corresponding in position with the notch in the plate ; when the key is pushed in it depresses the plate, and allows it by means of the notch in it to descend below the hook and pass under it.

The swivel

also has a pin in it, which locks into a hole in the bolt until it is depressed by the key.

As any

instrument pressed into the lock would depress the plate and free both it and the bolt, it is manifest

406

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

that this " swivel " is of no benefit whatever, while the reversal of the

Barron's tumbler affords no

improvement in security, and we should think was not quicker made.

The improvements were appli-

cable to all kinds of locks.

Another improvement

consists in a peculiar mode of cutting out the wood in stock locks .

Previous to this period the oblong-

shaped cavity in the stock for the works of the lock to occupy was sawn out ; but by this improvement the chamber is formed of a circular shape, which is cut out by a tool in a lathe ; and this gives the lock a much neater appearance .

FRIEND'S SECRET LOCK, invented about 1825. This is a dial lock, which requires the aid of a key to lock and unlock.

The inventor states that

Keys or picklocks are of no use in opening it. The key which belongs to it is of no use to any person without the guide, which is so portable as to be put into a pocket-book,

& c. , and

can be

varied in such a manner in a few seconds, by such an indefinite number of movements, as to put it out of the power of any person to open it, even if he is in possession of the guide, unless he is acquainted with the numbers to which it is set. This renders it safe, strong, compact, and secure. To open the lock you will observe on the guide two circles, with the numbers 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5 , 6, 7 , 8, 9, 10, on each, and the stops are now set at 2, 6. Put on the guide to the front of the lock, with the

FRIEND'S SECRET LOCK .

407

number 1 upward toward the bolt, so that the stops go into the grooves in the plugs ; introduce the key and turn it round, until you can take it out Now if you again. You will find the lock open. take off the guide, it cannot be shut or locked so as to take out the key ; because every time the key comes to be taken out it is open.

To shut the

lock, put on the guide, and turn the key any part of the way round ; then take off the guide . You will find it shut and secure. You may turn the key as often as you please without any effect." The advantages which the inventor conceives the lock to possess are2. That a fac-

" 1. That it cannot be picked . simile key cannot unlock it.

3. That the true key

cannot unlock it without the guide.

4. That even

with the true key and the guide in the hands of strangers the lock is secure, unless the secret of the numbers set to the lock be known." Figs. 189 and 190 " are back views of the lock, the plate being removed ; A the bolt ; it has two arms with studs bb, projecting forwards, and a point c, which form three bearings or supports, all or either of which are sufficient to keep the bolt out ; dd, a spring, the action of which is to withdraw the bolt ; e e, two similar plates, with notches to receive the studs bb ; f, a third plate, with a notch to receive the point c.

In fig.

189 the

notches of all the three plates coincide with the studs, the obstacles to the action of the spring d,

408

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

therefore, are withdrawn,

and the bolt retracts.

Fig. 191 shows the front of the lock : when the

о

key is introduced and turned, it moves the plate f,

Fig. 189. fig. 189, and thus, by raising the point c out of the notch, it protrudes the bolt, and as the three plates are connected together by three toothed wheels ,

A

Fig. 190.

shewn in fig. 192, they all move and keep the bolt protruded, but when the key is turned quite round to withdraw it, the plates again agree with the studs, and the bolt is withdrawn or unlocked ; the notch in the middle plate ƒ always agrees with the

FRIEND'S SECRET Lock.

409

point c when the key is withdrawn , therefore to leave it unlocked it is requisite to derange the three plates, as shewn in fig. 190.

This is effected by the

1600

Fig. 191 . peculiar construction of the axis s, which carries the plates e e, one of them is shewn with all the parts separated in fig. 198 ; g the axis (the bottom

Fig. 192. face of which is seen in g, fig. 191 , shewing a groove nearly all round it, in which is fixed an upright pin h, figs. 194 and 195 ; i is the toothed wheel which first goes on the axis g ; j a strong spring nut which follows it, and is pinned on so as to hold the wheel very tight, and yet allow it to move alone by applying additional force ; over this goes the bar 11, figs . 189 , 190 , and 192, the holes.

410

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

of which are large enough for the nuts j to project through ; over this is lastly put on the notched plate e, which fits on the axis g, and is screwed tight against the nut j by the screw m, which enters the end of the axis g.

In fig. 190 the screws are re-

moved to shew the plates e e and the end of axis g.

Now in order to prevent each of these plates

from turning without its axis s, there are ten holes round the centre hole , shewn in fig. 196 , and a pin k, fig. 193, is fixed on one side of the top of the nut j, which enters one of these holes and secures

1

O 10 9

in

O

Fig. 193.

it.

Fig. 194.

Fig. 197 shows the middle toothed wheel and

notched plate f, with the axis o separate ; they are all screwed together by the side screw.

Fig. 198

shows the front of the axis, with the notch to receive

Fig. 195.

the projection n of the key, fig. 199 . is the end which enters the key.

o, fig. 197

Having described

the wheels and their axis, it remains to describe the governor or secret guide plate, which, with the key,

FRIEND'S SECRET LOCK. either arranges or disarranges the plates. the guide plate.

411

Fig. 194

Fig. 195 a section, with the parts

separated ; it has an octagonal hole, which fits on the octagonal projection round the keyhole in fig. 191 , on each side , and within the circles of numbers are moveable circular-plates rr, having ten holes round their circumference corresponding to the ten numbers ; p p a spring which screws against the edge of the plate by the screws s s, but is separated here to shew the pins q q, each of which, passing through the edge, enters one of the ten holes in the moveable plates r r, and secures them from turning round, by which means the steps or guide-pins h h are fixed at any chosen number ; here they are at 6 and 3.

Now when this guide plate is put on

the face of the lock, as shewn by the dotted lines

Fig. 197.

Fig. 196.

t t, fig. 191 , the pins h h enter the grooves round the face of the axis g, and it will be seen that the stops or ends of the grooves correspond with the stopping pins h ;

then , on turning the key any

portion round, the middle plate ƒ turns and protrudes the bolt, while the two side-plates e e are prevented from

turning by the pins h h in the

412

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

grooves g g, their respective toothed wheels only turning ; then , on removing the plate and continuing to turn the key, they will all three move and appear as in fig. 190 , all supporting the bolt , as they disagree : by continuing to turn the key, the bolt can never be withdrawn , though when the key is taken out, the side-plates only support the bolt.

Then to unlock it, put the guide-plate on

again and turn the key ; all the three notched plates will now move till the end of the grooves g g, fig. 191 , come in contact with the stopping-pins hh, which detain the side-plates e e in their right places , as fig. 189 , and continuing to turn the key till it will come out, the middle-plate also agrees , and the If it be bolt is thrown down by the spring d. required to alter the secret , raise up the spring p, fig. 194 , withdraw the pins q q, then turn the plates rr till the pins h h coincide with the intended numbers , and the pins q q will fix them ; then put

OL Fig. 198.

O

Fig. 199.

it on the face of the lock, introduce the key, and turn it quite round , and take it out again , the stops will then have detained the axis g g at the right places : then open the back of the lock, withdraw the screws m m , lift up the notch -plates e e , which

413

RUBERRY'S BAG- IRON LOCK.

will be found in some such position as in fig. 190 (but the middle-plate , when the key is out , is always found as in fig. 189 ), and place them on again as fig . 189 , the ten holes round their centres, allow ten changes of position in each, screw them fast, and finally shut up the lock ; if either one or both the moveable guide-plates r r be altered the lock cannot then be opened ; they must be returned to the right numbers which you keep secret before

Fig. 200.

it can be opened.

In fig. 190 the tail of the bolt

is broken away to shew the under parts. a side view of the bolt. "*

Fig. 200

RUBERRY'S BAG - IRON LOCK, invented about 1826.

Ruberry was the inventor of the " bag-iron," and the bag-iron lock so extensively used for carpet and leather bags .

He entered a caveat to secure the

invention, but would not complete the patent, as he thought it was too simple, and was afraid the locks would not sell .

His timidity lost him a large

fortune, as the sale of them was from the first very considerable.

* Transactions of the Society of Arts, vol. 43, page 114.

414

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. RICHARDS' LOCK, invented about 1827.

This the inventor calls a fixed lever lock.

The

peculiarity of the construction consists in the shape of that part of the levers which comes in contact with the v-end of the detector.

When one or more

of the levers are overlifted in any surreptitious attempt to open the lock, the projecting arms of

ged

Fig. 201.-Richards' Fixed Lever Lock.

the levers are forced

beyond the

v-end of the

detector, which keeps them in a fixed position.

The

detector is released in the usual way, by turning the key in the direction of locking out the bolt.

415

MACHIN'S LOCK.

MACHIN'S LOCK, invented about 1827.

The peculiarity in the construction of Machin's lock consisted in having eccentric wards, which required a key with an expanding bit.

" In this key

the bolt or lever which raises the tumblers and shoots the bolt is moveable on a countersunk pin, so that it may slide thereon, and thus be drawn one-eighth of an inch from the barrel. " The hole in the escutcheon-plate is of such a length as to admit the key only when the bit is pressed close up to the barrel.

When the key in

this state is introduced, and is begun to be turned round, one of the notches in the bit takes into a raised circular edge of steel, placed eccentric with regard to the lock-pin ; so that as the key is turned the bit is drawn out, and is at its greatest elongation when it arrives

at the tumblers and other

moveable parts of the lock ; hence it is obvious that no common or skeleton key that could pass the escutcheon-plate would have a bit long enough to reach the tumblers and shoot the bolt." In fig. 202 a a and b b (fig. 203 ) are the wards which are made

eccentric, the shortest distance

being under the keyhole, and the longest towards the bolt.

The shortened key is provided with a

sliding bit c (figs. 205 , 206 , and 207 ), which is gradually brought out by the eccentric wards till it becomes long enough both to arrange the tumblers and move the bolt, and continuing to turn

416

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

the key round, the sliding bit c, is returned or slid back till it is short enough to come out of the hole.

Og 12

Fig. 202. d d (fig. 202) is the bolt, and e and ƒ parts of the tumblers under it.

Fig. 203. which Fig. 203 represents the inside of the cap , contains the upper ward b b.

The key (fig. 205)

W

Fig. 204.

Fig. 205.

Fig. 206.

Fig. 207.

is partly sectioned , and at different places, purposely to shew the thin tube within the pipe which retains

CHUBB'S COMBINATION LATCH.

417

the spring and the loose metal plate s in their places ; the sliding bit c is here close, ready to enter the lock ; in figs. 206 and 207 the bit c is shewn extended long enough to move the bolt. CHUBB'S COMBINATION LATCH, Patent dated May 7, 1828. The object of the improvements introduced by Mr. Chubb was to render latches of the ordinary description more secure from being lifted or unfastened from the outside of the door or gate by means of pick-locks or false keys.

In his specifi-

cation he states-" The essential principle of my improvements in the construction of latches, which may be used for fastening doors or gates, consists in combining two, three, four, or more distinct moveable latches to act in concert for one fastening ; they are applied side by side in parallel planes , or one behind the other, all being mounted on one centre-pin, and being moveable about the

same,

but so as that each latch may be capable of such movement by itself, quite independently of the movements of all the other latches, and the outer or moveable ends of all the said combined latches are adapted to engage or catch within or behind the hooked part of one fixed hasp, and thereby to secure the door or gate from being opened in the same manner as the single latch commonly used ; but in addition to the said fixed hasp , so adapted to receive the ends of my combined latches, it is formed with two hooked or catching parts, one

2 D

418

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

disposed opposite to the other, in such manner that the combined latches cannot be unfastened, unless the outer end of every one of the separate latches is previously raised , moved , or lifted ( either by the key or by pick-locks, or by the handle) in such manner as will place all those ends in one precise position, and they must all assume that position at the same time, for in that position alone can the outer ends of the combined latches be disengaged or unfastened, so as to withdraw them from between the opposite points of the double-hooked catches or catching parts of the fixed hasp , because by my arrangement of such combined latches and double catches to the hasp, if the outer end of any one of the latches is moved too far or beyond that precise position, or if any one is not moved far enough , that one latch which so fails of being precisely placed will catch behind one or other of the hooked parts of the hasp in a sufficient manner to secure the door, even though all the other latches may be properly placed, so as to offer no impediment to unfastening. "

WALTONS' IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS, invented at various periods from 1828 to 1846. The inventive genius of this family of Wolverhampton locksmiths has perhaps never been equalled by any other members of the trade. many years

They have for

manifested a happy turn

in intro-

ducing such improvements into the construction of

419

WALTONS' IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS.

locks as made them very showy and tolerably secure. They appeared to be always ready with some fresh motion, or with an old one improved .

We shall

here enumerate such improvements as are known to have emanated from them. They invented the double-handed lock and latch, so constructed as to suit either the right or left hand side of a door. The double keyholes to locks and latches.

Bolts to double-handed cupboard locks . The stock lock called " Steele's patent," which is a double-handed stock lock, the lock being inserted in the cavity cut out of the stock, or mortised therein . The Gothic-formed cupboard and other locks. The solid-bolt stock lock. The boxed-up stock lock. The back-racked stock lock. The moveable noze-ward lock. The H-formed slide lever lock.

The levers in

this lock are forced down by a spring and follow motion, one to each lever. The crank-shackled padlock ; the round padlock ; the solid padlock ; and the revolving-wheel padlock. A beautiful wheel motion to locks.

The levers.

are made of a peculiar form, and worked in racks cut out of the back part of them.

A blued steel

ward is fixed upon the levers, so that the key takes both wards and levers, which, by moving together, shoot the main-bolt. excellent run.

2D2

This lock had an

420

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

A very peculiar latch-bolt, which worked from a small pin motion , the key working through a niche into the bolt to draw it back. • Detecting levers, which detect by an underlift as well as an

overlift.

This is

effected by a

v-formed noze-spring catching in notches on the face of the levers. They also improved the narrow mortise lock, by cutting out a channel in the main-bolt and working the latch therein, or vice versa .

This is a neat and

useful contrivance, as when the main-bolt is locked out, it also fastens the latch, making together a very strong bolt. We are sorry to record that for want of a cheap mode of securing inventions to the inventors,* the benefits which ought to have accrued to the Messrs. Walton have been entirely lost, for no sooner had they brought out a new lock, or introduced an improvement into others, than the same articles were made by other makers, of lighter materials and in

* Under the old patent law it was only a man of means that could take out a patent, and under the new law, which came into operation in 1852 , a poor inventor is virtually prevented from availing himself of the protection granted to his wealthier brethren, as he cannot take out the patent himself, but must do it through a patent agent. The Government fees for the completion of a patent amount to but £25, but few patents are secured (except the inventor takes the necessary steps and draws his specification himself) for less than £42 : and if there should be numerous drawings, it costs from £50 to £60. These are the charges when there is no opposition to the granting of the patent, and the amount secures it for the first three years only. We hope for the sake of ingenious but poor inventors the day is not far distant when a patent may be secured for a quarter of the above amount. We consider it would be an act of policy on the part of the Legislature to enact a law accordingly.

WALTONS' IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS.

421

a much inferior manner, and being offered to the factors at lower prices, were invariably purchased thus completely shutting the inventors out of the market.

They have used their talents for upwards

of a quarter of a century in inventing and improving locks, without receiving that remuneration which

such ingenuity and

unwearied

exertions

justly merit. There is a custom which prevails almost universally, not only in this but almost in every other trade, which deserves to be censured , and which in the absence of any law to the contrary, can only be amended by a strict regard to a sense of honour and integrity.

We mean the practice of procuring

an invention or a design from a person , giving him a small order for the particular article, and then giving the pattern to another maker to be made at a lower price.

Another feature of this same prin-

ciple is one manufacturer copying the designs of another, and also the size, and shape, and character of his name-plate or trade-mark, and in some cases, the name of the manufacturer also, in order to give the imitation the exact appearance of the original and genuine article. *

Two instances of this kind have occurred in connexion with ourselves. We were at the expense of engaging an artist to make drawings of our own articles, which we afterwards engraved and published, and which were immediately copied by two manufacturing firms in the neighbourhood, engraved, and published as their own.

422

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. GOTTLIEB'S LOCK, Patent dated June 21 , 1829.

The improvement for which Mr. Gottlieb took out his patent " consisted in the application of a piece of paper over the keyhole, so secured as to prevent its being removed without the introduction of a key passing through it ; and hence any attempt to break open the lock would be indicated by the fracture of the paper.

The paper is introduced

and secured by means of a folding-shield with a hole in it, similar to the keyhole in a lock-plate ; this shield is kept down by a spring-catch, which cannot be disengaged for the introduction of a fresh piece of paper except by the proper key, which is furnished with a projecting stud on the side of the key-stem, for the purpose of disengaging the shieldcatch when turned.

As a source of further secu-

rity, the patentee proposes to employ cheque-paper, with some design engraved upon it ; and by having this paper bound in a cheque-book, and a leaf torn off when required, so that the paper found in the keyhole at any time being compared with the edge of the leaf in the book, the substitution of another paper would be discovered .

There are few cases in

which this plan can be advantageously employed . " STANLEY'S LOCK, invented about 1829. Stanley's lock was constructed with a double set of levers, and with a double-bitted key, or rather it

Hebert's Encyclopædia.

CARPENTER AND YOUNG'S LOCK.

423

was two locks in one -a lock on each side of the keyhole.

CARPENTER & YOUNG'S LOCK, Patent dated January 18, 1830. " The object of the inventors appears from the specification to be the production of locks of greater security and stability than the common locks, without augmenting the cost ; and also to construct a latch-lock somewhat more convenient in use. The greater degree of security is obtained by having a double set of tumblers, one set attached to and moveable with the bolt, and the other attached to the plate of the lock in the usual way.

Projec-

tions from the stationary tumblers fit into slits in the moveable ones, when they are simultaneously elevated to a given position ; and, in addition to this , there are notches cut in the upper and lower sides of the moveable tumblers, to fit fixed pins projecting from the plate, just above the notches on the upper side, and just below those of the under side when the door is locked, so that the bolt cannot be withdrawn except by a key, which raises each tumbler to an elevation coinciding precisely with the cuts in the original key, and upon this depends the security.

Instead of the usual latch or spring-

* The late Mr. James Carpenter (who died in 1844 ) was one of the most enterprising lock makers of the district. He introduced many improvements into the construction of locks, and was one ofthe first to apply machinery to aid in their production. He was generally known as an extensive manufacturer of currycombs, which article he also much improved by simplifying its construction. His successors , Messrs. Carpenter and Tildesley, still carry on an extensive trade both in locks and currycombs.

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

424

bolt to room-door locks, the patentees cause this part to drop into a notch in the striking-plate after it has been elevated by passing over an inclined plane upon it. In connexion with this latch is a tumbler, by which it is elevated through the instrumentality of a key, by a handle on one side of the door and a key on the other, or by the key, without using the handle.

These contrivances have mani-

fest advantages, and are easily executed by any locksmith . "* MORDAN'S LOCK PROTECTOR, invented about 1830. " Travellers' chambers

at inns

are

sometimes

robbed because the locks on the doors are generally very insecure, and all on the same construction , so that a key which will open one lock will open them all .

In order to prevent this, Mr. Mordan

has invented a very portable escutcheon, by means of which a traveller may secure the door of his room from being opened during his absence, unless actual violence be used.

This escutcheon , or pro-

tector, has a short pipe , which,

after the door

has been locked, is thrust into the keyhole, and is furnished with a small lock, on the principle of Bramah's, or any other equally good, so contrived that, on turning its key, two lancet-shaped pieces fly out laterally and bury themselves in the wood ; thus preventing the removal of the protector unless its own key is applied ."

Hebert's Encyclopædia.

425

MORDAN'S LOCK PROTECTOR.

" Fig. 211 is the top or front of the lock ; fig. 210 a side view ; fig. 209 a back view ; and fig. 208 an end view.

a a the cap or case ; b b the

a

Fig. 208.

Fig. 209.

Fig. 210.

Fig. 211.

back-plate , from which rises a projection or pipe c c, formed to enter a keyhole with but little shake.

Fig. 210 shews it merely introduced, but

not secured in the keyhole d d, which is in section. Fig. 208 shews it secured. This invention is a modification of the Bramah lock as applied by Mr. Russell to liquor cocks. "Within the case a a and its cylindrical prominence is a barrel or cylinder containing seven sliders ; it ends in a strong central pin, which passes through the projection c into a recess, where it is squared to receive on it the steel-piece e e, (fig. 208, ) which is pointed at each end like a strong short penknife with a thick back ; the cutting edges are, of course, on opposite sides, so as to follow : over this, and but just touching it, is screwed the steel-plate ff , to guard its cutting edges when out of use, and

426

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

keep it from coming off.

When this is put into a

keyhole, as fig. 210, and pressed close, its key is introduced with the nib in the lower opening of fig. 208, and turned till it comes out of the side opening ; it will then have turned the double cutter e e from its longitudinal position under the plate f to a cross one, both of which are shewn by dotted lines in fig. 209, and it will be secured to the lock by the two blades having cut their way into the wooden sides of the keyhole, as shewn in fig. 208 , and cannot be pulled out till its own key has returned the cutters e e into their sheath c c."* WALTERS' LOCK, invented about 1830. The peculiarity of this lock consisted in the employment of levers above and below the chambers , which construction added considerably to the security as well as to the secresy of the lock. AUBIN'S LOCK, invented 1830.

The peculiarity of the construction of this lock consisted in working one tumbler under the bolt, and three or more levers on the top of the bolt ; the whole working in combination with each other, together with a barrel and curtain. About the same period Mr. Aubin constructed another lock for room doors, to prevent seeing through the keyhole.

This was accomplished by

placing the keyhole on the one side of the lock, in * Transactions of the Society of Arts, vol. 48, page 132.

427

AUBIN'S LOCK .

a position at right angles to the one on the other side.

When the pin-end of the key was forced into

the lock, it moved a slide from before the circular part of the keyhole, which thus allowed the pin to enter. Some of these locks were constructed the same as a one-sided lock, thereby giving the same amount of combination ; such locks of course had two keys, one for each side of the door ; the bit on the one key was simply reversed on the shank of the other—that is, the terminal step in the one bit was at the bottom, while in the other it was at the top, and so with the other steps.

Mr. Aubin also

constructed these locks with the pin-end of the key loose, so that it would move round independently of the key-bit, similar to an universal joint.

This

plan effectually prevents burglars' nippers having any effect upon the key-bit when the key is left in the lock. Another contrivance by this inventor for securing the door of a room from the outside independently of the key, consists in what he calls " a protector," which is placed inside the keyhole, and secured by a padlock outside . To persons who engage rooms at hotels, and desire to be can

certain that no one

open the door, although he might have

a

duplicate key, this is undoubtedly a valuable contrivance.

He also invented an expanding wedge to place from the inside of the room under the bottom of the door, which was so constructed , that by pushing

428

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

the door from the outside only made the door the tighter.

Subsequently Mr. Rudhall improved this

wedge, by inserting between the bottom part and the top part a detonating ball, which the instant the door is forced from the outside explodes with the report of a pistol-shot. These simple contrivances are very useful and effective where the lock on one's chamber-door is a bad one, or where there is none at all.

RUTHERFORD'S LOCK, Patent dated April 14 , 1831 . " The application of an inviolable lock to boxes sent by mails or other conveyances,

containing

money or other valuable property, that can be opened only at stated times, is, of course, an object of desirable attainment in a commercial country like this.

For effecting this object, this patent was

taken out in 1831 by William Rutherford , jun. , of Jedburgh, in Scotland.

This gentleman being a

bank agent, had no doubt sensibly felt the importance of having the means of transmitting, from one town to another, bankers' parcels with perfect safety.

With this view he introduces against the

end of the bolt a circular stop-plate, to prevent the withdrawal of the bolt till the circular plate, which is put in rotation by clock-work, shall have revolved so as to bring a notch opposite the end of the bolt. Now as this notch can be set at pleasure to any required distance from the end of the bolt, the lock may be secured against being opened by its own or

RUTHERFORD'S LOCK.

429

any other key, till any assigned number of hours after it has been locked ; and as the rate of travelling is known, the box can be secured from robbery till it shall have reached its destination .

When

this fastening is used for portable boxes or packages, it must be put in motion , and its motion regulated by springs ; but when it is to be applied to closets or safes, the most simple mode of giving motion will be by a descending weight, and of regulation by a pendulum ; the actuating weight may then be made to rest upon, and disengage a locking-bar, in connection with the bolt of the lock, at any assigned number of hours after the fastening has In this case all that is necessary is been effected . to cause the weight to descend down a vertical scale, divided into hours, and to raise it to any assigned number when the door is locked .

A still

further security is obtained by the locking-bar itself being prevented from being disengaged by any pressure, except by the descent of the weight, which is made to come, in its descent, into contact with an inclined projection from the lower end of the hour scale , sending it back and disengaging the locking-bar from a notch therein."* BARNARD'S LOCK, Patent dated May 23, 1831 . The specification states this invention to consist,

66 First, in having the handle which moves the spring-catch fixed to a separate lever or crank,

Hebert's Encyclopædia.

430

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

acting upon the arm which projects from the catch , but distinct from it, by which means the said arm may always be of the same length, however thick the door is.

Secondly, in placing the spring which

acts upon the catch, at the front part of it, and fastened to the plate which is fixed to the front edge of the door, by which position of the spring I am enabled to use a much longer, and consequently a much more pliant spring.

And , lastly, in a small

plate of metal cast upon the key so as to get the exact impression from it, and then brazed on to the lock-plate to form the keyhole, whereby the pattern of the key is so exactly formed in the keyhole, that it would be very difficult afterwards to make any other key to fit the same hole, and which is, therefore, a very great additional safeguard to the lock. " YOUNG'S IMPROVEMENTS, Patent dated July 27, 1831 . The following account of Mr. Young's improvements in locks and latches is copied from The " Here are no Repertory of Patent Inventions.* fewer than four new kinds of locks , with as many combinations of springs and plates, and levers for 6 The word is banished from Security ! ' security. the modern vocabulary : it is to be described only by negations, as complicated and as numerous as Mr. Young's means of attaining it.

Mention the

word to your banker or your lawyer, or whisper it

* Vol. 13, page 134.

431

YOUNG'S IMPROVEMENTS.

to your clerk ; ask any one of them for a definition, or put the question to yourself'in your own chamber and be still ,' -and mark the answer.

"The latched door and the unguarded garden, the corn-field without a scare-crow, and warehouse without watch or ward, are emblems of security. Whoever passed by Coutts's after night-fall without feeling the doubt, and jealousy, and uncertainty, and insecurity, which are the undeviating attendants of wealth, steal upon him ?

Napoleon at St. Helena

was free in the midst of guards set to keep him in , when compared with his slavery and imprisonment at St. Cloud, among the infinitely more numerous and watchful guards set to keep others out.

Empe-

rors and kings, however, must be careful, and so must subjects of all grades, and Mr. Young will be most acceptable to the old, who love security, for his efforts to

make locks lockable

and bolts

a

security. "We have said that Mr. Young has employed four combinations differently to effect this desirable The first is exceedingly ingenious. It is ( called the fly-guard lock,' and the name aptly 6 flydescribes it, for its principal feature is the

end.

guard.' " The self-key of the lock, the very key made for the lock, the identical key which was made with the lock, will open it, but no other key will ; for if the false key be a hair-breadth thicker or thinner, or taller or shorter, it will move one or more of a

432

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

series of levers which will throw the fly-guard off its guard, or rather on its guard, for it forces the lock, or the bolt of the lock, out of its position, and then it so acts on the wards that the key (a false one) cannot by any effort force back the bolt ; so that, not only is the thief disappointed, but the attempt at theft is discovered ; and although Othello, speaking of his mistress, ' felt not Cassio's kisses on her lips,' yet the owner of the patent ' fly-guard ' will feel, or may see the action of the false suitor on his true lock.

A ring on which the action fits,

and a bell-shaped plate on which another series of levers act, and finally, a pendulum bolt which acts in a manner at once easy , elegant, and secure, are the securities of Mr. Young . " A fourth invention is to cast in iron the whole process of a lock, staples, and all, and to add a plate of hammered iron .

With these precautions, let the

devil try to trench on your security.

He'll try."

PARSONS' BALANCE-LEVER LOCK, Patent dated December 20 , 1832. The peculiarity of the construction of this lock consists in the levers being detached from the bolt, their centre of motion being in the middle.

The

front end of the hooks of the levers, when the bolt is shot out, are all in one of the semi-circular slots of the bolt.

The action is as follows : -The key

lifts the levers as near the

centre of motion as

possible, and draws the front end of the hooks of

433

PARSONS' BALANCE-LEVER LOCK.

the levers away from the bolt, till all the hooks are brought in a true plane with the edge of the mainbolt. beam .

The action may be compared to a scaleThe bolt cannot be moved till the levers

are at rest, for if either overlifted or underlifted

B

0

S

O

Fig. 212.-Parsons' Balance -Lever Lock.

the hooks at one or the other end catch in the slots of the main-bolt, and thus prevent its moving. The above arrangement and the form of the levers. and springs allow of the levers being made of very thin metal, so that many of them may be put in one lock without increasing its size to an inconvenient thickness.

This is the first lever lock ever made

by machinery, and none to the present period have

2 D

434

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

excelled it in point of correct and finished workmanship.

It has continued to command a good sale

from the period of its invention to the present time.

Ope

Fig. 213.

Mr. Parsons was the inventor of what he calls lever-tumblers to padlocks and box-locks, which consists in so constructing the lever-tumblers that their ends form the bolt which locks into the shackle of the padlock, or the link of the box-lock, as shewn in fig. 213.

O

I

Fig. 214.

Fig. 214 represents a Parsons ' slip-bolt or levertumbler lock of this description .

This was found

PARSONS' LOCKS,

435

in practice very insecure from the circumstance that as there were no springs to the slip-bolts or levertumblers, they would shake out of the link, and the lock would thus be opened.

q

Fig. 215.

Fig . 215 represents Parsons' second movement for pad or box-locks , which is the same in principle as fig. 212, with the addition of a binding or check-

O

Fig. 216.

spring to each lever.

The objection to this was

that a blow or a jar would shake the works out of their true position. 2 D 2

436

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Fig. 216

represents the next improvement by

which the previous faults were corrected, inasmuch as the levers are vertical and slide up by the action of the

key,

and are forced

downwards by the

springs acting on their tops . It must be particularly noticed that Mr. Parsons introduced an improvement into the two-sided locks which has never been improved upon or followed by other makers.

It consisted in putting into such

locks two drill-pins -one on each side of the lockand consequently each set of levers were differently gated, and the keyhole on each side of the lock being in a different position, prevented

a direct

aperture through the lock. By this method the same amount of security is obtained in a two-sided lock as in a single- sided one.

In all other two-sided locks the security is

in the proportion of one to ten between them and one-sided , or the regular locks . This plan effectually prevents the key-pin from being seen on either side of the door, and consequently is a certain guard against the lock being opened by means of nippers being applied to the end of the key-pin, as was the case in Liverpool and other places a short time ago, by a gang of American thieves, who succeeded in unlocking the doors of the chambers of commercial men , and robbing their pockets or portmanteaus of the convertible contents.

We understand that the locks

on the chamber doors in France are constructed

PARSONS' LOCKS .

437

in the same manner, though of a very inferior description. Mr. Parsons, whom we rank in the same class with Mr. Bramah for mechanical skill, published a very elaborate table exhibiting the additional security obtained in any lock by adding one or more levers ; showing that each additional lever affords more additional security than many more locks . that

He states

" This table therefore shows the degrees of

security attainable by the use of so many levers in one lock ; since each change in the arrangement or place of any one of the levers would require a new key, independently of the alteration which might be made in any of their forms.

By this table also a

comparison may very readily be made of the security of any two locks, each containing a different number of levers, as is in its last column, between locks with eight levers and every other lock wherein are from nine to twenty-six levers.

And let it not

be forgotten that each of these large lever locks is equal ; and, inasmuch as it may be better made and stronger, is superior to eight locks with seven levers or guards in each ; to 56 locks with six in each ; to 336 locks with five in each ; and to 1,680 locks with four in each ; and that one lock containing four levers or bolts is equal to four locks. which contain only three levers or bolts in each ; and to 12 of the best two-tumbler Barron's locks ; whilst the common locks, with wards and a tumbler , which any pick-lock can remove from the bolt with

438

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

ease, are worse than useless, as being only deceptive and soon out of order ; the usual remedy for which

4 levers admit of 24 5 ditto 120 6 ditto 720 7 ditto 5,040 8 ditto .40,320 9 ditto 362,880 10 ditto • 3,628,800 39,916,800 11 ditto 12 ditto .479,001,600 13 ditto 6,227,020,800 14 ditto 87,178,291,200 15 ditto .1,307,674,368,000 20,922,789.888,000 16 ditto 355,687,428,096,000 17 ditto 18 ditto 6,402,373,705,728,000 121,645,100,408,832,000 19 ditto 20 ditto • 2,432,902,008,176,640,000 21 ditto . 51,090,942,171,709,440,000 1,124,000,727,777,607,680,000 22 ditto 25,852,016,738,884,976,640,000 23 ditto 620,448,401,733,239,439,360,000 24 ditto 25 ditto 15,511,210,043,330,985,984,000,000 26 ditto 403,291,461,126,605,635,584,000,000

different combinations ditto ditto ditto ditto, and equals in security 1 ditto 9 ditto 10 ditto 990 ditto 11,880 ditto 154,440 ditto 2,162,160 ditto .32,432,400 ditto 518,918,400 ditto 8,821,612,800 ditto .158,789,030,400 ditto 3,016,991,577,600 ditto 60,339,831,552,000 ditto .1,267,136,462,592,000 ditto 27,877,002,177,024,000 ditto " 641,171,050,071,552,000 ditto .15,388,105,201,717,248,000 ditto 384,702,630,042,931,200,000 ditto 10,002,268,381,116,211,200,000/

PARSONS' CHANGE LOCK, Patent dated December 3, 1833.

This is a change or permutation * lock of a peculiar construction , and was designed to afford immediately available protection against the danger of a key being lost or misused .

The invention consists

in introducing moveable supports or props between Permutation ( L. permutatio, permuto ; per and muto, to change) Permutations differ from combinations in this, that the latter has no reference to the order to which the quantities are combined ; whereas, in the former, this order is considered, and consequently the number of permutations always exceed the number of combinations.

Locks with levers eight in each.

One Lock containin g

is a removal of the wards by a locksmith, when the lock may be unlocked by any key.

PARSONS' CHANGE LOCK.

439

the levers which intercept the motion of the bolt and the levers upon which the key acts, which moveable supports are capable of adjustment, for the purpose of requiring longer or shorter bits to the key, according to the position of the said moveable supports.

The bits of the keys can be adjusted

0-

Fig. 217.-Parsons' Change Lock.

at pleasure to suit the situation of the moveable supports.

The action is adjusted by means of the

440

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

small screw-key shown in the cut, which works on a screw through the selvage or fore-end of the lock, and so moves backwards or forwards the slide, to connected the moveable

the arm of which are supports.

This adjusting screw changes the posi-

tive, but not the relative positions of the levers, so that the same difference in the steps of the key

H

O Fig. 218.-Parsons' Change Lock. (From Aubin's Lock Trophy.)

must be retained, the change being made only in the length of the bits. The number of changes for each lock is very limited .

MACKINNON'S PERMUTATION LOCK.

441

Fig. 218 represents a modification of the change lock, in which the first tier of levers, as soon as the key begins to turn round , shuts up the keyhole by sliding one lever over another, which effectually prevents any other instrument besides the key being put in . It answers the same purpose as the curtain in other locks . A is the bolt ; в the levers ; cc the crescent ;

D the stump of the bolt ; E the

regulating set-screw ; F an opening in the cap to show the action of the levers in closing up the keyhole ; I the slide , to which is attached the supports G ; H the spring. This is the first permutation

or change lock

patented in England , but that it had been invented previously is apparent from the circumstance of several old locks having been seen in which this principle was adopted.

MACKINNON'S PERMUTATION LOCK, invented about 1835 .

"The object of the present invention is two-foldto enable any person to change at will the pattern or arrangement of the moveable parts in his lock and key, or to keep his key, except when actually in use, in such a state as to render it unavailing to any one but himself. " The bit of the key is composed of one piece marked a in fig. 219 , which acts on the bolt, and of as many other pieces, 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, as there are levers in the lock ; the pieces of the bit and their

442

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

corresponding levers being stamped with the same numbers.

That part of the stem of the key which

carries the bit is not cylindrical but wedge-shaped,

4 5 1 3 2 a

Fig. 219.

as shewn at b (fig . 219 ), which is an end view of it, with the piece o in its place . The pieces composing the bit are thus prevented from moving round on the stem , and are still further secured from shake by means of a pin fixed to the under side of a , as shewn by the dotted circle in fig. 219 , b , and which passes through the lever-bits 5 to 1.

The piece a

is fixed in its place by a small screw, as shewn in the cut b. " It is almost needless to remark, that if the owner changes the order of the pieces composing the bit, he must change also, in exact correspondence , the order of the levers within the lock .

It may

sometimes be advisable to do this, when suspicion exists that a copy of the key has been obtained ; and it might also in some circumstances be desirable to keep the key with its parts purposely misplaced,

MACKINNON'S PERMUTATION LOCK.

443

in order to foil any surreptitious attempts to open the lock even with its own key. " In fig. 220, which represents part of the lock, a a is the lever No. 1 , b is an edge-view of a broad spring which acts on all the levers at once , depressing them after the four-sided stud of the bolt has passed, by the action of the key, from one notch

1

Fig. 220.

in the lever to the other.

It is evident that the

relative position of the levers cannot be conveniently changed so long as this strong spring continues to act on them ; but by applying a turnscrew at c, and thus raising the button attached to it, the pressure of the spring is relieved, and then the levers may be displaced without any difficulty. " A collar or split-pipe d projects from a circular plate e, closely clipping the whole bit of the key, This preand turning round with it when in use. vents any of the pieces of which the bit is composed

444

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

from being strained by any stiffness in the bolt or levers, or by any accidental obstruction . "*

Dr. ANDREWS' (America) LOCK, invented about 1835. " One of the principal constructions adopted in America a few years back for bank locks is that of Dr. Andrews, of Perth Amboy, in New Jersey.

It

was up to that time ( 1841 ) believed that the best locks, both of England and America, were proof against any attempts at picking derived from knowledge obtained by inspection through the keyhole ; but there still remained the danger that the sight of the true key, or the possession thereof, for only a few minutes, would enable a dishonest person to produce a duplicate.

It was to contend against this

difficulty that Dr. Andrews directed his attention ; and he sought to obtain the desired object by constructing a lock, the interior mechanism of which could be changed at pleasure.

The lock of his

invention is furnished with a series of tumblerst and a detector.

The tumblers are susceptible of

being arranged in any desired order ; and the key has moveable bits, which can be arranged so as to correspond with the tumblers.

When the lock is

fixed in its place, no change can be made in the tumblers, and consequently only one arrangement of the bits of the key will suit for the shooting and

* Transactions of the Society of Arts , vol. 1 , page 86 . + For the words tumbler or tumblers in this description read lever or levers.

445

DR. ANDREWS' (AMERICA) LOCK. withdrawing of the bolt.

The owner can, however ,

before the fixing of the bolt, adopt any arrangement of tumblers and bits which he may choose.

But

though the tumblers cannot be actually re-arranged in any new order within the lock while the latter is fixed, yet by an ingenious contrivance the tumblers can be so acted upon as to render the lock practically different from its former self.

The pur-

chaser receives with his lock a series of small steel rings, each ring corresponds in thickness with the thickness of some one of the bits of the key ; so that, by suitable adjustment, any one of the bits may be removed from the key, and a ring be substituted in its place.

The effect of this substitution

is, that the particular tumbler which corresponds with the ring is not raised by it ; it is drawn out with the bolt, as if it were part of the bolt itself. Supposing the lock to be locked by this means, the original key would not now unlock it ; for one of the tumblers has now been displaced, and can only be re-adjusted by the same ring which displaced it. If an attempt be made to open the lock by the original key, or by the key in its original adjustment, a detector is set in action , which indicates that a false key or other instrument has been put into the lock.

One, or more than one, of the bits

may be removed from the key, and rings be substituted,

and

consequently

one

or more of the

tumblers may be disturbed in this peculiar way ; so that the lock may change its character in all

446

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

those permutating varieties which are so observable 6 in most safety locks. ' The shape of the tumblers is, of course, such as to facilitate this action ; they have each an elongated slot, and also two notches ; when a tumbler is raised by one of the bits of the key, one of the notches closes around a stump fitted into the case of the lock , and prevents the tumbler from being moved onward with the bolt ; but when a ring has been substituted for a bit on the key, the tumbler cannot be raised at all ; it is carried onward by a stump on the bolt. " Dr. Andrews is also the inventor of a lock which he terms the snail-wheel lock.

In this lock

a series of revolving discs, or wheels, taking the place of the tumblers, are mounted on a central-pin , on which the pipe of the key is inserted .

Each

disc has a piece cut out of it, into which the bit of the key enters, and, in turning round, moves the discs according to the various lengths of the steps on the key.

On the outer edge of each disc is a

notch, and by the turning of the key all these notches are brought into a line, so that a moveable tongue, or toggle, attached to the bolt, falls into the notches ; the key is then turned the reverse way, by which means the bolt is projected. "* MEIGHAN'S ALARUM LOCK, invented about 1836 . 66 Among other contrivances for preventing locks from

being surreptitiously opened, it

has been

• Tomlinson's Rudimentary Treatise on the Construction of Locks.

MEIGHAN'S ALARUM LOCK.

447

proposed to connect the bolt with a bell, so that, on withdrawing the bolt, a spring shall be released, by means of which the bell shall be made to sound. The use of such a contrivance is in its application to street doors, that no persons may come in from without, or go out from within , unknown by the master of the house.

The former condition is ful-

filled in a very simple way, by attaching a bell on a long vibrating string to the upper part of the door, as is actually practised in many shops ; but

‫ܩ‬0 α

08

Fig. 221 -Meighan's Alarum Lock.

this contrivance will not answer the second condition, since a person within the house may muffle the bell before opening the door.

448

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

" In Mr. Meighan's lock the bell is placed within the lock itself, and is, therefore, not to be come at except by taking off the lock.

" In fig. 221 , a represents the tail of the bolt in the act of unlocking, and moving, therefore, in the direction of the arrow. Two or more studs, bb, are placed on the bolt, one of which is shown pressing against the point of the tumbler c, and thus elevating the hammer d : this latter is attached to a crooked arm, which turns on the pin e, and is pressed upon by the spring f, which, when the stud has passed the point of the tumbler throws down This

the hammer violently against the bell g.

notice will be repeated during the act of shooting the bolt, as many times as there are studs placed on the bolt in a position capable of acting on the tumbler."* This is the first of a number of locks invented at various periods , which are more curious than useful ; for which reason none have ever come into general use.

MARR'S LOCK, invented about 1836. This lock is constructed with a small bolt working at right angles through two studs in the mainbolt.

If the levers are overlifted , a small hook on

the upper end of the small bolt is forced on to a stump fixed in the plate of the lock by a spring

* Transactions of the Society of Arts, vol. li, page 130.

449

THOMPSON'S LOCK. which retains it.

To release the small bolt the

6

Fig. 222.- Marr's Detector Lock. main-bolt has to be shot a second time, in the same manner as Chubb's, to release the detector.

THOMPSON'S (SALLY) LOCK, Patent dated November 13th, 1838. The additional security sought to be obtained in the construction of this lock consists in the setting in

motion

of an alarum before any key can be

introduced into the lock, or before the bolt can be withdrawn.

This is accomplished, first, by placing

before the keyhole of the lock a plate, forming a shutter to the keyhole, to be removed by being slidden away, or by being turned on an axis before the key can be introduced into the lock, which shutter shall be in communication with an alarum, situated either within the lock or contiguous to it, or in a room or place to which the motion may be conveyed.

And, secondly, by forming a communi2 E

450

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

cation from the bolt of a lock to a sounding body, so that the motion of the bolt in being withdrawn shall cause a sound, or a succession of sounds , to be given at such place, within practicable distance, as the proprietor of the lock shall determine upon. The principles of the invention admit of being carried into effect according to the local and other circumstances,

in a great variety of forms and

modifications .

We believe this is the only invention in connexion with locks and keys which can claim the honour of having been patented by a female. SANDERS' LOCK, Patent dated June 12 , 1839 .

The peculiarity of the construction of this lock consists in attaching the levers to the main bolt, which, in the act of locking and unlocking, travel with it - hence called the " traversing lever " lock. The lock reversed.

It is simply Cornthwaite's

construction of this lock has been applied principally to dead and stock locks, large quantities of which have been manufactured and sold by Messrs. Carpenter* and Tildesley, of Willenhall. NETTLEFOLD'S LOCK, invented and patented by John Charles Schwieso, July 20 , 1839 . " The peculiar feature of Nettlefold's lock was, that as the bolt was shot out by the key, two teeth ,

Mr. James Carpenter purchased from the inventor a license to make these locks. The patent expired in 1853.

GERISH'S IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND KEYS.

451

or quadrants, were projected from the sides of the bolt, which took a firm hold of the plate fixed on the door-post or edge.

It was much used for sliding

Fig. 223.-Nettlefold's Lock.

doors, and was found to answer exceedingly well. The same peculiar movement had also been applied to many other locks, by different makers, under the authority of licenses from Mr. Nettlefold . "*

GERISH'S IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND KEYS, Patent dated February 27th, 1840. " The patentee observes that in large doors, where great strength and security are required, it is necessary to have a lock of corresponding size , the key of which is large and heavy, and therefore inconvenient for carrying about ;

to obviate this

he makes a knob or handle perform the office of a key and throw the bolts ; a lock contained within

From Mr. Chubb's paper "On the Construction of Locks and Keys." 2E2

452

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

the knob, acted upon by a very small and portable key, has a forked bolt which locks into the escutcheon, and so renders the knob or handle and the bolts immoveable.

The patentee also claims the

method of throwing a bolt out from the escutcheon into the knob, and so producing the same effect.

" Claim is not made to any particular arrangement of lock

in the specification a common tum-

bler lock is adapted to the purpose. " The difficulty which this benevolent patentee has undertaken to remedy has no existence but in his own

imagination .

It

must be pretty well

known to most of our readers that the iron doors of strong rooms, the doors of large iron safes, &c. have long been fitted with knobs performing the office of a key, and throwing from four to ten, or even more, bolts ; such knob being secured by a small Bramah or other lock, fitted with the most portable keys, which threw a bolt into the arm of the large lock, thereby setting fast the bolts , knob and all.

The small lock in this case is placed

within the door, and is inaccessible ; whereas, if situated in the knob, it is only to saw open or knock off the knob, and all the security is gone. " The next claim is for a mortise latch , contained within a cylindrical metal tube ; the bolt, which is also cylindrical , lays along the tube, and is squared and turned up at the end , and a rack cut on its under side ; a pinion or sector on the spindle or

GERISH'S IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND KEYS.

453

axis of the knobs turns back the bolt, which is urged forward by a spiral wire-spring coiled around it.

This latch may be secured by a lock in the

handles, as before described .

As regards originality,

this contrivance is no better off than the former ; the object is decidedly a good one, viz . , to avoid cutting away the wood to so great an extent as is necessary for the usual run of mortise locks ; to let in this lock it is only required to sink a circular hole with a centre-bit to the proper depth .

Locks

of this description , but infinitely superior in arrangement to the foregoing, have been made and used some years - invented , we

believe,

by Sir John

Robinson, secretary to the Royal Society of Edinburgh . " The next improvement is in the construction of tumbler locks , with keys having four or more projecting " nibs " placed around the pipe of the key. In lieu of Barron's plan of several steps on one bit, this patentee adopts a separate " nib " for each tumbler, the advantage of which is not very apparent. A little extra trouble in making the lock and key, but no additional security will be obtained .

" The claims set forth are - First, the application of a lock and key to a knob or handle of a lock to secure the same, as herein described .

Secondly,

the mode of constructing a lock or other such like fastening, by combining a bolt, spring, and pinion, or tooth sector.

Thirdly, the mode of constructing

a key for locks and other such fastenings by having

454

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

a series of nibs or projections around the axis of the key, as described . " *

WILLIAMS' LOCK, Patent dated March 20, 1840.

This lock, like Stansbury's, is a modification of the Egyptian lock.

It is constructed with a series

of pins, which reach through and are flush with the cap of the lock, and are pressed to their places by a key like a comb or rake-head, with teeth of irregular lengths.

On the inner end of each pin is

a flat piece of steel , in which is cut a notch that allows the bolt to pass, when all the notches are brought in a line by the key ; but as either one or all of the pins can be pushed too far, they are what is termed " double-acting," and consequently appear to add much to the security of the lock.

On the

pins being pushed down by the key to their respective positions, the bolt is set at liberty, and is moved backwards and forwards by two springs, one of which is made strong enough to overcome the resistance of the other during the action of locking, and is forced back by the key to allow the weaker spring to act in unlocking.

From this latter con-

struction it would appear that its inventor had some idea of picking a lock by applying a pressure to the bolt. There are several objections to this lock coming into general use.

The size of the key, and having

* Mechanics' Magazine, vol. xxxiii, page 349 .

455

WILLIAMS' LOCKS.

to change ends to lock and unlock , makes it both inconvenient and undesirable ; and also the liability of the bolt being held by any bind in the bolt-hole, from the circumstance of the key having no control over it, and the easy manner by which a false key can be fabricated.

Soon after this patent was taken out a joint-stock company was projected, with a capital of £30,000, for the purpose of working it ; but although the lowest amount of profit was estimated at £ 10,300 per annum, but few of the shares were taken up . The factory which had been established in Wolverhampton for the manufacture of the locks , was, in consequence ,

soon given up.

Williams' Patent

Lock Company was the first " joint-stock company" ever established for the manufacture of locks . PEIRCE'S LOCK, Patent dated May 2nd, 1840. These locks, which are upon Barron's principle, with numerous

tumblers,

are furnished

with

a

detector, consisting of a sliding-bolt acted upon by any one or all of the levers ; the opposite end of this sliding-bolt is jointed to a small lever, mounted on a suitable axis .

Within a tube, opposite the

lower part of the keyhole, a dart, or sharp-edged punch, is placed upon a strong spiral spring ; there is a notch on the under side of the dart, in which the detector-lever rests and holds the dart down upon the compressed spring.

On attempting to

open the lock with any but the original key, one

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

456

or other of the levers is overlifted, which, acting on the detector-lever, releases the dart or punch, which flies out through the keyhole, wounding the hand that holds the key.

The face of the punch being

in the form of a letter or figure, inflicts a wound that for several weeks identifies the

aggressor ;

these locks have therefore been termed identifying detector locks.

In order to prevent the accumulation of dirt, &c. within the pipe of the key, a metal stop is fitted

H

Fig. 224.-Peirce's Identifying Detector Lock.

so as to work freely within it, being kept flush with the end of the pipe by means of an internal spiral

457

WOLVERSON AND RAWLETT'S LOCK.

spring, which yields to the pin of the lock when in use. Fig. 224 represents one of these locks as constructed on the base of Aubin's Lock Trophy.

A is

the bolt ; в the levers ; c the stump of the bolt ; D the detector ; E F the detecting levers

& the dart.

The construction of this lock appears to have been suggested by the Marquis of Worcester in his Century of Inventions before referred to , where he says that " a lock may be so constructed that if a . stranger attempteth to open it, it catches his hand as a trap catcheth a fox ; though far from maiming him for life, yet marketh him so , that if once suspected he might easily be detected . " It is said that the inventor himself experienced the efficacy of the detecting apparatus by receiving the steel barb into his own hand, thus shewing that, like other detector locks, it would detect on other occasions than when surreptitiously operated upon.

WOLVERSON and RAWLETT'S LOCK, Patent dated June 13 , 1840. The improvements claimed in the specification are

first,

a new kind

of follow

for latches ;

secondly, a peculiar mode of holding down the latch-bolt in latches and locks so as to lessen friction ; thirdly, a lock-bolt, the bolt to be bevilled , and the bevilled recess for it in the lock-plate to be formed by turning over the metal of the plate so as

458

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

to form a tube.

They claim also several modes of

making bolts work by the hand.

BAILLIE'S LOCK, Patent dated December 23rd, 1840.

The improvements in this lock, “ as applied in the first place to rim locks, consist in rounding off all the corners so as to prevent their tearing ladies' dresses, and in attaching the lock to the door by means of an angular stud rivetted on its inner side , which slides into a plate-staple screwed to the door ; the front of the lock being screwed on to the fore edge of the door in the usual manner.

The box-

staple is made with a tenon at the back, which is let into the door-frame, and secured by long screws, which pass through the front plate of the staple into the door-frame and through the tenon . " In the improved lock there is a stop, moved by a small handle on the outside, by turning of which the stop is caused to act against a notch or projection on the toothed sector that works the bolt, and prevents the bolt from being thrown back.

For

street-door locks this stop has two tongues, which take into the teeth of the pinion that works the bolt, one of the tongues preventing the bolt from being thrown back, the other retaining it when it is thrown back, the tongues being placed so far asunder that only one can act at a time. " The claim is to the mode of constructing locks and their fixings or fastenings , whereby the screws

BROOKES' LOCK .

459

passing through locks and staples are dispensed with. Also the mode of applying a temporary stop to locks, as described. "*

BROOKES' LOCK, invented about 1840.

This lock was constructed with a nozel working inside the Bramah nozel, so as to shut up the keyhole ; sliders .

or to cut off all communication with the The key had to perform nearly one revo-

lution before it could be pressed down on to the neck of the sliders to open the lock. FOSTER'S LOCK, invented about 1840 . The peculiarity in the construction of this lock consisted merely in the detector having a different When a . action to the other detector locks in use. false key was introduced it was held fast in the lock, or the keyhole was shut up ; and in attempting to shift the slide from before the keyhole, the operator was in danger of being struck by a dart when the slide moved .

In other respects it was an

ordinary lever lock.

PERRY'S IMPROVEMENT IN FLUSH-BOLT LOCKS, introduced about 1840. This improvement consisted in working the lock with three tumblers ; one set in a position at right angles to that of the other two.

When the key was

* Mechanics' Magazine, vol. xxxv, page 28.

460

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

forced into the lock it met with a tumbler and a talon on the bolt, by which the bolt was shot up vertically ; the key in passing onwards then met with a pair of Barron's tumblers and another talon, and the bolt was thus shot forward horizontally. It is a great improvement in locks constructed on the secure principle, and we believe the only one of its kind .

The inventor was upwards of forty

years in perfecting it.

BENTON'S LOCK, invented about 1840. The peculiarity in the construction of this lock consists in placing two stumps on the bolt and double-racking the levers.

This makes the lock

showy, and adds some little to the strength , but not to the security.

A specimen lock was exhibited at the Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures held

in Wolverhampton in 1840 , which obtained the second prize .

The wards in this lock were very

nicely fitted , and as a whole it was a well-made lock, which entitled the maker- a working locksmith-to considerable credit, especially as it was his first attempt to produce

a lock for compe-

tition .

This prize amounted to £1 11s. 6d . , which induces us to remark that such small sums are most inadequate to the purpose of rewarding meritorious inventors . The above lock, no doubt, cost its maker four or five pounds in producing. The same remark will apply to the premiums offered by the Society of Arts, and the result is that the society seldom draws forth an invention of much value.

COPE'S PIANOFORTE LOCK.

461

COPE'S PIANOFORTE LOCK, invented about 1840 . This is a double-bolted pianoforte lock, one bolt of which shoots across and fastens the link, and also drives a crank that shoots a bolt out of the bottom of the lock. Mr. Cope was the inventor of the hardened steel nozel for Bramah locks , and steel caps for various other kinds of locks, to prevent drilling into the lock-cases .

He also invented the mortise padlock.

HICKIN'S CIRCULAR ESCUTCHEON LOCK, invented about 1840 . This neat and simple invention consists of a circular escutcheon for placing before the keyholes of iron safes, and constructed with a lock in the moveable part, which latter opens and shuts similar to the case of a watch, and requires but a very small key.

Fig. 37 , page 55 , represents a slide-escut-

cheon constructed on a similar principle and for the same purpose . Either kind is very useful and convenient where it is desirable to protect a keyhole from observation or prying curiosity.

WAKEMAN'S IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS AND ESCUTCHEONS, introduced about 1840. One improvement consists in making locks with triple drill-pins .

On the face of a nozel fixed on

the cap of the lock are seen the ends of three drillpins, upon which the key formed to fit them passes into a chamber ; it is then turned round to a right angle and forced into the interior of the lock, where

462

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

either of the two bits meeting with the talon of the bolt and common tumbler, shoots the bolt.

It is a

very simple, ingenious, and novel contrivance, and we believe the only one of its kind . Wakeman improved the changeable letter lock by introducing false notches inside the outer rings ; also by cutting a series of teeth that work into a screw inside one of the rings, so that in attempting to open the lock by binding, this screw comes into action and binds all the rings, and at once prevents the true notches

or

openings being

discovered .

When the true position is found on the rings that are to move, the one that is in connexion with the screw is turned round and opens the shackle .

We

consider this is one of the most important improvements ever introduced into the changeable letter lock. He is also the inventor of the vertical letter locks , with three different actions.

First, with the shackle

to draw out ; secondly, with the usual joint ; and , thirdly, with the swivel-joint shackle.

He also improved and simplified the various kinds of latches ; and his sash-fasteners for utility and security are surpassed by none. It is supposed this inventor was the first to abandon the ears on padlocks, by making them round with the shackle to pull up and turn round on a swivel-joint.

He made others to work with-

out a key on the secret principle.

His escutcheons

were also made on the secret principle, and so

463

DUCE'S LOCK .

contrived that no one could open them without a knowledge of the secret. *

DUCE (Junior's) LOCK, invented 1840, Patent dated May 24, 1842. This is a lock with a quadruple motion, and was exhibited for competition with other locks at the Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures held at Wolverhampton in 1840 , and obtained the principal prize .

The action of the lock is as follows : - One

tumbler is drawn towards the key, another is driven backwards, while one lever works up and passes through a slot in the main-bolt, and another is pressed down, which also passes through a slot in the main-bolt.

This motion is both beautiful and

very secure, but as the lock comprises so many limbs it is expensive to make. contained this

The patented lock

additional improvement,

adjusting-spindle when used for doors. †

viz . ,

an

The pecu-

liarity consisted in worming the edges of a square

This ingenious workman, who is a self-taught musician, a repairer and tuner of organs, pianofortes, musical boxes, clocks, watches, & c., is the inventor of a circular percussion-cap box, which is a beautiful contrivance for carrying two or three dozen caps in a circular disc, so that a cap is always ready to fix on the nipple of the gun. By forcing the side of the box against the nipple it fixes a cap upon the latter ; when withdrawn, the mechanism of the box brings forward another cap ready for immediate use, and so on till the whole are expended. As it is difficult to handle a percussion- cap with cold fingers, besides the risk of losing it, this novel contrivance must prove useful ; and had its inventor made it known earlier (instead of keeping it to himself since 1827 ) , it might have been of considerable value to our army in the late war. + The slide forming part of this lock makes an excellent sash-fastener.

464

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

piece of iron, inserting it in the knob, then securing the knob on to the spindle close to the door, and fastening it in such position by a small set-screw in the neck of the knob.

Previous to this inven-

tion a carpenter could not fit a spindle to a door , unless the spindle happened to be of the exact size to suit the particular thickness of the door ; but this simple invention permits the carpenter to fit all doors alike with these spindles, whether of one or 14-inch or any intermediate thickness .

After the patent was sealed, Mr. Duce made these locks with only two motions.

A tumbler under the

bolt is gated into a slot cut to receive it, while a lever is gated to work up through a slot in a stud fixed upon the main-bolt, and moving with it. This lock is simple and tolerably secure , and being cheap has had an excellent run for many years. It is supposed that this inventor was the first who made locks to fire off a pistol to give an alarm if any of the levers in the lock were overlifted . He also invented the diamond detector lock. The detector is fixed to the main-bolt, and works upon a stiff joint ; if the levers are overlifted, it blocks the main-bolt against a stump fixed in the lockplate, and prevents the bolt from being withdrawn. In other respects it is an ordinary lever lock.

This

is an excellent movement, being simple, effective , secure, and cheap. He was also the inventor of the one-horned follow for locks, which works in a v-formed latch-tail to prevent friction.

TILDESLEY AND SANDERS' LOCK .

465

He also improved the details of mortise locks , and constructed them narrower than the usual kind. Mr. Duce, jun. , is one of a very few master lockmanufacturers who work at the vice, and he is considered an exquisite workman .

He constructed a

series of beautiful and interesting

specimens

of

locks for the Great Exhibition of 1851 , but from some cause declined to send them.

He also invented a beautiful machine for splitting sheet-brass for the purpose of being made into springs for locks . *

TILDESLEY and SANDERS' LOCK, Patent dated March 29, 1841. The first improvement consists in a mode of constructing the sliding-bolt of locks. The bolt in this case consists of a sliding-plate, with four levers and their springs, which moves upon a pin or stud, and carries in its front end an axis , upon which the levers are mounted . the levers are provided

The other ends of

with slots

or openings,

through which the pin protrudes, and passes when the bolt is moved by its proper key .

But should a

false key be introduced, the openings in the levers

This ingenious patentee was the inventor of an application to canal locks, which would effectually prevent the great loss of water while a boat is passing through ; but the expense of re-constructing such locks being considerable formed a serious objection to the invention being adopted, and it is therefore almost unknown. The various Canal Companies prefer putting up with both loss and inconvenience through a scarcity of water rather than incur the expense of re-constructing their locks. The Society of Arts offered a bounty of fifty guineas for an invention of this kind. 2 F

466

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

will not coincide with the path of the pin, and the bolt will therefore remain immoveable. A detector is also shewn as applied to this arrangement, by which the introduction of a false key is indicated . The second improvement consists in the application of sliding-levers to the sliding-bolts of locks. A bolt of the ordinary construction has a portion of its upper part, near its middle, removed to make room for a projection affixed to the lock-case.

This

projection passes through a vertical slit formed in each of three vertical levers ; there is a fourth, or bolt-lever, connected to the bolt and moving with it.

In each of the extra levers there is a horizontal

slot, through which a pin on the lock-lever enters , and allows the bolt to be slid back by the key, when it has brought all the levers into their proper positions.

The extra levers have a vertical move-

ment only, but the lock-lever slides up and down a pin affixed to the bolt, and also follows the horizontal movement of the bolt, being contained in a recess in its side .

The third improvement consists in a peculiarly formed sliding and lever catch-bolt, drawer or other locks .

suitable for

This bolt is composed of

a sliding-plate and three levers , which move on an axis affixed to the lower end of the plate .

The

levers have each two notches near the top (one in each edge), and are provided with a spring, which gives the requisite movement to the lever while the bolt is being shot .

When the bolt is shot, the

HANCOCK'S LOCK .

467

notches in the levers are level with the face-plate of the lock, on which they catch, and the bolt cannot be withdrawn by any key unless it will cause the levers to range correctly together ; for should any one of the levers be moved too far, its opposite notch will catch on the plate and hold the bolt fast. HANCOCK'S LOCK, Patent dated May 6th, 1841 . The nature of these improvements is shewn in their simplest form drawer lock.

as applied to

a

cabinet or

A round pin or nozel projects from

the front plate of the lock, through the centre of which a spiral channel runs from end to end and forms the keyhole.

The key consists of a single

thread of a screw stripped from its axis (similar to a corkscrew),

which

is

made

exactly with the spiral channel.

to

correspond

On the key being

inserted in the keyhole, and turned round till its point reaches the inner end of the spiral channel, it there presses upon the heel of the bolt and unlocks it.

On turning the key in the reverse

direction, a strong spring throws up the bolt again , The point of the

spiral key,

when once passed

through the spiral keyhole, forms a lever by which the bolt of the lock may be acted upon in a variety of ways, and which may be effectively combined with any of the known combinations of wards , guards , tumblers, or other contrivances for affording increased security. 2 F 2

468

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

These improvements, the patentee states , are also applicable to taps or cocks. STRONG'S LOCK, Patent dated September 28th, 1841 .

The construction of this lock is of a very complicated character, without affording any additional security. printed

The

specification ,

at length

Inventions,

in the

with

drawings ,

Repertory

is

of Patent

from which we extract the patentee's

various claims : -" First, in the combination of a series of two or more tumblers attached to the bolt of a lock and one to another, each tumbler having its fulcrum on the preceding tumbler of the series, near the end opposite to the fulcrum of that preceding tumbler, the first of the series having its fulcrum in the tail-plate or thin part of the slidingbolt ; thus the fulcrum of the tumblers are alternately placed near the opposite ends of the tailplate, and consequently the alternate tumblers rise the one to the right hand and the other to the left, where the lock is held up in a vertical position , whereby a great complication of checks against the operation of a false key is obtained from a few tumblers. " Secondly, in attaching a secondary-bolt sliding transversely in the main-bolt of a lock, and acting against an abutment, to form a detent in addition to the complicated effect of the alternating-tumblers described as the first part of my improvements ;

* Vol. xviii, new series, page 88.

STRONG'S LOCK .

469

this transverse-bolt being to be drawn back by one of the tumblers before the main-bolt can be withdrawn . " Thirdly, in the combination of the alternatingtumblers

with a secondary-bolt attached to the

lock-plate, and shooting into a notch in the mainbolt to prevent its being drawn back previous to the withdrawal of the bolt. 66 Fourthly, in adding to the combination of al-

ternating-tumblers a detecting-tumbler connected with the secondary-bolt above described under the second part of my improvements, which detectingtumbler on being lifted too high by a false key is there detained by a spring-catch until released by the true key. 66 Fifthly, in the combination of a hooked catchpiece, with several tumblers acting on one common fulcrum, the whole of the tumblers constituting a substitute for the bolt, whereby a greater number of tumblers of a given thickness may be introduced into a thin lock than when the catch-piece is pierced through in the manner of a staple. 66 Sixthly, in the application of a pair of links, one hinged to

each

side

of the sliding-bolt of

a spring-latch, each link terminated

at the end

opposite to the hinge by a hook catching on upon the follower, whereby the followers , whether turning right or left, act with very little friction in withdrawing the bolt.

470

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. Seventhly, in the formation

of a hinge by

casting alone in parts of the lock in which the motion on the joint is but small, for which purpose a notch is cast in one of the pieces of the hinge of the form of about three-fourths of a hollow cylinder, into which notch a cylindrical protuberance or knuckle , cast with the other piece of the hinge, fits and turns in a small arc of a circle, such a hinge being peculiarly applicable to the joining of the links to the

sliding-bolt of the spring-latch

mentioned under the sixth head of my improvements. 66 Eighth and lastly, in the application of a forked connecting-piece between the followers, and a liftinglatch for the purpose of communicating the motion ofthe followers to the latch with very little friction . "

The above application of a jointed tail-piece to latches, where the follow-horn works, is an excellent plan for preventing friction . Strong was also the inventor of the self-acting padlock-shackle.

It is so constructed that when

the key moves back the bolt, the shackle flies up ; and to lock, it merely requires the shackle to be pressed down.

The action and fastening is near

the joint end of the shackle . fastened in the centre.

Some of his shackles

NEWELL'S ( America) LOCK, invented in 1841. dated April 15th, 1851 .

English Patent

This lock, commonly known as the American Parautoptic

lock, was invented by Mr. Newell, of

* Parautoptic, from the Greek-concealed from view.

NEWELL'S LOCK.

471

the firm of Day and Newell , of New York, in 1841 , but was scarcely known in England till the opening of the Great Exhibition of 1851 , in which year it was patented in this country, with the improvements introduced since the year 1841 . The specification states that

" The object of the

present improvements is the constructing of locks in such manner that the interior arrangements , or the combination of the internal moveable parts, may be changed at pleasure according to the form given to, or change made in, the key, without the necessity of arranging the moveable parts of the lock by hand, or removing the lock or any part thereof from the door.

In locks constructed on

this plan the key may be altered at pleasure ; and the act of locking, or throwing out the bolt of the lock, produces the particular arrangement of the internal parts which corresponds to that of the key for the time being .

While the same is locked, this

form is retained until the lock is unlocked or the bolt withdrawn, upon which the internal moveable parts return to their original position with reference to each other ; but these parts cannot be made to assume or be brought back to their original position, except by a key of the precise form and dimensions as the key by which they were made to assume such arrangement in the act of locking. The key is changeable at pleasure, and the lock receives a special form in the act of locking according to the key employed, and retains that form

472

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

until in the act of unlocking by the same key it resumes its original or unlocked state .

The lock is

again changeable at pleasure , simply by altering the arrangement of the moveable bits of the key ; and the key may be changed to any one of the forms within the number of permutations of which the parts are susceptible. "

The " claims" put forth under this patent are the following :1. —The constructing, by means of a first and secondary series of slides or tumblers, * of a changeable lock, in which the particular form or arrangement of parts of the lock, imparted by the key to the first and secondary series of slides or tumblers , is retained by a cramp-plate. 2.

The constructing, by means of a first and

secondary series of slides or tumblers, of a changeable lock , in which the peculiar form or arrangement of parts of the lock, imparted by the key, is retained by means of a tooth or teeth , and notches on the secondary series of slides or tumblers. 3. -The application to locks of a third or intermediate series of slides or tumblers . 4. -The application of a dog with a pin overlapping the slide or tumblers

for the purpose of

holding in the bolt when the lock is locked or unlocked.

For the words tumbler and tumblers used throughout this description read lever and levers.

NEWELL'S LOCK.

473

5.- The application of a dog , operated on by the cap or detector-tumbler, for holding the bolt. 6. —The application of a dog, for the purpose of holding the internal slide or tumbler. 7. -The application to locks of curtains or rings , turning and working eccentrically to the motion of the key, for preventing access to the internal parts of the lock. 8.- The application to locks of a safety-plug or yielding-plate, at the back of the chamber formed by such eccentric revolving-curtain or ring . 9.-The application to locks of a strong metallic wall or plate, for the purpose of separating the safety and other parts of the lock from each other, and preventing access to such parts by means of the keyhole . 10. -The application to locks of a cap or detective-tumbler, for the purpose of closing the keyhole as the key is turned . 11. - The constructing a key by a combination of bits or moveable pieces, with tongues fitted into a groove and held by a screw.

12. -The constructing a key having a groove in its shank to receive the detector-tumbler. We shall here copy the description of this lock from Mr. Tomlinson's work before referred to :

" In fig. 225 the lock is represented in its unlocked state, with the cover or top-plate removed ; the auxiliary tumbler and the detector-plate are also removed. In fig. 226 it is represented as

474

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

locked, with the cover and the detector-plate also removed, and the auxiliary-tumbler in its place . In these two figures the same letters of reference

O P

S B

zz

IS

22

T3 T2 d

P

Fig. 225.-The American Parautoptic Lock- bolt unshot.

apply to the same parts, unless otherwise stated . B B is the bolt ; T are the first series of moveable slides or tumblers ; s shews the tumbler springs ; T

the secondary series of tumblers ;

and T³ the

third or intermediate series - these latter coming between the first and secondary series ; P P are the separating plates between the several members of the first series of tumblers ; s' are the springs for lifting the intermediate tumblers .

On each of the

secondary tumblers T2 is a series of notches, corresponding in mutual distance with the difference in the lengths of the moveable bits of the key.

It

thence happens that, when the key is turned in the lock to lock it, each bit raises its proper tumbler,

NEWELL'S LOCK.

475

so that some one of those notches shall present itself in front of the tooth t in the dog or lever L L.

When the bolt в is projected by the action

of the key, it carries with it the secondary tumblers T2 , and presses the tooth t into the notches ; in so doing it withdraws the tongues d from between the jaws jj of the intermediate tumblers T³, and allows the first and intermediate tumblers to fall to their

OP

u

S

22 de P

Fig. 226.-The American Parautoptic Lock- bolt shot.

original

position.

By the same movement the

secondary tumblers T² become held in the position given to them by the key, by means of the tooth t being pressed into the several notches, as shewn in the closed state of the lock.

(Fig. 226. )

Now let

us see what results if any attempt be made to open the lock with any arrangement of key but that by which it has been locked. In such case the tongues

476

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

d will abut against the jaws jj, preventing the bolt from being withdrawn ; and should an attempt be made to ascertain which tumbler binds and requires to be moved, the intermediate tumbler T³ (which receives the pressure ), being behind the iron wall I I, which is fixed completely across the lock, prevents the possibility of its being reached through the keyhole ;

and the first tumblers T are quite

detached at the time, thereby making it impossible to ascertain the position of the parts in the inner chamber behind the wall II. K is the drill-pin on which the key fits ; and c is a revolving ring or curtain, which turns round with the key, and prevents the possibility of inspecting the interior of the

Fig. 227.-The Detector-plate.

lock through the keyhole.

Should , however, this

ring be turned to bring the opening upwards , a detector-plate D, (fig.

227 , ) is immediately carried

over the keyhole by the motion of a pin p' upon the auxiliary tumbler T' , which is lifted by the

477

NEWELL'S LOCK.

revolution of the ring c, thereby effectually closing the keyhole.

As an additional protection, the bolt

is held from being unlocked by the stud or stump s bearing against the detector-plate ; and , moreover, the lever 7 7 holds the bolt, when locked , until it is released by the tail of the detector-plate pressing the pin p '.

' is a lever which holds the bolt on

the upper side, when locked , until it is lifted by the tumblers acting on the pin p' ; a are separatingplates between the intermediate tumblers T³ ; u u¹ are the studs for preserving the parallel motion of

ENT

HOBBS

Cheapside

NEWELL'S

the different tumblers .

O Fig. 228. 66 Fig . 228 represents the key in two different forms, or with the bits differently arranged .

Either

form will lock the lock, but the other will not then unlock it.

The end of the key is represented in

101

Fig. 229.

Fig. 230.

fig. 229, shewing the screw which fixes the bits in their places.

The bits for a six-bitted key are

shewn separately in fig. 230."

478

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. FIELDHOUSE'S IMPROVEMENTS, introduced about 1841 .

This inventor was the first to introduce Barron's principle into the construction of the " Banbury" lock.

He also introduced into the construction a

double drill-pin, that is, fixing a drill-pin on each side of a plate to prevent seeing through the keyhole.

The platform or bridge-plate was in con-

nexion with springs, so that when the key was forced into the lock , the plate on which the drillpins were fixed gave way for the key to enter.

ROCK'S IMPROVEMENTS, Patent dated Dec. 29th , 1842.

These improvements consist, first, in a mode of applying friction rollers to the tumblers of tumbler locks. Secondly, in applying friction rollers to the sliding bolts of back-spring locks, so as to facilitate their movements in the act of locking or unlocking. Thirdly, in the application of a connecting -link or crank, to ease the friction of locking and unlocking ; and Fourthly, in a mode of applying a stop to a sliding-bolt of a lock. The friction-roller consists of a circular plate or disc, which revolves on a stud fixed to the end of a lever-tumbler, which latter works on a stud fixed in the main-bolt. The lever-tumbler and the frictionroller are kept in their true position by a spring. When the key is placed in the lock, in turning

THOMAS'S PRISON LOCK.

479

round it comes in contact with the roller, and in the act of rising with the lever-tumbler revolves , and so lessens the friction .

The friction-roller, when applied to the slidingbolts of locks, is constructed so as to move on an axis affixed to the frame-cheek or case of the lock . In the under part of the bolt are formed two curved recesses, and the key acts on the inclined surface, so as to lift or throw the bolt, and cause it to rise over the friction-roller, and in such a manner as to cause one of the curved recesses to pass away from the roller, and to bring the other curved recess over the roller .

The friction-roller may also be

applied to the bolt , and have fixed recesses ; and it is not absolutely necessary that the recesses should be used, as the roller may be caused to rise and fall over a check-stop or bar. THOMAS'S PRISON LOCK, invented about 1842.

This lock, invented by Mr. Thomas, of Birmingham, contains a common tumbler, a bolt, and a brass guard-flap- the latter retained in its position by a spring inserted at the back of the lock.

The

key in its revolution lifts the guard-flap at the same time that it acts upon the tumbler, and throws the bolt.

The lock has also a handle on the out-

side attached to a trigger, which catches the bolt when shot back by the key in opening the door, and retains it until the handle is touched, which puts the bolt on half-lock.

This contrivance, the

480

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

object of which is intended to save the time of the turnkeys, places the bolt in such a position , that on closing the door from the inside, the lock can only be opened by the application of the key from the outside.

According to the rules of the Pentonville

prison, where these locks are used, every prisoner is obliged to touch the handle of the trigger, and so shut himself into his cell . There is nothing very novel in the construction of this lock, neither does it possess any real security, its only recommendation appears to be its cheapness, the price being but ten shillings.

It certainly cannot be picked from the

inside, as there is no keyhole , and the escape of prisoners from the above prison some months

ago

was not effected by picking the locks . AUBIN'S LATCH -BOLT, invented about 1842 .

This improvement in the construction of leverlatches consists in placing the latch-bolt at the back of the levers, thus making it almost impossible to reach the bolt by any surreptitious instrument . The key works upon a detached bolt, to which are gated five or more levers, and when the latter are lifted to their true position the detached bolt draws in the latch.

Another important feature in the con-

struction of this latch is, that the latch-bolt works independently of the other limbs of the latch ; and, further, as there is a projecting lip or nib on one or more of the levers, the bolt is thereby fastened , so that the thin piece of steel used by burglars ,

TANNS' LOCK.

481

and inserted between the door and door-frame to force back the latch-bolt is useless, the bolt being fast.

On the back of the latch- case is a knob,

which releases the lip or nib, and which is used for drawing back the latch-bolt .

In some of these

latches there is a pin which revolves through the top of the knob and passes in and through the latch-plate, thereby doubly securing the latch-bolt. The inventor of this useful latch has experienced a serious loss by it ; but few have been sold, in consequence of the price ( ten shillings ) being more than a common one can be had for.

TANNS' LOCK, Patent dated November 25th, 1843 .

The patentees state that " The Reliance Guarded Lever Lock has a decided advantage over other lever locks, a new principle being introduced , viz .: -the protecting one, two, or more of the levers by a guard--which, in addition to all the advantages of the lever-detector locks , presents an entirely new feature, and prevents the possibility of any keys yet made opening it. " Secondly. - The guards are placed on several of the levers, and protect the lever either above or below them, so that even if a false key or pick succeeded in lifting to the proper height all the levers with unprotected fronts, it could not possibly raise the one behind the guarded lever, and the slightest extra lift of the guarded levers at once 2 G

482

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

fixes the detector, and then the proper key only can regulate it. " These guards are shewn at A в, fig. 231.

The

objection to their construction is, that the key-bit being cut to correspond

thereto

is very much

weakened, and is thereby rendered more liable to be

RELIANCE PATENT

Fig. 231.-Tanns ' Reliance Guarded-lever Lock.

broken .

The similarity of these " reliance guarded-

levers" to the " descending-tumbler " of Somerford's second lock,

invented

many years before ,

and

described at page 364, on a comparison, will be apparent.

The detecting apparatus is also identical

with that of Richards ' , described at page 414 .

PITT'S IMPROVEMENT IN LATCH-BOLTS, introduced about 1844 . This improvement

consisted in fixing on the

latch-bolt a spring and lever, which hooked on to

PICKIN'S IMPROVEMENTS .

483

a stump fixed into the follow-horn . as

When used

a latch the follow would draw in the latch-

bolt ; and when required to lock, the lever ( being balanced or pivotted in the middle) was lifted off by the action of the key, when it would lock, leaving the follow free ; the hook end of the lever would be moved on to another stump , fasten the bolt.

and so

The other parts of the lock were

constructed on the common rim-lock principle. PICKIN'S IMPROVEMENTS, introduced about 1844 . These improvements were applicable to common door locks, and consisted in drilling a small hole through the lock-case and main-bolt into the door, and at night inserting therein a pin or plug, which held the bolt, so that no key or any instrument whatever could move the bolt till the pin was withdrawn.

This is a very simple and effective way of

securing an inside lock, no matter upon what principle it may be constructed .

The same inventor

also introduced flush or secret slips to work into common locks, thereby adding further security to their construction at a trifling outlay.

CHESTERMAN'S IMPROVEMENT, introduced about 1844. This improvement consisted in the application of curiously constructed levers to locks , so that signal wires could be carried from the internal mechanism of lever locks to any required place .

Some of these

locks had best gun-locks fixed in them, and the 2G 2

484

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

action of the gun-lock combined with the levers . The tumbler of the gun-lock projected through the lock-case, to which was fixed at night a lever of about five inches in length, and the signal wire attached to the latter.

The lever was then lifted

up, which tightened the wire and put the gunlock on " full cock. "

The action , therefore, was as

follows : -Supposing the door closed and the lock fastened in the ordinary way and left (the key of course being taken out), should any false key or other instrument be forced into the lock, the instant the levers are touched (they being connected with the wire) they would act as a trigger, which would release the action of the gun-lock, thereby bringing down the lever to which was attached the signal wire, and this would set in motion an alarm bell placed in any required distant situation , so that its noise would not be heard by those tampering with the lock.

The signal being thus conveyed, there

would be a chance of the thieves being detected on the spot.

Window sashes, &c. could all be con-

nected together in the above manner, if desired. These locks were so expensive to make and fit up that few were sold,

and

consequently their

manufacture has been abandoned.

POOLE'S LOCK, Patent dated December 4th, 1845. The only peculiarity in the construction of this lock is the key and what the inventor calls the " follower . " The screwed stem of this follower

485

POOLE'S LOCK.

passes through a plate fixed inside the lock, and the cylindrical portion of it is screwed into a corresponding recess in the plate, and turns therein , the recess

acting as a bearing for the follower.

The arm of the follower enters a notch formed in the bolt, consequently when the follower is turned on its axis of motion the bolt will

be moved.

Through the centre of the axis of the follower is formed a hole, and at one side

a recess ;

and

through this hole a pin passes, there being a crosshead affixed ; and this cross-head is formed to fit the recess in the follower ; hence, when the crosshead is in the recess, the bolt cannot be moved ; and this pin, and consequently the cross-head, can be moved out of the way by means of the key, or by means of a lever constructed in the lock.

The

key is formed with a female screw to fit the male screw in the follower ; and the interior of the key is so formed that it will come against the pin, and push it back into a proper position to allow the bolt to slide .

The bolt is at all times pressed out-

wards by a spring , and there is another spring which constantly presses the pin into the follower, and therefore the pin will, by its cross-head , retain the bolt from sliding till the pin is moved back ; and the key, on being further turned, will receive back the bolt.

When it is desired that the bolt

should be free to be acted on by its handle, then the lever before mentioned is to be folded down, by which means, owing to the form of the lever,

486

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

the pin to which the lever is attached will be moved back by the lever, and as long as the lever is folded down the bolt will be free to be moved. The above improvements may be applied under different arrangements of locks,

and the details

may be modified.

AUBIN'S SLIDE- STUMP LOCK, invented about 1845. This was intended as an improvement on Marr's lock, described at page 449.

The stump , which is

usually rivetted to the bolt, was in this lock fixed on a slide which worked in the bolt, and this slide threw out a detecting-bolt or slide at right angles to the other, and held a stump fixed in the plate. The other parts of the lock were constructed on the usual lever principle .

It was found very expensive

to make, and was consequently abandoned .

FELLOWES' IMPROVEMENT, introduced about 1845. This improvement consisted in placing the tumbler and spring

upon the main-bolt, which all

moved together.

The tumbler-stumps were racked

or gated into the cap-plate of the lock, thereby simplifying and also adding to the strength of the lock by reducing the number of limbs.

COTTERILL'S LOCK, Patent dated March 25 , 1846. The construction of this lock, which the inventor calls the on the

" Patent

Climax

Detector

Lock,"

is

same principle as Bramah's, except that

487

COTTERILL'S LOCK.

the sliders, with their springs, are placed in a position at right angles to that of the key, instead of in a position parallel with the key. Fig. 232 represents a front view, showing the principle of the lock . it.

Fig. 233 is a back view of

The cylindrical barrel, as shewn in figs. 232

m

Fig. 232.

and 233, contains a number of steel slides m m, (figs. 232 and 235 , ) which move in radiating channels cut in the face of the barrel, and are pressed towards the centre by helical springs, n n n, fig. 233, contained therein .

A circular groove, o o, is

cut in the face of the barrel, and also in the face of the slides, so that when the slides are forced outwards, by pressing the key into the keyhole, a continuous circular channel is formed by the coincidence of each of these with that in the

488 barrel's face .

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. When the key is withdrawn , each

of the slides is forced in different degrees towards the centre, so that their solid portions intercept

n

Fig. 233.

the groove in the barrel, and in this position the

barrel is held fast by a fixed circular ring p, fig. 234, fitting in the groove o o, fig. 232, and notched on its face so as to embrace each of the slides . The key consists of a cylindrical stem z, fig. 235 , having a number

of inclined grooves cut in its

circumference , agreeing with the number of slides in the lock.

These grooves are cut longitudinally

in the barrel of the key, and they vary in depth, slope, and the angle formed by their bottom with the axis of the key when placed in the lock for the purpose of opening it ; the inclined bottom of each groove forces out a slide until the openings in

COTTERILL'S LOCK.

489

the latter coincide with the notched ring, fig. 234 , and the barrel may then be turned by the key in either direction .

Should an attempt be made to

Fig. 234.

open the lock with a false key, the slides would be projected too far, and would be retained in that position by a spring-catch or detector i, fig. 232, which falls into the groove, so that the true key cannot open the lock until by a peculiar backward movement the detector is disengaged ; this detector is not likely to be thrown by accident.

x, figs.

232 and 235, is an outer ring for the purpose of c preventing the slides being acted on separately. is a thrower which works the lock-bolts underneath the disc , in a case (not shewn in the cut) of the usual form.

Figs. 236 and 237 shew another

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

490

contrivance for increasing the security of the lock.

NT

TE

PA

a is a double click, * Eplaced to prevent the possiLL RI TE T CO

10

m

m

Fig. 235 . bility of a pick-lock acting upon the works, as the

0 α

Fig. 236.

Fig. 237.

* This double click was introduced into the construction of the lock about June, 1855, and has, unquestionably, greatly added to its security.

COTTERILL'S LOCK.

491

slightest strain applied to the lock, in either direction, would instantly oscillate the click and fasten it at b.

The notches on the slides at d d will also

prevent a strain being put upon the lock, for should an attempt be made to open the lock, the notched slides would

come in contact with the circular

notched ring, fig. 234, and at once lock the action. The inventor states that-" Any violent application of an opening instrument or false key will not affect the works injuriously, owing to the slides being firmly fixed in deep grooves formed in the revolving-barrel, and secured down by a steel ring 7, which precludes every approach to the movement by any other means than the legitimate key, from which, owing to its peculiar formation , IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE AN IMPRESSION, an advantage no other key possesses . " The slides merely move along the grooves, under cover, and return by the pressure of the helical springs, which are equally distributed around, and these having such a very slight amount of duty to perform , are not liable to set or break ; but supposing such an improbable thing could occur, it would not injure the action in the slightest degree, as the security of the lock rests solely on the exact distance the slides are forced from the centre, NOT in their returning to any particular place, consequently the security of the lock must remain unimpaired, even if the whole of the springs were damaged.

Where the slightest friction occurs in

492

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

the works, A COUNTER ONE has been provided , in order to prevent derangement ; in fact this lock has treble the strength and durability of any lock in the market, and possesses none of their liabilities to get out of order.

The keys are cut by a newly-

invented machine, which can be varied

whilst

working to such an extent, that millions of keys may be cut and yet every one shall differ. " The locks are all made to the keys, which at once removes the possibility of any but the legitimate keys opening them . " This lock can be made to shoot any number of bolts in each direction , and from the peculiarity of the principle gunpowder will not injure or affect the bolts in the slightest degree ; neither can any instrument be applied to the key from the outside when the key is left in the door of a chamber inside .

This is another peculiar advantage which "" no other lock possesses .' We may remark that there is nothing peculiar

in the keys of this lock being made to the lock, as this is the case with all best patent locks, as, for instance, a six-lever lock.

The key is first stepped

as required, and then the levers are gated to it, which is identical with the cutting of the grooves in the slides of Cotterill's lock, after the prepared key has forced them to their true positions.

JONES' (America) LOCK, Patented in America about 1846. This is a lever lock on the permutation principle, and very complicated .

The levers are constructed

DE LA FONS' IMPROVEMENTS.

493

with false notches, and there is a barrel and curtain combined.

We have had lent to us, by Mr. Hobbs ,

one of these locks, which bears the date 1846 , No. 184.

It was sold by Mr. Jones to the United States

Treasury in 1848.

This identical lock Mr. Hobbs

picked in 1850 . DE LA FONS' IMPROVEMENTS, Patent dated July 6th, 1846. In the specification * of this patent various claims are set forth, the principal one being for a revolving or rotating bolt to locks in place of the ordinary straight action.

The patentee also claims the use

We had wished to have printed this and several others of the old specifications at length, but as £4 4s. were required by the authorities at the Patent Office for an office copy of this one only, the enormous expense alone prevented it ; and as it is forbidden to make an extract from any specification at the various depots where they are deposited, we have been obliged in many cases where we could not otherwise procure the particulars, to be satisfied with paying the fee for reading, and taxing our memory to remember as much of them as possible, till we got to a free atmosphere, where we could use our pencil without official surveillance or restraint. This will serve to convince those of our readers who are not initiated in the practice of taking out patents of the great boon conferred on the nation by the enactment of the law of 1852. From the report to Parliament of the Commissioners of Patents , dated the 21st of July, 1856, it appears that " all the provisional, complete, and final specifications, filed in the office upon the patents granted under the Act, have been printed and published in continuation, with lithographic outline copies of the drawings accompanying the same, and within three weeks of the respective dates of filing, according to the provisions of the Act of the 16th and 17th of Victoria, c. 115." This will enable us in the chapter on the modern locks to describe the various locks from the inventors' specifications themselves ; and in the list of Patents we shall annex the price at which each published specification may be obtained. Besides the new specifications which have been printed to July, 1856, 3,500 out of 12,977 of the old specifications have also been printed, 500 more are in the printer's hands, and it is estimated that the whole will have been printed by the year 1861. This will be accomplished by printing 2,500 annually.

494

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

of the barrel and curtain , for the purpose of enabling the key to make an entire revolution , while the bolt made but three-fourths of a turn.

The revolving-

bolt forms a kind of outer ring to, and is acted on by, the curtain .

The barrel and curtain , with the

key, making a quarter of a turn before they move the bolt ; they, of course, make a full turn while the bolt makes but three-quarters of one. The closing up of the keyholes is spoken of in the specification merely as an incidental advantage gained by the

arrangement,

and although thus

mentioned, was manifestly looked upon by Mr. De la Fons as of little consequence .

The other claim is for such a modification of one of his adoptions of the round bolt, as enables him to make it a tell-tale lock. From the wording and meaning of the specification we feel inclined to believe that Mr. De la Fons, at this period , had no real or defined conception of even the advantages supposed to be derived from the use of the combined barrel and curtain. That Mr. De la Fons has no right to claim the barrel and curtain as his invention will be evident on a reference to the description of Mallet's lock at page 392 ; and we take the opportunity of here stating,

that we believe the barrel and curtain

combined was invented many years before the date of Mallet's patent ( 1820 ) , as will be apparent from the following evidence we have obtained on this subject :--

495

DE LA FONS' IMPROVEMENTS. Mr. Richard

Manning, keymaker, of Wolver-

hampton, distinctly remembers his step-father, John Roughley, of Cross Green, Coven, near Wolverhampton, maker of fluted keys and revolving barrels for the keys to work in, frequently making locks with the barrel and curtain combined, which he effected by brazing a thin disc of metal on to the top of the barrel.

This was sixty years ago.

Mr. Thomas Wright, a locksmith in the employ of Mr.

Duce,

recollects

making locks with the

barrel and curtain combined sixty years ago. Mr. Yates used to make locks with the barrel and curtain combined, to order, a dozen at a time, forty years ago. Mr. Duce used to make locks with the barrel and curtain combined thirty-five years ago.

Mr. Thomas Hart, a locksmith in the employ of Mr. James Gibbons, jun. , states that he recollects the barrel and curtain combined being used in locks made at Mr. David Evans' , Brownlow-street, Drury Lane, London , about the year 1823 ; and that he used to make them there himself. Mr. Aubin used to make locks with the barrel and curtain combined, two and three at a time, to order.

He used a piece of tubing for the barrel,

with a thin disc of metal soldered on the top for the curtain ,

and this

construction he

states he

copied from a very old lock.

The last he sold , in

quantity,

in

were

to

January 15 , 1845 .

a

firm

Wolverhampton,

496

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

It appears that these locks were ordered principally for carpenters ' tool - chests , extra was required .

when

anything

That the barrel and curtain combined was also adopted in America previous to the date of this patent is quite evident, from the fact of Mr. Jones' lock containing it, as mentioned

before

at page

493.

CHUBB'S QUADRUPLE LOCK, Patent dated December 14th, 1846. This lock

is especially intended for the fasten-

ings of bankers ' and merchants' strong rooms, and 6 other analogous uses. It is called The Quadruple Lock' (fig. 238), and consists of a combination of four separate and distinct locks in one, all being acted upon at the same time by a single key with four bits. It will be seen in fig. 238 that the mainbolts are attached to an eccentric wheel, throwing them each way ; and to these bolts ten or twenty bolt-heads may be fitted.

The quadruple lock has

six levers in each set, making altogether twentyfour levers, all of which must

be

acted

upon

simultaneously, by the motion of the proper key, before the eccentric wheel can be turned ; it is thus utterly impossible, from the extensive combinations, for any attempt by a false instrument to succeed in unlocking it. " As a further security there is a check lock, with a small key, which throws a hard steel-plate

CHUBB'S QUADRUPLE LOCK . over the large keyhole.

497

Thus , in a banking esta-

blishment, a confidential clerk may carry the quadruple key, and the principal having the smaller

福

O Fig. 238.-Chubb's Quadruple Lock.

key, can at all times prevent the fire-proof safe or strong room from being opened , unless in his own . 99 presence. We may observe that there is nothing new in the construction of this lock, as it is identical with the quadruple lock invented by Mr. Duce in 1823 , and described at page 403. The use of these quadruple locks, the bolts of which are thrown by the key, has altogether been

2 H

498

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

superseded by throwing the bolts of such locks with a knob or

handle , and securing them by a small

lock ; * and where it is desired that the principal of an establishment should lock and unlock the safe or strong room, and that the keyhole should be secure from observation , this is effected by a slide lock -escutcheon , as shewn in figs . 37 and 38 , at

O

パブ

0 Fig. 239.-Multiple Lock. 55. Locks are also made with two or three page keys , which require each key to be used succes* See page 96, ante.

AUBIN'S CURTAIN-LEVER LOCK.

499

sively in a certain order before the bolt can be moved, and such a plan obviates the necessity for having more than one lock. It is convenient here to notice another kind of multiple lock. Fig. 239 represents a lock of this description, having eight bolts radiating from the centre, all of which are thrown by the small key shewn in the cut, by means of eccentric wheels and levers ; but in none of these multiple locks (as we have had occasion to observe before) is there any real utility, as greater security is

obtained by simpler con-

trivances.

AUBIN'S CURTain-Lever Lock, invented about 1846 . This lock was constructed with several discs on a revolving barrel, so that the levers had a circular motion.

Each of these circular levers formed a

curtain to the keyhole, indeed they made a solid curtain.

The barrel and curtain and levers were of

the same shape, and all moved together with the key.

Curious spaces were cut out of the levers for

the various steps of the key-bit to work against ; there were also false notches cut in the circumference, thereby giving a great range of combination.

When the true opening or path in the levers

was placed in the right position by the key, a loose tongue on which was a stump passed into the levers ; and the bolt was shot either out or in as 2H 2

500

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

required.

The circular levers were kept in their

proper position by check or binding springs.

BRIERLEY'S LOCK, invented about 1846.

The peculiarity of the construction of this lock consists in fixing a jointed-hasp upon the face of a Bramah lock, on the underside of which is a stud that passes through the lock-plate . adapted to

an

This lock was

expanding leather folio or case,

containing a number of pockets ;

these pockets ,

whether full or empty, are bound with a strap with brass eyelets, which is braced through the hasp , the stud of which passes through and secures it. During the Railway mania these folios were used as " scrip cases, " and had an extensive sale.

These

cases are also made with indexes for letters, invoices, &c. , and are extremely useful and convenient.

MORRIS'S DIRECTION PADLOCK, invented about 1846. This padlock is constructed with a recess in front, in which are placed a dozen or more cards, with a thin piece of transparent horn placed before them. On one side of the recess which contains the cards is a lever secured in its place by the shackle.

In

using the lock the direction is written on one of the cards, and put into the recess under the piece of horn ; the lever or bar is then put back, when it falls into a notch in the back of the shackle-joint ; the key is then turned round, and the receptacle,

501

PLANTE'S LOCK . together with the address, is safe.

This contrivance,

which was quite a novelty in connexion with padlocks, caused them to have an excellent sale , till the inventor reduced the quality of the article, which brought them into disrepute, their disuetude.

eventuating

We have heard it said that this

latter circumstance led to the ruin of the inventor, who had a very large stock of them made, which no one would purchase .

A more useful contrivance

for the purpose designed we cannot conceive , and hope for the convenience of our commercial brethren some spirited locksmith will resume their manufacture.

With a series of printed cards you may

change your address as often as desired ; and the cards and lock with ordinary care would last a life-time.

PLANTE'S LOCK, invented about 1846.

Plante introduced an excellent improvement into the construction of the common door lock, which he effected by affixing to the pin end of the key that projects through the back of the lock another bit which works outside the lock, and lifts up a spring that is rivetted or screwed on to the back of the lock.

On the end of the spring there is a stout

peg or stump, which passes through the lock-plate and into the bolt ; and before the lock can be unlocked, this spring must be lifted up to release the stud which holds fast the main-bolt.

502

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. TILDESLEY'S PADLOCK, introduced in 1847 .

This is a cast padlock , constructed with the patent tumbler of Tildesley and Sanders, invented in 1841 , and is known in the market as " Tildesley's Patent Tumbler Padlock . "

The exterior is

similar to

Andrews's " American Mail-Bag Lock," from which it appears to have been copied by an individual who had visited America, and who afterwards sold the pirated invention to Mr. James Tildesley, of Willenhall . The

This lock has always had an extensive sale. successors

Harper,

jun.

of Mr.

and

Co. ,

Tildesley, of the

Messrs.

Albion

John

Works,

Willenhall , manufacture this and similar cast padlocks at remarkably low prices.

(See chap. 19.)

NEWALL'S IMPROVEMENTS, Patent dated September 28th, 1848. These improvements consist in the employment of two metal rings , one of which the inventor calls the key-ring, being accurately fitted and ground into the other.

There are two holes bored in these

rings exactly of the same size and opposite to each other, leaving a shoulder in the inner or key-ring, against which the key-bolts are pressed by a vulcanized India rubber or other suitable spring ; these key-bolts are made of steel, each in two pieces, and are accurately fitted to slide in the holes bored in the rings ; the thick part of them being longer than the length between the shoulder of the hole in the key-ring and the outer circumference of the ring,

503

NEWALL'S IMPROVEMENTS.

and the thin part projecting into the keyhole, to be acted upon by the key as hereafter described .

The

key is formed with two grooves cut on the opposite side of it by a rotary cutter or other means ; the grooves are large enough to admit the small ends of the key-bolts to slide along them , and are formed with irregular or wavy bottoms, which differ from each other, the greatest depths of the grooves being at the end of the key, so that when the key is inserted into the keyhole up to its shoulder the key-bolts shall be pressed outwards from the centre, and the thick ends of the inner pieces of the keybolts are then made to coincide exactly with the circumference of the key-ring.

In this position the

outer pieces of the key-bolts can offer no opposition to the key-ring, being turned round by means of the key ; but when the key is withdrawn , the spring acting upon the outer pieces presses the inner pieces against the shoulder.

A " feather " on the key fits

into the slot of the key-ring to take the strain off the ends of the key-bolts when the key-ring is being turned round , and a pin projecting from the keyring moves the bolt of the lock.

The ring is fixed

to the box or case of the lock.

When the key-

ring has made half a turn , the ends of the key-bolts come exactly opposite to each other ; and if the key be withdrawn from its hole, the spring will press the key-bolts against their shoulders in the holes. and thrust the outer pieces into the ring, so that the key-ring cannot be turned round except by

504

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

means of a key which shall press out the key-bolts to the proper distance at the same time. ber of key-bolts may be increased.

The num-

If three be

used, they must be at equal distances from each other, and a third of a turn of the key-ring will lock or unlock them.

If four bolts be used, they

may be placed exactly at right angles, and then a quarter of a turn will lock or unlock them ; or if two of them be placed opposite to each other, then the other two may be placed opposite to each other at any convenient angle with the other two, and then the key-ring must make half a turn to lock or unlock ; if five or six bolts be used, they must be placed at equal distances from each other, and supposing that a pin projecting from the key-ring be used to move the lock-bolt, then any number of fifth or sixth parts of a turn (together not exceeding half a turn) will lock or unlock ; but if other means be used to move the lock-bolt, then it may be so arranged that any number of turns of the key will lock or unlock.

The key-bolts may be arranged

in sets one above the other.

YALE'S ( America) Lock, invented about 1848.

The Yale lock has two cylinders, one working within the other, and they are held together by a series of pins reaching through the cylinders into the keyhole, which is in the centre.

On the back

of the inner cylinder is a pin that fits into a slot in the bolt, and moves it as the cylinder is turned

505

WINDLE AND BLYTH'S LOCK.

The pins that hold the cylinders together and prevent the inner one from turning are cut in two at different lengths.

The key is so

made that by

inserting it into the keyhole the pins are moved, so that the joint in the pins meets the joint between the cylinders, and allows the inner one to be turned . But as with the slides of the Bramah lock, should any one of the pins be pushed too far, the cylinder is held quite as firmly as though it had not been touched . Some of these locks have been made with as many as forty pins ; and to a person unacquainted with the principles on which locks are picked , they would seem to present an insurmountable barrier. For the purpose of picking the lock an instrument is made that will fit between two of the pins, to that is attached

a lever and weight, thereby

getting a pressure on the cylinder, and causing the pins to bind ;

then with another instrument the

pins are felt, and as they are found to bind, they are pressed in until they are relieved (as they will be when the joint comes to the right place), thereby easily opening the lock. WINDLE and BLYTH'S LOCK, invented about 1848. Windle and Blyth's lever-bolt safety lock is of a peculiar construction .

In addition to the usual

double-acting levers, it has a set of " lever-bolt guards. "

Fig. 240 represents the principal " limbs"

of the lock detached .

a is the bolt ;

b are the

levers ; c is the stump of the bolt ; dd the escape-

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

506

racks for the lever-bolt fh, which moves upon the axle g, to work in .

The key is in two connected

pieces, and has two bits , i, k, as shewn in the cut ;

0

O

a

b

Fig. 240.-Windle and Blyth's Lock.

the upper bit, k, having a revolving motion . bit,

or the

The

" rotary barrel-key," by its peculiar

pressure, brings the lever-guards to their required position, and so retains them ; whilst the key, by the usual rotary motion, acts upon the levers , and at the same time propels or withdraws the bolt at pleasure .

WINDLE AND BLYTH'S LATCH.

507

They are also the inventors of an improved action to

latches,

which

consists

spindle with a v-formed

in

constructing

channel

the

on one of its

squares, which works in a bevilled projecting-piece of the latch, as shewn in fig. 241.

By pushing the

f

THIS SPACE FOR A LOOK BOCT

Fig. 241.-Windle and Blyth's Latch.

knob from you on one side , or pulling it towards you on the other, it lifts the latch-bolt out of the staple or striking-plate, and so opens the door .

WILKES' LOCK, Patent dated May 8th, 1849. This invention has for its object the use of a shield so arranged that by double locking a lock on the inside the shield will be caused to cover the keyhole, and prevent a key from being introduced from the front. In the same specification the inventor claims certain improvements in the manufacture of knobs for door-locks and other purposes,

and also im-

provements in the manufacture of lock-spindles.

508

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

This latter improvement consists in drilling centre holes on each square of the spindle at such a distance from each other, that by turning the spindle round, it should be certain to fit the various thicknesses of doors. * set-screw.

It is secured in its place by a

This invention merely substitutes the

centre-holes for the

wormed

angles

of

Duce's

spindle. JONES' LOCK, invented about 1849 . Jones was the inventor of a peculiar kind of stock lock, commonly called

" The Drunkard's Lock,"

from the circumstance of the key always being in the right position to open the lock.

The key is

something like the figure 8, the end of the bit being as thick as the shank, and drilled out to fit the keyhole.

A bolt and a tumbler are fixed on

each side of the keyhole, so that let the key be put in which way you will - either up or down -- you are sure to meet with the talon of one of the bolts. If both bolts are required to be shot it is only necessary after locking out the one, to withdraw the key and put it in the reverse way and shoot the other.

It is simply two locks in one, which

are both worked from one keyhole .

This lock will

also do for either a right or a left-hand door .

It

has continued to have a good sale, whether from its peculiar convenience under certain circumstances to certain individuals we do not venture to say. Sce Repertory of Patent Inventions, vol. xv, new series, page 16.

509

BRADFORD'S LOCK. BRADFORD'S LOCK, Patent dated July 22, 1850.

The improvements introduced by Mr. Bradford consist in adding to locks spring-bolts or catches, which take into the tumbler, or into the main-bolt of the lock, and are disposed in such positions that the tumbler or bolt cannot be moved with a picker or other such instrument until the spring-bolt or catch has been removed. The spring is fixed immediately opposite to the lock-pin, which is made hollow, and has fitted into it a small rod or pin, the head of which rests upon the spring.

Within the pipe of the key there is

fitted another pin of the same size as the pin which is fitted into the lock-pin.

The lengths of these

pins are so arranged that when the key is put into the lock it causes the first pin to press against the spring, and thereby raise up the fore-end , of that spring, which withdraws a third pin, which takes into a hole drilled in the main-bolt.

The with-

drawing of the third pin allows the key to push over the bolt.

Unless the key used for the lock

were provided with arrangements for acting upon the last-named pin , the bolt could not be shifted by it.

There is another hole in the bolt which re-

ceives this pin when the bolt is in its locked position.

This is one of a considerable number

of patented locks that have never come into general use. * A fuller description of this lock, with diagrams, will be found in the Mechanics' Magazine, vol . liv, page 89.

510

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. AUBIN'S BALANCE - DETECTOR LOCK, invented 1850.

This lock is constructed on the principle of the scale-beam.

The levers, which are double-acting,

are gated at each end with a stump working in each gating.

The centre of motion , a, fig. 242 , is

in the middle of the levers ;

above the centre of

motion is a stud or pin , e, fixed to the bottom lever ;

92

‫ورد‬

d

炒麵

0 Fig. 242.-Aubin's Balance-Detector Lock. in each of the other levers is a semi-circular slot through which the pin works.

This peculiar con-

struction causes every lever to act as a detector ; for if in the least moved out of their true position , the springs d or f pressing against the levers causes them to combine, and so prevents the bolt b from

AUBIN'S LOCK. passing.

511

The levers are so delicately poised that

very little is required to throw them out of action ; the idea was suggested by the action of the scalebeam .

AUBIN'S VIBRATING- GUARD LOCK, invented about 1850.

This lock is constructed on Bramah's principle, but with levers or vibrating-guards in the place of sliders.

The levers are hung on a split ring, which

fits into a groove in the barrel or cylinder b, fig. 243.

Each lever works in a groove in the barrel

or cylinder, and when the key is pressed down it

=

0

Fig. 243.-Aubin's Vibrating-Guard Lock.

comes in contact with the pointed ends of the levers, and forces them down till the other ends rise to

512

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

their true position , when the slots in the broad end of the levers are in a line and will pass the lockingplate, as in Bramah's.

If the point or inside end

of the lever is pressed down but one-sixteenth of an inch it raises the other end about half-an- inch, which gives it a proportionate range of combination . Another peculiarity is that the key does not touch the bolt a, as the latter is moved by an arm of the barrel coming in contact with a stud on the back of the bolt, and consequently the scroll of Bramah's lock is in this lock abandoned .

AUBIN'S COMPOUND- LEVER LOCK, invented 1850. This is a compound-lever lock, the peculiarity of which consists in one set of levers, with their centre

000000000000000000000000000

Fig. 214.- Aubin's Compound-Lever Lock.

513

TAYLOR'S LOCK.

of motion at c, fig. 244, acting on another set of levers, their centre of motion being at e.

The key

enters the lower levers b, and in turning round lifts them , which then come in contact with the necks of the upper levers d, and raises them to their true positions, so that the bolt a can move backwards and forwards.

The levers on rising upwards close the

keyhole, as in Parsons' change lock.

The lower

levers, if lifted one-sixteenth of an inch, move the upper levers one inch, thus giving a wide range of combination to the construction of the lock.

This lock was found in practice to be too nicely constructed, as by heating the key in the flame of a gas-light caused sufficient expansion of the metal to prevent its opening the lock .

It is undoubtedly

a secure lock, but is very expensive to make .

TAYLOR'S LOCK, invented about 1850 .

This is a detector lock, and is an improvement on Chubb's, inasmuch as the detector acts when the levers are underlifted as well as when overlifted, and it may therefore be called a " doubleaction detector " lock. Fig. 245 represents the lock with the cap removed. a the bolt ; b the levers ; c the detector ; d the projecting nib of the detector, which falls into one of the notches in the main-bolt.

The action of

the lock is as follows :- When the bolt is locked out, as shewn in the cut, the projecting nib, d, of 21

514

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

the detector is in the second notch of the mainbolt, and before the bolt can be withdrawn or unlocked, this nib must be acted upon at once and equally by the arms of the levers ; for if only one of the levers be overlifted, it forces the other end

O

B

Fig. 245.-Taylor's Lock.

of the detector into the notch at the other end of the main-bolt, and thus prevents the bolt from moving.

If the levers are underlifted, the nib of

the detector remains in the notch, and again prevents the bolt from moving.

This construction

allows all the limbs of the lock to be strongly made.

515

BIGFORD'S LOCK.

BIGFORD'S LOCK, invented about 1850.

The improvement sought to be effected in this lock consists in the application of a slide or lever acting on a part technically called the drill-pin , which, by inserting a false key, presses the end of a detector, thereby making the lock more secure. The advantages of this lock over the lever locks now in use consist in its being so easily detected on the introduction of a false key.

The difficulties

presenting themselves are1st.

If the slide is pressed too low it detects

the lock.

-----2nd . If the slide is not low enough the bolt will not pass . 3rd. — When the lock is fixed , the proper depth of the work cannot be ascertained (the chief object in picking locks). --4th . The drill-pin and slide can be altered to such a variety of lengths that a lock with four levers is as secure as six levers

on

any other

principle. 5th.

It admits of the bolt being left much

stronger than hitherto . The inventor states that " the depth of other lever-detector locks may be easily ascertained without detecting the lock, but in the improved detector lock this is quite impossible.

The levers must be

lifted to various heights by the key before the lock can be opened or shut ; and until each lever is at

212

516

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

its proper height, the stud (which forms a part of the bolt) cannot pass through the racking in the levers ; and if any of the levers are overlifted the lock will be detected , and it cannot then be opened by the proper key in the ordinary way ; but notice is thus given, and the detector may be set right by turning the key in a contrary direction , as in locking.

No instrument , or any but the proper

key can release the detector. "

TUCKER'S CLOSED-KEYHOLE SEPARATING- KEY Lock, invented 1851 .

This lock, which had for its object the prevention of picking " by pressure," or by " ringing the changes," was an embodiment of that peculiar principle of security in locks , which this inventor was one of the first to apply, and which principle consists (to use his own words) " in the entire closing up of all communication with the moveable security parts of the lock, during the time that the security stump or piece is in contact with or passing through them ." In the present lock this principle was carried out as follows :-Viewed

externally it presented two

keyholes and a knob or handle ; both keyholes were perfectly cylindrical, the central or true keyhole being formed by a continuation through the lockcap of the cylindrical tube of the drum which contained the slides or security parts.

This drum was

517

TUCKER'S LOCK.

fixed to the under side of the lock-cap, the sliders working horizontally in it, and radiating towards the centre of the tube.

The handle was connected

with a horizontal plate or curtain of case-hardened iron, and by its action opened or closed the central keyhole, and drew back or freed the sliders required.

as

When the handle was turned so as to

raise the curtain and open the keyhole, the keyhole ( to the full depth of the lock) presented the appearance of an unbroken tube, affording no communication with the lock's mechanism ; but if the handle were reversed, so as to bring the curtain over the keyhole, the sliders could then spring into the tube.

Any attempt to raise the curtain (that

is, to open the keyhole) would carry the sliders back into the drum, and fix them so that they could not be moved.

The key was made in two parts , the

lower or bit part being separable from the shank and bow, and requiring to be unscrewed whenever it was used in the lock ; the bit of it was circular, its steps or variations being formed by a circle of sinks or recesses of varying

depths in it.

The

mutual action of the lock and key was as follows : -The knob was first turned so as to uncover the central keyhole, the key was then placed into it, and the shank part unscrewed and removed from the lock, leaving the bit behind .

The knob was

then reversed so as to cover the bit entirely over, closing up the keyhole, and setting the sliders free, so as to allow their points to spring into the sinks

518

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

in the key.

The shank part of the key was then

placed into the other keyhole and turned half round,

carrying a circle of stumps (to which it

gave action) through the gatings of the sliders, and throwing back the bolt.

Were a wrong key used, of course the circle of stumps could not pass the sliders , but would stop or bite against them in such a manner that if any communication with the sliders could then be obtained the lock could be picked ; but as during the time such contact of the stumps and the sliders could take place the true keyhole would be hermetically scaled, and as the other heyhole at no time afforded any communication with the interior of the lock, it is clear that no skill could succeed in arranging them, as picking instruments could never reach them.

Picking by skill being thus ren-

dered inoperative, the inventor then provided means to prevent the " changes being rung," which he effected by the use of a detector, so constructed and arranged as to come into operation only after certain of the sliders, which the security stumps must first pass, had been correctly arranged ; the detector would then act so as to prevent the keyhole being opened to adjust the remainder.

The

operator would in fact defeat himself, as success in his attempts to remove the first obstacles in his way would inevitably prevent any renewal of his experiments .

The peculiar arrangement and formation

of the key-steps in this lock were such as to throw

TUCKER'S LOCK.

519

great difficulty in the way of taking any impression of them .

They could only be taken in sections,

which would be a prolonged and delicate operation , requiring time, patience, and skill . The inventor published in his circulars that --" The lock placed by him in the Great Exhibition of 1851 was so made and constructed, and would long since have been brought into the market, but for an objection to which, on reflection, it was seen to be liable-that objection being that the key was made in two parts, the lower or bit portion ( as it is technically termed ) being separable from the shank and bow, and requiring to be unscrewed whenever it was used in the lock.

The liability to accidental

severance and consequent loss of the key-bit, and the manifest inconvenience attending such a mode of action, were deemed sufficient reasons to prevent its manufacture being proceeded with, although its security against fraudulent or scientific attempts at picking was such as to lead the inventor to invite Mr. Hobbs to operate upon it, conditioning to permit him to take the lock itself in pieces previous to the attempt, and then to allow him thirty days in which to make the experiment. "

RESTELL'S LOCKS, invented in 1851 . The construction of Mr. Restell's two locks , which were exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 , and which were afterwards patented in December of the same year, we shall describe in the chapter

520

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

on the modern locks.

We may, however, here ob-

serve that they were considered of sufficient merit to entitle the inventor to a prize medal .

The lever lock was the only one of a simple construction in the Exhibition that provided against picking by pressure, and was one of the first with the improvement introduced for that especial object.

WOLVERSON'S LOCK, invented about 1851 .

This lock was constructed with an improved detector and an entirely new combination of levers, the principle in which seems to be that the levers communicate with three snail-like pans of metal, the effect of the key operating upon which is to throw the detector.

The bolt becomes immove-

able, and the combination of levers assumes such a position as to render it extremely difficult to open the lock or correct the alteration, from the ordinary position of its several parts, without the introduction of the proper key.

We have now described all the principal locks invented or known in England previous to the opening of the Great Exhibition of 1851 , an exposition which has been the means of improving the arts and manufactures of this country to an extraordinary degree.

We can only form a judgment

of inferiority or superiority by comparison , and at the World's Fair we were then shown in what

521

WOLVERSON'S LOCK.

branch of art, and in what articles of manufacture, we were excelled by the foreign exhibitors.

How

far the particular manufacture of locks and keys has benefitted by the display and competition and consequent controversy of 1851 , must be judged by the merits of the inventions and productions which have been introduced since that period .

Reserving

our remarks on this part of our subject for the chapter on the modern locks, we shall conclude this chapter with a description and illustration of that beautiful and ingenious piece of lock-mechanism designed and made by Mr. Aubin ; a table shewing the number of the Foreign and British exhibitors of locks at the Great Exhibition ; a list of those who obtained prize medals or honourable mention ; and the jury's report on locks.

Mr. Aubin's

Lock Trophy" was undoubtedly

one of the most ingenious pieces of mechanism in the Exhibition, and we think it deserved a better notice in the

Official Illustrated Catalogue than

simply " Specimens to illustrate the rise and progress of the art of making Locks, containing fortyfour different movements by the most celebrated inventors in the lock trade," more especially as its fabricator was a working locksmith , in humble circumstances.

We may remark, too , that the one

who appeared to appreciate this valuable specimen most, and who has designated it " The Trophy of Lock Ingenuity," was the American , Mr. Hobbs , who immediately purchased it from its maker.

*

522

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

This trophy consists of a central pillar or axis about thirty inches in height, which rises from a

Fig. 246.-Aubin's Lock Trophy.

hexagonal base-piece, the bottom supporting four

523

AUBIN'S LOCK TROPHY.

horizontal circular discs, placed at different elevations from the lowest platform .

On each of the

vertical faces of the base-plate is constructed a lock, each being worked by its respective key.

On each

disc or platform there is a number of locks ; sixteen on the lowest, twelve on the next above , nine on the third in height ; while a Bramah lock surmounts the whole.

All the locks on the three

platforms are so arranged that their bolts shoot outwards or radially from the axis or pillar.

Each

lock has its own proper key inserted in the keyhole ; and as the locks lie horizontally, the drillpin of each lock and the pipe of each key are of course vertical, as shewn in the drawing.

(Fig .

246. ) There are delicate pieces of mechanism contained within the central axis and the chambers of the platforms, consisting of levers, racks , and pinions ; and the Bramah lock is contrived so ingeniously, that its key, by acting upon that lock, acts simultaneously on all this mechanism .

The Bramah

barrel, in rotating horizontally under the action of its key, gives a rotatory movement to a rod passing vertically through the centre of the whole apparatus ; this rod at the levels of the several platforms acts upon racks and pinions, and these in turn act upon the key-pins of the various locks. When, therefore , the Bramah key is turned, the whole of the key-pins rotate, each exactly in the same way as if the lock were being locked or unlocked, and the bolts shoot in or out accordingly.

524

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

All the locks are faithful representations of the several patented or other modes of construction to which they severally refer ; and each exhibits the works sufficiently open to display the principle on which it is arranged .

The works are finished with

the utmost care ; and the ornamentation and general design of the trophy exhibit a considerable amount of artistic skill highly creditable to its maker.

The

locks are arranged and numbered according to their similarity of construction , with a view to shew how much alike some locks are, and how one inventor has copied the invention of another. The following list will show where most of these locks have been described in the present chapter : No. 1 lock consists of a single bolt, with a binderspring for holding the bolt in any position in which it may be placed until a sufficient force is applied to overcome it ; it embodies the simple principle on which thousands of common locks are annually made. No. 2 resembles the latter, with the addition of a friction-roller.

The bolts of either of these two

locks can easily be forced back by pressing on the end of the bolt. No. 3 is a bolt lock copied from a lock found in an ancient building.

It exhibits an improvement

on both the former specimens , in so far as the bolt requires, before it can be shot, to be pressed down, in order to release it from a catch at the back end of the bolt.

This release cannot be effected with-

525

AUBIN'S LOCK TROPHY.

out the aid of a key or some other implement applied through the keyhole, and thus the bolt answers the purpose both of bolt and tumbler. No. 4 is a single-acting tumbler lock. No. 5 is an old English lock, with a doubleacting tumbler, being a great advance in principle on the single-acting tumbler. No. 6 is a modern English single- acting tumbler lock, described at page 243 . No. 7, by Mace, is a double-acting tumbler lock, described at page 344 .

No. 8 , Somerford's first lock, described at page 353. No. 9 has a single-acting tumbler with a pin , copied from a lock on an Indian cabinet. No. 10, Thompson's lock , described at page 343 . No. 11 , Daniell's lock , described at page 347. No. 12 , Walton's lock ,

99

418.

No. 13, Barron's single double-acting tumbler, described at page 261 .

No. 14, Bickerton's first lock, described at page 326. No. 15 is a peculiar kind of tumbler lock, copied from a Dutch lock.

No. 16, by Duce, sen . , described at page 368 . No. 17, by Sanders, is a lock with four doubleacting tumblers, and is identical with the next, invented fifty years before, described at page 450 . No. 18, by Cornthwaite described at page 326 . No. 19 , by Richards,

""

414 .

526

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

No. 20, Somerford's second lock, described

at

page 364.

No. 21 , Rowntree's lock, described at page 327.

No. 23, Parsons '

403.

99

No. 22, Duce's (jun . ) first lock

balance-lever lock,

described

at page 432. No. 24, Bickerton's second lock, described

at

page 330.

No. 25, Price's lock, described at page 267 . No. 26 , Aubin's first lock, described at page 426 . No. 27, Barron's fly-talon lock, described at page 373. No. 28, Bird's lock, described at page 329. No. 29, Duce's (jun. ) second lock,

(patented)

described at page 463. No. 30, Ruxton's lock, described at page 353. 382.

No. 31 , Chubb's lock of 1824 No. 32, Marr's lock

99

448 .

No. 33 , Tanns' lock

22

481 .

No. 34, Chubb's lock of 1833 99

381.

No. 35 , Parsons' vertical lock ""

436 .

No. 36, Young's fly-guard

lock,

described

at

page 405.

No. 37, Lawton's lock, described at page 349.

No. 39, Scott's* lock

387 .

19

No. 38 , Strutt's lock

99

351 .

This and the four following locks, by the permission of Mr. Hobbs, we have engraved from the Trophy. They appear on pages 352, 378, 440, 456, and 361 , respectively.

LOCK EXHIBITORS AT THE GREAT EXHIBITION.

527

No. 40 , Chubb's original detector lock, described at page 374. No. 41 , Parsons' change lock , 1833 , described at page 438 .

No. 42 , Peirce's lock, described at page 455. No. 43, Ruxton's tell-tale lock, described at page 360. No. 44 , Bramah's lock, ments

introduced

by Mr.

shewing the improveRussell

and

Mr.

S.

Mordan, described at page 271 .

NUMBER OF EXHIBITORS OF LOCKS & LATCHES IN SECTION III, CLASS 22, AT THE GREAT EXHIBITION OF 1851 .

United Kingdom

37

France

6

Portugal

3

Sweden and Norway

4

Tuscany

1

United States

•

7

Western Africa

1

Zollverein

4

63

528

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

LIST OF BRITISH AND FOREIGN EXHIBITORS , WHO OBTAINED PRIZE MEDALS OR HONOURABLE MENTION . II.-PRIZE MEDAL. Nation.

No. in Catalog.

United States • 39 United Kingdom 39 93

462 138 663 695 680 653

Adams and Co • Arrowsmith, G. A. Aubin, C. Barron and Son Boobbyer, J. H. Bramah and Co.

France United Kingdom

437 655 646

Bricard and Gauthier . Carpenter & Tildesley Chubb and Son .

446 307

Clarke and Restell Cotterill, Edwin .

Name of Exhibitor.

Objects rewarded. Bank Lock Permutation Locks Locks Locks Locks Locks and Castings (and special approbation Locksmith's work, & c. Locks Locks and Safes (and special approbation)* Lamps, Gas-burners, & Locks Locks

* At the close ofthe Exhibition, Messrs. Chubb and Son published the following in an advertisement which appeared in the Wolverhampton Chronicle and the Birmingham Journal of October and November of that year (1851) :— " It will be noticed that but one other lockmaker in the United Kingdom, out of the immense number of exhibitors in this department, has received the award of 'Special approbation.' The decision ofthe jury, after a full and careful consideration and comparison of the merits of the articles exhibited is, therefore, in favour of the great superiority of Chubbs' locks, as the most secure against false keys and picklocks." This called forth the following reply from the lockmakers whose names are attached, they, like Messrs. Chubb and Son, having been awarded prize medals :— " The Lock Manufacturers of Wolverhampton versus Chubb. " We, the undersigned lock manufacturers of Wolverhampton, who have been awarded prize medals at the Great Exhibition, in conjunction with Messrs. Chubb, have seen with considerable surprise the pretensions put forth by them in their advertisements, that their locks are the best and most secure before the public , and founding their claims to superiority on the ground of having special approbation annexed to their award. We hereby protest against such pretensions, and question their right to superiority either for principle or workmanship. We declare our belief that, as lockmakers, we are equal in every respect to Messrs. Chubb ; and we are authorised, on the authority of Dr. Lyon Playfair, to state that the award of special approbation was intended to indicate that the collection shown by the exhibitors generally merited approval in addition to the objects especially included in the medal award. It was also distinctly stated by his Royal Highness Prince Albert, in his speech at the close of the Exhibition , that the jurors did not attempt to decide on degrees of merit, but they rewarded all who had attained a certain degree of excellence. Now we cannot, and we think the public will have the same difficulty, discover the grounds for such boasting (so different to the conduct of Messrs. Bramah, who also received special approbation with their prize medal), and we think that Messrs. Chubb should have been the last persons to put themselves forward, after the great humiliation they must have experienced in having their locks picked by Mr. Hobbs. " We hereby challenge Messrs. Chubb to test their claims to superiority before a competent tribunal, as the only mode of arriving at the truth,-the judges to be chosen

LOCK EXHIBITORS AT THE GREAT EXHIBITION.

Nation.

No. in Catalog.

Name of Exhibitor.

United States

298

Day and Newell

United Kingdom

800 652 654 405 660 647 649a 665 20 659 946 622 670 668 664

De la Fons, J. P. Gerish, F. W. Gibbons, J.,jun. Gray, J. and Son . Harley, G. Haywood and Son Huffer, J. • Lea, W. & J. M'Greger and Lee Parkes, H. W. Paublan Taylor, I. Walters , B. and P. Windle and Blyth Yates, H.

33 29

99

United States United Kingdom France United Kingdom "3

529

Objects Rewarded. Parautoptic Permutating Locks (and special approbation.) Locks Locks and hinges Locks Locks Locks • Locks, gilding, &c. Locks Lock with bolts, & c. Bank lock Locks Safes and locks Locks Locks Locks and steel pens Locks

III.-HONORABLE MENTION. 650 Bigford, H. Lock United Kingdom • 623 Bleckmann, J. E. . Tools, locks, &c. Prussia 158 Cochrane, A. (Cl. VII) Lock and Ventilator United Kingdom 99 Cugnot, A. France Locksmiths' work Prussia 641 Dultgen Brothers Pad and portfolio locks 1256 Grangoir, J. M. • France Locks, &c. 11 Hedlund, J. Sweden& Norway Padlock United Kingdom 673 Lewis, G. Lock on circular levers 669 Moreton and Langley . Lock "" 276 Wolverson, E. Lock "3

partly by ourselves and partly by Messrs. Chubb, and the locks to be those shown by each ofus at the opening of the Exhibition on the 1st of May last.

" HENRY YATES , JOSEPH TAYLOR, CHARLES AUBIN, " BENJAMIN WALTERS , " JAMES GIBBONS , JUN ., GEORGE HARLEY. " WILLIAM AND JOHN LEA, " The above has been advertised in the Times, Illustrated News, Builder, Journal of Design, in Liverpool and Manchester newspapers, and in the newspapers ofthis town and district, without eliciting any reply from Messrs. Chubb. The lock manufacturers of Wolverhampton, therefore, appeal to the public whether this silence does not prove their case, and demonstrate clearly that Messrs. Chubb have put forth pretensions to which they have no claim. "Wolverhampton, February 1 , 1852." 2 K

530

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. JURY'S REPORT ON LOCKS.

" In the manufacture of locks, Wolverhampton still sustains its ancient reputation .

Excellence of

workmanship , lowness of price, and an adequate degree of security characterise the contributions from that place, and prove the advantage of the peculiar division of labour which is adopted in the manufacture.

The specimens of locks throughout

the exhibition generally evince that the art is in a very advanced state, both here and on the continent, but still it is impossible for the jury to ignore the fact, that the present condition of lock-making is traceable to English ingenuity and invention ; and they believe that, on the whole the collection of locks on the British side deserves the place of pre-eminence . The lock on the very well-made safe of SOMMERMEYER, of Magdebourg, ( 1

Zollv. , 802 , p . 1094)

may be noticed honorably ; and the bank lock of Messrs. DAY AND NEWELL, of New York, (United States, 298, p. 1453 , ) is remarkable for ingenuity of principle, and for combinations and arrangements which seem to render it impregnable.

Locks of

this description, if they could be sold at a moderate price, and made available for ordinary purposes , would no doubt be favorably received, munerate the inventor.

and re-

It is, however, a serious

objection to any lock , notwithstanding its ingenuity and security, that the key should be so ponderous and bulky as to require for itself a separate place

JURY'S REPORT ON LOCKS. of deposit and safe keeping.

531

The smallness of the

key in proportion to the size and strength of the lock is

particularly remarkable in the locks of

Messrs . BRAMAH (653, p . 664 ) and of Messrs. CHUBB (646, pp. 663, 664), besides those merits in other respects, which public opinion has so long and so amply recognised. " On the comparative security afforded by the various locks which have come before the jury, they are not prepared to offer an opinion.

They

would merely express a doubt whether the circumstance that a lock has been picked under conditions which ordinarily could scarcely ever, if at all, be obtained ,

can be

assumed

security."

2K 2

as a test of its in-

532

CHAPTER XV.

THE LOCK CONTROVERSY PREVIOUS TO AND DURING THE GREAT EXHIBITION OF 1851.

" Ne craindra-t-on pas que nous ne donnons en même temps des leçons aux voleurs ? Il n'y a pas grande apparence qu'ils viennent les chercher ici, ou qu'ils en aient besoin ; ils sont plus grands maîtres que nous dans l'art d'ouvrir les portes. Apprenons donc l'art d'ouvrir les portes fermées, afin d'apprendre celui de les fermer d' une manière qui ne laisse rien ou qui laisse peu à craindre." * -Réaumur.

PREVIOUS to the Great Exhibition the locks most in general use were Barron's, Bramah's, Chubb's, and Parsons ' , and these were considered to that period perfectly secure, not only against the ordinary thief, but also against the accomplished picklock. * " But is there not this danger, that at the same time we shall be giving lessons to thieves ? It is not very probable that they will seek instruction of us, or that they have any need of it ; they are greater masters in the art of opening doors than we can pretend to be. Let us then learn the art of opening locked doors, in order that we may acquire that of securing them in such a way as to leave little or nothing to be feared on account of their security."

533

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

The usual mode adopted by the inventors of locks to test their inviolability was to challenge the trade or other persons to pick them, and in some cases to offer a certain reward to any one who should accomplish the task.

We believe Mr. Bramah was

the first to do so, who about half a century ago placed in his shop window, in Piccadilly, a board , to which was appended a padlock (see figs. 251 and 252 ), and upon which board was painted the follow- ´ ing words :" The artist who can make an instrument that will pick or open this lock shall receive two hundred guineas the moment it is produced ." In 1817, a very ingenious mechanic, attracted by the reward, and fired by the honour of opening this mysterious lock, spent upwards of a week in endeavouring to solve the problem, and eventually gave it up in despair . In the year 1832 , Mr. Chubb challenged a Mr. Thomas Hart, an ingenious locksmith of Wolverhampton, to open his lock, and the challenge was accepted.

The following account

of this trial,

together with Mr. Chubb's letter, is copied from the Wolverhampton Chronicle of May, 1832 : -

" During the whole day, notwithstanding the unfavourableness of the weather (the experiment taking place in the open yard of the New Hotel ), considerable interest was manifested by a crowd of factors, manufacturers, and especially locksmiths, who constantly attended till the termination of the trial.

The visitors

at the inn likewise partook of the curiosity ; as we observed Lord

534

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Clive, the Hon. Mr. Clive, Sir J. Wrottesley, and several other gentlemen very attentive. We take no particular interest in any one individual, whether he be Barron, Bramah, Chubb, or any other ; but we do feel a deep concern for the quality and reputation of one of the principal and most important articles of our town's manufactures ; and we should much regret that, when so large a sacrifice of time, talent, and fortune is made to secure the safety and lives of the public from the midnight depredator and other thieves, the object should not be attained, or the ingenuity of the mechanist rewarded." " ADVERTISEMENT.

" To the Editor of the Wolverhampton Chronicle. "My letter, which you inserted in last Wednesday's Chronicle, would inform your readers of my invitation to THOMAS HART to meet me at the New Hotel, in this town , on Thursday last, at four o'clock, to try his skill in attempting to pick my patent locks.

At the appointed time I attended with several gentlemen

of the town ; and, after waiting an hour, HART not making his appearance, was sent for, but declined coming, under the pretence that I had not offered a reward in case of his picking them. Being desirous of affording him an opportunity of putting his threat into execution, that he could pick them very easily,' I published, early the next morning, a public challenge, and had it posted throughout the town, offering a reward of ten pounds to THOMAS HART, or any other person, who should fairly pick one of my improved Patent Detector Locks, that I would fix on a door of the New Hotel, on Friday and Saturday, between the hours of ten o'clock and five.

Accordingly, he came about ten

o'clock on Saturday, bringing with him a vice, hammer, files, blank keys, and a variety of other articles, and fixed a key-pin in the door, to facilitate his cutting the blanks. He then commenced a vigorous and incessant attack on the lock, which he kept up until within ten minutes before five o'clock, saving when he went to a workshop in the neighbourhood, where several workmen were assisting him.

At that time he gave up the trial, finding he

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

535

could not possibly succeed. Soon after five o'clock the lock was taken off the door, sealed up by two gentlemen present, and delivered into the hands of Mr. BARTER, the proprietor of the hotel, that it may be opened and examined by two principal locksmiths of the town- one appointed by myself, the other by HART-to ascertain that it was made strictly according to my patent . I subjoin their declaration.

The most intense interest was evinced

by those present ; and at the conclusion I received the hearty congratulations of my friends, and repeated cheers from the multitude. " Such has been the result of this vain boaster, his threats, and his affidavits, aided by those of others. " Since my arrival here I have been made acquainted of the various tricks and nefarious practices resorted to for the purpose of bringing my lock into disrepute and injuring my reputation .

I

shall take an early opportunity of exposing the artifices and their authors to the public. Instead of HART attempting to pick the lock, all his efforts were directed to make a key, by the aid of blanks , lamp smoking, &c. &c., as he found it totally impossible to succeed in fairly picking it, which I required in my advertisement ; and he was frequently told by the bystanders the means he was trying was most unfair and untenable-but all could not suceeed !!! " CHARLES CHUBB. " Wolverhampton, May 8th, 1832." " This is to certify that we, the undersigned, having examined the Lock, No. 2,957, U, which was affixed to the door in the yard of the New Hotel, Wolverhampton, and which was attempted to be picked by THOMAS HART, on the fifth day of May, 1832 ; and we declare it to be strictly one of Mr. CHUBB's Improved Patent Detector Locks, without any addition. 66 Signed this 7th day of May, 1832. " JAMES MACE, Lock Manufacturer, Bond Street, Wolverhampton . " JOHN GREEN, Lock Manufacturer,

Stafford Street, Wolverhampton."

536

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Having discovered that the " Thomas Hart" was still in existence , we thought it only fair, instead of confining ourselves to the ex-parte statement of Mr. Chubb, to give also the statement of Mr. Hart, and we do so in his own words.

He says says :: " In 1832,

I was then in business on my

own account in

Wolverhampton, and was in the habit of receiving Chubb's locks to make for a manufacturer of the name of Joseph Richards, who made locks for Mr. Chubb.

On one occasion some dissatisfaction was

expressed by Mr. Chubb's manager at the locks having been made by me instead of Richards getting them done on his own premises, which led Mr. Chubb's manager to say that my work.'

he would not pass

To this I replied that he need not be

so extremely particular, for that I could construct and make a lock quite as good as Chubb's in a very short time.

I afterwards did so , and it was

brought out by Mr. Richards ; and when they came into the market, Mr. Chubb published in the newspapers an advertisement with the name

of Mr.

Brunel attached, to the effect that Richards ' lock was good for nothing .

On Mr. Richards telling

me this, I retaliated by saying that I could pick Chubb's lock as easy as I could pick any common tumbler lock.

This was afterwards told to Mr.

Chubb, and then came the challenge, and now for my account of the said trial.

" At the time I received Mr. Chubb's challenge, I was then working for Mr. Richards as a journey-

537

LOCK CONTROVERSY. man.

On the Friday the town crier went about

the streets crying the challenge, and he did so more particularly before the Richards.

workshop of Mr.

This provocation proved too much for

humanity to bear, and I at once challenge,

accepted the

and went on the following morning

(Saturday) for the purpose of commencing operations.

I then and there proposed that the lock to

be operated upon should be

one

of those

Mr.

Chubb had previously been in the habit of selling as his commercial locks. About two hours were consumed in discussing this point, when it was decided that the lock which was then fixed on an outside door in the New Hotel yard was one of the same kind, but that if on examination it was proved not to be so, then Mr. Chubb would forfeit five pounds to some charitable institution .

I then com-

menced operations, and soon found that the lock was not one of his regular commercial locks, for that it contained extra work ; the consequence was that having brought with me only a few tin tubes, with a bit of sheet brass soft-soldered to each ( with which simple instruments I had frequently opened Chubb's locks), convinced me that I could not operate successfully with them, and I was obliged to go to Mr. Richards' shop in the neighbourhood to get a key-blank for strength, as this made-up test lock was so constructed that its own key would scarcely move the bolt backwards and forwards. I had previously offered to pick any lock that any one would

538

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

go and purchase of Chubb's make from any shop in the town, but this Mr. Chubb would not agree to, he would only consent to the trial of the lock made purposely for the occasion .

I did not take

with me any vice, but a small table-vice was brought without my request or knowledge by some other person, but such vice was not made use of by me. As soon as I inserted the tin tube in the lock, I discovered that it contained a bridge-ward -which none other of Chubb's locks ever did contain before. However, not disconcerted but much annoyed, I was compelled to send for a drill and drill-string, for the purpose of drilling the blank-key to pass the bridge-ward, which no other lock required . After I had operated for some time, Mr. Chubb's manager said it was dinner-time, and that if I went to dinner I should be allowed an extra hour at night to make up for it.

I then went to dinner,

and after I returned I got the pick to pass the bridge-ward.

I then first threw the detector, and

smoked the key-bit and applied it to the bellies of the levers, which at that time corresponded to the steps of the key, and were not flush or level -bellied, as made at the present time.

I then put in the

key the reverse or locking way, which gave me the true gauge for the stepping of the key-bit, which I accomplished by reducing the blank in proportion as the steps were required to be long or short. " When I found, after stepping the brass key, that it was too weak to shoot the bolt, I went to

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

539

Mr. Richards' shop, as I have before stated , and got a blank, understanding that I should have the dinner hour allowed me to operate, according as it was promised.

While I was away I fitted an iron

one to the shape of the brass one, and returned, feeling confident that the iron key would open it, but to my surprise found that the lock was taken away, and this was some minutes before five o'clock. 66 " I had before this time picked eighteen of Chubb's locks, eight of which were sealed separately in papers and sent to me by the late Mr. Mordan , for the purpose of proof,

and eight of them I

opened at the Deanery, in this town , in the presence of the late Rev. J. Clare, a magistrate ; Mr. Wynn, factor ; Mr. Perry, factor ; and Mr. Ebbels, architect.

" The first lock picked by me was ordered specially from Mr. Chubb's factory, which was placed on a block of wood six inches thick. " At this period ( 1832 ) Chubb's locks were constructed with but four levers, and these had not flush or level bellies. It is important to state here that Mr. Hobbs , in operating upon Chubb's lock in 1851 , commenced in the same manner as Mr. Hart did in the above trial, by first throwing the detector.

From the remarks

on this subject by the editor of Hebert's Encyclopædia, written about the same period , and printed at page 381 of this work, it is evident that this mode of operating on Chubb's locks was at that time understood .

540

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

The next account of one of these trials we here copy from a circular published by Mr. Parsons in 1834. After describing his several other locks, he says -" THE BALANCE-TUMBLER DOOR LOCK has been and will be submitted with confidence to the man of scientific

discrimination ,

solely with its own

recommendation ; and with the following testimonial in its favour to those who have not the little mechanical knowledge that would enable them to look with a discerning eye at the excellence of its construction in regard to strength, security, and probable durability.

It consists of a report that was

made, by the scientific persons whose names are subjoined, of an unprecedented trial which a small padlock, containing 26 balance-tumblers, sustained in July and August, 1834 ; and the conclusion of which was witnessed by very many other highly respectable and intelligent persons, who also heard the declarations of the men : -

" On the 21st instant, we witnessed , at the Adelaide Rooms, the total failure of every attempt which could be made by all who applied (three most skilful and long experienced locksmiths ) since the advertisement appeared, to make an instrument that would unlock PARSONS' THREE -INCH PADLOCK, for which the patentee in the beginning of last month offered, in several of the London and provincial newspapers, the unprecedented reward of ONE THOUSAND GUINEAS. Three candidates appeared, viz. : -Thomas Cornell, who had been a locksmith about sixteen years, and commenced his operations on the 23rd of July ; William Hartill, who had been in the trade forty-four years, and

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

541

begun on the day following ; and Joseph Dye, of thirty-three years' standing, who set to work on the 1st instant ; and when it is known that the first successful candidate only was to have the prize, it cannot be doubted each spoke truly in saying he had used his utmost energies to succeed , until the termination, on the 21st instant, when they shewed that all their efforts were in vain and acknowledged they could not unlock it, although they were in the constant practice of picking all other kinds of locks they met with in general. They said that every fair means and opportunity had been allowed them from day to day, and that they were well acquainted with the construction of this kind of lock, but could not even discover how many tumblers the lock contained ; but when opened, to show that no deception was practised, no less than twenty-six tumblers were found to be enclosed within its small case, of the usual size. This was never before found practicable by any person but the patentee, who has thus supplied the desideratum, heretofore sought in vain, of locks at a moderate price, and of the regular, or even smaller dimensions , perfectly inviolable by any picklock or false key.

We took the

opportunity of examining his other kinds of locks, and feel it right to express our decided approbation ; and we have had long and extensive experience in all kinds of the most ingenious patented machinery. His ne plus ultra- THE CHANGE LOCK, in which perpetual changes may be made in the lock and key, is an excellent, yet simple contrivance, to guard against the accidental loss of a key. THE BALANCE -TUMBLER LOCK, of which this trial was made, is the STRONGEST AND MOST SIMPLE TUMBLER LOCK WE HAVE EVER SEEN, AND IS LIKELY TO BE THE MOST DURABLE. "CHARLES PAYNE, Adelaide Rooms. "WILLIAM CARPMAEL, Civil Engineer. "J. R. JOBBINS, Mechanical Draftsman. " C.F. CHEFFINS , Mechanical Draftsman. " JOHN HENFREY, Engineer.

"London, 23rd August, 1834."

542

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Such were the triumphs gained by three of the principal

lock-manufacturers to the year

1851 .

Bramah's

lock

1817 ,

when

operated

upon

in

Chubb's in 1832, and Parsons ' in 1834 , all successfully stood the test . The

inviolability

of

locks

appears

to

have

attracted more attention and to have excited much greater interest in America than the subject did here for some years previous to the time of the Great Exhibition .

For particulars of the American

lock controversy we must refer our readers to a very interesting

account

of it

in

Mr.

Tomlinson's

Rudimentary Treatise on the construction of locks, which we have had so often to refer to before. The following passage, however, we extract : -

" Soon after the inventions by Dr. Andrews and Mr. Newell, in 1841 (described in a former chapter), the rivalry between the two locks ran high ; each lock being " unpickable," according to the estimate of its inventor. Mr. Newell thought the best mode of shewing the superiority of his own lock would be by picking that of his competitor ; and after several trials, he succeeded in bringing into practical application thatsystem of picking which we may designate the mechanical, as contra-distinguished from the Mr. Newell not only picked Dr. Andrews' lock, but he wound up the enterprise by picking his own ! He was probably the first person who honestly confessed to having picked

arithmetical.

his own unpickable lock."

This discovery led Mr. Newell to the invention of the triple-action or parautoptic lock which we shall fully describe in the next chapter.

543

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

In America the art of lock-picking has been studied and practised as a science in connection with lockmaking, while here, and especially amongst the Wolverhampton locksmiths, a distinction has been observed, and a kind of opprobium used to be attached to the name of picklock ; * and when one maker discovered that he could pick his neighbour's lock, he usually kept it secret, on the principle that if it became generally known, the would suffer in consequence .

whole trade

The object was to

keep the public in a state of blind security.

Although

the

very

principle

by which the

American locks were picked was known and promulgated here more than a quarter of a century ago by Mr. Ainger,

in the Encyclopædia

Britannica

(see page 306 ante), yet it appears to have either been forgotten, or never to have been applied since that period ; therefore, when Mr. Hobbs visited England in 1851 , the field was as open for him as any man could have desired , and the success with which his operations were attended proved the truth of all that he had stated and the certainty of the principle of manipulation .

He found that although, as above

stated, the discovery of the tentative

process of

picking locks had been made known , yet that no one in the trade understood it, and that every lock that was then being manufactured possessed no real security, because so readily opened by any ingeIt may be stated as a remarkable fact that a locksmith has seldom been convicted of a burglary.

544

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

nious operator by applying pressure to the bolt. That all the security affected by the combinations of six levers amounted to nothing. At the meeting of Civil Engineers in 1850 , when Mr. Chubb read his paper " On the Construction of Locks

and

Keys," an interesting

discussion

ensued, and it is important to note here what was said by the several speakers

on the subject of

picking locks.

Mr. Farey observed that— " Chubb's lock was a very improved modification of Barron's, containing six double-acting tumblers combined together, and also In no possessing the important adjunct of the ' detector .' instance had one of Chubb's locks been opened by picklocks, and, indeed, with a combination of six tumblers, it became exceedingly difficult to make a false key sufficiently accurate to open a lock, because each step of the key required to be just sufficient to lift the tumbler to which that step belonged ; if the step was too long the tumbler would be overlifted, and would thereby detain the bolt, or if the step was too short it would not lift the tumbler high enough to release the bolt ; no indication could be obtained by the trial of a false key in the lock, as to which of the steps was too long or too short.

The lock would be secured against un-

locking by any one or more of the six tumblers, being either overlifted or not lifted high enough ; but it could not be ascertained which tumbler detained the bolt, or which step of the false key was incorrect .

In such a state of uncertainty all attempts

to rectify the inaccuracy of the false key must be directed by mere guess, and alterations were as likely to be made in the steps which were nearly correct, as in those which were wrong . " It was formerly thought that a skilful workman, furnished

with impressions taken from the true key, in wax or soap, could make a false key to open any lock ; and in common locks with the

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

545

most elaborate wards, but with only one common tumbler ; also, in Bramah's locks, there was much truth in the notion ; but for a lock with six double-acting tumblers combined, a false key made ever so carefully, according to impressions, would not be likely to open the lock for want of exactitude in the lengths of the several steps ; and if the key could not be made exact from the impressions, there would be no chance of rectifying it by trial in the lock, on account of the total uncertainty as to which part required alteration. "Chubb's detector being combined with the six double-acting tumblers added very greatly to the security of the lock, for in the course of making trials with a picklock or false key, if any one of the tumblers was lifted too high it overset the detector detent, which, by a spring action, fastened the bolt so as to secure it from being afterwards withdrawn ; and although the bolt should be released from all obstruction by the other tumblers, the fastened tumbler would of itself continue to hold the bolt, as an additional detention, not capable of being removed even by an ordinary application of the true key, which would not go round in the lock after the detector was brought into action, and thus notice was given that a fraudulent attempt had been made to violate the lock. To set the detector free, the true key required to be first turned partially round, in a reverse direction, whereby the detector was restored to its quiescent position , and then the true key would operate in the usual manner . It was only by overlifting any one or more of the tumblers that the detector could be brought into action, and the use of the true key could never overlift any tumbler or disturb the detector. " In making a false key the bit was usually left rather too long, being gradually reduced by trial until the proper length was attained. Though this process might succeed with a common lock, it had no chance with Chubb's lock, which would become detected by one trial with a false key, having even but one step too long, and if a step was too short at first it was not easy to lengthen it.

Hence the maker of a false key was beset with dif-

2 L

546

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

dffiiculty at every stage of his operations ; and without tolerably accurate information respecting the true key it was scarcely possible to find out the combination of the six tumblers, or to avoid bringing the ' detector' into action. " Mr. Chubb said, in reply to Captain Moorsom, that if a lock had only one key, and it should happen to be lost when the lock was fastened, the door would require to be forced open ; but good locks generally had two keys, one of which was deposited in a place of safety.

Two hundred and twenty locks might be made

with one keyhole and a separate key to each, yet having one master key for the whole ; but if a greater number was required it would be necessary to have two keyholes. In the event of the masterkey being stolen, he knew of no remedy but replacing the locks or altering their combinations. " It was impossible to take a sufficiently correct impression in wax for the purpose of making a false key, as the locks were manufactured with snch delicacy and nicety that the slightest alteration or difference in the key would prevent the lock being opened by it."

Mr. Varley said that-"With respect to the number of combinations of which locks were capable it did appear to him that a certain limit should be assigned to it, in order to prevent any necessity for such close fitting,* that rust or dust on the key would prevent its opening the lock. A lock was exhibited some time back, the key of which had at first easily opened the lock ; but when it was warmed the slight expansion caused by the heat prevented the key from acting on the bolts.

" Mr. Hodge said that in America he had repeatedly seen impressions taken of locks having twelve or fourteen tumblers : certainly they were not made by Mr. Chubb, but were such perfect imitations of his locks, having even the detector, that there did appear to be a possibility of picking these locks ; in fact, he would * See our remarks on this subject in the the chapter on keys.

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

547

undertake to bring a man from New York who would be capable of doing it. " "Mr. Stephenson, M.P., V.P., imagined that though it might be possible to take a wax impression of a warded lock, such could not be taken from a tumbler lock, for there was nothing in a lock of the latter description which could give, by any injection of wax, a knowledge of the length of travel of the different tumblers. He therefore considered Mr. Hodge had raised a problem which did not admit of solution ; and he would venture to say that it was not possible to pick one of Chubb's locks by the aid of any * * wax impression." " Mr. Hodge explained the system he had previously alluded to as having been employed in America for ascertaining the range of the tumblers. The process was described to be that the operator, after thoroughly oiling the inside, and inserting two pieces of India rubber to limit the sphere of action, injected from a force-pump, a composition of glue and molasses, in a heated state, which chilled quickly, and although extremely elastic, had the property of retaining the form and position of the lower side or bellies of the tumblers, and that after being cut out ofthe lock by a thin-bladed instrument, a key could be made from the impression sufficiently accurate to open the lock. This had repeatedly been done with the best tumbler locks, even on Chubb's principle, although he could not vouch for its having proved successful with any locks made by Mr. Chubb." "He thought that the locks made in New York were generally superior to those made in England, and he attributed it partly to the use of good machinery for the production of the parts of the locks, instead of the primitive tools in use at Wolverhamptou and other places, and partly to the small expense of patents in America, inducing the exercise of more ingenuity and invention among practical men . At a late exhibition of the American Institute, fifty or sixty new and ingenious locks, ofvery superior workmanship, were produced, and he believed that nearly all were invented by practical workmen." 212

548

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

" Mr. Chubb regretted that what had been stated by Mr. Hodge had not happened in London instead of in New York ; it must, however, be evident that such a method was totally incapable of application to a lock of Mr. Chubb's own manufacture, though he could not answer for the workmanship , or the security of those made by other persons in imitation of his locks. If a workman did not understand how to make one of his locks, he might leave a similarity between the bellies of the tumblers when at rest and the steps in the bit of the key, but he denied the possibility of this in any of the locks made by him, and in proof of this the locks then exhibited were referred to . There was no reason why the bellies of the tumblers should not be perfectly uniform and in the same plane, and it would be seen from the lock made on that principle that an impression of the inside of such a lock must be utterly useless for any felonious purpose. " Mr. Stephenson , M.P. , V.P., said he had been under the impression that the bellies of the tumblers in Mr. Chubb's lock were always flush, or in the same plane, when the lock was in a state of rest, and that the lift of the tumblers was entirely regulated by the notches or steps in the key ; therefore it was evident that unless the impression could be taken from the key, any attempt to make a false key must be futile, and even a fac-simile of the interior of the lock would be useless . When the lower side of the tumblers were flush , as in the lock then produced by Mr. Chubb, it did not seem probable that any scheme could be devised by which an impression of the lock could afford any assistance for picking the lock. "Mr. Farey coincided in Mr. Stephenson's opinion of the improbability of the American plan of taking an impression of the bellies of the tumblers being at all effective in aiding to pick a lock really made by Chubb, whatever it might do in the case of bad imitations of that kind of lock. "Mr. Whitworth said he had much pleasure in bearing testimony to the great value of Mr. Chubb's locks ; he used them almost invariably in his establishment, and never found them get

LOCK CONTROVERSY . out of order.

549

The workmanship in them was of the best kind,

and he thought it would be impossible to pick them by the means that had been mentioned, or by any picklock keys, as long as the detector was in good order ; that was the main feature of the lock, and distinguished it from all other tumbler locks ." " Mr. Stephenson, M.P., V.P., said it might be assumed as proved from the discussion, and therefore it was the duty of the institution to express the conviction, that no locks really made by Chubb had ever been picked, either in Great Britain or on the other side of the Atlantic ; that they did, in fact, combine that strength, simplicity, easy action, and security, without which the most ingenious locks were utterly useless. " Notwithstanding the circumstantial description of the ingenious method employed in the United States for taking an impression of the interior of a lock, it had not been proved to have been successful with one of Chubb's locks ; and, indeed, he must repeat that it was evident it could not be so, unless the lift of the tumblers was identical with the position of the bellies when in a state of rest, which was not the case ; and if the bellies of the tumblers were flush an impression of them was still more useless .

" The thanks of the institution were most justly due to Mr. Chubb, for bringing before the members so interesting a subject, which he had treated in so able a manner. " Mr. Chubb said with respect to the locks which had been stated to have been picked, he could assure the members that they had never been issued from his manufactory, although they were very probably marked with his name.

Many spurious imitations

of the first expired patent, marked ' Chubb's Patent,' had been sold in large quantities, until the makers were stopped by legal process, when it was ruled, both at law and equity, that, although after the expiration of a patent, any person might manufacture the article, he had no right to pirate a peculiar trade mark, or to use a distinctive stamp, which was irrespective of any patent right."

From the statement of Mr. Hart, at page 538 , and the remarks of the several speakers who took

550

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

part in the before-mentioned discussion , it is quite evident that the only method then thought of by which Chubb's locks could be picked was by making a false key ; and this was to be effected by smoking the key-bit, or otherwise taking such an impression of the " lifts " of the levers as should enable the operator to step a blank which should open the lock.

We have now arrived at the memorable year of 1851 , a period which will ever form an epoch in the progress of the arts and of manufactures. As before intimated, Mr. Hobbs was in full possession of, and perfectly understood , the principle of picking locks by the tentative method ; and after declaring to a party of scientific men in the Crystal Palace, in 1851 , " that all the locks made in this country up to that date admitted of being very easily picked," in order to explain and prove the truth of his assertion, he therewith operating on

commenced

one of Chubb's six-lever

detector

locks , which he picked in their presence in a few minutes. It would appear that the fairness of the above experiment was called in question by certain persons who were not present at the time when it was made, which caused Mr. Hobbs, on the 21st of July ( 1851 ), to write a letter to Messrs. Chubb, 66 simply announcing that an attempt would be made on the next following day to pick a lock manufactured by them, and which was at that time on the door of a strong room in a house named

LOCK CONTROVERSY . by Mr.

Hobbs .

551

Messrs . Chubb were invited to

be present at the operation, but no member of the firm attended . "

The attempt was successful ,

and the following certificate relating thereto was published : -

" We, the undersigned, hereby certify that we attended , with the permission of Mr. Bell, of No. 24, Great George Street, Westminster, an invitation sent us by A. C. Hobbs, of the city of New York, to witness an attempt to open a lock throwing three bolts and having six tumblers, affixed to the iron door of a strong room or vault, built for the depository of valuable papers, and formerly occupied by the agents of the South Eastern Railway Company ; that we severally witnessed the operation , which Mr. Hobbs commenced at thirty-five minutes past eleven o'clock, a.m. , and opened the lock within twenty-five minutes .

Mr. Hobbs

having been requested to lock it again with his instruments, accomplished it in the short space of seven minutes , without the slightest injury to the lock or door.

We minutely examined the

lock and door (having previously had the assurance of Mr. Bell that the keys had never been accessible to Mr. Hobbs, he having permission to examine the keyhole only).

We found a plate at

the back of the door with the following inscription :-' Chubb's new patent (No. 161,461 ), St. Paul's Churchyard, London, maker to her Majesty.'

" Mr. HARDLEY, 26, Great Earl Street. " WILLIAM N. MARSHALL, 42, Charing Cross. " W. ARMSTEAD, 35, Belitha Villas, Barnsbury Park. " G. R. PORTER, Putney Heath. " F. W. WENHAM, Effra Vale Lodge, Brixton. " A. SHANKS, Bobert Street, Adelphi. " T. SHANKS , Robert Street, Adelphi .

" Colonel W. CLIFTON, Morley's Hotel.

552

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

" ELIJAH GALLOWAY, 42, Southampton Buildings. " PAUL R. HODGE, 9, Adam Street, Adelphi. " CHARLES H. PEABODY, 1 , Norfolk Street, Straud."

" This event gave rise to much newspaper controversy, and attempts were made to show that, as this was not a test lock prepared expressly for challenge, the picking proved nothing as regards the finest of the manufacturers ' locks .

Two circum-

stances, however, have to be noticed ― that the lock was of sufficient

commercial importance to be

placed on a door enclosing valuable papers, and that the makers had an opportunity to attend and witness,

and

comment on the trial,

if they so

chose. " * The Times of September 4 ( 1851 ) , in publishing the above certificate , made the following remarks : — " The lock controversy continues a subject of great interest at the Crystal Palace , and , indeed, is now become of general importance.

We believed before

the Exhibition opened that we had the best locks in the world, and among us Bramah and Chubb were reckoned quite as impregnable as Gibraltar— more so, indeed , for the key of the Mediterranean was taken by us, but none among us could penetrate into the locks and shoot the bolts of these makers.

The mechanical spirit, however, is never

at rest, and if it is lulled

into a false

state of

listlessness in one branch of industry, and in one

* Tomlinson's Rudimentary Treatise on the Construction of Locks.

LOCK CONTROVERSY .

553

part of the world, elsewhere it springs up suddenly to admonish and reproach us with our supineness . Our descendants on the other side of the water are every now and then administering to the mother country a wholesome filial lesson upon this very text, and recently they have been " rubbing us up" with a severity which perhaps we merited for sneering at their shortcomings in the Exhibition . While we have been relying implicitly upon the artful arrangement of " tumblers" and such like devices, they have been carefully developing their ingenuity in picking and opening locks.

A man

makes a lock, and he brings it to a mechanics ' institute in New York, with a certain sum of money secured by it, which sum becomes the property of the successful operator who can shoot back the bolt of the new contrivance.

Instantly astute heads

and clever expert hands are engaged in solving the mechanical riddle thus propounded to them, and so far have these dexterous manipulators carried their · art, that their open sesame ' sweeps springs, tumblers , false notches , letter devices, and everything else before it.

Mr. Hobbs is by far the most accom-

plished and successful of these performers, and he has come over to this country at a very opportune moment to teach our makers a very useful lesson. It is well known , however Mr. Chubb may wrestle with the statement, that Mr. Hobbs has succeeded by perfectly fair means in opening his locks as they No formal and deliberate

have hitherto been made .

554

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

trial has taken place between them to establish the fact, but it nevertheless remains undoubted, and the sooner Mr. Chubb improves his patent, so as to set Mr. Hobbs at defiance, the better for his own interests. " Mr. Hobbs has stated that the principle on which the picking of locks depends to be, that " whenever the parts of a lock which come in contact with the key are affected by any pressure applied to the bolt, or to that portion of the lock by which the bolt is withdrawn, in such a manner as to indicate the points of resistance to the withdrawal of the bolt, such a lock can be picked . "

The first step is to

produce the requisite pressure .

We may observe that during the present year Mr. Hobbs fully demonstrated to us the easy manner in which the above principle can be successfully applied, by operating upon an improved patent lock in our presence, which he picked in a few minutes . The following diagrams, with the explanation, are copied from the work edited by Mr. Tomlinson , before referred to, which, made at page

added to the remarks

306 , it is hoped will enable our

readers to fully comprehend and understand the principle of " picking by pressure "* as

distin-

We believe the method of picking locks with moveable obstructions to the passage of the bolt by the tentative process was first made publicly known in this country at a special general meeting of the Society of Arts, on the 30th of June, 1851 , when a paper was read by Mr. Paul R. Hodge " On the progress of improvements in locks in the United States of America."

555

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

guished from picking by the arithmetical process , or " ringing the changes. " Mr. Tomlinson states that " if the end of the bolt were exposed, this pressure might be applied by some force tending to shoot back the bolt ; but as the bolt, whenever it is shot , is buried in the jamb of the door, or otherwise concealed from view, the pressure can in general only be applied through the keyhole.

In order, therefore, to apply this

pressure, the operator provides himself with an instrument capable of reaching the talon of the bolt, which in case of the Chubb lock was a pipekey of the form shewn at a b, fig. 247 , furnished at the pipe end with that portion of the bit of the key b c which moves the bolt. 557 , where the

( See fig. 250 , page

step which acts

on the bolt is

h

m Pa

Fig. 247.

called the terminal step).

The other end of the

pipe-key is made square, as at a, for the purpose of receiving the square eye e of the lever ef, fig. 248, to the further end of which, f, a weight w is attached by means of a string s.

Now it is evident

556

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

that if this pipe be introduced into the lock as far as it will go, and be turned round as in the act of unlocking, and the lever and weight be attached to the end a, the bit b c of the pipe-key will maintain a permanent pressure on the bolt, which, if the weight be sufficient, will throw back the bolt as soon as the tumblers are

raised to the proper height to allow the stump to pass . " The

next

step in the

operation is to raise the tumblers to the proper height. For this purpose

a second

pipe, mn, is made to slide [w ]

upon the first with an easy

Fig. 248. motion, and by means of the cross handle hh can be turned

round

or

backwards and forwards on the tube a b.

slid This

tube m n is also furnished with a single projecting bit or step n o, corresponding with one of the six steps of the key, fig . 250 , and made of the proper length for entering the keyhole . " Now for the operation of opening a tumbler lock with this simple apparatus.

Referring to fig.

249 , page 557 , it will be evident that if the pipe a b, fig. 247, be passed over the pin of the lock and turned round towards the left, and the weight be attached, there will be a tendency in the bolt to shoot back, which tendency will bring the stump s, fig. 249, up against the inner angle or shoulder of

557

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

one or other of the tumblers, whichever happens to project, however slightly ; or, as Mr. Hobbs expresses it, 6 one or more of the tumblers will bind.'

By moving forward the pipe m n, and turn-

ing round the bit no in the lock, it is easy to ascertain, by delicate touch, which of the tumblers

CHUBB

ATEN

Fig. 249.- Chubb's Detector Lock of 1851 .

it is that binds.

Fig. 250.-The Key.

It may be found that all are free

to move except one or two against which the stump is pressing with the force of the weight w, fig. 248. The bit no is therefore brought gently under the bellies of the tumblers which bind, and they are moved slightly upwards until they cease to bind. As soon as they are set free another tumbler will bind ; that is the bolt will move through a small space, so as to bring the stump into contact with that particular tumbler which now projects ; this in its turn is relieved, another tumbler binds and is relieved, and so on until the tumblers are , one

558

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

by one, raised to the proper height for the stump to pass.

When the last binding tumbler is raised

to the proper height, the weight w being no longer resisted, shoots the bolt back, and the work is done. " Now it must be evident that in this operation the detector apparatus need not come into operation . But if, as has been proposed, a detector-spring be added to each tumbler, it may be converted into a friend or a foe according to the use that is made of it.

If the tumblers are lifted too high, they will

be detained or detected in that position , and the operator will have to release them by turning the bit round in the opposite direction before he can begin his work again .

The same force, however,

which detains the tumblers when they are lifted too high will obviously detain them when they are lifted only just high enough, and thus the detectorsprings would really be of great assistance to the operator in picking such a tumbler lock.

" The apparatus which we have described for picking the tumbler-lock must be varied to suit the form of the key employed in opening the lock ; but it is not difficult, in the case of most locks , to ascertain this form through the keyhole, without examining the key itself. "* Soon after the picking of Chubb's lock, the friends of Mr. Hobbs were anxious he should try

The picking of these locks led Mr. Chubb to construct his locks with a serrated stump and false notches in the levers , as will be described in the next chapter.

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

559

his skill on the Bramah lock referred to at the commencement of this chapter, which, as there stated, had been exhibited in the window of Messrs. Bramah's shop for nearly half a century, and to which was appended a challenge, and a reward of two hundred guineas was offered to any person who should make an instrument that would pick or open it. We have received various papers both from Mr. Hobbs and Messrs . Bramah in connection with the picking of this lock, from which we shall endeavour

BRAMAN&CO 124.PICCADILLY. LONDON.

Fig. 251.- Front exterior view of the Bramah Padlock.-Half-size. to give an unbiassed narrative of the proceedings. We will first describe the lock operated upon.

560

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

The lock was a padlock of the following outside measurement ; width , 4 inches ; thickness, 14 inch ; 2

inches over the boss ; barrel, length , 24 inches ;

diameter, 1

inch .

Figs. 251

and 252 represent

the front exterior and back interior views of the

SH

AC

KL

E

E

H T

NG

LA

TE

LY

CYLINDER CONTAIN INCTIVE INTERIOR MECHAN

ON

LOCKI

Fig. 252.-Back interior view of the Bramah Padlock.-Half- size.

lock , which appears to have been made in the year 1801 , and had not been opened during thirty-four years, when, doubtless , the false notches introduced by Mr. Russell, in 1817 , were made in the sliders and locking-plate. It would appear that it was on the 2nd of July that Mr. Hobbs first applied to Messrs. Bramah to

561

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

be allowed to examine the lock, and to take wax impressions of the keyhole. with, and on the

This was complied

9th Mr. Hobbs

addressed to

Messrs. Bramah the following letter : -

" GENTLEMEN, -I will call at your place of business, 124, Piccadilly, on Thursday morning, at ten o'clock, and would be pleased to see you in relation to the offer you make on the sign in your window for picking your lock.

" Yours respectfully, (Signed)

" A. C. HOBBS."

Mr. Hobbs accordingly called, and on the 19th of July an agreement was drawn up reciting the terms of the challenge upon the painted board , and provided that thirty days should be the term within which the lock was to be opened ; that the lock should be secured between two pieces of wood to a wall ; and that the key should be in the possession of Messrs. Bramah, who were to retain the right of using it in the lock when Mr. Hobbs was not at work.

Messrs. Bramah, in order to remove any

grounds of suspicion,

and to secure themselves

against even the possibility of a charge of interfering with the operations of Mr.

Hobbs, relin-

quished the exercise of this right so far as they were personally concerned , and in an agreement on the 23rd of July stipulated that the key should be sealed up , and that they would not use it until the operations were brought to a close.

They also

required that the keyhole should be covered by an

2 M

562

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

iron band, sealed by Mr. Hobbs, when that gentleman was not engaged upon the lock. A committee was appointed consisting of Mr. G. Rennie, the late Professor Cowper, and Dr. Black, who were to manage all the arrangements, and who were also to act as arbitrators between Mr. Hobbs on the one side, and Messrs. Bramah on the other. The lock was in due course removed from the shop window to an upper room in Messrs. Bramah's establishment, where Mr. Hobbs commenced operations on the 24th of July.

After having worked

at the lock for a week, during which period none of the arbitrators were present, Mr. Hobbs stated that he had made some progress in his labours , upon which Messrs. Bramah addressed the following letter to Mr. G. Rennie, and similar ones to the other arbitrators : --

" 124, Piccadilly, July 31st, 1851 . " DEAR SIR, -Mr. Hobbs states that he has made certain progress in his operation on the Bramah lock. We cannot say how this is ; but as be has been at work one entire week without your inspection, we now beg your attendance before he proceeds. further, and hope that you may be able to meet Professor Cowper and Dr. Black at this place to-morrow, at three o'clock. 66 We are, dear Sir, yours truly,

(Signed) " To George Rennie, Esq ."

" BRAMAH AND CO.

" A reply was received from Mr. G. Rennie, who with his two other colleagues was then at Paris, to the effect that he would have liked to have seen

563

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

the lock from time to time, but considered that any inspection upon his part would have had little or no effect.

Messrs. Bramah, however, had forbidden

Mr. Hobbs proceeding with his labours until the arbitrators had met.

On the 8th of August Messrs.

Bramah wrote to the arbitrators to the effect that they were disappointed in not having had an opportunity afforded them of inspecting the lock, and of having the key applied , as they entertained very strong suspicions that the lock was then so

far

deranged that the key would not have worked if applied.

They stated that though they had volun-

tarily shut themselves out from the right of using the key themselves, still they never contemplated either an interference with the duties and discretion of the arbitrators of applying the key to the lock when they thought proper, or of being precluded from having the key used by the arbitrators upon their request.

No notice, however, was taken of

this application ; and upon the 15th of August, at a meeting of the arbitrators, Messrs. Bramah renewed the request to have the key applied, and asked to have a person to attend during the remainder of the operations.

Both requests were , however, re-

fused, as the committee saw no reason why the key should be used till the close of the trial, or why any person should witness the further operations, as Mr. Hobbs had the right, within the thirty days allowed him , to repair any derangement of the lock which he might cause during his work. 2M2

Accordingly,

564

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Mr. Hobbs resumed his operations as before on the next morning, the 16th of August.

On the 19th

of August Messrs. Bramah addressed a letter to the arbitrators, calling their attention to the fact that the reward of 200 guineas was offered to the artist who could make an instrument that would pick or open the lock, and that he was to be paid the money on its production, and stating that, unless some person were present, it was impossible that any one could know that the lock had been opened (should it be opened) by the instrument which might be produced .

No reply was received to this

communication ; and on the 23rd of August, in the presence of two

of the

arbitrators,

Mr. Hobbs

exhibited the lock with the hasp raised, and shot the bolt backwards and forwards. On the 29th of August, and in the presence of all the arbitrators and Messrs . Bramah, the lock was again shewn with the hasp raised, having at the time a piece of curved iron attached to it, one end of which was screwed to the woodwork enclosing it, whilst the other, or bent end, was fitted with a thumb-screw, the point of which was in and pressing upon a cylindrical rod inserted in the keyhole of the lock.

Mr. Hobbs

also produced a small bent lever of steel, with which, while the

other

instrument

remained fixed ,

he

turned the barrel of the lock, by which the bolt was turned back and allowed the hasp to enter the socket.

Two other instruments, one like a small

stiletto, and the other like a lady's crochet needle,

565

LOCK CONTROVERSY. were also produced .

A trunk of other tools belong-

ing to Mr. Hobbs, and a powerful reflector were also in the room . Messrs. Bramah then applied to have the key used at once, but the arbitrators decided that Mr. Hobbs should have till the following day the opportunity ofpreparing the lock for the admission of the key.

On the following day the key was applied,

and the padlock was locked and unlocked . "† We now insert the report of the arbitrators to whom the Bramah lock controversy was referred : -

" Whereas for many years past a padlock has been exhibited in the window of the Messrs. Bramah's shop in Piccadilly, to which was appended a label with these words,

The artist who

can make an instrument that will pick or open this lock will receive 200 guineas the moment it is produced;' and Mr. Hobbs, of America, having obtained permission from the Messrs. Bramah . to make a trial of his skill in opening the said lock, Messrs. Bramah and Mr. Hobbs severally agreed that Mr. George Rennie, F.R.S., London, and Professor Cowper,

of King's College ;

London, and Dr. Black, of Kentucky, should be the arbitrators between the said parties ; that the trial should be conducted according to the rules laid down by the arbitrators, and the award of 200 guineas decided by them ; in fine, that they should see fair play between the parties. On the 23rd of July it was agreed that the lock should be inclosed in a block of wood and screwed to a door, and the screws sealed, the keyhole and hasp only being accessible to Mr. Hobbs, and when he was not operating, the keyhole to be covered with a band of iron and sealed by Mr. Hobbs : that no other person should have access to the keyhole.‡

" A two-penny looking- glass."— Mr. Hobbs. + Messrs. Bramah's pamphlet. # " See Messrs. Bramah's letter." -Mr. Hobbs.

566

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

The key was also sealed up, and not to be used till Mr. Hobbs had finished his operations. If Mr. Hobbs succeeded in picking or opening the lock, the key was to be tried, and if it locked and unlocked the padlock, it should be considered a proof that Mr. Hobbs had not injured the lock, but picked and opened it, and was entitled to the 200 guineas.

On the same day, July 23,

Messrs. Bramah gave notice to Mr. Hobbs that the lock was ready for his operations. On July 24, Mr. Hobbs commenced his operations, and on August 23, Mr. Hobbs exhibited the lock open to Dr. Black and Professor Cowper.

Mr. Rennie being out

of town, Dr. Black and Professor Cowper then called in Mr. Edward Bramah and Mr. Bazalgette, and showed them the lock open. They then withdrew, and Mr. Hobbs locked and unlocked the padlock in the presence of Dr. Black and Professor Cowper. Between July 24 and August 23, Mr. Hobbs' operations were for a time suspended, so that the number of days occupied by him were sixteen, and the number of hours spent by him in the room with the lock was fifty-one. On Friday, August 29, Mr. Hobbs again locked and unlocked the padlock in the presence of Mr. George Rennie (and others).

On Saturday, August 30, the key was

tried, and the padlock was locked and unlocked with the key by Professor Cowper (and others ), thus proving that Mr. Hobbs had fairly opened the lock without injuring it.

Mr. Hobbs then

formally produced the instruments with which he had opened the lock.* " We are, therefore, unanimously of opinion that Messrs. Bramah have given Mr. Hobbs a fair opportunity of trying his skill, and that Mr. Hobbs has fairly picked or opened the lock, and we award that Messrs. Bramah and Co. do pay to Mr. Hobbs the 200 guineas . † " GEORGE RENNIE, Chairman. " EDWARD COWPER,

" J. R. BLACK. " Holland Street, Blackfriars, September 2nd, 1851." " The instruments were removed every time I left the lock, and the keyhole was sealed up."-Mr. Hobbs. " That which the report calls ' locked and unlocked ' was merely in fact turning the bolt backwards and forwards ; the fixed apparatus not having been once removed

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

567

On the 2nd of September a letter was addressed by Messrs. Bramah to the arbitrators in the following terms : --

" 124, Piccadilly, London, September 2. "To George Rennie, Esq., Chairman of the Bramah Lock Committee. " DEAR SIR,-We beg to hand you the minutes of the meetings of the committee, and also the board from our window, on which the challenge is written. The only point to which we wish again to call the attention of the committee is that which has reference to the reward.

We fully admit that, under the circum-

stances detailed in your minutes, Mr. Hobbs did open our lock, and has so far gained for himself much credit for his rare skill and perseverance ; but beg to repeat that he has not opened it in such a manner as to entitle him, according to the terms of the challenge, to the reward of 200 guineas." After reciting the proceedings of the various days, and alluding to the letter of the 19th of August, already referred to, they state -" We had at this date learnt enough to know that, whatever might be the result of Mr. Hobbs' thirty days' operations, the reward could not be claimed ; and in order to remove all doubts as to the lock not being opened by an instrument, or anything like an instrument, we wished, if Mr. Hobbs had matured his instrument, that the lock should be re-adjusted by the use of the key, and that he should proceed to apply them, and open the lock if he could, for which operations nineteen days out of his thirty then remained to him-a feat which we did not then believe he could perform.

A copy of this letter was sent on the morning it bears

date to Mr. Hobbs, to Professor Cowper, and Dr. Black, but we did not receive any reply to it, nor was any meeting of the committee called till after the lock had been opened.

Mr. Hobbs'

during the operation from the keyhole of the lock, or its internal structure restored to its normal state, and is so recorded in the minutes of the proceedings of the arbitrators."-Messrs. Bramah.

568

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

operations went on after the receipt of this letter, as they had done from the day he commenced them, viz., without inspection and without the key being once applied to the lock. We willingly admit that Mr. Hobbs was at liberty to make any number of instruments , and thus exhaust his ingenuity in finding out one that would open the lock, but we never for a moment agreed that he was to be allowed to keep the spring fixed down as long as he pleased during his thirty days' labour, and affix his apparatus to the woodwork in which the lock was enclosed, while he used at pleasure three other separate and distinct instruments to assist him in his operations. Under such circumstances we hope the committee will see fit to grant us a certificate of the whole facts, of which we take leave to enclose a sketch, mainly taken from the minutes of the committee. " We are, Sir, your obedient Servants, (Signed) " BRAMAH AND CO."

The following appeared in one of the daily newspapers :" On Saturday last, being the day upon which the time allotted to Mr. Hobbs would have finally expired, Messrs. Bramah proceeded to remove the lock and take it to pieces, for the purpose of seeing whether the interior had been deranged or injured. We were surprised to find that the lock which has made so much noise in the world is a padlock of but 4 inches in width, the body of it 11 inch thick, and its thickness over the boss 23 inches.

Upon

opening the outer case of the lock, the actual barrel enclosing the mechanism was found to be 24 inches in length and 13 inches in diameter. *

The

small

* " Much larger than any lock Messrs. Bramah make for sale."—Mr. Hobbs.

569

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

space in which the works were confined , and its snug, compact appearance, was matter of astonishment to all present. fifty years

The lock and key were made

since by the

present

head*

of the

eminent firm of Messrs . Maudslay and Co. , Mr. Maudslay being at that time a workman in the employ of Mr. Bramah , and the character of the workmanship was highly praised by several of the best hands now in the employ of Messrs . Bramah . The mechanism of the lock consists of two small spiral

springst ,

each of four turns of wire

of

ordinary thickness, and which are required to be pressed down by the key before the lock can be opened .

Radiating from the centre, and placed in

" slits " in the barrels, are eighteen slides, each of which has a number of notches irregularly disposed, and some of which are false.

A

circular steel

plate is placed horizontally upon the section of the barrel, and until all the notches in the sliders have been so adjusted as to fit into the corresponding notches upon the inner edge of this circular steel plate, the resistance to opening the lock will not be removed .

The chances of placing by any means,

except by the true key, these notches in their proper places, amount to so enormous a number

The late Mr. Maudslay is intended to be here alluded to. The springs do not, as has been stated, afford a pressure of thirty or forty pounds, but only thirteen pounds." -Bramah and Co. + " Much more than any lock ever had that was made for use, and quite enough for a test lock."- Mr. Hobbs.

570

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

that their notation can only be expressed by some eighteen or nineteen figures.

It is, in point of fact,

a permutation lock, similar in its principle to those which have been recently introduced to

public

notice in France, and upon which Mr. Newell's lock, exhibited by Mr. Hobbs, is made.

It was found,

on examining the interior of the lock, that portions of the slides presented the appearance of having been considerably bent and straightened again, * and their surfaces showed marks of their having been filed a great deal ; several of them, indeed, being nearly filed through.

The slides, it appeared,

were made of iron , which could easily be bent to any shape,

and it

was stated

by one of

the

workmen that, had one of Messrs . Bramah's present locks with steel slides been given to Mr. Hobbs, he could never have opened it.

The old familiar board,

with the same challenge, will, we were informed , occupy its old place in a few days, and one of the locks now manufactured by Messrs . Bramah,† with such improvements as have been made in it up to the present time, will replace the original one made fifty years since.

With the exception of the marks

of the filing upon the slides, the lock did not appear to be in any way injured or deranged. ‡ * “ A thing quite impossible to be done in the lock.” —Mr. Hobbs. + "The same lock is now being fitted up with the improvements which Bramah and Co. have adopted for some years past, and some trifling change suggested by the recent trial ."-Messrs. Bramah. This does not accord with the previous statement " that portions of the sliders presented the appearance of having been bent and straightened again."

571

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

" It may de doubted whether these experiments have been productive of any practical result.

Mr.

Hobbs has increased his fame and reputation as a clever and skilful manipulator, and Messrs. Bramah Beyond this, no practical end will pay the £200 . or purpose whatever has been obtained.

Messrs .

Bramah are not informed of the mode in which the lock was opened, neither have they been furnished with any instrument that opens the lock, which will enable them to make such alterations as the existence of any such instrument would require, in order to give additional security to their locks. Neither has it answered any scientific purpose, or added one iota to the stock of knowledge previously existing on so important a subject as that of the mechanism of locks, for neither the arbitrators nor Messrs . Bramah saw anything of the process by which the lock was opened .

The result of the

experiment has simply shown that, under a combination of the most favourable circumstances, and such as practically could never exist, Mr. Hobbs has opened the lock. " In the first place, no person was admitted into the room where the lock was* besides the operator for sixteen days ; the key was never applied to the lock during that time, as would have been the case

* " Mr. Smith was in the room several times, and on my second visit to the lock he introduced Lord ; and on my third visit I allowed Mr. Smith and the foreman of Messrs. Bramah's lock manufactory to examine the lock."-Mr. Hobbs.

572

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

almost daily in any lock in ordinary use ; and the application of the key at any time during the operations of Mr. Hobbs would either have placed all the slides in their correct position, and thus have obliged the operator to begin de novo after each application,* or would have shewn that the lock had been tampered with, and would in this case case act as a " detector " lock.

The padlock, instead of swinging

loosely from the staple, as in ordinary cases, was securely fixed ; and instead of being fastened in or upon iron, it was secured in wood, which afforded additional facilities for screwing and securing the apparatus.

He had also the undisturbed use of

his trunk of instruments . " In order to have tested the practical value of the lock, it should have been picked or opened under circumstances more in accordance with those which attend the ordinary employment and uses of locks, or similar to the plan adopted on the trial of Mr. Newell's lock at Boston, an account of which is given in the pamphlet distributed by Mr. Hobbs at the Great Exhibition .

From this account it

appears that the lock to be operated upon was placed on an iron chest and locked by the committee, in whose hands the key remained during the trial, and was to be used at the discretion of the committee , in unlocking and locking the door,

* This was in strict accordance with the agreement: + " This was exactly what I did."—Mr. Hobbs.

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

573

without the knowledge of either of the other parties ; but in doing so no alteration of the combination or form of the key was to be made during the process of trial.

The operating party had to

leave 200 dollars in the hands of the cashier, to be paid to Day and Newell's agent for the lock, in case it should be injured in the process ; and the lock, in such case, was to be given up to the party making the trial.

The time allowed to the operator was

one week to operate, and two days to examine the lock previous to commencing operations.

Failing

these tests, we think that Messrs. Bramah have no reason to regret affording to Mr. Hobbs the fullest opportunity of making trial of his skill ; and we cannot refrain from expressing our admiration of the great talents and abilities of the late Mr. Joseph Bramah, who, fifty years since, constructed a lock which, after undergoing sixteen days ' manipulation of, confessedly, one of the most skilful mechanics of our day, yielded only to the combined action of a number of fixed and moveable instruments made and applied for that purpose. "We have no wish, in any remarks which we have made, to appear to detract in the least degree from the merit due to the perseverance and the great ability and skill of Mr. Hobbs ; and the propriety and good feeling shown by him under cir-

" The price of the lock to which Mr. Hobbs' certificates, contained in his pamphlet, refer, appears as before stated to be upwards of £50.”

574

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

cumstances of an exceedingly trying character have been exceedingly creditable to him.

We are bound,

however, to state that, in our opinion, he has done nothing calculated in the least degree to affect the reputation of Messrs . Bramah's lock ; but his exertions have, on the contrary, greatly confirmed the opinion that, for all practical purposes, it is impregnable. " In an article in the Morning Chronicle newspaper of the 10th of September ( 1851 ) is the following announcement : " The Messrs. Bramah having ascertained , by opening their lock, that it had not been materially injured by the operations of Mr. Hobbs, yesterday forwarded to Mr. G. Rennie , one of the arbitrators, a cheque for the 200 guineas awarded by them to Mr. Hobbs .

The cheque was accompanied by a

letter, of which the following is a copy, and in it Messrs . Bramah state the grounds of their protest against the decision of the arbitrators :

*

" 124, Piccadilly, September 9, 1851 . "DEAR SIR, -We beg to acknowledge your letter ofyesterday's date and will not trouble you to attend here to-morrow, but beg to hand you the £210 awarded by the arbitrators to Mr. Hobbs. We need scarcely repeat that the decision at which the arbitrators have arrived has surprised us much. We owe it to ourselves and the public to protest against it, and we do so for the following reasons :-

" Compare this letter and objections with the terms and conditions agreed upon before commencing the trial."-Mr. Hobbs.

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

575

" 1. Because the arbitrators having been appointed to see ' fair play,' and that the lock was fairly operated upon, did not, although repeatedly requested in writing to do so, once inspect* or allow any one to witness Mr. Hobbs' operations during the sixteen days he had the sole custody of the lock and was engaged in the work. " 2 Because the arbitrators did not once exercise their right of using the key, although repeatedly requested in writing to do so, till after Mr. Hobbs had completed his operations, and then, instead of applying it at once, to prove no damage had been done to the lock, allowed him twenty-four hours to repair any that might have occurred.

"3. Because the lock being opened by means of a fixed apparatus screwed to the woodwork, in which the lock was enclosed for the purpose of the experiment (which it is obvious could not have been applied to an iron door without discovery), and the addition of three or four other instruments, the spirit of the challenge has evidently not been complied with. "4. Because, from the course adopted , an opportunity of some good scientific

results has been taken from us, as neither

arbitrators nor any one else saw the whole, or even the most important instruments by which it is said the lock was picked, actually applied in operation, either before or after the lock was presented open to the arbitrators . "5. Because, during the progress of Mr. Hobbs ' operations, and several days before their completion, we called the attention of the arbitrators to what we considered the interpretation of the challenge, begging at the same time that they would apply the key, and appoint some one to be present during the residue of the experiment, feeling that, whatever might be the result in a scientific point ofview, the reward could not be awarded. We would add that we think that several points which appear on your minutes should have been mentioned in your award, more especially that * " Mr. Hobbs stated he preferred no one being present, as it made him nervous. Ifthe operation was so delicate-what chance would a burglar have ?" -Messrs. Bramah.

576

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Mr. Hobbs, on the 2nd of June, took a wax impression

of the

lock, and had made, as far as he could, instruments therefrom between that date and the commencement of his operations. " We are, dear Sir, your obedient Servants, " BRAMAH AND Co. (Signed) " George Rennie, Esq., Chairman of the Bramah Lock Committee." From " The Bankers' Magazine," October, 1851. " It will be seen from the notice of the proceedings which we now publish that Mr. Hobbs was engaged on the lock from July 25th to August 23rd, and that the number of days actually employed in working at the lock, independent of those occupied in making his instruments, was sixteen . We think a lock which could stand this test is perfectly safe for all practical purposes. Very few burglars have the scientific knowledge possessed by Mr. Hobbs, and none could have the same opportunities for opening a lock which secured anything of value.

Although, therefore, we

regret that Mr. Hobbs has been able to show that one of the best locks in the kingdom is not impregnable, we think he has shown at the same time its excellence, and that Bramah's locks may be relied on with perfect confidence as able to defeat any attempt of the most expert thieves and burglars. " From what we now learn of the construction of Bramah's lock, it seems that, had it been made within the last few years, and with steel slides as now employed, instead of iron slides, Mr. Hobbs would not have been able to open the lock ; and without detracting from the ingenuity and industry he displayed, we think that his success was, in some degree, a matter of chance that might never happen again." To the Editor of the " Morning Chronicle." " 124, Piccadilly, London , October 10, 1851 .

" SIR,-This controversy having excited an unusual degree of public attention for some time past, perhaps you will be good * This means as far as he could through the keyhole."-Messrs. Bramah.

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

577

enough to allow us to state in your journal that the lock on which Mr. Hobbs operated had not been taken to pieces for many years , and it was only on examining it (after the award of the committee) that we discovered the startling fact, that in no less than three particulars it is inferior to those we have made for years past. The lock had so long remained in its resting place in our window, that the proposal of Mr. Hobbs somewhat surprised us ; after his appearance, however, no alteration could of course be made without our incurring the risk of being charged with preparing a test lock for the occasion. We were, therefore, bound in honour to let the lock remain as Mr. Hobbs found it when he accepted the challenge.

No one inspected his operations during

the sixteen days he had the sole custody of the lock and was engaged in the work. We are compelled to adventure another. 200 guineas in order that we may see the lock operated upon and opened, if it be possible, and thus gain such information as will enable us to use means that would defy even the acknowledged skill of our American friends. We believe the Bramah lock to be impregnable, and we cannot open it ourselves with the We have fitted up the knowledge Mr. Hobbs has given us. same lock with such improvements as we now use, and some trifling change suggested by the recent trial, and restored it with its challenge to our window.* We have not done this in a vain boasting spirit-on the contrary, we feel it rather hard that from the way in which the former trial was conducted we are driven to adopt this course-had any one inspected Mr. Hobbs' operations during that trial it would not have been necessary . " We are your obedient Servants, " BRAMAH AND CO." From " The Times" of September 4th, 1851 . " The lock on which Mr. Hobbs operated was made fifty years ago, and had not been opened during thirty -four years" The lock remained in the window for four months expressly for Mr. Hobbs to make a second trial. He did not make the attempt : it was then only removed to stop the idle applications of men and boys,' which took up one person's time to attend to."-Messrs. Bramah.

2 N

578

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

it does not contain the more recent improvements* in at least three particulars, and had remained so long in the window of Messrs. Bramah and Co., without an experiment having been attempted, that the proposal of Mr. Hobbs somewhat surprised them ; after his appearance, however, no alteration could of course be made without incurring the risk of being charged with preparing a test lock for the occasion.

Messrs . Bramah and Co. have fitted up† the same lock

with such improvements as they now use, which they feel sure will effectually frustrate the attacks of persons as skilful as the celebrated American, and have restored it with its challenge to the place of honour it has occupied in their window, 124, Piccadilly, for half a century. Mr. Hobbs has not made a second attempt, although invited to do so. " The public, while they admire the expertness with which this mechanical feat has been performed , will not attach more importance to it than it deserves, or undervalue the merit of our best locks, because an American operator, highly accomplished in such matters, has succeeded, after an arduous struggle, in opening them. The facilities given to him were such as no thief could ever possess, even if he had the necessary ability ; and it is quite clear that the operation has not been one of ordinary picking." The following is a description , so far as can be given in words, of the mode in which Mr. Hobbs operated on the Bramah lock : -" The first point to be attained was to free the sliders from the pressure of the spiral spring ; the spring was very powerful, pressing with a force of between thirty and forty

pounds ;

and until this was counter-

acted, the sliders could not be readily moved in " The lock was the same in every particular as the locks made and sold by Messrs. Bramah at the present day."-Mr. Hobbs. " The lock was fitted with a trap, so that anything but its true key, or the true key with the least dust in it, would so disarrange the lock that it could not be opened by any means applied through the keyhole."-Mr. Hobbs.

579

LOCK CONTROVERSY . their grooves.

A thin steel rod, drilled at one end,

and having two long projecting teeth, was introduced into the keyhole and pressed against the circular disc (see b, fig. 122), between the heads of the sliders ; the disc and spring were pressed as far as they would go .

In order to retain them in this

position, a curved stanchion was screwed into the side of the boards surrounding the lock, and the end brought to press upon the steel rod, a thumbscrew passing through the drilled portion of the instrument and keeping it in its place.

The sliders

being thus freed from the action of the spring, operations commenced for ascertaining their proper relative positions.

A plain steel needle, with a

moderately fine point, was used for pushing in the sliders ; while another, with a small hook at the end, something like a crochet-needle , was used for drawing them

back when pushed too far.

gently feeling along the

By

edge of the slider the

notch was found and adjusted, and its exact position was then accurately measured by means of a thin and narrow plate of brass, the measurements being recorded on the brass for future reference . The operator was thus enabled by this record to commence each morning's work at the point where he left off on the previous day.

The lock having

eighteen sliders , the process of finding the exact position of the notch in each was necessarily slow. Mr. Hobbs employed a small bent instrument to perform the part of the small lever or bit of the 2N2

580

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

key ; with this he kept constantly pressing on the cylinder which moved the bolt.

He thus knew

that if ever he got the slide-notches into the right place, the cylinder would rotate and the lock open. He could feel the varying resistance to which the sliders were subjected by this tendency of the cylinder to rotate ; and he adjusted them one by one until the notch came opposite the steel plate. The false notches added , of course, much to his difficulty ; for when he had partially rotated the cylinder by means of the false notches, he had to begin again to find out the true ones.' Mr. Hobbs , in answer to our enquiries relative to several statements in the foregoing extracts, has furnished us with the following particulars, in addition to the footnotes on previous pages : -TIME OCCUPIED ON THE BRAMAH LOCK. •10 hours 12 minutes

" July 23.- In the room

99

35 25

99

·. 0 3 • 7

""

15

99 99

""

· 7

""

15

""

99

"July 25." July 27.-

99

" July 29." July 30.—

.

99

""

18 hours 42 minutes ; being the whole time from commencing until the cylinder was

turned round.

After turning the

cylinder, I was in the room putting up my tools , & c., 45 minutes.

When the cylinder began to turn

I found that my instrument was not strong enough, • Tomlinson's Rudimentary Treatise on the Construction of Locks .

581

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

and I then left the room and did not return till the next day, when upon calling at Messrs. Bramah's I was refused admission into the room, and was excluded until the return of the arbitrators , when I was permitted to commence my second operation, and began by first getting back the cylinder to its original position.

I was in the room on

"August 19th 66 August 20th

•

•

7 hours

15 minutes

•

•

7 1

""

20

""

10

"9

7

29

0

""

" August 21st 66 August 22nd

22 hours 45 minutes.

I then re-adjusted the cylinder, and on August 23rd I was in the room 1 hour and 55 minutes , and picked the lock.

The time occupied in the actual

operation of picking the lock was 20 hours 37 minutes.

The time spent in re-adjusting the cylin-

der, an accident caused by the unusual strength of the spring, was 22 hours 45 minutes.

I afterwards

picked the lock three times within an hour, in the presence of the arbitrators." We shall conclude this chapter with the following extract from Fraser's Magazine for November, 1852 , relative to the Jury's Report on Locks :" This jury seems to have consisted of the only persons in England who did not hear of the famous ' lock controversy' of last year ; for one can hardly imagine that, if they had heard of a matter of so much consequence to the subject they were appointed to investigate, they would have altogether abstained

582

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

from saying anything about it.

They may be excused for not

knowing, because very few people did know, fortunately for our safes and strong boxes, that the mode of picking Bramah's and Chubb's locks, by which the transatlantic Hobbs gained so much glory, was suggested and explained in the Encyclopædia Britannica nearly twenty years ago. But it does seem very strange that they, or at least their reporter, should not have known, long before the report finally left his hands, that Hobbs had picked both of those locks, and taught every lock-picker in England how to do it, if he possesses the requisite tools and fingers . Of course, however, the reporter did not know it, as nobody could read any newspaper last autumn without knowing it. And this jury did exercise their judgment to the extent of declaring that Hobbs ' own lock (under the name of Day and Newell ) ' seems to be impregnable.' Notwithstanding all which, they express their inability to offer any opinion on the comparative security afforded by the various locks that have come before them.' The only discrimination which they venture to make is that the keys of Bramah's and Chubb's locks are of convenient size, while Hobbs' is ponderous and bulky, and his lock complicated ; and they might have added (without any very painful amount of investigation ) enormously expensive, in consequence of its complication, and probably also more likely, on the same account, to get out of order and stick fast, and so become rather inconveniently impregnable-on the money-door of a bank, for instance than the other two locks, especially Bramah's."

583

CHAPTER XVI.

ON

THE

MODERN

LOCKS.

As was to be expected from the interest manifested in, and the excitement caused by, the Lock Controversy during the Great Exhibition of 1851 , the subject of locks and keys has since that period assumed an importance unknown before in connexion with the arts and manufactures of this country.

Instead of the principles upon which

locks in general are constructed being understood only by those immediately

connected with their

production, the whole subject in all its details has been studied by a considerable portion of the intellectual and intelligent classes, so much so , that it is beginning to be ranked with the sister arts in importance, and is attracting the attention,

and

drawing forth the abilities, of a class of inventors which, if but little of real merit has been the result of their conceptions since the year 1851 , yet the specifications of the numerous patents taken out

584

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

since that period prove that the faults in the old locks are fully understood ; and the determination to remedy them is evidenced by the numerous contrivances, more or less simple, which have been introduced for that purpose . The number has doubtless been augmented by the beneficial alteration in the patent laws .

We are certainly indebted

to Mr. Hobbs for having initiated this spirit of emulation in improving these useful machines, as it was he who so easily proved that all our best locks constructed to the year 1851 were altogether defective in one important particular, viz . , that the picking by pressure had never been provided against. We are convinced that Mr. Hobbs could have picked any other lock invented to 1851 as easily as he opened Chubb's.

As before stated , although

this liability of locks to be picked had been not only conceived, but explained and published , yet but few, if any, of the locksmiths understood it, as the only contrivances to prevent it consisted in the false notches in

Bramah's sliders , introduced by

Mr. Russell in 1817 , and the false notches in the levers and stump of Strutt's lock , patented in 1819 . From the extracts in the last chapter it will be apparent that the only means then thought of by which the improved locks invented to the year 1851 could be picked was by making a false key. In the following lists of patented and other locks , which we shall describe as fully as their merits deserve, it will be seen that in most of these inven-

585

ON THE MODERN LOCKS.

tions the principal object has been to render the locks perfectly secure against the tentative process of manipulation .

The methods adopted are various,

and in the majority of cases it has been sought to accomplish it by the most complex movements. The prevailing contrivance will be found to be the adoption of false notches in the gatings of the levers and the notches on the ends of the levers, as in Strutt's lock.

(See page 387. )

We shall notice

these and the other peculiarities of construction as we proceed, simply remarking here that nine-tenths of the patented locks are the inventions of those unconnected with their manufacture, and , with few exceptions, the movements are the very reverse of what we have before laid down as the object which all inventors should have in view and endeavour to attain , viz ., simplicity of construction .

The dia-

grams annexed to some of the specifications in the following list of patents are more like the drawings of a steam-engine than the illustrations

of the

simple piece of mechanism a lock should be ; and the descriptions of many of them are so long in consequence, that we have been compelled to abandon our intention of noticing all of them ; but had we have done so, it would have been more from their curiousness which might have acted as a caution to others not to follow in the same path of complicated constructions, which could never be made useful, than from any intrinsic merit they possess in themselves .

Inventors

should always bear in

586

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

mind that any article to be generally adopted must not only be useful, but of such a construction, that the mechanics or artificers in the trade may readily make it.

We have no hesitation in saying that with

the majority of the following locks, however meritorious the improvements might

be

considered ,

and however desirable it may be to adopt them, the patentees would be utterly unable to get such locks made in quantity.

Any locksmith will easily

go from one lock to another more simple in its details, but complicate the movement ever so little and he is all abroad.

We have stated before that

complication is too often the idea prevalent in the minds of most inventors, and that this is so in respect to locks is evidenced by the construction of most of the locks invented previous to and since the opening of the Great Exhibition of 1851 . PATENTS GRANTED FOR LOCKS AND LATCHES SINCE THE CLOSING OF THE GREAT EXHIBITION OF 1851, TO JULY, 1856, INCLUSIVE .

No. of Patent.

Year.

Date.

13,802 13,806 13,807 13,852

1851 1851 1851 1851

13,985

1852

November 4 November 6 November 13 December 8 February 23

The above patents old law.

Name of Patentee.

Dismore, George Parnell, Michael Leopold Sinclair, William Restell, Thomas Hobbs, Alfred Charles

were

granted

under

the

587

ON THE MODERN LOCKS.

THE FOLLOWING PATENTS HAVE BEEN GRANTED UNDER THE PATENT LAW AMENDMENT ACT, WHICH CAME INTO OPERATION IN 1852.

No. of Patent.

Year.

Date.

50 472 602 868 160 229 238 367 1074 1266 1310 1600 1617

October 1 October 21 November 1 November 26

*1866 1932 2076 *2077

1852 1852 1852 1852 1853 1853 1853 1853 1853 1853 1853 1853 1853 1853 1853 1853 1853

2698

1853

*2879 2980 256 *372 +405 505 514 1288 *1301 * 1441 1514 1697 1709 1917 2060

1853 1853 1854 1854 1854 1854 1854 1854 1854 1854 1854 1854 1854 1854 1954

Name of Patentee.

Price of Specification. d. 54 41 81 44 1 04 21 61 1 14 71 51 78 G 1 21 41 51 71 21

8.

Tucker, Walter Henry Rose, Joseph Chubb, John Rémond Amédée Francois

Chubb, John, & Goater, John Whishaw, Francis Jennings, Lewis Choppin, William Goble, George Fredric Simson, William Bentley, William Henry Tripe, Decimus Julius Newton, William Edward Rushbury, John Pigé, Alexis Parnell, Michael Leopold Martin, James Tucker, Walter Henry, and) November 21 { Reeves, William Kashleigh) December 10 Bost, Hyppolite Laurent Due December 22 Gibbons, James, junior February 1 Daniel, Alfred Bush, John February 16 February 20 Milner, William March 1 Holland, John Simon March 2 Tann, John June 12 Young, John June 15 Gedge, John July 1 Jones, Robert Lewis July 11 Wolverson, Edwin August 1 Holland, John Simon August 4 Miles, Lewis Player September 2 Lewis, George September 25 McConnel, Robert

January 21 January 29 January 29 February 11 May 3 May 23 May 27 July 5 July 6 August 11 August 18 September 9 September 9

41 31 1 01 1 1 3 8 1 8 11 8 5 3 6 1 6 8 6 1 1

588

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

No. of Patent.

Year

Date.

Name of Patentee.

2122 *2592 2611 +2084 *2712 218

1854 1854 1854 1854 1854 1855

October 3 December 9 December 12 December 20 December 23 January 29

934

1855

April 25

*978 1063 1127

1855 1855 1855

April 25 May 11 May 21

1315

1855 June 9

1623

1855

July 18

1837 *1959 2001 *2096 2572 112 *156 290 310 744 950 1436 1544 1690

1855 1855 1855 1855 1855 1856 1856 1856 1856 1856 1856 1856 1856 1856

August 13 August 30 September 4 September 17 November 14 January 16 January 21 February 2 February 5 March 27 April 21 June 18 July 1 July 18

Newton, William Edward Button, Reuben Larkin, Richard Milner, William Giroux, Barthélemy Martin Imray, John Bellford, Auguste Edouard Loradoux Wright, Lemuel Wellman Henderson, Constantine Tucker, Walter Henry Nettlefold, John Sutton , Net-) tlefold, Edward John, and Nettlefold, Joseph Henry Scully,Vincent, and Heywood, ) Johns Bennett Butler, Thomas Stansbury, Charles Frederick Mueller, Charles Gustav Smith, William Handasyd Newton, Alfred Vincent McEvoy, Henry Fenton, Samuel Day, John Rock Parnell, Michael Leopold Daniel, Alfred Dortet, Jules Tucker, Walter Henry Newton, Alfred Vincent Leuchars, William

Price of Specification.

S.

d. 10 3 11 9 3 7

3 10 4

10 9 3 1 2 3 1 0 6 3

Those patents marked were not proceeded with, and others have become void through the third year's stamp duty not having been paid. " The Act 16th of Victoria, c. 5, enacts that all letters patent for inventions to be granted under the provisions of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852, shall be made subject to the condition that the same shall be void at the expiration of three years and seven years respectively from the date thereof, unless there be paid, before the expiration of the three

589

TITTLEY'S LOCK .

. The following is a list of locks invented since the closing of the Great Exhibition , but which have not been patented .

All of these will be

described in the following pages : -

Denison's, Leas ',

Tittley's, Wenham's,

Saxby's,

Wolverson's.

TITTLEY'S LOCK, invented in 1851 . The peculiarity of the construction of this lock consists in the introduction of a " segmental slidecap."

In other respects it is an ordinary lever lock.

" Its leading principle is that, immediately on the introduction of the genuine key, or any

other

instrument bearing upon any one of the levers or springs, for the purpose of opening the lock, a steel shield presents itself at and covers the keyhole, effectually

preventing

the

introduction

of

any

second instrument , or any reflector for the purpose of examining the interior of the lock. "

years and seven years respectively, the stamp duties in the schedule thereunto annexed, viz. , £50 at the expiration of the third year, and £100 at the expiration of the seventh year ; and the Act, in respect of the first payment of £50, came into operation on the 1st of October, 1855. " Two thousand and forty-seven patents bear date between the 1st of October, 1852 , and the 30th of June, 1853 ; the payment of the additional stamp duty of £50 has been made on 619 of that number ; and 1,428 (upwards of two -thirds ) have become void by reason of non -payment.”— Extract from the Report to Parliament of the Commissioners of Patents, dated the 21st of July, 1856. + Both these inventions are for making locks gunpowder-proof, and have been described at pages 18 and 19, and also in the chapter on powderproof locks, page 107.

590

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

The introduction of this " segmental slide-cap" led to the adoption of the barrel and curtain combined, by Mr. Chubb and other makers.

Chubb's

and other makers ' locks were frequently sent to Mr. Taylor, lock manufacturer, Wolverhampton , in whose employ was Mr. Tittley, to have the former invention applied to them. LEAS' LOCK, invented 1851 . The top levers in this lock work on a pin fixed into the bottom lever, which latter with the others are placed upon another pin rivetted to the mainplate of the lock, as in other locks .

The security

consists in so gating the levers to the stump of the bolt, as that when pressure is applied to the bolt, one of the levers recedes and throws the detector, which is released in the usual way.

The curtain in this lock is identical with Higginson's, described at page 371 .

DISMORE'S LOCK, Patent dated November 4, 1851.

The improvements claimed by Mr. Dismore consist, first, in forming a tube with an enlargement or boss , which rotates within a projecting cylinder, and it has fixed on it a spring, which at its bent pointed end springs into a notch, and retains the parts in a correct position for the introduction of the key ; and in addition to these parts there is a fixed plate which may be made of steel, through which there are two openings - the one for the key

DISMORE'S LOCK .

591

to pass into the lock, and the other for it to pass out at.

There is a stop to the key to prevent its

passing beyond the correct position . Secondly, in constructing a striker-plate suitable for the above arrangement.

The bolt of the lock

is shot by means of a spring, when permitted to do so by the catch being out of the way, and it will at all times when shutting the doors be lifted by means of an incline in the striker-plate ; and on the other hand the bolt will be held back by the catch, and when the door to which such a lock is fastened is opened .

The lock is so arranged that it may

be opened on one side by a key suitably formed according to the tumblers or wards, or such like parts.

A lock constructed in this manner may be

opened on the other side by a handle on the spindle, which by its bit acts on a lever, the face of which comes against the tail ends

of the tumblers or

levers , which are properly formed to be acted upon by the face of the lever, so as to move them into position to allow the bolt to come back, which it will do by means of the bit in a pin pressing against the lever, which lever acts as a fulcrum, and carries the pin which draws back the bolt. Thirdly, in so making the key that the bit can be separated from the stem.

The patentee states in his specification that " the convenience offered by thus having the ' bit ' of the key separate from the stem will readily be understood, particularly in regard to large keys , as it

592

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

6 admits of the

bit ' end being more conveniently

carried about the person, whilst the stem may be kept in any convenient place, the possession of the stem only of the key by any person giving no means of opening the lock . "

PARNELL'S DEFIANCE LOCK, Patent dated November 6th, 1851. This is a lever lock, with the

addition of a

cylinder or curtain ; and the key has an expanding bit.

The patentee states that " the security of the

lock consists in the number of the levers , and in their slots being cut and placed in an uncertain and irregular order, requiring a corresponding irregularity in the bits of the key to raise the slots or gatings to the proper height for the stump to pass ; so that should a false instrument be used, and but one of the levers be

raised

either too high, or

not high enough, the stump could not get out of the chamber, nor the lock by any possibility be opened." 66 Viewing the lock from its exterior, it presents nothing remarkable ; but, upon removing the capplate, it will be seen that all possible access to the mechanism with false or surreptitious keys is effectually prevented by a solid cylinder of hardened brass, with protecting wards extending the whole depth of the lock, and having in the centre the aperture for the key, which fits to a mathematical nicety so exact as to preclude the possibility of any

PARNELL'S DEFIANCE LOCK.

593

second instrument being used to open it. This protecting cylinder must revolve with the key to get to the works ; and the moment it passes from the keyhole, in going round to lock or unlock, the solid portion moves into its place, and so

completely closes that aperture that the

point of a pin, or a fine steel pen, has failed to be inserted between it and the outer plate or cap, to say nothing of the utter hopelessness of perforating the metal . "

Fig. 253 represents the action of the lock.

A is

the curtain, stopped by the upright bolt F ; B is the bolt ; D the levers ; E the double-action latch .

dog

Fig. 253.- Parnell's Defiance Lock.

Supposing the key inserted in the lock in its locked position, as shewn in the cut, for the purpose of unlocking it ; the key, after passing about one-third 20

594

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

way round, meets with the forcible resistance of the upright spring-bolt or detector F, which is made of steel, and acts on the revolving-cylinder or curtain. The key, after passing this obstruction , arrives at the levers.

In the bolt-stud , which works in the

slot of the levers , there is a small deep serrated notch on one side, corresponding to similar notches on each of the levers ; if, therefore,

pressure be

applied to force the bolt, these notches would lock into each other.

There is also a double-action latch

placed over and shooting into the main-bolt, which, when the lock is forced , bears all the strain, thus effectually rendering all attempts on the lock futile and vain.

The stump shooting into the levers locks

them down, which is an additional preventive against any attempt on the levers succeeding. The patentee further states that " the key of the defiance lock is entirely original in its form , and, when not in the lock, appears like a highly-polished ' blank ' or key before the wards or bits are cut in it .

In this form it enters the lock, and fits on the

edge of an eccentric steel plate at the bottom of the pin.

The moment the key begins to move , the bits

corresponding to the levers are gradually forced out by its action round the eccentric plate, so that when it has made a quarter of a revolution it has become slightly elongated, which enables it to pass the first impediment, the sentinel-bolt, and by the time it has arrived at the levers it has expanded about onethird its whole length ; then it lifts the double-

PARNELL'S DEFIANCE LOCK.

595

action latch, adjusts the levers, and shoots the bolt. In bringing it out of the lock again, a contrivance forces it back to its original shape ;

presenting

nothing, to all appearance, when out of the lock, but a blank key.

The advantage of this sliding-bit

in the key is of great importance.

No attempt can

be made to produce a duplicate from merely seeing it, and if an impression of the key be taken, the skeleton key made from the impression will, to be sure, get into the keyhole, but it will be arrested immediately by the sentinel-bolt F, and turned back ; or, should the sentinel sleep at his post (steel bolts, worked by steel springs, do not sleep ) nothing would

0

be gained, for the key would but revolve on its

Fig. 254.-The Key as it appears when out of the Lock.

Fig. 255.-The Key when in the Lock acting on the Bolt and Levers.

centre pin, without having the slightest effect on the levers.

On the other hand, were a key made 202

596

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

capable of acting on the levers, it could not get inat the keyhole : the key that can get in cannot work, the key that can work cannot get in.

Figs.

254 and 255 show the keys in and out of the lock. " There is but little new in the construction of this lock, and the expanding key-bit was invented by Mr. Machin in 1827, as described at page 415 . When well made this lock affords

an average

amount of security, but the construction of the key permits but of a very limited number of combinations.

(See the chapter on keys. )

SINCLAIR'S LOCK, Patent dated November 13, 1851 .

The improvements introduced by Mr.

Sinclair

have relation to tumbler locks , and consistFirst.-- In combining the action of two or more of the tumblers of a lock in such manner that they shall be individually incapable of being brought to the position requisite for the admission of the locking-ring, pin, or plate, or in such manner that the movement of any one of the tumblers shall produce upon the others a locking effect, which would prevent their being moved. Secondly. In combining with wards or escutcheons a revolving-shield or plate , which will have the effect of preventing the introduction of,

or

increasing the difficulty of, introducing picking instruments.

Thirdly. zigzag gate

In the employment of a serpentine or or way for the introduction

of the

RESTELL'S LOCK.

597

locking-pin, and in the application of a compound motion to the tumblers, the effect of which is , that by once turning round the key a double or triple locking may be produced. Fourthly.

In the adaptation of a dial or indi-

cator to tumbler locks, whereby the changes of the tumbler may be varied according to the permutations of a moveable bit-key, or whereby, in combination with other apparatus, the positions of the parts of the lock may be so arranged after the act of locking as to prevent the possibility of the lock being opened, even with the legitimate key, without the knowledge of the secret arrangement . Fifthly. - In dispensing with the shackle and eyebolt of padlocks , or either of them, and in causing the bolt of the lock to be held , and the locking effected by means of pins or projections on , or holes or recesses formed in, a plate of metal to which the lock is attached.

RESTELL'S LOCK, Patent dated December 8th, 1851 . The principal feature in the construction of this lock consists in constructing the keyhole in such a manner, as that not more than one instrument can be introduced into the lock at one time for the purpose of picking it ;

and, further, that if

any instrument other than the proper key be introduced, and turned partly round , it will meet with an obstruction, as usual in all combination locks , but cannot be withdrawn therefrom until all the

598

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

internal parts have been brought back into their original position.

This object is effected by the

barrel and curtain combined, as when the key or other instrument is introduced and turned round in the keyhole, the curtain or shield b (fig. 256 ) is carried round inside the lock, and covering up the hole, thereby prevents the introduction of a

Fig. 256.- Restell's Lock.

second instrument . the invention .

So far there is nothing new in

In order to prevent the key from

being turned in the wrong direction , a projecting stud or tooth, f, (fig. 257), is formed on or attached to the periphery of the curtain ;

and when the

barrel and curtain is turned round either way, this tooth or stud will be brought against one side or the other of the bit or stud on the bolt, and the key will be thereby prevented from going round any farther. The tooth also serves to hold the barrel and curtain in the proper position to receive the key, as unless some precaution of this kind were

RESTELL'S LOCK.

599

taken, the curtain might accidentally slip round and close the keyhole.

One of the methods adopted

by the patentee for preventing the curtain from slipping round accidentally consists in causing the tooth to take into

a notch in a block that is

attached to the upper part of the uppermost lever. By this arrangement the

patentee

states he

is

enabled to relieve the shield from the friction to which it has hitherto been subjected .

Sometimes

he surrounds the cylindrical guard or barrel a with a small spiral spring.

A modification of the above

plan of holding the barrel and curtain in its place consists in making an indentation , h (fig . 256) in the periphery of the curtain , in which rests a projecting point on the front edge of the upper lever. The key is prevented from being turned in

the

wrong direction by the tooth on the curtain , as in the former instance ; but instead of abutting against the bit or stud on the bolt, there is a moveable stop-piece, i, which is secured to the plate of the lock by means of two screws, but may be moved up or down by the tooth whenever the bolt of the lock is moved up or down by the key. Another modification of holding the curtain in its place consists in making the top lever e, with a point which takes into a notch in the periphery of the curtain at h, fig. 256 , which in this instance is furnished with two teeth, which by abutting against one or the other of the studs or pins on the bolt prevent the key from being turned in the wrong direction .

600

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Another mode of preventing the curtain from moving accidentally is effected by means of a vnosed spring, represented at j, fig. 257, which is affixed to the inside of the cap-plate of the lock (which in the figure is removed to show the position

Fig. 257.-Restell's Lock.

of the spring), and bearing against the edge of the curtain as it is moved round ;

so that when the

latter is brought into the proper position for removing the key, either when the lock is open or closed , the lower end of the spring j will enter into the notch h, on the periphery of the curtain, and hold it in its proper position. All these modes of keeping the barrel and curtain in its true position are similar to, if not identical with, the notch in the collar or curtain of Mallet's lock, into which fell a lever-bolt. (See p. 394, ante. ) Another improvement by the same inventor consists of a simple means of so altering the combina-

RESTELL'S LOCK .

601

tions of the levers with the bolt, that the original key, when the alteration is made, will not open the lock.

This object is effected without altering the

position or combination of the levers, in relation to one another, by simply making the bit or stud of the bolt moveable .

The bit or stud, instead of

being fixed to the bolt in the usual way, is secured to a small moveable plate.

Two holes are made

in the bolt, in either of which the bit or stud may be inserted, and made to project through the levers. A recess is made in the back-plate of the lock to receive the plate, and when the bit or stud is inserted in its place in one of the holes of the bolt, the plate is secured by means of a sliding-plate or shutter.

When it is required to spoil the combi-

nation and render the original key useless , it will only be necessary to open the shutter and remove the bit from one hole to the other in the bolt ; the effect of this alteration will be that, in order to allow the bit to pass freely through the gates of the levers, and thereby permit the bolt to be shot, the levers must be raised to a different height to that which was before required ; and, consequently, a different key must be effect.

employed to produce this

In constructing locks with this improvement

adapted thereto, the patentee proposes to make three keys, two for the first combination and one for the second ; so that if one key belonging to the first combination should be lost, the lock may be opened with the fellow key, and then the combi-

602

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

nation spoiled by raising the shutter and moving the plate and bit from one hole to the other ; which being done, it will be found that the third key only will open and close the lock ; and therefore the other two keys will be useless .

In order to prevent

the bolt from moving while the position of the bit is being changed, a small pin may be attached to the lower part of the bolt, and made to enter a notch in the lowest lever,

or that nearest the

bolt, so as to prevent the bolt from shifting its position. The same effect, that is, spoiling the combination , may be produced by mounting the pin m, fig. 256 , on which the levers turn , on a moveable plate ; the bit d will, in this case, of course be fixed to the bolt as usual .

The pin m being attached to a move-

able plate, such as that shewn at k, will be caused to project through a slot or hole in the back-plate of the lock, precisely as in the former instance ; and it will therefore be evident, that to alter the combination, by changing the position of the lever, it will only be necessary to shift the position of the moveable plate which carries the pin m. This patentee is also the inventor of a method of altering the combination in a Bramah lock, by means of a moveable plate.

In reference to lever locks , the patentee states that, besides preventing a person from introducing more than one instrument at a time, he further proposes to prevent any person from feeling the

603

RESTELL'S LOCK .

position of the levers by pressing the bolt against them , as has usually been the case. Hitherto the bolt has been held in its place by the levers , as the bit of the bolt was made to nearly fit the notches in the lever ; and therefore, by forcing the bolt back, and causing the bit to press against the face of the notches in the levers, the latter might be held in any given position,

and the obstruction

they would offer to opening the lock might then be felt and possibly removed .

The patentee , how-

ever, constructs the lock in such a manner that the bit cannot be brought to bear against the levers, so as to retain them in any given position .

As it

is not necessary that the bit should fit the notches of the levers, the notches are cut much larger than usual, so as to leave a considerable space between the bit and the face of the notch ; and in order to prevent the bolt from shifting its position, except when acted on by the key, the lower edge of the bolt is provided with a tooth or pin, which bears against the periphery of the cylindrical guard, and thereby prevents

the

bolt

from

being

moved

either way, until the guard is turned by the key, and a notch therein is brought round, so as to permit the tooth to pass. A modification of the latter mode is as follows :At the lower end of the barrel a (fig. 256 ) is fixed a circular plate, which is made to fit into curved recesses cut in the lower edge of the bolt c ; and the bolt is thereby prevented from moving until

604

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

the notch comes round and allows the points, which are equivalent to the tooth before mentioned , to enter the notch.

The key enters the notch in the

bolt, and, provided the levers are brought into a proper position, the bolt can then be shot.

Another mode of preventing any one from feeling the position of the levers is effected by forming an additional notch in the face of the levers, and one lever (say the lowermost one) is made a little longer than the others.

A small pin is fixed in the side

of the bolt ; and when the proper key is used to open the lock, the levers will be raised in such a manner as to admit this pin through the front gate of the levers ; but if a false key or other instrument is introduced, and the bolt pressed back thereby, the pin will be brought against the end of the lowermost or longest lever, and retain the same. Upon discovering the obstruction , and finding all the other levers free, any person attempting to pick the lock will necessarily be obliged to move the obstruction out of the way by raising that lever ; and immediately this is done, the pressure being still on the bolt, the pin will pass into the notches of the other levers, and thereby prevent them from being raised until all are set free again . The claims set forth in the specification areFirst, - the combination of the cylindrical curtain or guard a with the circular shield b , and mode of applying the same, as herein shewn and described, particularly the employment of a pin , tooth , notch,

RESTELL'S LOCK.

605

spring , or other analogous contrivance, adapted to the circular shield b , together with the other necessary parts connected therewith, whereby the curtain or guard and circular shield may be held in their proper positions, and prevented from slipping round accidentally when the key is withdrawn from the lock.

Secondly, - the employment of pins, studs,

or projecting points, adapted either to the circular shield or other part of the lock, whereby the key may be prevented from being turned in the wrong direction. k, and

Thirdly, —the use of the moveable plate

bit or pin d, or any mere

modification

thereof, whereby the position of the bit d, in relation to the notches in the levers e, or the position of the levers e, in relation to the bit d, may be altered when required, and the combination of the several parts of the lock may be so changed as to render the original key useless for opening the lock. Fourthly, -constructing the bolt with a tooth, pin , or projecting point at its lower edge, which, by bearing against the sides of the cylindrical shield , circular plate, or other suitable part, will prevent the bolt from being shot until a suitable notch , cavity, or opening - made for the purpose in the said cylindrical shield , circular plate, or other part -is brought round, so that the tooth, pin, or projecting point on the bolt may enter therein , and allow the bolt to be moved.

Fifthly, -the use of

the moveable plate and its moveable bridge-piece or bracket, as applied to a Bramah lock, for the

606

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

purpose of changing the relative position of certain parts of the lock.

Sixthly, -constructing the levers

with an additional notch at the end, into which a pin, secured to the bolt, will enter upon applying force or pressure thereto ; all the levers,

will

and , by thus holding

prevent any of them

from

being raised until the bolt is thrown back again . Seventhly,

the use of a protector- lever , which lever

is by means of a pin connected to the circular shield, kept raised too high to allow the bolt to be shot, and cannot be allowed to descend until the circular plate is moved round and the keyhole closed.

Eighthly, -the method of constructing a

mortise lever lock, which can be opened by the key from either side , the keyhole being protected with double shields.

Ninthly, -the method of con-

structing tumbler latches, as shewn in the drawings attached to the specification .

HOBBS' PROTECTOR LOCK, Patent dated February 23rd, 1852. The patentee, in his specification, states that

66 My invention relates to a novel mode of constructing certain parts of locks, by means of which the possibility of feeling the position of the gating of the levers by applying pressure to the bolt is prevented . " Another part of my invention consists in a novel arrangement or construction of parts, whereby the key or instrument which operates

upon the

HOBBS' PROTECTOR LOCK.

607

levers to bring them into a proper position preparatory to throwing the bolt is carried into the lock, and the keyhole is effectually closed while the key or other instrument is so acting upon the levers. " This lock in its general appearance resembles the usual lever locks ; it has the same form of key and the same moveable parts, the only addition being attached to the tumbler stump, which addition works under the bolt of the lock.

Fig. 258 repre-

sents the mechanism of this lock ; b b is the bolt ; tt the levers, with the

usual slots

or gatings,

through which a tumbler stump s must necessarily

O

H

Fig. 258.- Hobbs' Protector Lock.

pass when the bolt is being locked or unlocked . In all other locks this stump is rivetted into the bolt ; consequently any pressure being applied, or an attempt made to withdraw the bolt, brings the stump against the face of the levers, causing them to bind, by which means the gatings are easily found.

In this lock, on the contrary, the stump s

608

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

is rivetted into a piece shown detached in fig. 259 ; the hole h fitting on a centre or pin in a recess formed at the back of the

h b

bolt, and the stump passing through

Fig. 259 . a slot in the bolt, stands in its usual position ;

and there is a small binding-spring to

prevent the piece from turning of itself.

When the

key is applied to the lock and the levers properly adjusted, the stump, meeting with no obstruction , passes through the gating of the levers ; but should an attempt be made to withdraw the bolt before the levers are all properly raised , the stump , meeting with the slightest resistance, turns the piece to which it is attached on its centre, and raises the portion of the piece p so that it comes into contact with a stud rivetted into

the case of the lock,

thereby preventing the possibility of withdrawing the bolt ;

at the same time releasing the levers

from any pressure, so that it is impossible to ascertain their proper position .

d is a dog, or lever, BBS catching into the top of the bolt, serving HO BBS PATER as an additional security against its

PROTECTOR being forced back ; k is the

drill-pin'

on which the key, fig. 260, turns ; r is a piece on which the levers rest.

Al-

though, by this simple addition , and

locks

are

rendered

perfectly

secure

against pick ing, or being opened by

Fig. 260. any instrument except the true key or

‫لمنى‬

without adding materially to the cost,

HOBBS' PROTECTOR LOCK.

609

its duplicates ; yet, as with all other locks where the key is not susceptible of change, any person having had the key in his possession may,

by

taking an impression , become master of the lock. For purposes of absolute security this danger is effectually guarded against by the permutating or changeable key locks . "*

The claims set forth in the specification areFirst,

the use and application of a moveable stump

to the bolt, or attaching a moveable piece to the stump, or the stump to a moveable piece, for the purpose above described, and shewn in the several figures in sheet No. 1.† Secondly.

The use of a compound or double-

lever, as shewn in figs. 9 and 10 , sheet No. 1 , for the purpose above described. Thirdly. -The arrangement shewn in sheet No. 2, figs. 1 and 2 , or any modification thereof, either by circular parallel motion , by which the bit of the key is carried into the lock , and made to operate upon the levers, so as to bring them into a suitable position, preparatory to shooting back the bolt, the keyhole being completely closed while the key-bit is operating upon the levers . Fourthly. The constructing of a lock , with a bolt having a series of right angular slots, moving both vertically and horizontally, operating with a

* Tomlinson's Encyclopædia of the Useful Arts. + For the figures here referred to see the sheets Nos . 1 and 2, annexed to the complete specification, at the Patent Office, London.

2 P

610

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

single set of slides or levers, as shewn in sheet No. 2, figs. 6, 7, and 8, or any modification of the same for the purposes before named. Mr. Hobbs is also the inventor of a " flush-bolt portable or camp-desk lock."

The

specification

states in reference thereto that-" The advantages of this lock over those in general use are these— that the bolt descends flush with the selvage when the lock is unlocked ; and when in the act of locking first ascends vertically from out of the selvage , until it arrives at the proper height of the link, then, with an horizontal motion , slides under the link, as in the ordinary method of the common link-plate lock .”

The movement in this latter lock is precisely the same as that in Perry's, described at page 459 . Numerous efforts have been made to construct a simple flush-bolt lock, and the most successful of any we have seen is one to be described hereafter, and is the invention of Mr. Aubin-Nettlefold's patent of 1855 .

TUCKER'S CLOSED-KEYHOLE DETECTOR LOCK, Patent dated October 1st, 1852. The separating-key lock of this inventor (previously described) being found to be objectionable, from the possibility of the accidental severance and consequent loss of the key-bit, the present lock was produced as possessing equal advantages in point of security, while at any rate free from that special

TUCKER'S CLOSED-KEYHOLE DETECTOR LOCK.

611

objection to the key which had tended mainly to nullify the commercial value of his previous invention.

The same principle of " closing up all com-

munication with the security parts" while " pressure" can be produced against them is also eliminated in this lock, and is carried into operation as follows : -

The lock presents two external key openings, through one of which, F (fig. 263) the true or grated keyhole can be seen. This grated keyhole is situated in a drum, н, placed close behind the front-plate

B

Fig. 261.

J, and rotating parallel with it, and forms the sole inlet to the interior mechanism .

The keyhole E

leads to a central sink or chamber in the drum, into which the key must be inserted, or in which a handle may be fixed, in order to give the requisite rotation to the drum, but which chamber offers no communication with the internal mechanism of the lock.

By this arrangement, and by the manner in 2 P 2

612

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

which the sliders D (the action of which is from front to back, as in a Bramah lock ) are situated relatively to the locking-plate G, the effect of noncommunication with them from the keyhole, while they are in

contact with

the

locking-plate,

is

produced . These sliders are placed in two chambers in, and slide parallel with, the axis of the drum, immediately behind the true keyhole , the locking-plate being fixed at such a distance from them when the bolt is thrown that they, together with the keyhole , must be carried behind the front plate and covered over entirely, before they can be brought into contact with it, access to them being then impossible . The tentative process of picking being thus rendered inoperative, security against

" ringing the

changes " was next provided for (to use the words of his specification ) as follows : -By the adoption of a new principle of detection , whereby all further attempts to pick the lock are entirely prevented, should previous trials to effect it have been to a certain point successful, and this is carried into effect by a pin or bolt ( 1 , fig. 262) springing from the circumference of the drum , which flies into a hole in the lock-frame so soon as certain of the combination sliders have been sufficiently advanced to pass the face of the opposing (locking ) plate, when, should the remaining sliders be incorrectly adjusted, the drum can neither be advanced nor retrograded , so that no further attempts to pick the

TUCKER'S CLOSED-KEYHOLE DETECTOR LOCK.

lock can be made.

613

As in this lock the key-steps

only impinge on the ends of the sliders, there is no difference in the impressions made by long and short

Fig. 262. steps, consequently " mapping" the sliders is impossible. It was equally impossible with the previous lock .

K

Fig. 263. The remaining feature of importance in this lock consisted in the mode of making the frame or case,

614

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

the body of which was cast solid, leaving only sufficient space in it for the revolution of the drum and the passage of the bolt ; the front and back plates being screwed to the solid body.

The purposes

contemplated by this mode of making the case were strength and cheapness of manufacture, and security from injury by gunpowder.

The idea of a

"solid powder-proof lock" was indeed so effectively carried out in it that in a full size bank lock on this plan there was not sufficient vacant room for halfa-thimblefull of powder, and for that little even a vent was provided at the back of the lock. mode of

making the

This

lock-case has been since

A

K

Fig. 264. patented by Mr. Milner, and so closely imitated by him that with the exception of the vacant space for the insertion of powder in his being many times greater than in the original lock, and that Mr. Milner's contains no vent for the escape of the powder, it would puzzle a nice observer to find the difference between them.

ROSE'S LOCK.

615

ROSE'S LOCK, Patent dated October 21st, 1852 . The object of the inventor of this lock was to produce a lock which could not be picked, and he sought to effect it as follows :-The lock is of the ordinary lever kind, and at the back of the levers are two strong springs, one spring for each lever. The pin upon which the back ends of the levers work is inserted into the short arm of a bell cranklever, whose fulcrum is fitted to the frame of the lock, immediately above the pin on which the back ends of the levers work ; the long arm of the lever is prolonged parallel with the bolt, and terminates in a projecting piece corresponding with a slot made in the top of the bolt of the lock.

On any attempt

being made to force back the bolt, the short arm of the bell-crank lever would be carried back, and the long arm with its projecting piece would be brought down, and would effectually prevent the bolt being pressed back by the projecting piece fitting into the slot or aperture made for its reception in the bolt ; on pressure being withdrawn from the bolt, the springs would force back the levers , and with them the short arm of the lever, and consequently raise the projecting piece on its long arm out of the slot in the bolt, and thus leave it in a fit state to be opened by the proper key of the lock . The

claim

is for

66'improvements

in

locks,

whereby the bolt is prevented from being forced back, as herein-before described ."

616

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

CHUBB'S LOCKS , containing the improvements patented by John Chubb, November 1st, 1852 ; and John Chubb and John Goater, January 21st, 1853. The following description of Chubb's modern locks we here copy from Mr. Tomlinson's book, it having been furnished by Mr. Chubb to the editor of that work for insertion therein.

We applied to

Mr. Chubb for a similar description, but did not receive any reply : -

" Lock No. 1. -The first of the improvements introduced consists of a barrel, to which a circular curtain is attached , revolving round the drill-pin in the lock ; so that if any instrument is introduced to attempt to pick it , the curtain immediately closes up the keyhole and prevents the introduction of any auxiliary instruments , there being several required in action at once to produce any effect. " If by any means these several instruments can be introduced simultaneously, the barrel keeps them all confined in a very small space, preventing their expansion, and renders it impossible to work them independently of each other ; therefore they are of no avail , being incapable of acting as more than a single pick, which is perfectly useless.

The barrel

and curtain have each been previously used separately in locks, but until patented by Mr. De la Fons in 1846 they had not been used in combination. * Neither of them used separately is of much We are greatly surprised at this statement of Mr. Chubb's, and refer our readers to the remarks on this subject at page 494, ante.

CHUBB'S LOCKS.

617

use, but when combined they afford a very great security.

Locks have been, and still are shewn ,

CHUB

containing either the barrel or curtain singly ; and

O Fig. 265.-Chubb's Detector Lock of 1856. as these have been picked , it has been asserted that the improvement now introduced in Chubb's lock With Mr. Chubb's knowledge of the history and construction of locks, how he could purchase an invention, which had been invented at least fifty years before, we are at a loss to account. While Mr. Chubb has been paying for the use of the barrel and curtain, almost every other principal lockmaker has been using it for nothing, and this rightly, as neither Mr. De la Fons nor any other person living can lay claim to the invention.

618

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

is equally insecure, but a slight examination of the difference in their construction will prove the contrary.

Mr. Chubb has purchased the patent-right

of this part of Mr. De la Fons '

invention, and

applies it to all his locks . " Lock No. 2. - The next improvement, recently patented by Mr. Chubb, is based upon the assumption that there may be a possibility of overcoming the security of the barrel and curtain as already described (although this assumption is not in the slightest degree admitted) , and consists in applying what is called a tumbler-bolt,' working on a hinge connected with the main-bolt.

The web of the

key does not in any case touch the main-bolt in unlocking, but acts only on the tumbler-bolt.

All

the tumblers must first be lifted, each to its proper position, before the tumbler-bolt will act.

Should

any pressure be applied to either bolt before the tumblers are all at their exact position, the effect would be to throw the bolts out of gear, and thus effectually to stop the stump of the main-bolt from passing through the racks of the tumblers.

None

of the many plans of picking which have been suggested, such as smoked key-blanks, thin key-bits, &c. , would be of the least avail against a lock made on this principle.

Different kinds of detectors may

be applied to these locks.

It is submitted that this

lock, retaining all the simplicity and durability which have distinguished Chubb's lock for so many years, and combining with them these important improve-

CHUBB'S LOCKS.

619

ments, affords a complete security against all surreptitious attempts of any nature . Locks on the same principle are being made on the permutation plan, with any number of tumblers, and any number of changes in combination that may be desired. 6 " It has been suggested that the

detector,' in-

stead of giving additional security to Chubb's lock, affords a partial guidance to a person attempting to pick it.

This objection holds good to a certain

extent in these locks as originally made, in which all the tumblers had an equal bearing against the detector-stump ; but in the locks as now constructed this objection is entirely obviated by giving the tumblers an unequal bearing, whereby , if an operator feels the obstruction of the detector-stump , he cannot tell whether the tumbler which he is lifting is raised too high, or not high enough . " Lock No. 3.- For banks Mr. Chubb has intro6 duced what he particularly calls his bank lock.' It contains a barrel with a series

of curtains.

While the keyhole is open, all access to the tumblers from the keyhole is completely cut off by two sliding-pieces of solid metal which fit closely on either side of the barrel.

These pieces are acted

upon by an eccentric motion, so that when the key is applied to the lock and turned in it, the keyhole is shut up by the revolution of the curtains, and then only do the sliding-pieces of metal move aside to allow the key to act upon the tumblers.

These

620

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

pieces return to their position when the key has passed ; therefore , while the key is lifting the tumblers, all communication is cut off from the exterior of the lock by these sliding-pieces and the series of curtains.

The bolt is made in two pieces,

the main-bolt never being in contact with the key, which acts only on the talon-bolt, and by it transmits the motion to the main-bolt.

After the action

of locking, the talon-bolt is partly repelled, and a lever or ' dog ' connected with it locks into a series of combinations arranged upon the front parts of the tumblers, and holds them securely down, so that none of them can be lifted in the least degree until the talon-bolt is thrown forward to release them . If, therefore, any pressure be applied to this talonbolt, to endeavour by its help to ascertain the combinations of the tumblers, it will only the more tightly lock them down , and render the attempt ineffectual.

By another contrivance it is rendered

impracticable to move a pick or picks round in the lock more than a small distance, unless the tumblers could previously be all lifted to their right positions, which can only be done by the right key. Should one or more of the tumblers be surreptitiously raised by any possible means, they cannot be detained in this uplifted position, for the action of turning back the pick to try to raise another tumbler sets in motion a lever which allows the tumblers already raised to drop to their former position, leaving the operator just as far from the attainment of his object as at the outset. "

CHUBB'S LOCKS.

621

From the foregoing description of Mr. Chubb's modern locks, it would appear that he places great reliance upon the security against picking when the barrel and curtain combined forms part of the construction of a lock ; but it must always be borne in mind that wherever the key can go, there also can a picking instrument.

We attach the same

amount of importance to the adoption of the barrel and curtain combined as we do to the use of the various kinds of detectors ; and we recommend all future inventors of locks to aim at constructing them in such a manner that they may be perfectly secure without the aid of such questionable friends . An objection has been made by some against the use of those lever locks the keys of which are stepped, and the lowest of which steps usually moves the bolt.

They say that by grinding or rub-

bing off a portion of the step in question , whilst the proprietor's back is turned only for a few moments, a dishonest employé may open his master's safe or other depository and commit a robbery, and the employer not know in what manner the robbery has been effected, for no

marks of violence are

necessary to the successful operation .

We admit

the thing is just possible ; at the same time no thief would attempt a robbery by such means when he could effect his object more certainly and in less time by taking an impression of the key.

The

rationale of the above plan is as follows : -Fromwhat we have previously stated in former chapters,

622

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

it will be understood that in lever and tumbler locks the lowest or bottom step on the key- bit usually moves the bolt by coming in contact with its talon.

Now if to throw the bolt quite out, that

is to lock the lock, requires the step to be, say, 5-8ths of an inch long, it follows that if one-eighth were rubbed off and the same key applied, the bolt would not be shot in the same proportion , although the key performed its revolution ; the consequence would be that the stump of the bolt would remain in the main-gating of the levers instead of in the rack nearest their centre of motion -the true position ; and it will therefore be apparent that if when in such a position the operator went to the lock with a key having only the bottom step on its shank, it would move back the bolt without the slightest difficulty, because the levers could not offer any obstruction to its motion .

We have never heard

of a robbery having been effected by this means, neither do we think a thief would ever adopt it. It must also be borne in mind that with a hardened key, it is not an easy matter to reduce a step of the bit even the sixteenth of an inch by rubbing it with oil and emery.

In the Chubb's lock shewn in figure 265, a contrivance has been introduced for the purpose of preventing

a lock being tampered with in the

manner above described, which consists in placing a guard on the bolt, so that the next longest step of the key-bit will move the bolt, instead of the

623

WHISHAW'S MAGNETIC LOCK.

terminal step coming in contact with the talon in the ordinary way ;

but we do not consider this

plan by any means effective or desirable.

WHISHAW'S MAGNETIC LOCK, Patent dated January 29, 1853.

The patentee states in his specification his invention to consist in locking the locks of doors, safes , &c. , by means of electro-magnetism.

To the door-

frame or casing, as the case may be, is attached an electro-magnet of sufficient power, which,

as is

well known, is produced by passing a current of electricity by means of properly insulated

wires

(coiled round the soft iron) in connection with a galvanic battery.

The electro-magnet is let flush

into the frame or casing of the door, so as not to be visible externally ; the poles of such magnet are made perfectly smooth and even throughout, so as to admit of an uniform surface for the end of the iron bolt (or any suitable lock which may be fixed on the door, or a simple iron bolt alone will answer the purpose) to abut against, in order that when the surface of the end of the bolt is in contact with the poles of the magnet, (provided the electric circuit is complete,) the electro-magnetic locking is perfected ; but immediately on the circuit being broken the electro-magnetic lock is unfastened , and, in the case of an ordinary lock, the security will then depend simply on the bolt being shot into its keeper.

As many locks as there are elec-

tro-magnets and ordinary locks included in the circuit can be secured by this invention .

624

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

JENNINGS' LOCK, Patent dated January 29th, 1853 . This invention has reference to a new construction of lock, in which a series of permutation plates, each pierced with a central hole to receive the key, are arranged within a cylinder or other case furnished with a projection to receive the action of the key, and with a recess or recesses in the outer periphery to receive a lever when all of them have been brought round to the proper point, the key being made of a series of plates corresponding in number with the permutation plates, and each having a recess of different length to act in succession on the permutation plates to bring them to the proper position for the reception of the levers, one of the series of plates being cam-formed for the purpose of operating the lever.

The permutation plates and

lever are arranged within a rotary cylinder or other case, surrounded by a permanent flanch or case properly recessed for the reception of the lever when held out by the permutation plates, to prevent the said rotating case from turning when locked . bined with the rotating

Com-

cylinder or case which

contains the permutation plates and lever is an eccentric fitted to a yoke on the bolt for the purpose of throwing the bolt, the eccentric being at the dead point when the bolt is thrown out, so that any pressure applied directly to the bolt to force it in may have no tendency to turn the eccentric .

It

will be obvious that the key, instead of being made

SIMSON'S DUPLEX BANK LOCK.

625

of separate plates, may be cut out of a solid piece of metal , but this will not present the advantage of changing the combination . SIMSON'S DUPLEX BANK LOCK, Patent dated May 23, 1853. This lock, which is the invention of Mr. William Simson, banker, Edinburgh , has combined with it

B

Fig. 266.- Simson's Duplex Bank Lock. the " detainer" claimed by Mr. Gibbons in his patent, dated December 22nd, 1853.

Fig. 266 represents the combined lock, and the following description is taken from the published prospectus of it. 2Q

626

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

" Into this lock are introduced the following new parts or mechanism— " 1.-- Simson's patent double set of bolts, each with its separate springs and levers.

"The ordinary horizontal-bolt, A, is crossed beneath at a right angle by another bolt, B, with its own set of levers, e.

The vertical -bolt, в, is not

shot beyond the case of the lock.

It is brought

down with a lateral projection , b , fitted to a notch in the horizontal bolt to hold it fast, and to shut This combination down the horizontal-levers, a. renders it impossible either to lift the latter or to force back the former until the vertical bolt has been raised again .

The two sets of bolts and levers

vary, each having its own notch in the bit of the key.

Each set consists of four levers :

there are

thus in every lock eight levers, giving upwards of 2,400,000 different combinations. The key cannot be taken out of the lock until the vertical- bolt has secured the horizontal-bolt.

The horizontal-levers

being shut down by the vertical-bolt , their range or lift cannot be felt from the keyhole.

The required

liberation of both bolts is effected by one turn of the key.

In locking , also, one turn of the key first

throws out the horizontal-bolt, and then brings the vertical-bolt down upon it. " 2. -Simson's patent curtain or block, c , adapted to the circuit of the key, acting as a protector to the wards, levers, and bolts of the lock, and moving round with the key when turned.

SIMSON'S DUPLEX BANK LOCK.

627

" The sides are grooved to fit the wards, as shewn in section D, and the edge overlaps to some extent the bolts and levers, thereby more than fully closing up the keyhole as soon as the key is slightly turned . The wards, by this arrangement, are vastly elevated in importance, and lose their character of an easily destructible security ; and in proportion as the protector fills up space, which is usually left vacant, it prevents the application of gunpowder to destroy the lock ; and it excludes dust, thereby keeping the works for a longer time unclogged.

" 3.- Gibbons ' patent detainer, E, applied to the vertical-levers, rendering it necessary to lift them all simultaneously to their true position , and effectually securing them against having that position ascertained by raising them one by one. " The vertical-bolt в is retained in its proper place, when locked, by the lowest lever, f, which has its face close to the stump , c , of that bolt.

The

other levers , e, have a series of notches cut in their ends, and have their faces , é, set back, so that when the lowest lever, f, is adjusted, the bolt can be moved a little distance before the stump, c, reaches them.

Upon the adjustment of the lowest lever, f,

a slight motion given to the bolt, B, causes the bevilled edge, d, of it to act upon the detainer, by pushing up its bevilled end, g, thereby bringing down the other end, h, which is pointed, into the notches cut in the ends of the levers -thus fixing them firmly in whatever position they may be at

2Q 2

628

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

the time such motion is given to the bolt.

The

true key forms the complete combination , by lifting every one of the levers correctly before it begins to move the bolt ; but should any one of the levers , e, be put out of its proper position by a false key or picker, the act of moving the bolt carrying its stump from the face of the lowest lever, f, to the faces of the other levers , é, causes the detainer to fix such lever in that wrong position , and it will be impossible for the operator to tell which lever it is that prevents the opening of the lock, or whether it does so by being above or below its true lift. He can pretty accurately ascertain the difficulties he has to overcome in attempting to open an ordinary lever lock without its proper key, and he is able to adjust his instruments accordingly ; but this detainer shuts out from him the means of arriving at an opinion as to the requisite lift of the levers, and leaves him quite at fault. "

We are sorry we cannot compliment Mr. Simson on the originality of his invention , as the double set of levers was introduced by Mr. Duce , jun . , in 1824, as described at page 403 ; and the " curtain or block," as we have before shewn, has been reinvented over and over again.

The size of the lock

allows the limbs to be made very strong, and the number of combinations obtained by the number of levers presents a great obstacle to its being picked either by the tentative process or by ringing the changes.

Like all other bank locks, its high price

PARNELL'S SECOND LOCK.

629

will prevent its being adopted for general purposes. The locks we have seen, which were made by Mr. Gibbons, are thoroughly well made. PARNELL'S SECOND LOCK, Patent dated September 9th, 1853. This lock is constructed with levers, supported on a pin or fulcrum placed at or near the centre of the levers instead of the end, as in the ordinary lever locks.

There is a notch at the outer end of

the levers to receive the lock-stop , and another notch at the opposite end of the lever to receive the detector-stop.

Upon the outer end of each of

the levers (or it may be in any other convenient part) are formed two inclined planes, and springs are placed in such a position as to be capable of acting upon either incline, so as to move the levers in opposite directions .

When the bolt is shot, the

springs pressing upon the inclines force the levers against the locking-stop, so as to retain it in the notch ; but if an attempt be made to pick the lock, the moment any of the levers are lifted too high the pressure of the corresponding spring becomes transferred to the incline of that lever, and the lever is thereby forced into contact with the detector-stop, which enters the notch in the lever , and is retained therein by the pressure of the spring upon the incline.

There is also a horizontal- stop

acting against the butt end of the levers when the bolt is shot out.

The claim is for supporting the

tumblers or levers upon a central axis, the arrangement for maintaining a tumbler in contact with

630

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

the detector-stop after the withdrawal of a false . key, and the horizontal-stop . TUCKER'S SAFE- GUARD LOCK, Patent dated Nov. 21st, 1853. Mr. Tucker, finding that his closed keyhole lock, described at page 610, was still open to the objection of requiring a two-fold operation of the key to unlock it, the present lock was invented to supply its place.

The same principle of security is adopted

in this as in the former lock, it being equally impossible to obtain access to the security parts while pressure could be maintained upon them, as in the closed keyhole lock, but the mechanical construc-

O

Fig. 267.-Tucker's Safe - Guard Lock. tion of this lock is very dissimilar.

The security

parts are here formed as circular or wheel-shaped levers, arranged upon a central pin ; these levers

TUCKER'S SAFE-GUARD LOCK .

631

are surrounded or enclosed in a moveable box or barrel with an opening in its

side, which open-

ing is the true or internal keyhole (there being but one external keyhole) through which

alone can

communication with the levers be obtained ; and as it is only when this internal keyhole is carried behind a fixed shield or safe-guard in the lock ( so that no communication with it from the external is possible ) that the bolt or security-stump can be brought into contact with the levers ; it is manifest, therefore, that all attempts at picking by the pressure or tentative process must prove abortive .

The requisite motion is given to the surrounding box by an auxiliary key-bit attached to a socket (surrounding the drill-pin, and reaching the whole depth of the lock) , into which the key fits , and carries with it the socket and auxiliary-bit in its revolution.

The drill-pin or axis of the key is fixed

beyond or without the line of action of the moveable box, the talon of the bolt upon which the bit operates being still further beyond it.

The action .

is thus :-The key is placed into the outer keyhole and turned round, carrying the auxiliary-bit with it ; the key-bit first passes into the internal keyhole in the side of the box, adjusting the levers to their true position, whilst a simultaneous movement is being given to the box ; the action of the key being pursued , it then passes out of the internal keyhole, the auxiliary-bit continuing the movement of the box and carrying the internal keyhole behind the

632

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

fixed safe-guard or shield, so that no communication with the levers

can be effected ;

by which

time, and not until then, a gating in the side of the box being brought into a line with the bolt-stump, In the reverse or the bolt can be drawn back. locking action, the first effect of the action of the key, when put in motion, is to lock out the bolt, carrying the bolt-stump out from the box ; by continuing the action, the auxiliary-bit operates on the box, re-opening the internal keyhole and forcing the levers back into their normal positions, so that neither dirt nor viscid oil can prevent their action . The part of the levers on which the key-bit impinges is so shaped that the key-steps can only impinge on a projecting point or nib, by which means, be the steps of the key acting on the levers either long or short, the amount of smoke they remove shall in each case be the same.

This peculiar formation of the

lever is claimed by the inventor as a means of preventing the possibility of " mapping" the levers. Another advantage claimed by him also as arising from the use of the auxiliary-bit to throw the bolt is that no fraudulent shortening of the terminalstep of the key-bit can prevent the bolt from being fully thrown, or the levers being restored to their correct locked positions behind the stump.

GIBBONS' DETENT LOCK, Patent dated December 22nd, 1853. The improvement effected in this lock consists in the introduction of a detainer or lever -fixer ; the use

GIBBONS' DETENT LOCK.

633

of which is to fix the levers in one position before the stump of the bolt comes in contact with them. The lever next the bolt is made with its face to project beyond the other levers, so that when the bolt is locked out, the stump of the bolt is retained in its proper position by this lever, which the inventor calls the " locking-lever. "

DETENT LOCK

CIBBONS'S PATENT

d

Fig. 268.-Gibbons' Detent Lock.

Fig. 268 represents the lock.

a is the locking-

lever ; d the other levers, which are set back, so that in unlocking, the lever a must be raised to allow the stump of the bolt to enter its gating, when it moves along some distance before it comes to the face of the levers d.

The act of lifting the

634

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

lever a causes it to raise the arm of the detainer b, which is connected with it by the pin c and this brings the point of the detainer into the notches formed in the ends of the levers d, as shewn in the cut.

By this means the levers d become firmly

fixed or detained in their position , and are incapable of any further adjustment till the stump of The true the bolt comes in contact with them. key lifts all the notched levers d to their true position before it acts upon the locking-lever a ; the detainer b is then brought into action , and the levers as represented in the cut offer no obstruction to the passage of the bolt ; but should any one of the levers d be either above or below the true lift, at the time the lever a is lifted , the detainer will fix it in that particular position ; the face of the lever will oppose the passage of the stump of the GIBBONS'S

bolt, which renders it impossible to open the lock, or even to tell which

PATENT lever it is that causes the obstruction , and whether it arises from its being This above or below its true position . lock is constructed with a curtain and one deep ward or wheel, as shewn in the key, fig. 269. The above construction makes it im-

Fig. 269.-The Key.

possible to pick the lock by applying pressure to the bolt, and the true lift

of the levers

cannot be

them separately.

ascertained

by raising

The lock can only be opened

635

GIBBONS' ANTI-FRICTION LATCH-BOLT.

by simultaneously raising all the levers to their true position, which can only be done by the true key. Another improvement by the same inventor is shewn in fig. 270, which represents a mortise lock. The improvement consists in using a loose tail-piece, A, to connect the follow в with the latch-bolt c by

B

B

с

HARE

Fig. 270.- Gibbons' Anti-Friction Latch-Bolt. means of a guide D.

The guide D works at its

upper end upon a circular pin or axis affixed to the plate of the lock, its lower end being connected with the latch-bolt c by a pin E, and with the tail-piece A by a centre-pin F.

The upper and lower extremities

of the followв, as well as their corresponding recesses in the horns of the tail-piece A, are of a semi-

636

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

circular form , the consequence of which is, that on turning the knob in either direction, a rolling action

takes

place

contact with avoided,

it ;

and

a

between

the ordinary perfectly

durable action is obtained.

the

surfaces

friction is

smooth,

easy,

in

thus and

When turned to its

full extent, the follow is stopped by the tail-piece coming in contact with the end of the lock, thus making it impossible to strain the guide or to bend the tail of the bolt, defects to which the common latch-bolt is well known to be liable.

The position

of the follow, which is placed very near to the end of the lock, allows the greatest possible space between the knob and the keyhole , which in smallsized locks is a most important advantage.

SAXBY'S LOCK, invented 1853.

" The interior of this lock consists of a cylinder with four pins or slides radiating from the centre, and pressed into the keyhole by means of spiralsprings.

The pins project beyond the periphery of

the wheel or cylinder, and into slots in a ring which is affixed to the case of the lock, thereby preventing the cylinder from being turned .

On

each pin is a notch, so placed that when the proper key is inserted into the keyhole, the notches on the several pins will be brought into a position The such as will allow the cylinder to turn . turning of the cylinder in this, as in the Bramah lock, shoots the bolt."

DENISON'S LOCK.

637

This lock is the same in principle, but not so secure in its construction, as the Yale lock described at page 504.

The inventor was rewarded by the

Society of Arts with the Society's medal and the sum of ten guineas ;

and shortly afterwards the

lock was picked by Mr. Hobbs, " in the presence of parties connected with the Society, in the short space of three minutes." We shall refer to this circumstance again in the next chapter. DENISON'S LOCK, invented 1853. This lock is the invention of E. B. Denison , Esq . , Q.C. , ( whose name is better known in connexion with clock-making ), and was exhibited at the Society of Arts with others, when the Society made the unlucky mistake of selecting for its premium a lock which, as above stated , Mr. Hobbs picked in three minutes, and which was also proved to contain nothing new in its construction.

Fig. 271 represents Mr. Denison's lock with the bolt shot and the levers t t thrown , so that

the

bolt evidently cannot be drawn back until they are moved into the proper position for the stump to enter the gating. One of its peculiarities is that there are no leversprings.

The levers turn on a pin near the middle,

so that they will stand indifferently in any position , especially as they are separated by thin plates, p p, which cannot turn.

In this lock, therefore , the

638

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

friction, which is usually an impediment , and sometimes obstructs the action advantage.

of the springs, is an

The first plate should be between the

Fig. 271.- Denison's Lock.

bolt and the first lever, and no plate is required between the last lever and the cap of the lock. The plates should slip easily on to the lever-pin , and one or two of them should be bent a little , so that when the cap is on they will act as frictionsprings, and increase the steadiness of the levers . It is easy to see that when a proper key is put into the keyhole k and turned half round , it will raise the levers into the position

in which the

stump of the bolt can enter them, and the bolt -can be drawn back.

But the bolt is never acted

DENISON'S LOCK.

639

on by the key, which may consequently be very thin and light, as it has nothing to do except raising the levers.

The bolt is

which

worked by a handle, h,

has a fantail projection, f, working in a notch in the bolt, and also another broad lever, l, which pushes down the ends of the levers nearest the keyhole as soon as it The key, has shot the bolt. therefore, is to

lock the

open it ;

not required at all lock,

but

only to

differing therein

from

the large safe locks, in which the Fig. 272.-The Key.

bolts are shot by a handle, which are locked by the key afterwards.

At the same

time it is more secure than any of the self-shutting or spring locks , which are , moreover, apt to get shut accidentally when not intended. It is admitted in the Rudimentary Treatise on Locks, edited by Mr. Tomlinson , and published in 1853, that this lock cannot be picked by any known method, for the following reason :-When the bolt is fully shot the stump is a little beyond the end of the levers, as is shewn in the figure, and the keyhole is completely closed by a steel curtain , c c, which cannot be pushed in by the key or any other instrument, except when the bolt is fully shot and the stump removed beyond the possibility of contact with the levers ; and therefore the tentative

640

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

method , before described, of feeling the pressure of the stump on the levers

cannot be used.

The

curtain c c (shewn also in fig. 272 ) slides on two pins with spiral-springs behind it, and has a square plug which pushes through the back of the lock, as dotted in fig. 272.

This plug has a notch in

it which exactly coincides with the bolt b when the curtain is up against the keyhole, so that the curtain cannot be pushed in except when the bolt is fully shot (as in fig. 271 ) ; and then , when the curtain-plug is pushed down by the key ever so little, the bolt cannot be drawn back at all so as to feel the stump against the levers.

One of the

levers has its end above the gating elongated a little to keep the bolt steady when shot, and in advance of the curtain-plug.

The

key is

solid

without a pipe, which further diminishes its size ; the key of a large lock with seven levers weighs not much more than a quarter of an ounce. There is a further provision to guard against the bolt being shot, either carelessly by the owner or intentionally by somebody else, without turning the handle far enough to depress the levers and fix the bolt. di is a lever turning on a pin just above the bolt, and working on a spring at s like Chubb's detector, or what is called a jumper in clock-work. For convenience this may also be called the detector ; and it will be seen that when the corner i is on the right hand of the jumper s, the tooth d will fall into one of the notches of the bolt as soon as

641

DENISON'S LOCK .

it is shot about three-quarters of the full distance ; and then the bolt cannot be drawn back again until it has been fully shot and the handle turned far enough to depress the levers, when a projecting corner of the fantail ƒ will raise the detector and make it pass the jumper, which will hold it up as now shewn in the drawing.

As the bolt is drawn

back again in unlocking, a pin in the fantail catches hold of a piece set on the top of the detector, and brings it down again to be ready for action. The advantages of this lock are therefore theseFirst.

Perfect

security - at least against any

known method of picking. Secondly.

A keyhole so small that no forcing

instrument strong enough to do any mischief can be got in. Thirdly. - Protection of the lock by the curtain from the effects of the atmosphere upon the works . Fourthly. -Impossibility of getting deranged by the levers sticking together, or by failure of leversprings, there being none. Fifthly. - Cheapness of construction

compared

with any other lock equally secure and strong. Sixthly. - Lightness and smallness of the key. Seventhly.--The convenience and safety of not having to use the key for shutting the lock. This invention is not patented ,

Mr.

Denison

being one of those who disapprove of patents.

A

somewhat different form of it for small locks is described in the Rudimentary Treatise before men-

2 R

642

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

tioned ; but it does not appear likely to come into use for furniture or small articles, where the handle would probably be objected to ; and the difference in the size of the key and the price of the lock, compared with other locks, is not so great as in large and strong locks for safes and articles of that kind. GIBBONS' DOUBLE-DETECTOR LOCK, Patent dated 1853.

This lock contains a new element of security, it being so constructed that not only will the over-

GIBBONS Fig. 273.-Gibbons' Double -Detector Lock.

lifting of any one of the levers throw the detector ;

DANIEL'S IMPROVEMENTS .

643

but should any attempt be made to move the bolt without having first sufficiently raised all the levers, the detector will be brought into action by the under-lift as well as the over-lift of any one of the levers . When any of the levers are raised above their true position, the arm b of the detector a is brought forward, and the arm e hooks into the bolt at ƒ; the

v-nosed spring D, acting upon the point c,

keeps it in that position .

The under-lift detector & has its arm i slightly hooked into the bolt at k.

When the levers are

lifted by the true key the point i rises out of the bolt ; but should any attempt be made to move the bolt when any of the levers are below their true position, the levers will keep down the detector by pressing upon it at h, and the bevilled edge of the bolt at k will draw down the detector at i, where it will be fixed by the spring D.

In cases where a

detector lock is required, these locks will be found very superior to the ordinary detector locks, which act by the over- lift only. DANIEL'S IMPROVEMENTS, Patent dated February 1st, 1854. These improvements , consist, first, in applying to one-bolted locks a slide, on which the follow acts, and on which is fixed the tumbler and tumblerspring, connecting the slide with a bolt answering as lock and latch-bolt, and which bolt will act by being placed under, upon, by the side, or end to

2R 2

644

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

end with the slide , or in other positions, as different forms of locks may require it to be placed .

By

means of this slide the double action of the latch is obtained, that is, admits of the handles turning either way, and allows the same bolt to be locked . out with the key, dispensing with the use of a second lever or tumbler,

and

other

complicated

parts hitherto applied to attain the double action in one-bolted locks ; it has also the advantage of being very durable. Secondly.

In casting the cases of locks with

suitable bearings and holes for the bolts, tumblers , and other parts to act in, in the construction of locks containing one, two, or more bolts.

Thirdly.

In applying a certain method in the

formation of the patterns used for casting lockcases, which dispenses with the laying in of cores for forming the bolt-holes. Fourthly.

In employing a click inserted into the

neck of the knob , which acts into racks formed in the spindle by tightening or slackening a screw in the neck of the knob ; the neck consisting of an inner and outer neck, the inner neck being of castiron or other suitable metal. TANN'S LOCK, Patent dated March 2nd, 1854 . The patentec, in his specification , states that" This invention consists in an improved mode of constructing certain parts of locks, for the purpose of rendering such instruments more secure than the

TANN'S LOCK.

645

locks as heretofore constructed, and in known and common use ; and this invention relates more particularly to those descriptions of locks known and distinguished as ' tumbler locks.'

The mode here-

tofore practised in constructing locks of the most modern, and, up to the present time, allowed to be of the most improved construction , namely, those known as Hobbs ' patent, has been to make the " stump ' or that part which is employed to hold the bolt of the lock (when shot outwards) in such a position as to prevent or to render difficult the drawing back of such said bolt with any pick or instrument other than the key designed and specially intended to be employed for such purpose ; and further, a peculiar feature in the construction of the aforesaid locks has been to arrange and dispose the aforesaid stump with respect to the other parts of the lock in such manner as that it is independent of the bolt of the lock, instead of being affixed to such said bolt, as heretofore generally practised in the construction of locks, and particularly those known and distinguished as Barron's, Chubb's, and other patent locks ; and the object and intention of making such said stump independent of the bolt has been to take the end pressure off the bolt, and thereby to render ineffectual any attempt to force back the bolt for the purpose of causing the aforesaid stump to press against the tumblers of the lock, and by which such said tumblers would hang, and thereby facilitate the raising

646

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

thereof, and the ultimate unlocking or picking of the lock by instruments other than the key thereof. Now, it is to be particularly understood that the principle of construction of this invention consists in, and is entirely dependent upon , and will only act, so as to afford additional security to the lock when end pressure is exerted upon the bolt, instead of the pressure being required to be taken off the bolt, as before stated, with reference to Hobbs' locks ; and this I effect by constructing locks in the following manner, that is to say : -I employ a bolt , in

which a stump is fixed , which works in the

' gates ' of the several tumblers in the manner commonly practised, excepting that (for the purposes of this invention) I construct and arrange that tumbler which is in immediate contact with the bolt (and which I call a locking or holding-tumbler) in such manner that this tumbler only receives the pressure from the stump of the bolt, by which I take off the pressure from the other tumblers, and thus prevent them from hanging when raised by any instrument other than the key of the lock ; and I employ a separate spring, acting upon the tail end of the said locking or holding-tumbler , for the purpose of raising the front end of such said tumbler when the other tumblers are raised by the action of the key thereon, and when there is no end pressure upon the bolt, aforesaid

locking

observing that the

or holding-tumbler,

by being

acted on by the aforesaid spring only, is entirely

TANN'S LOCK .

647

self-acting, and is not in any way operated upon by the key of the lock ; and it is only when end pressure is exerted upon the bolt ( as commonly practised in picking locks ) that this tumbler becomes locked or held, and does not therefore rise with the other tumblers, and the locking or holding of this one tumbler in particular arises from the pressure of the stump against the edge of the gate of this tumbler being greater than the pressure of the spring upon the tail end of such said tumbler. Thus it will

be seen that so long as the

end

pressure remains upon the bolt of the lock, such bolt cannot be drawn back, but immediately such pressure is removed the spring acts, and the locking or holding-tumbler then rises ; and I protect this tumbler from being acted upon by a pick or other like instrument, by forming a rebate upon the bolt of the lock, below the edge of the said tumbler ; and I also place a shield beneath the under edges of most of the other tumblers , so as to present an obstruction to the introduction of a pick or other like instrument.

And I declare this invention to

consist in so constructing certain parts of locks as that I render available the end pressure upon the bolt for the purpose of attaining greater security in locks than heretofore ; whereas the principle of construction tioned,

of the modern

consists

before

men-

in removing the pressure from

the bolt for the purpose curity."

locks ,

of affording such se-

648

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. TANN'S " NEW PATENT BANK LOCK."

Fig. 274 represents Tann's " New Patent Bank Lock," which, with the following description , are taken from the patentee's published

prospectus.

The figure shews the lock with the cap-plate and nozel or chamber removed : " First.

The tail end of the bolt is formed of two

plates, placed one over the other, the upper or rising-plate forming the talon - these are hinged together at one end, with a slot at the other, so that if any force or pressure is applied to the talonplate before the tumblers are raised, the effect of

LI CE

AN T

PA

Fig. 274.-Tann's " New Patent Bank Lock."

such pressure causing the top-plate to rise, immediately detecting the lock ; and the slot catching against the back-stump entirely takes off the pressure of the levers from the tumbler-stump, so that the levers will not hang or indicate the height of the gating

TANN'S " NEW PATENT BANK LOCK."

649

" Secondly. - Relieving the main-stump from the pressure of the levers, so that if force is applied to the bolt the levers will not hang or indicate the height of the gating, through which the mainstump passes ; and this is effected by a self-acting lever, working in the bolt and not operated on by the key.

Supposing force was applied to the bolt

for the purpose of picking or opening the lock by any other instrument than the key, the effect of such force would be to cause the self-acting lever to hold in the bolt, and thus take the pressure of the stump from the levers, and it remains fixed until such force is removed ; consequently the very pressure, so fatal to other locks, in this affords additional security, and prevents the possibility of its being opened . 66 Thirdly. — Protecting the levers by guards. (From the many thousands of lever locks that have been made, all of similar construction, it follows of necessity that many of them must be alike, and consequently pass each other. )*

The guards form

an entirely new feature both in the arrangement of the lock and key, and effectually shut out the keys of all other patent locks.

The guards are placed

on several of the levers,

and protect the levers

either above or below them , so that even if a false

We quite agree with this remark of Mr. Tann's, and in order to prevent such a possibility occurring with any of the safes made by us, the lever locks we now use are constructed with seven levers - thus giving 5,040 combinations by the simple transposition of the seven steps of the key-bit, as will be explained in Chapter XVII.

650

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

key or pick succeeded in lifting the levers with unprotected fronts , it could not possibly raise those behind the guards, and the slightest extra lift at once fixes the detector, and then the proper key only can regulate it. " Fourthly.

The cylindrical nozle affixed to the

outside of the face-plate of the lock-in which is a solid circular piece of hardened metal , with a keyhole cut at right angles with the keyhole in the face-plate of the lock, so that when the key is inserted the keyhole in the nozel is opposite to the one cut in the metal.

The keyhole in the face-

plate being closed , the revolving metal in the nozel is then turned by the action of the key, and brought opposite the keyhole in the face-plate- at the same time closing up the aperture by which the key entered the nozel - so as to always present a closed keyhole, whether the key is in or out of the lock . Thus it will be seen that the keyholes in the faceplate of the lock and the nozel not being opposite to each other, both can never be uncovered at the same time, and thus render impossible the introduction of any picking instruments. "

We may remark that the nozel forms a distinct chamber, and in consequence doubles the thickness This of the lock, which makes it look clumsy. nozel or chamber is for other reasons very objectionable.

The construction is similar to the cham-

bered locks described in chapter XV, and therefore possesses no novelty.

YOUNG'S LOCK.

651

YOUNG'S LOCK, Patent dated June 12th, 1854. This invention consists of an improved detector lock, and a latch to be applied to the same and Fig. 275 is a representation of the a a a are the levers, which differ from ordi-

other locks. lock.

nary levers in having teeth , b , on their ends, by

h

d

n

a

Fig. 275.-Young's Lock.

which the picking of the lock , by forcing back the bolt so as to feel the levers, is prevented ; the end c' of the slide c, on the lever d, which is fixed on the bolt, engaging in such case in the teeth b, and frustrating the attempt.

The lever d is in two

parts, the part carrying the slide c turning upon a point e, shewn in dotted lines upon the other part. When the bolt is shot, the spring ƒ pressing upon the part g, causes the end h of the lever d to rise ,

652

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

and until it is brought down again by the action of the key into a horizontal position the bolt cannot be withdrawn .

If a false key be introduced , and

it brings the lever d past the horizontal position , the point g of the said lever passes to the side ƒ of the spring f, which no longer tends to bring back the lever d, but to keep it in its displaced condition . The introduction of the true key detects the displacement of the lever d, and corrects it in a way the patentee

does not

consider

it

necessary to

describe . The improved latch to be used with the above or any other lock is shown in the horizontal section ,

m

n

Fig. 276.-Young's Latch.

fig. 276.

i is the latch-bolt , urged forward by the

spring k ; the said latch is withdrawn by a lever 1,

653

YOUNG'S LOCK. turning upon the point o.

The knobs m n are

moved by a sliding motion, instead of the usual rotatory motion. Mr. Young is also the inventor of what he calls the " Palace Motion " to locks and latches .

Fig.

277 represents a three-bolt mortise * lock, with steel follow, brass collar, wards, &c. в the private bolt ;

A is the lock-bolt ;

c the latch or spring-bolt ; D

the follow ; E the latch-lever ; F its centre-pin ; Ga

Fig. 277.-Young's Palace Motion Three- Bolt Mortise Lock.

pin on which is suspended the latch ; H the spring. The latch is drawn into the lock by the crankarm of the follow bearing against the lever at 1. It is very remarkable that the inventor of the mortise lock is unknown ; neither can we ascertain the period when it was first introduced.

654

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Reverse the turn of the follow, and the latch will be drawn into the lock by the straight-arm of the follow pressing against the pin on the latch at J. WOLVERSON'S LOCK, Patent dated July 11th, 1854.

This lock is constructed with a series of plates on the end of the bolt, which are capable of sliding vertically ; these plates are pressed downwards by springs.

There

is

a slot made in a horizontal

direction in each of the said plates ; and after the bolt of the lock has been shot, it can only be withdrawn by the said plates being made to slide vertically to the several heights required to bring their respective slots opposite each ; for a plate situated at the back of the lock prevents the slot being withdrawn, unless the said plate can enter the said slots.

The several plates on the bolt are raised to

the necessary heights in the following manner : — Immediately over the keyhole in the interior of the lock are a series of slides, which by the motion of the key are raised to different heights ; these slides have projections on their sides, which, when the bolt is shot, engage under projections on the sides of the first mentioned

sliding-plates.

The first

action of the key is to raise the slides, these raise the plates on the bolt to the necessary height to permit of the bolt being withdrawn ; the plates on the bolt are held in their position during the motion of the bolt by clicks engaging in teeth on

655

MILES' LOCK. their edges.

When the bolt is shot, the said clicks

coming against a fixed

obstacle

are disengaged

from the plates, which are pressed down by their springs. MILES' LOCK, Patent dated August 4th, 1854 . The patentee, in his specification , states that in the construction of this lock any number of levers may be used according to circumstances, each combined with its own spring, for which purpose brass will be found suitable, so that for marine and other similar purposes the objectionable use of steel or A iron in any portion of the lock can be avoided. lever, called " the regulator," is also introduced , which has a different motion from the others , being without a spring attached to it ; but it receives the pressure from the springs of the other levers , and in case of any attempt at picking it re-acts upon them, and produces such a combination of difficulties as must insure the highest amount of safety in the lock. This inventor is one of the few who have taken the right course with respect to the improving of locks, but he did not go far enough.

He evidently

understood the desirability of making the springs of a metal that would not rust ; and this idea has since been fully and successfully carried out by Mr. Aubin in not only making the spring of the lever of brass, but also making it out of one and the same piece of metal.

656

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. LEWIS'S LOCK, Patent dated September 2nd, 1854.

This lock is constructed with two knife-edged stumps attached to the head of the bolt of the lock, with one knife-edged or flat stump fixed to the There are lock-case at the tail end of the bolt. also double-acting levers, having notches at the ends, corresponding with the stumps just described. When any other key than the proper one is used to open the lock, or pressure is applied for the purpose of picking it, the stumps drop into their corresponding notches, and at the same time the lever closes the keyhole. NEWTON'S LOCK, invented by L. M. Eiler, of Copenhagen, Patent dated October 3rd, 1854. The object of this invention of improvements in the construction of locks, is to dispense with the use of a key, and consequently obviate the necessity of having any keyhole, or other opening, whereby access may be obtained to the interior of the lock with any instrument whatever.

Instead of employ-

ing a key or other analogous instrument provided with wards, pins, or other equivalent contrivances for bringing the several internal and moveable parts of the lock into their proper position for shooting the bolt back for opening the lock ; this object is effected by means of the power of a magnet. The foundation -plate of the lock must of course be made of some metal, such as brass or copper, which is not capable of affecting or being affected

657

NEWTON'S LOCK.

by the magnetic influence of a permanent or other magnet.

On the inner side of this plate are made

a series of grooves or channels, arranged and comIn these grooves bined in any arbitrary manner. or channels are made to work a series of iron or steel slides, which must be capable of moving to and fro in the grooves, and should be so arranged that they cannot be moved except in a given and pre-arranged order and succession .

When the bolt

of the lock is shot forward, one of these slides or pieces is brought up behind it in such a position that it cannot be moved back until the slide has been first removed , and this cannot be done until all the other moveable pieces are brought in succession into their proper positions.

These move-

able pieces or slides must be moved by the power of a magnet applied at the back of the copper or brass plate, and which will be sufficiently powerful to attract and move the small slides inside when it is applied immediately above them.

As three, four,

or any number of these small pieces or slides may be combined and arranged in any pre-conceived manner, it follows that unless a person wishing to open the lock knows precisely the position, arrangement,

and combination

of the parts, he cannot

bring these parts into their proper places, and consequently will not be able to open the lock.

The proprietor must provide himself with a plan, shewing the position of the pieces, and with this before him he will have no difficulty, by the aid

2 s

658

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

of a powerful magnet, to draw back the slides in their proper order, so as to leave the bolt free to move back. In locks where a trifling additional expense is not an object, and great security is required , this may be obtained by the application of one or more permutation-plates,

whereby the

combination

or

arrangement of the internal parts may be changed at any time with facility.

Several bolts may be

adapted to the lock, if required , and these may be so arranged that they must be moved in some prearranged order.

For instance , they may be marked

with letters to form a particular word , and unless moved in their proper order the lock will not open.

WENHAM'S LETTER LOCK, invented 1854 .

This is an improved letter lock constructed on a new detached principle, and is the invention of Mr. F. H. Wenham, of Effra Vale Lodge, Surrey.

Brixton ,

It can only be picked by ringing the

changes . In the following drawings the same letters of reference apply to each of the figures : -a a, figs. 278, 279, and 280 , are letter-rings ; b b under or stud-rings, having one deep notch shewn at cc, and several very shallow false notches seen in the transverse section , fig. 279. upon which the rings turn .

dd, is the central tube This is cut through

on one side with a longitudinal groove to admit the

WENHAM'S LETTER LOCK.

T piece e e.

659

The stem of this slides in a hole at

right angles in the draw-bolt ƒ ƒ, and is forced

a

Fig. 278.-Wenham's Letter Lock.

a

Fig. 279.- Section at A B.

upwards by two springs or elastic strips, cut from its own material, as seen on its under side. When the T piece is down in its groove it abuts against the collar g, and holds the bolt back in its place ; but when the deep notches (indicated by the selected letters on the outer shifting rings) are brought in a line over the T piece , it springs up so that its end can pass above the edge of the collar g, and allow the bolt to be drawn. If a force is put upon the bolt it is impossible to open the lock, even if the right letters are hit upon, for the T piece in this case becomes jammed against the collar and held as if in a vice, and consequently cannot rise unless the pressure is removed. 2 s 2

660

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

It is therefore evident that in opening this lock no attempt must be made to draw the bolt before the proper letters are placed in a line, thus at once removing all possibility of picking by what is known as the " pressure principle, " for so long as a pressure is maintained upon the bolt it remains absolutely impregnable, as even the proper letters will not be available ; and as the usual method of picking by feeling cannot be brought into operation, the only chance is to attempt to work through the permutations, which no one conversant with the subject would think of doing. The use of the shallow false notches in the studrings is to prevent the possibility of opening the

Fig. 280.- End View, with the cap unscrewed from the bolt and removed.

Fig . 281. Centre-Stud Ring.

lock by hearing, for if the stud-rings had but only one or two notches , the cessation of sound ( caused by

WOLVERSON'S LOCK.

661

the slight friction of the T piece) when it arrived at the gap or notch, might indicate the proper letters ; but the interruption of sound caused by the shallow notches quite remedies this objection . Fig. 281 represents the centre stud-ring.

This

has its notch cut away in an inclined direction, as shewn ; this is for the purpose of forcing the T piece down again into its groove when the lock is to be closed, by means of the inclined plane being carried round by turning the ring .

If all the

notches were square, the rings could not be made . to turn when the T piece was up and the lock could not be shut. This lock was exhibited at the Society of Arts in 1854, and obtained for its inventor the Society's bronze medal.

WOLVERSON'S LOCK, invented about 1854.

The peculiarity in the construction of this lock consists in the delicate poising of the detector, by which it is rendered very susceptible of motion. Also the curves of the steps of the key-bit are made irregularly,

some

almost

flat,

others

illiptical.

There are also two sets of levers ; the key when turned round in the lock touches the first

set,

which gives motion to the second or compound levers, until they reach the point of unlocking, but they do not then stand in the same relative position as at starting,

a

certain

distance

having been

gained by some, in consequence of the irregularity

662

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

of the curves.

In restoring the

detector to its

place, the levers assume a new form or motion , and are at a different elevation from that required to unlock ;

all information

hence

gained

after the

detector has been thrown , which would probably take place at the first touch , would be of no use whatever . The delicate

poising

of the detector and the

compounding of the levers in this lock is identical with Aubin's compound-lever lock, invented in 1851 , and described at page 512.

BELLFORD'S LOCK, Patent dated April 25, 1855.

This lock is for sliding doors ; the peculiarity of the construction consists in combining a catch with a sliding bolt.

The inventor, in his specification ,

states that the casing of the lock may be of rectangular form , in which there is a sliding

bolt

working on a stump, the said stump passing through a slot in the bolt.

Between the bolt and the casing

there is a guard-tumbler ; one end of this tumbler works on the said stump, and the opposite end is provided with a projection, against the back side of which a pin on the bolt catches when the bolt is thrown forward.

There are two springs fixed on

the casing, one of which acts upon the bolt and the other upon the

guard-tumbler.

Just below the

bolt there is a catch, the inner end of which works on a pivot ; the outer end passes through a slot or opening in the side of the casing, the said slot

663

BELLFORD'S LOCK.

being sufficiently long to allow the outer end of the sliding bolt to pass through.

To one side of

the framing of the door there is secured a slotted bar, and a mortise is made in the framing over which the bar is secured , the lower edge of the slot in the bar being some distance above the lower edge of the mortise . When the door is closed , the lower or inclined edge at the outer end of the catch strikes against the lower edge of the slot in the bar, and the catch passes through the slot, and is forced down over the lower edge of the said slot by the spring, which acts upon both the bolt and catch .

The key is

then inserted in the keyhole and turned, and the guard-tumbler is first raised , so that the projection will be raised from the pin attached to the bolt ; the key then throws the outer end of the bolt through the slot in the bar, and the catch is thereby prevented from being raised until the bar is thrown back. The catch is operated upon by a knob in the usual manner .

HENDERSON'S LOCK, Patent dated May 11th, 1855. This invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of certain parts of locks, whereby they are rendered less liable to be opened with a pick or false key.

The improvements consist in

adapting to the outside of the face-plate a species of auxiliary lock, which requires to be first opened before the keyhole of the main lock can be entered

664 by the key.

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. This auxiliary lock is composed of a

number of concentric wards and concentric splitrings, which work round the pipe of the lock in the spaces between the concentric wards. The whole is covered by a shield and outside casing, so that when the key is out the keyhole is perfectly closed. An additional ward is fitted inside the main lock round the pipe, a sufficient amount of space only being allowed between the outside of the pipe and the inside of the ward equal to the thickness of the metal of the pipe of the key.

In opening this lock

by the proper key, the key is first inserted into the auxiliary lock in a reversed position to that which it must assume before it can enter the main lock, the keyhole

of which

is suitably situated,

and

entirely concealed by the concentric rings before mentioned .

The splits in each of these rings are

all brought round to correspond to the main keyhole by turning the key, whereupon the key is at liberty to enter the main lock , and having entered therein all the concentric rings will be held fixed by a suitable catch until the key is withdrawn again , whereupon, on the key coming in contact with the holding-catch, the rings will be released again, and free to turn round with the key before its withdrawal from the auxiliary lock.

The inter-

nal concentric ward serves to prevent the possibility of acting upon the main-bolt for the purpose of shooting it whilst the tumblers are held up to the required elevation by other implements.

TUCKER'S HOLDFAST LOCK.

665

TUCKER'S HOLDFAST LOCK, Patent dated May 21st, 1855 . This lock was designed by the inventor for the purpose of providing a lock which should offer the same security against picking and fraudulent tampering as the " safe-guard " lock, described at page 630 , while it should at the same time be more simply and cheaply constructed .

The same prin-

ciple of security is adhered to in this lock also , the ordinary revolving-barrel and curtain being so applied as to prevent the bolt-stump being brought into contact with the slides until the key itself has passed beyond them .

The manner in which this is

effected is simply by causing the upper part of the stump or some other pin or projection in the bolt to bear upon the circumference of the curtain in such a way that the stump cannot reach the security-slides until the key (the bit of which is confined in the barrel ) is carried so far round as to leave the slides behind it, by which time and not until then, an opening in the curtain presents itself opposite to the stump and allows it to come in contact with the slides , when , if the real key has been used, it will pass into their gatings and the bolt can be unshot.

If, however, a wrong key or

false instrument is used, the stump will stop against the slides and

" pressure " be produced ; but as

during the time of such pressure the instrument is carried beyond the slides, and cannot be brought again into contact with them without first driving away the stump and relieving the pressure, it is

666

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

clear that the tentative process of picking can have no effect upon them.

The curtain in this lock

serves also to throw the bolt and to force the slides into their correct positions in locking.

The slides

b, fig. 282, are horizontal flat pieces of metal, made to surround the drill-pin entirely, the openings, c, in them for the revolution of the key being so

TICKER&PELIES

a

Fig. 282.-Tucker's Holdfast Lock, with the cap and curtain removed. The Key represents the kind used for iron safe door locks.

small as to admit but a very small quantity of gunpowder, by which means in conjunction with spaces in the rim of the cap for its

escape on

explosion, the lock is rendered powder-proof. The inventor modifies his modes of using the curtain to prevent pressure for various descriptions of locks and latches ; for instance, in trunk, portfolio, book-edge, and padlocks, and in all kinds of spring locks and latches, he attaches the stump to

667

NETTLEFOLD'S LOCK.

the curtain , and causes it to revolve with it, the key being in such cases carried considerably past the action parts of the slides before the stump has travelled far enough to reach their gating-edges. The stump is also in all these kinds of locks made to restore the slides into their proper positions before the key can be removed from the lock. He also claims a peculiar mode of locking the shackles of padlocks , by which they are rendered much stronger than in the ordinary way.

It con-

sists in forming the shackle with a continuation , or tail beyond the joint, such tail being carried into the body of the lock , and in causing the locking of such shackle to be effected at the inner or tail end of it, in place of locking it at the outer or spoon end, as is customary, by which means the usual weakening locking-slot in the spoon end of the shackle is entirely done away with .

The curtain

itself also forms the bolt in the padlocks under this patent, which still further simplifies the work and lessens the cost of production.

NETTLEFOLD'S LOCK, Patent dated June 9th, 1855.

The principal feature in this lock, which is the invention of Mr. Aubin , consists in simplifying the general construction ,

and by making the levers

answer the double purpose of spring and lever. This latter object is effected by making the lever fig. 283 and c, fig . 284, with its spring, out of one and the same piece of hard metal .

The stump ,

668

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

which is usually fixed in the bolt in other locks , in this is fixed into the bottom lever b, and this

H

Fig. 283. -Nettlefold's Lever.

lever when end pressure is applied to the bolt a, for the purpose of picking the lock, rises in an inclined slot cut in the lever or in the bolt, as the maker may choose.

A hook on the end of this

bottom lever grasps a stump fixed in the lock-case.

H

PRICES

Fig. 284.-Nettlefold's Lock. When the bolt is released from pressure, the lever being self-adjusting, it regulates itself.

The con-

669

NETTLEFOLD'S LOCK.

struction of the lock allows the internal parts to be made very strong ; and as it cannot be picked by pressure, the security it affords is undoubted .

It

can be made into a change or permutating lock at a small additional cost.

Another way of construct-

ing it is with an expanding stump, or a stump in two parts, so that when end pressure is applied to the bolt, the stump opens or expands, and becomes too wide to pass the gating of the levers. *

Another

improvement consists in constructing the lock with an expanding key chamber, which entirely closes up the keyhole when the key is out of the lock, thus preserving the interior from dust. it also powder-proof.

It makes

The great evil in all lever

locks hitherto invented has been the tendency of the levers and springs to separate from each other, or the prong of the spring working on to different levers as soon as the lock receives a slight jar. The springs in other locks are made of thin steel ; and if from any cause a small speck of rust is produced on any one of them it is rendered very liable to break, especially in frosty weather.

These steel

springs, even in the workman's hands, are difficult to keep in their true position - each spring to its own lever -- and chamfering the springs and the levers is too often

resorted to in order to make

them work better, but which in reality renders the

* This simple " limb " may be applied to any other lever lock already in use at a trifling outlay, thereby making it secure against picking by pressure .

670

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

lock still more liable to get out of order when fixed.

Mr. Aubin's simple but meritorious lock

may be considered to comprise but three moveable pieces or limbs, namely, the key, the bolt, and the bottom lever.

False notches , serrated stumps, cur-

tains, deep wheels or wards, and all such like contrivances are altogether unnecessary in this lock, and where such exist it is an evidence of doubt as to the real security of the lock on the part of the particular inventors . Aubin's

pianoforte lock,

constructed

on

the

same principle as the former, is the simplest flushbolt lock of any yet invented.

It requires only one

limb to work the bolt, a a, (fig. 285) and is locked

3

PIANO Fig. 285.- Nettlefold's Flush-bolt Lock.

and unlocked by an inclined slot working on a pin fixed in the bolt, and which thus forms bolt, lever,

671

NETTLEFOLD'S LOCK.

and spring made out of one and the same piece of metal .

This lock, when fixed on a pianoforte, is

perfectly free from any noise or jar incidental to some other locks caused by the vibration of their several parts .

The claims set forth in the specification areFirst, - The moving the bolt by means of a diagonal slot, or two inclined planes in a sliding-plate acting upon a stud or studs in the bolt. Secondly.

The application to locks of an oscil-

lating-tumbler for moving the bolt. Thirdly. -The forming the levers

and their

springs in one and the same piece of metal. The application to locks of an ex-

Fourthly.

panding-stump. Fifthly. - The application to the bolts of locks of

a hanging-plate, carrying a stump, and also a stud which enters an inclined notch in the bolt, so that when end

pressure

is applied to the bolt, the

inclined face of the notch acting upon the stud throws up the hanging-plate,

and prevents the

stump from entering the notch in the lever. The application to locks of two discs

Sixthly.

carrying two stumps acting upon the bolt, so as to prevent the stump on one of the discs from entering the notch in the lever when end pressure is applied to the bolt. Seventhly.

The

application

of a sliding-shield

operating to prevent access to the levers by means of false keys .

672

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Eighthly.

The application to locks of two swing-

ing-pieces, forming an expanding- chamber.

SCULLY and HEYWOOD'S LOCK, Patent dated July 18th, 1855.

This invention relates to the application to locks and latches of a novel construction of guard for protecting the internal mechanism of the lock or latch from being tampered with, for the purpose of throwing the bolt or lifting the latch.

In place

of the ordinary keyhole a cylindrical-chamber is formed, through which the key is inserted, and in this chamber is placed and secured a swivel-pin , which is provided with a helical rib or feather, or other lateral projection , which will offer an obstacle to the insertion of a key other than that of a given construction .

BUTLER'S DIAL LOCK, Patent dated August 13th, 1855 . This invention consists in affixing a number of stumps to the bolt of a lock, which stumps bear against circular pieces of metal revolving on centres connected with the upper plate of the lock ; these circular pieces form stops against which the stumps bear.

In the revolving stops are found grooves,

through which the stumps pass when the bolt is shot in or out.

Thus it will be seen that the bolt

cannot be moved until each of the stops is arranged with its groove opposite to the stump on the bolt which is to pass through it.

The stops may be

NEWTON'S LOCK.

673

turned by hand from the exterior of the lock, but the patentee prefers so to arrange them that they can only be turned by a key introduced through keyholes arranged round the main keyhole on the face of the lock .

On the front plate of the lock

are arranged hooks, which catch into the bolt, so that the plate of the lock can only be removed when the bolt is half shot, or in some other previously arranged position. NEWTON'S LOCK, Patent dated November 14th, 1855 . The first part of this invention

consists of a

method of impressing the form of the key upon inert tumblers, which are then removed from reach or influence through the keyhole before they reach the fence , which permits them , if properly arranged, to be moved far enough to permit the bolt to be thrown, but which checks them if not perfectly arranged.

And this part of the invention also con-

sists in restoring or bringing back the tumblers to their original relative position as they are brought back within reach of the key, so that they can in no manner indicate what key has been used .

And

the invention also consists in so cutting the edges of that portion of the key-tumblers on which the key acts as to prevent the long bits of the key from marking their length upon the tumblers, and thereby avoiding all chance of taking an impression of them . And this part of the invention also consists in the employment of a wiper, to pass over

2 T

674

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

the surface of the tumblers which have been acted on by the short bits of the key to remove any print or tract which might have been left by the short bits in acting upon them, and thereby avoiding all chance of taking an impression of any of the bits of the key. FENTON'S LOCK, Patent dated January 21st, 1856 . The inventor constructs a mortise lock, in which one bolt is made to serve all the purposes of the three bolts in the ordinary mortise lock. is pressed forward by a double,

The bolt

or elliptical , or

curved spring or springs, and is drawn back by turning a spindle with a knob at each side of the door, like the first bolt of the ordinary lock above mentioned.

The lower part of the bolt is for being

acted upon by the key, so that the bolt may be shot farther, and for locking the door.

The bolt is kept

out by a tumbler, which drops into a notch in the bolt.

The bolt has another long notch, in which

the stud of the tumbler lies when the bolt is unlocked.

The bolt is secured from one side of the

door without using the key, by means of a piece of metal or lever , moved by a spindle and knob , and locking into a notch, or behind a projection on the bolt ; thus paralysing the bolt, and answering the same purpose as the third bolt in the ordinary lock above mentioned . TUCKER'S SAFETY LOCK, Patent dated June 18th, 1856 . In all the previously patented locks of this inventor it will have been observed that no tumblers

TUCKER'S SAFETY LOCK.

675

or levers acted on by springs have been used by him ; but in the locks under the present patent he has availed himself of the ordinary levers used by other makers, and has simply endeavoured so to modify the construction as to render such locks secure against picking by pressure, without diminishing their strength or materially increasing their cost.

The manner in which such security against picking by pressure is effected in the present lock is as follows : - Proceeding upon his characteristic idea, " that the reason ordinary lever locks can be picked is, that communication with the levers can be obtained while the tumbler-stump is in contact with them," he has here introduced what he terms a 66 tumbler-guard," so constructed and disposed as to stand between the tumbler-stump and the gating faces of the levers when the bolt is locked out, and which tumbler-guard must first pass into the gatings of the levers before the tumbler- stump can reach them.

By this means the tumbler-stump can

never be made to touch the levers until the whole of them have been correctly adjusted for its passage through their gatings.

The tumbler-guard is

a

horizontal plate, with a return or vertical projection rising from it ; this plate runs upon guide or lanket pins fixed in the plate of the lock , and is in no way pivotted or attached to the bolt, and it is its vertical projection which stands between the levers

and the tumbler stump, (which latter is 2T 2

676

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

rivetted to the bolt in the ordinary way. )

The

action of the guard is such, that when pressure is applied to the bolt, the vertical projection is brought against the faces of the levers, and a slot in the horizontal plate is made to fasten itself to a guidepin in the plate ; its backward action being thus the

retarded,

then

tumbler-stump

reaches

the

horizontal plate, which is thus made to sustain the pressure of the tumbler-stump and prevent it from being brought into contact with the levers, so as to enable the gatings to be felt .

By this arrange-

ment, and by the use of a guard to the levers, all the advantages afforded by a loose or moveable stump are obtained, without in any way impairing the strength and durability of the lock ; on the contrary, the resistance to violence afforded by this lock is considerably greater than in an ordinary lever lock, as against the

the pressure of the tumbler-stump

tumbler-guard must always be at the base of the stump , altogether irrespective ofthe particular levers which may be incorrectly arranged , whereas in locks made with a loose tumbler-stump, the resist ance afforded against violence is materially less than in an ordinary lever lock.

It is this specific purpose of affording security against picking from

the

by pressure

strength

caused the

production

purpose

expressly

is

specification.

without

of the of this specified

lock

lock, by

detraction

which and

him

has such

in his

TUCKER'S SAFETY LOCK.

677

Other contrivances are specified under the same patent, but not being yet commercially introduced , no description of them can be given here.

In reviewing the various modern locks which we have now described our readers will doubtless be tempted to put the question - Are there any amongst them combining the true principles upon which locks should be constructed , viz ., perfect security, strength, simplicity, and durability ? or possessing the qualities

enumerated by Mr. Chubb in

his

paper before referred to, namely : —

" First. - Perfect security is the principal point to be attended to , as without it no lock can be considered as answering the intended purpose. " Second. - The works of a lock should in all cases possess strength, and be well adapted , especially in the larger ones, to resist all attempts to force them open ; and both in the larger and the smaller kinds the works should not be susceptible of injury or derangement from attempts with picklocks or false keys. " Third. - Simplicity of action is requisite, so that any person having the key, and being unacquainted with the mechanism of the lock, should not be able to put it out of order. -" Fourth. The workmanship ,

materials,

and

interior arrangement of a lock should be so com-

678

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

bined as to insure the permanent and perfect action of all its parts, and its durability under all ordinary 99 circumstances .'

To this we answer- Yes.

There are some pos-

sessing all the latter qualities, whilst there are others not only combining all these excellencies, but which would successfully

compete

for

another

medal

and premium if the Society of Arts were again to offer such a reward " for the invention of a good and cheap lock, combining strength and great security from fraudulent attempts ; cheapness, freedom from disarrangement by dirt, and requiring only a small key." dious ;

To name them here would be invi-

but we believe

our

description of them

cannot fail to point out those we refer to.

The

real improvements introduced into the construction of locks since 1851 are certainly not numerous , but they are effective and to the purpose ; and if inventors and lock manufacturers will only keep in view the principle upon

which

all machines

should be constructed, namely, simplicity, we do not despair of seeing at no distant time a lock possessing all the before-named qualities, and of such a simple character, that it shall be minus those bugbears in every lock, and the most troublesome " limbs " to all locksmiths -viz . , SPRINGS .

679

CHAPTER XVII .

THE LOCK CONTROVERSY SINCE THE CLOSING OF THE GREAT EXHIBITION OF 1851 .

IN resuming the lock controversy, we shall continue it in the same chronological order, and shall reserve our remarks on the subject generally till the close of the chapter .

After Mr. Hobbs had succeeded in picking the Chubb and Bramah locks , it was natural for the English locksmiths to desire to pick the American locks , and several attempts to pick the Parautoptic Bank Lock were accordingly made. A challenge was affixed to one of these latter locks in the Great Exhibition, offering a reward of two hundred pounds to any one who succeeded in picking it. Mr. Garbutt, an engineer, accepted the challenge, and on September 10th, 1851 , Mr. A. H. Renton , Mr. E. H. Thomson , and Mr. W. F. Shuttock were appointed arbitrators to superintend the arrangeThese gentlemen met Mr. Garbutt at the

ments .

680

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

house, No. 20 , Knightsbridge, when the following conditions were agreed to :

" That a Newell lock

should be selected , and should be screwed to a wooden box ; that Mr. Garbutt should have access only to the keyhole of the lock, through which keyhole all his operations for picking the lock should be conducted ; that

Mr.

Garbutt should

have uninterrupted and exclusive access to the box between the hours of nine in the morning and nine in the evening, for thirty days, beginning on the

11th of September, he having during that

time the privilege of introducing one associate, and the arbitrators reserving to themselves the right of inspecting the seals placed by them on the box ; that in order to afford every information concerning the internal arrangement of the lock , the triallock should be taken to pieces in presence of all the parties ; that it should be examined by Mr. Garbutt ; that it should be locked and unlocked with the proper key by him and Mr. Hobbs ; that it should be fastened to a box and the fastenings sealed by the arbitrators ; that the key, when the lock was finally locked , should be sealed up by the arbitrators and delivered to Mr. Hobbs , who would retain it until required by the arbitrators to hand That at the expiration of the it over to them. thirty days, or earlier in case either of the success or the abandonment of the attempt, the arbitrators should examine the lock.

And, finally, that if Mr.

Garbutt should have succeeded in picking the lock

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

681

(that is, in withdrawing the bolt without injuring the lock), the sum of £200 should be paid to him by Mr. Hobbs. "

In accordance with the above agreement , Mr. Hobbs produced a parautoptic lock with ten levers, No. 8560 , which with the key were examined by Mr. Garbutt.

The lock was afterwards fixed to a

Ideal box and sealed .

Mr. Hobbs then set the ten

bits ofthe key, corresponding to the ten levers, to an arrangement chosen by himself ; the lock was then locked and unlocked by all parties in succession, and the key, after the final locking , was sealed

up and given to Mr. Hobbs, who at the same time delivered to Mr. Garbutt a similar but smaller lock, which he was to be allowed to retain during the This was intended to whole period of the trial. make him familiar with the construction of the

lock to be operated upon.

The prescribed period

having expired on the 11th of October , the arbitrators met at the before-mentioned house , when Mr. Garbutt delivered up to them the lock in its locked condition and perfectly uninjured .

The arbitrators

then gave the following award : -" We therefore hereby certify that Mr. Garbutt, having had uninterrupted and exclusive access to the lock during the period of thirty days, and availing himself of the conditions of the agreement, had every facility for opening the lock that could be obtained without possession of the true key, has delivered up the same into our hands unopened

and uninjured ;

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

682

and the said lock has been delivered by us to Mr. Hobbs . " This brings us to the year 1852, when another attempt was made to pick the parautoptic lock.

The

following account of it is taken from the Observer of that period :-

"Hobbs' American Lock Again. " It will be remembered that, in The Observer of the 28th of March, a challenge appeared from Jeremiah Smith, offering to pick Hobbs ' celebrated lock, an opportunity of attempting which he complained had not been afforded him at the Great Exhibition . On the 11th of April we published a reply from Mr. Hobbs, in which he expressed his readiness to afford Mr. Smith every facility for making the attempt, and appointed a certain hour at his warehouse in Cheapside, on the 14th of April, to make the necessary arrangements. Mr. Hobbs proposed the appointment of three arbitrators to decide the time, place, and terms for the trial to be made, and named, as two of them, Mr. Hensman, engineer to the Bank of England, and Mr. J. G. Apphold, of Finsbury Square, requesting Mr. Smith, the challenger, to name a third party to be present and to act with them.

Mr. Smith attended the meeting, but

brought no friend with him to act as the third arbitrator, stating that he did not understand from the terms of the challenge that he was to bring anybody.

The Exhibition Lock, which excited

so much wonder and admiration at the Crystal Palace, was then produced, and in the presence of Messrs. Hensman and Apphold, Mr. Smith was asked if he would undertake to pick the lock ? He replied in the affirmative, but would prefer having one that was fixed upon a door in the ordinary way. It was observed that these were not the terms of the challenge, and it was shown further that this was impossible, as there were only one or two public offices in which the locks had yet been fixed, and that there would be both inconvenience and objection in such a course.

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

683

The Exhibition Lock is one of the largest size, and contains no less than fifteen bits, or tumblers, being susceptible of we cannot venture to say how many thousands of millions of changes, and is altogether so formidable and complicated -looking a piece of mechanism, that we are not much surprised at the challenger, on a little reflection, hesitating about undertaking the task .

He

observed that he did not want to attempt a test lock, which had been produced for the purposes of the Exhibition, but would have no objection to undertake an ordinary commercial lock, and Mr. Hobbs accordingly produced one of the Commercial Bank locks , containing ten tumblers, stating that although the terms of the challenge were that a sum of £200 would be paid to any person who would pick the " Exhibition Lock," he would substitute the smaller and less complicated one, to meet Mr. Smith's views, and put the matter out of dispute.

It being found very difficult to

bring Mr. Smith to any decisive terms, a suggestion was made for a subsequent meeting, when Mr. Smith was to come prepared with a friend to enter into the necessary arrangements . On Tuesday last a friend of Mr. Hobbs called upon Mr. Smith, appointing the following day (Wednesday), at three o'clock, at the offices in Cheapside, and Mr. Smith undertook to be there with a friend. Mr. Hobbs was in attendance with the two arbitrators, Messrs. Hensman and Apphold, and remained in waiting from three till a quarter past four o'clock, but Mr. Smith did not appear, nor any friend on his behalf, nor was any letter or message sent to explain the cause of his absence. Under all the circumstances we cannot come to any other conclusion than that Mr. Smith has thought better of his challenge, and has, by withdrawing from the ordeal, given a tacit admission of the invulnerability of the American lock.

As The Observer was the means in

the first instance of giving circulation to the report that one of these locks had been picked, which, on subsequent inquiry, turned out not to be the case, the feat having been achieved by making a fac simile key from the original, and going through the 720 permutations of a six -bit lock till the right combination was hit upon, we have thought it but fair to Mr. Hobbs to give this narrative

684

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

of the circumstances connected with Mr. Smith's rather confident challenge and its inconclusive termination .

Mr. Hobbs has, in

every instance in which any person came forward to attempt to pick his lock, acted with the greatest fairness and liberality, and has at the present moment no less than seven of his locks in the hands of adventurous experimenters who wish to make themselves acquainted with the principle before attempting a task the successful accomplishment of which would be attended with so much glory and so much pecuniary advantage.

The lock, however, has

up to the present time remained invulnerable ; and although we do not hesitate to say that we should feel extremely proud if any ingenious mechanic of this country could be found to turn Brother Jonathan's flank and establish our mechanical and scientific superiority in this particular, we are bound to say that hitherto the American lock has maintained the reputation its proprietors claim for it as one of the most perfect combinations for security yet invented."

About this time Mr. Hobbs read a paper before the Society of Arts on locks and keys, when a discussion arose, in which it was stated that the parautoptic lock had been picked in London , the truth of which statement Mr. Hobbs thought it his duty to deny. the

It appears the report was published in

Observer,

and

many of the

other London

journals, which called forth from Mr. letter, dated

Hobbs a

April 2nd, 1852, addressed to the

editor of the above paper, and containing the following paragraph : -" Early last autumn I lent to Mr. Potter,

of South Molton Street,

one of my

locks , for the purpose of giving him an opportunity to make himself acquainted with its principle and construction.

After he had had the lock in his

685

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

possession several weeks, a report reached me that one of Mr. Potter's workmen had picked my lock. I immediately called on Mr. Potter to ascertain the fact.

Mr. Potter informed me that for the purpose

of testing the possibility of opening the lock by means of an impression taken , or a copy

being

made of the true key, Mr. Smith had made a copy of the key by means of a transfer instrument, which instrument he showed me at the time.

After the

key was made, it was tried, and found to lock and unlock the lock as readily as the original key.

Mr.

Potter then sealed the screws of the lock, changed the combination of the key, and locked it.

Mr.

Smith then took the lock, and with the key that he had made by copying the original, hit the combiThe lock was of the nation, and unlocked it. smallest size, having but six levers ; the number of changes that could possibly be made were 720 . The time occupied by Mr. Smith , according to his own statement, was six hours and fifty-five minutes ; this , allowing one minute for each change , would give him time to have made 415 out of the 720 changes before hitting the right one.

I asked Mr. Smith

why he did not use the original key instead of making a copy ?

His answer was, that

he could

change the one he made faster, as he did not have to screw the bits in . '

Any person will readily un-

derstand the difference between ringing the combination of a key and picking a lock. "

686

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

This lock was evidently opened by ringing the changes ; but this was certainly not picking it. have before alluded

to the difference

We

between

picking a lock by instruments and opening it by ringing the changes with a permutating key, and we shall further explain and illustrate this important difference in the chapter on keys. We now come to the unfortunate affair of the

Society of Arts in connexion with this subject.

It

had been customary with the Society from its first establishment to offer premiums for various inventions, and not unfrequently for a lock,

and on

the 1st of November, 1852, the Society offered a premium " For the invention of a good and cheap lock, combining strength and great security from fraudulent attempts ; cheapness , freedom from disarrangement by dirt, and requiring only a small key. ” Various locks were sent to the Society for competition for the premium, and the committee, of which Mr. Chubb was the chairman , gave their award in favour of the lock invented and exhibited by Mr. Saxby, who received the Society's medal and a bounty of ten guineas .

This lock ( which

from the description of it at page 636 contained nothing new either in principle or construction) Mr. Hobbs picked " in the presence of parties connected with the Society, in the short space of three minutes.

This circumstance led to much newspaper correspondence, and the committee were much censured

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

687

for their want of discrimination and judgment in choosing that lock which was so soon and so easily proved not to possess any qualities justly entitling its fabricator to the honour of receiving the Society's medal and the premium of ten guineas. The questions raised by the Society's award will be best understood from the following letters before referred to . The first was from Mr. Hobbs , and appeared in the Journal ofthe Society of Arts, June 25th, 1853 , and is as follows : — " SIR, -As the recognition of merit, and the encouragement of improved manufactures and inventions by a body like the Society of Arts is a matter which ought to be as far removed from suspicion of any gross error as the fallibility of human judgment will admit, it will not be considered intrusive, perhaps, if I submit the following case to your judgment " On the 1st of November, 1852, the society issued their usual circular containing an offer of premiums for various articles, and amongst others ( No. 83), ' For the invention of a good and cheap lock, combining strength and great security from fraudulent attempts ; cheapness, freedom from disarrangement by dirt, and requiring only a small key.' " Being engaged in the manufacture of locks I considered the

subject with some attention, but perceiving that the conditions were not perfectly consistent with each other I gave up all hopes of obtaining the prize, and looked forward with more curiosity than anxiety for the new productions of lockmaking ingenuity that might be called forth by the liberal offer of the Society of Arts. At length your journal of the 11th instant informed me that the medal of the society, and a premium of £ 10 had been awarded to Mr. Saxby, of Sheerness, for a lock that answered all the requisitions. On calling at the society's rooms to inspect this piece of mechanism, I was surprised to discover that it was con-

688

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

structed on precisely the same principle as the ' Yale Lock, ' described in a paper read before the society in January, 1852, and of the same construction as locks manufactured and sold by Mr. Cotterill, of Birmingham ; in short, that it had no claim whatever to be regarded as a new invention by the committee of the society, however honestly it might have been submitted as one by the maker. The want of originality in the lock, supposing that it answered all the conditions named in the circular, might have been passed over as a venial offence . This unhappily was not the case. That the essential requisite of security-' great security,' as it is expressed in the circular- did not belong to it, was proved by a very simple experiment. To be brief, I picked this prize lock in the presence ofparties connected with the society, in the short space of three minutes ! " I do not mean to insinuate that there is any general carelessness in the selection of parties to determine the merits of competitors, or in their competency to form an opinion upon the worth and utility of the articles submitted to them.

It is simply with

the committee on locks, and with this particular case, that I have to deal ; and it must be self-evident from the above statement that they have betrayed their incapacity in the most flagrant manner. The case is still more surprising when I observe that Mr. Chubb, of St. Paul's Churchyard, was a member of the committee by which this award was made. This singular fact exonerates the society indeed from much blame, for it cannot be surprising that a committee of which a gentleman of Mr. Chubb's repute, as a mechanic in that particular branch of art, was a member, should be implicitly trusted.

" Respectfully yours, " A. C. HOBBS.

" 79, Cheapside, June 21st, 1853."

The above letter attracted the notice of the editor of the Banker's Circular, in which journal

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

689

the following notice appeared on July 2nd , and was copied into the Times of the 7th : " Mr. Hobbs and the English Locksmiths. " It is now pretty generally known that until the year of the Great Exhibition nobody had succeeded in obtaining the ' 200 guineas' offered by Messrs. Bramah to any person who could pick their celebrated lock. This piece of mechanical ingenuity was at last performed by Mr. Hobbs, from America, who was not a lockmaker, but a lockpicker. Since then the art of picking locks has become somewhat elevated, and has attracted the attention of several of our first-rate engineers. " The Society of Arts in John Street, Adelphi, desirous of promoting the skill of English locksmiths, issued a circular last year for premiums on various articles of manufacture, amongst which was one for the invention of a good lock, combining strength and great security from fraudulent attempts, cheapness, freedom from disarrangement by dirt, and requiring only a small key.' " The conditions upon which the prize of £ 10 was to be awarded seemed to be somewhat inconsistent with the object required ; but nevertheless the offer commanded attention, and the successful competitor was Mr. Saxby, of Sheerness ; and to him the prize was awarded by the committee, the chairman being Mr. Chubb, the lockmaker in St Paul's Churchyard. 66 By a letter from Mr. Hobbs, which appeared in the Journal of the Society of Arts of the 24th of June, we find that Mr. Hobbs' curiosity, which was only equalled by his modesty in not competing for the prize, induced him to inspect this piece of mechanism which the committee, presided over by Mr. Chubb, had pronounced to be the one most in accordance with the prescribed rules of the society ; when, so far from its possessing that ' great security ' required, he discovered that it was constructed on the principle of the ' Yale lock,' such as are manufactured by Mr. Cotterill, of Birmingham ; and to prove to the parties pre-

2 V

690

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

sent that it possessed no ' security, ' Mr. Hobbs, taking a small straight iron wire from his pocket, and a thin strip of steel, opened it in the presence of several members of the society in three minutes ! "Without offering anything of a personal insult to Mr. Chubb, it is impossible not to question the accuracy of his judgment on this branch of mechanical art. There can be no doubt that the first requisite in a lock is perfect security ; but if the public are misled by the mistaken judgment of men who decide upon the merits of the question, it will undoubtedly throw great suspicion upon the character of public scientific institutions."

The above remarks as well as the following are worthy of especial notice, as coming from independent commentators on the question involved in this controversy .

"Love (Hobbs ?) laughs at locksmiths."

" In the month of November last the Society of Arts, in its praise-worthy efforts to promote mechanical and scientific ingenuity in this country, issued their usual circular, offering premiums for inventions and improvements in various departments of industry ; and among the rest, one for the invention of a good and cheap lock, combining strength and great security from fraudulent attempts, cheapness, freedom from disarrangement by dirt, and requiring only a small key. Now this was, no doubt, a great desideratum; but the amount of mechanical ingenuity, and the quantity of skilled mechanical labour, which were requisite to produce a lock combining great strength and security from fraudulent attempts, were evidently inconsistent with the element of cheapness, which was also stipulated for by the society. It appears, however, that the stimulus of honorary distinction and pecuniary reward, induced several of our mechanicians to compete ; and a lock was produced by Mr. Saxby, of Sheerness, which, it

LOCK CONTROVERSY. was alleged, answered all the requirements of the circular.

691 A

committee was appointed to investigate the merits of the various inventions, and Mr. Chubb, of St. Paul's Churchyard, the eminent lock manufacturer, was appointed the chairman, and a report was drawn up, in which, for the reasons therein alleged, the society's medal and a sum of £10 was awarded to Mr. Saxby for his invention. We have not had an opportunity of seeing the report, but we must presume that the committee were satisfied that the conditions of the society's circular were complied with, otherwise, the conferring the honorary and pecuniary rewards was a mere farce, and by no means calculated to raise the character of the Society of Arts in the estimation of the public. " It turns out, however, that the lock submitted by Mr. Saxby has no claim whatever to originality ; it is constructed on precisely the same principle as the ' Yale lock,' which was described in a paper before the same society so lately as January, 1852.

It

is also the same in character and principle as the locks manufactured and sold by Mr. Cotterill, of Birmingham, without their security or complication . It can scarcely be supposed that a scientific body like the Society of Arts could have been ignorant of these facts ; and even if they were, we cannot understand how they could have escaped the penetration and judgment of the chairman, himself a practical mechanician. We acquit Mr. Saxby of all complicity in the affair ; he may have honestly and ignorantly believed that his lock was an original invention , or such an improvement and simplification of the model as entitled him to the reward-the committee may likewise have made their adjudication in good faith, but it is certainly calculated to lessen the public confidence in the decisions or recommendations of the society, when we find that besides the total absence of originality, the other and more important element of security is entirely wanting. "It appears that as soon as the announcement of the award

was made public, Mr. A. C. Hobbs, the patentee of the celebrated American Lock, who obtained no inconsiderable amount of celeb2 v2

692 rity

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. such as it was-during the Great Exhibition, by picking

the patent locks of some of the most eminent firms, and who had so little hope himself of being able to meet the contradictory requirements of the society's circular, that he had abstained from entering the lists as a candidate, went to the Society of Arts on the 16th instant, for the purpose of examining the prize lock. After some little difficulty or delicacy, arising probably from the unwillingness of the parties to put him out of countenance, the lock was produced, and Mr. Hobbs, taking out of his pocket a thin slip of steel , and a straight iron wire, picked the lock in the presence of some members of the society in three minutes ! The lock was then examined by Mr. Hobbs, and found to be an exact copy of Cotterill's Birmingham lock, but of course much more indifferently constructed. The principle of the lock, it may be stated, is the same as the patent Bramah lock, with this difference in its application —the slides in the Bramah lock are pressed into the barrel parallel with the motion of the key, while in the prize lock ' of Mr. Saxby, and in the Cotterill lock, the motion of the slides is from the centre to the circumference of a disc. With instruments properly constructed, Mr. Hobbs says, ' the prize lock ' might be picked in less than a minute, and we have been given to understand that it does not meet the conditions of the society's circular, either as regards originality, cheapness, security, or non-liability to derangement from dirt. There is certainly in this statement of facts, which we believe will be found substantially correct, evident proofs of incapacity, carelessness, or favoritism on the part of the committee of the society. The society were, doubtless, fully justified in placing confidence in a committee so constituted, and the latter will probably be able to explain how they arrived at a decision which speaks little for their mechanical acquirements, or for their investigation of the merits of the article submitted to them. They may be certain of this, that the indiscriminate distribution of the honours and rewards of the society is not calculated either to stimulate the inventive genius of our artisans or to elevate their own character in public estimation."

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

693

The following anonymous* reply to the letter of Mr. Hobbs appeared in the succeeding number of the Journal of the Society of Arts, namely, July 1st : " Sir,-I observe in last week's Journal a letter from Mr. Hobbs on the subject of Mr. Saxby's lock, recently rewarded by the Society, which I think needs a few words of explanation and reply, as your acute correspondent appears to be somewhat in error as to the circumstances of the case.

" The remarks of Mr. Hobbs appear to amount to this ; first, that Saxby's lock is not new, the principle being the same as the Yale lock, and as Cotterill's lock ; secondly, that it is not very secure, because he picked it . " Now, unquestionably, Saxby's lock is constructed on the same general principle as Cotterill's and Yale's, and both of them in turn are derived from the Bramah ; but this does not prove the locks to be the same ; and if Saxby, by ever so slight a modification, produced a lock for half-a-crown as good as Cotterill's lock for ten shillings, then Saxby certainly deserved the Society's prize. " In seeking for a ' cheap and very secure lock,' it is evident that the Society desired a good common lock-one which could be made and sold for a few shillings, and yet be much more secure than the locks commonly to be had for such a price, which in fact are too often no locks at all, being easily opened and locked again with a bit of wire or a bent nail. " The term ' great security, ' as set forth in the prize list, meant, I imagine, great security against the attempts of the idle and mischievous ; but it certainly never aspired to defy the systematic ingenuity of a professional lock-picker like Mr. Hobbs. The great security of the store room or apple loft is not to be compared with that of the banker's safe or deed box ; and a lock * The real writers of these anonymous letters are known to many, as they are to ourselves.

694

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

intended for the former, and perfectly secure against all trials to which it might be put, would no doubt be set aside as valueless for the latter. " I think that no one expected, as the result of the Society's premium, an unpickable banker's safe lock for five shillings. "Whether Mr. Saxby's lock is quite new in principle, or whether it is in fact merely a modification of some older lock,

is not the question ; neither is it important to inquire in how many minutes Mr. Hobbs picked the lock. The real point is, that Saxby's lock is much more secure than common locks are, and that it costs much less than really good locks commonly do. " I am, Sir, yours faithfully, " P. L. O."

Mr. Hobbs replied as follows, (Journal of the Society of Arts, July the 8th) : “Faith ! here's an equivocator !” —Shakspere. " Sir, -Had your correspondent, P. L. O., really afforded the ' explanation and reply ' promised in his opening paragraph, I should hardly have troubled you with a rejoinder to his observations. Either I am not so ' acute ' as his flattering designation would lead me to suppose, or his

explanation ' must be deficient

in point and clearness ; for I can neither see that it justifies the committee on locks, by whom the premium was awarded to Mr. Saxby, or that it corrects my opinion concerning the requisitions of the Society . " Not to occupy your space unnecessarily, I will simply repeat the words of the proposal made by the Society, and submit my own understanding of them for comparison with the judgment of P. L. O.

The offer was made for

the invention of a good and

cheap lock, combining strength and great security from fraudulent attempts ; cheapness, freedom from derangement by dirt, and requiring only a small key. '

I supposed the above to mean that a

lock was to be produced either on a new principle or by the

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

695

arrangement of some principle already known , which should combine, with as much strength as any lock now in use, as great or greater security, and yet be capable of manufacture at a lower price for the various purposes for which locks are required, and should require only a small key. If I am not mistaken in the plain import of the language, I may venture to repeat that the lock for which the committee have awarded the premium of the Society does not in the most distant manner come up to the Instead of its being either a new principle or a new

requisitions.

arrangement, it is precisely the same both in principle and arrangement as the Cotterill lock, without the slightest modification ; in fact, only differing from it in the inferiority of its workmanship . It is less secure than either a Bramah or tumbler lock of the same cost, and is quite as liable to be deranged by dirt. It requires a key of the same size as the Bramah and other locks. " I make no comment upon the wisdom of supposing that the Society intended to award a premium for the means of securing P. L. O.'s ' apple loft ' from the pilfering propensities of his naughty boys ; the words are for great security from fraudulent attempts, and they need no commentary to make them plainer. " In conclusion, it would give me great pleasure to be afforded an opportunity of proving the correctness of my statement to the Society by a comparison of the different kinds of locks now in use. I am prepared to prove also that as good a lock cannot be produced by Mr. Saxby for half-a-crown as by Mr. Cotterill for ten shillings. In regard to professional lock- picking,' I will undertake to show that Mr. Saxby's lock can be easily opened and locked again, not by the application of extraordinary skill or anything so profound as ' systematic ingenuity, ' but by a bent nail and a bit of wire, or by a key made of a piece of pine wood ; in a word, that the principle of Mr. Saxby's lock is neither secure 6 for the store room, the apple loft, nor the banker's safe ;' that it is not much more secure than common locks ;' and that it cannot be produced at a lower price than ' really good locks.' This proposition being distinctly understood, your correspondent

696

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

P. L. O. will have some difficulty in satisfying either the Society of Arts or the public that the committee on locks have not committed a very ridiculous blunder.

66 Respe ctfully yours, " A. C. HOBBS. " 97, Cheapside, July 5th, 1853." In the same number were also the following letters from other correspondents : -

" Tiverton, July 2nd, 1853. " Sir, - I should be sorry unnecessarily to trespass upon your columns ; but the fact of the lock of Mr Saxby, for which the medal was awarded by the Council of your Society, having been proved by the successful experiment of Mr. Hobbs to be even ludicrously unsafe, renders it imperative on me, having been a competitor with Mr. Saxby for the prize, to take this public means of disabusing the minds of the many persons at present cognisant of, or who may hereafter be acquainted with, the fact of my having so competed, of an opinion they must naturally form from the premises : That the lock considered by the committee to be the most deserving of the prize having been shown to be utterly untrustworthy, mine consequently was in all likelihood equally, or supposing such a circumstance possible, still more insecure. That such is not the case, and that in this instance the committee have in their desire to introduce a cheap lock attached too little importance to the still more requisite element of perfect security, I will (in order to vindicate the reputation of my lock from the stigma which must otherwise, in consequence of this error on the part of the committee, rest upon it) venture to demonstrate in a manner at once conclusive and unquestionable, and which, under the present circumstances, cannot I think be considered objectionable.

I submitted it to the decision and criticism of the society in

the full confidence, not only that it would prove to be a ' cheap lock,' but that it was not possible, by any amount of skill or perseverance, to succeed in picking it. In such belief I still continue ;

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

697

and in order to convince my friends and the public that the decision in Mr. Saxby's favour was not owing to any want of security in mine, I herewith publish my intention of placing the sum of £100 in the hands of a banker, to be handed by him over to Mr. Hobbs, should he succeed within the next three months in picking the patented lock of my construction, which was placed before your Society in competition for the prize. On receiving notice from Mr. Hobbs, through your journal, of his intention to make the attempt, I will at once commence fixing it in a manner suitable for the experiment ; on the completion of which , he shall be at liberty to examine a lock constructed on the same principle, that he may acquaint himself with its peculiarities, after which I will allow him ten days in which to effect his purpose ; conditioning solely, that either myself or some person appointed by me, shall, if I shall so require it, be present during the operations to prevent violence or injury to the lock. No other sufficient means being open to me but the present of removing whatever prejudice may have been created against my invention, by the erroneous decision of the lock committee, must be my excuse for thus occupying your space. "I am, Sir, yours respectfully, " W. H. TUCKER."

"SIR, I have never seen a more unfortunate attempt at getting out of a scrape, than the anonymous letter in the Journal last week, written almost avowedly by some member of that sagacious committee which gave a medal and something more to the inventor of a lock, which Mr. Hobbs has shown to possess the two qualities of antiquity and good-for-nothingness in an eminent degree. 66 They now pretend, at least their advocate does for them, that they understood- nay, that

it is evident that what the

Society desired was a good common lock.' the Society could not have said so ?

If so, do they think

If so, why did the Society

say something as different as possible ? If it is so evident, why does P. L. O. take so much pains to explain that the expression

698

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

'great security' in the premium list must be understood to mean only as great security as you can expect for half-a -crown ? The prize list said nothing about half-a-crown, and did specify ' great strength and security from fraudulent attempts,' and also from ' disarrangement by dirt,' and that the lock was only to require a small key. " To anybody but Mr. Chubb and his committee this rather particular description must have suggested anything rather than a cheap common lock ; but it did not to them—at least so they assure us now. The fraudulent attempts, we are told, could not be supposed to have any reference to bankers' safes, because you cannot expect a good bank lock for the price of a good common lock ; and a common lock, we know, is the thing the Society meant to ask for. And therefore it is evident that the fraudulent attempts the Society had in view were the attempts of the 6 and mischievous ' on the store room or apple loft .'

idle

" The freedom from disarrangement by dirt ' required by the Society's conditions could not possibly suggest to the intelligent minds of Mr. Chubb's committee the idea of one of Mr. Chubb's locks having to be broken open on account of two of the tumblers having got stuck together- Mr. Chubb, of course, never heard of such a thing. The expression, no doubt, suggested to them only the idea of a mischievous boy stuffing dirt into the lock of the aforesaid store room or apple loft, by way of paying off the owner for being so ill-natured as not to leave it open . " No one expected, as the result of the Society's premium,' they say, ' an unpickable bank lock for five shillings .'

Probably

not but there is a widish margin left between an unpickable bank lock for five shillings, and Mr. Chubb's pickable one for five pounds or thereabouts. If the committee had no lock presented to them, which (as far as they could judge) did ' possess great strength and security from fraudulent attempts, freedom from disarrangement by dirt, requiring only a small (that is, of course, a light) key, and cheap, for a lock possessing those qualities, which is the only rational meaning of the word, they had nothing

LOCK CONTROVERSY. to do but so to report to the Council.

699

Or, if Mr. Chubb's com-

mittee did not choose to give any encouragement to a lock which might be likely to interfere with Mr. Chubb's locks , they might have given no premium at all with at least as much credit to themselves as they have obtained by what they have done. Or, if they really meant to reward Mr. Saxby for cheapening the construction of an old lock, they might have done so, taking care to inform the public what their reward was for. 66 They did none of these things, but committed the gross blunder so properly and promptly exposed by Mr. Hobbs. And they now add to it the much grosser and more discreditable blunder of attempting to disguise it, by an excuse which everybody can see is a pure ex post facto invention from beginning to end. I think it due to the credit of the Society to expose such a proceeding as it deserves.

If P. L. O. had put his name to his

defence of himself and his colleagues, he should have had mine to this answer to it. As he has not, I take leave to subscribe myself,

O. P. Q."

" SIR, -On perusing in the Society's Journal a letter from Mr. Hobbs, who has obtained notoriety for his mechanical skill in opening or picking locks, manufactured by those who have hitherto been allowed to occupy the highest position in that branch of mechanism, I beg to state that I was not aware (until I saw the above) that a premium had been offered for a good and cheap lock, or I should have been a competitor for the honour. " I have invented and patented a lock, which I do not hesitate to say is the strongest, the simplest, and yet the most secure, and least liable to become injured by dirt, &c., of any others ever made. It is sold for 5s. and less ; and although so low in price, I have no objection to Mr. Hobbs trying his professional skill upon it, using as many instruments, and of whatever kind he may please to select. " That gentleman is quite aware of having been invited on ( English Pro-

more than one occasion to try his skill upon the

700

tector Lock.'

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

He is conscious that it is exceedingly simple in

its arrangement, having no detectors -no catch under the bolt, or loose stump as in his own, or any obstruction of the usual kind as a preventive to the bolt's passage. Standing alone- it possesses an original simple principle, distinct from all other locks. Unlike all other cheap locks, I guarantee this to be as secure as the most expensive. I cannot agree with your correspondent, P. L. O., that a lock, which in a few minutes may be picked, can be by any arrangement proved to possess great security ; for the object of any lock, however moderate its price, and of any improvement in one, must, when practically and commercially considered , be to produce this result, namely, equal security , although at a diminished cost. " The originality of the principle upon which the English protector lock is contrived consists in it being impossible to fix up the tumblers in succession as in other locks ; for, after raising one tumbler, the attempt to do so with a second necessitates the fall of the first.

A portion of the bolt is always jutting against

a steel cylinder working in the top and bottom of the lock. This cylinder is so placed that it is impossible to move the key, or any instrument inside the lock, without at the same time giving motion to it ; and in any attempt to pick the lock, this cylinder will always prevent the bolt being pressed against the tumblers, thereby destroying the power to fix them in any particular position. It is only when the tumblers are all raised by the key to their exact position that the portion of the bolt described above can advance, and upon doing so, it passes under the key and enters the cylinder, filling an opening in it. It will therefore be readily understood that, supposing a false instrument be introduced, the tumblers will not be raised to their required situation ; and although one may be fixed, a second cannot be ; for, immediately the attempt is made to remove the instrument in use, for the purpose of introducing others, motion is given to the cylinder, and necessarily the bolt, immediately causing the fixed tumbler to return to its original position. It is only an instrument exactly like the key which will

701

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

produce any effect, and of course one like the key would be the key, therefore not picking the lock. " The above lock is made in unlimited quantities, without having any two locks the keys of which would suit each other. " Excuse my remarking, in conclusion, it is not single unpickable locks which manufacturers of locks care about, although they may be very interesting mechanical curiosities. It is to have an exceedingly simple and yet never-failing preventive to any one who endeavours to pick a lock, being able to ascertain the required position of the tumblers to effect this object. This preventive should be of one uniform shape or configuration, so as to dispense with mental labour on the part of the workmen, and thus enable quantities to be made at a price. The variation of each lock should consist solely in the tumblers, or in the depth of the notches in the key. " I am prepared to show, whenever it may be required, that no lock has yet been brought into manufacture by Mr. Hobbs, or any one else, which will equal the English protector lock in bearing an enormous amount of pressure upon the bolt. " After stating these advantages, I trust I may be acquitted of egotism in believing this lock fulfils every condition required

by the Society ; viz., uncommon strength and freedom from disarrangement by dirt, and at no risk to its security. It is sold at a price which challenges comparison with any unpickable lock of the day. " I am, Sir, yours respectfully, " THOMAS RESTELL."

To the previous letters Mr.

Saxby replied as

follows :-66

Sheerness, July 9th, 1853. " SIR, -The question of the propriety of awarding the prize to me for the lock is one which belongs, of course, to the Society, and not to the inventor. I should, however, feel greatly obliged if you will make the following explanation public :-

702

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

" The committee were satisfied that the idea was original to me, and I care not to disabuse the minds of other persons who may believe the poor mechanic to be guilty of piracy.

As a

general rule, it is not such as we who live on the wits of our fellows. " The only part of Mr. Hobbs ' first letter on which I think an explanation is due is that which refers to the insecurity of my lock against fraudulent attempts. Now, Sir, I must plead as my defence that I did not conceive the idea until about a fortnight before the specimen was due, and could not apply myself for more than half-an-hour at a time to its manufacture ; and not being a locksmith, I had the rudest tools imaginable. The consequence was that the specimen illustrated the principle, but did not defy the ingenuity of Mr. Hobbs, who had previously examined it, and discovered that neither the notches nor the rim were accurately made, either in form or corresponding dimensions. Had they been so, he would have had much more difficulty in succeeding. " Allow me to suggest that the comparison Mr. Hobbs is so desirous to make for the information of the committee might be of some advantage to himself. If Mr. Hobbs has ever seen Cotterill's lock (and I believe he has), he must be aware that the statement made in the Journal of June 24th is altogether untrue, viz., that my lock is precisely the same, both in principle and arrangement, as Mr. Cotterill's, without the slightest modification, in fact only differing from it in the inferiority of its workmanship.' All this is untrue ; and if no member of the committee requires to be enlightened by the comparison, Mr. Hobbs probably may. " It would have sounded somewhat strange if Mr. Hobbs had stated this one fact in connexion with the above-that when Mr. Cotterill made him a very liberal offer if he would pick one of his locks he declined, thinking it wiser to wait a little. " It is scarcely necessary to remind the public that Mr. Hobbs

is not the only individual capable of estimating the quality of locks ; nor O. P. Q., who has at least made one discovery, viz .,

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

703

' that of course a small key is always a light one ;' nor Mr. Tucker, who has got £100 more than I have to spend in convincing the public that his lock and not mine should have got the prize. " Other men equally competent to form an estimate of it have assured me that of 100 persons who could easily pick a common lock, 99 would fail in picking mine were the parts accurately fitted, which might readily be done with the necessary machinery at a Hence there is an advantage over common locks of

low price.

99 per cent. in point of security. " I am, Sir, your obedient Servant, " H. G. SAXBY." The following is from the Circular to Bankers, of July 9th : -

" The Society of Arts and their Prize Lock. "We have received a copy of the Journal ofthe Society of Arts, containing a reply to Mr. Hobbs's letter respecting Mr. Saxby's lock, by an anonymous correspondent, which has not at all altered the views we expressed on this subject last week. In fact the vindication set forth by the writer is almost too ridiculous to notice, were it not that the subject is connected with the management of one of our oldest scientific institutions. "The writer defines the term ' great security ' by saying that it means ' great security against the attempts of the idle and the mischievous .' But if the funds of the society are to be appropriated to the advancement of science, surely they ought to have a higher aim than to award a prize for a lock that is only secure ' against the idle and mischievous.' We require as ' great security' in a lock for the cash box that we carry in our hand, as for the strong room where we deposit money and securities, as far as ingenuity in construction is concerned. And there can be very little skill required in picking locks for which the Society of Arts has awarded the prize, if by a simple piece of steel Mr. Hobbs could effect it in a few minutes.

704

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

" Mr. Hobbs has proved very clearly that most of the locks made in this country can be easily picked ; and there can be no 'great security ' in a lock until we are certain that it cannot be picked, even by the ingenuity of a Hobbs."

The contents of previous letters brought Mr. Cotterill into the field .

The

Times of July 13th

contained the following letter : — " COTTERILL v. HOBBS.

" To the Editor of the Times. 66 SIR, -I perceive in your columns of Thursday last a paragraph from the Banker's Circular, which, if allowed to pass unnoticed, might, in the minds of those unacquainted with the merits of my lock, disparage the eminent position it has reached, and now legitimately confirmed by the united testimony of the highest scientific authorities in the realm, who, after severely testing the security of my invention, have generously allowed me to publish their unanimous opinion as to its perfect inviolability ; among the goodly number I have the honour to name Mr. Robert Stephenson, M.P. , Mr. Richard Roberts, of Manchester, and many of the leading members ofthe Institution of Mechanical Engineers . I am also proud to state that the leading mechanical journals have deemed it of such importance to the public as to give many illustrated articles on the principle of my lock, in order to prove its entire security. With such an array of strength on my side, it is not to be supposed that I shall shrink from meeting manfully any and every insinuation made which has for its object the lowering of my invention.

Now for the paragraph in question :-

" It appears that the Society of Arts issued a circular last year for premiums on various articles of manufacture, among which was one for a good and cheap lock. The prize was £ 10, and the successful competitor was a Mr. Saxby, of Sheerness, by trade a blacksmith .'

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

705

" This lock (a six -inch rim) I am informed by the constructor himself could be sold at 2s . each.

This cheap lock excited the

curiosity of the trade, and foremost was Mr. Hobbs, who, after examining the lock at his leisure, and as often as he thought to his interest, found something in the construction resembling my patent lock-probably about as much as a wooden Dutch clock resembles a best-made chronometer ; for observe, even by the aid of machinery in manufacturing, I cannot afford to sell my patent six-inch rim locks for less than 30s. each, net. From this fact alone I might leave the public to judge how far this 2s. lock resembles my patent one in those essentials which constitute its pre-eminence, and which renders it the only secure commercial lock extant. " I must also leave the friends of honest truthfulness to form their own estimate of a man who, in the face of such authority as the names I have quoted, could give to the public the following observations, viz. :" But, so far from this lock (Mr. Saxby's) possessing that great security required, he ( Mr. Hobbs) discovered that it was merely constructed on the principle of the Yale lock (a name I never applied to any of my locks ), such as are manufactured by Mr. Cotterill, of Birmingham, and to prove that the principle possessed no security he would pick this said lock.' "This 2s . lock- the picking of which he accomplished, according to the report, in three minutes, having had previously many opportunities of examining the key and the interior of the lock, and taking impressions and also measurements if he felt so disposed-picking this cheap lock under such circumstances I consider about as miraculous as his tinkering about sixteen days with a basketful of instruments, in attempting to pick Bramah's lock. I say attempting, because I believe, judging from newspaper reports, which have not yet been disproved, that Bramah's lock was not honestly picked.

Any common observer would suppose,

from the eager manner in which the press gives publicity to every little movement of Mr. Hobbs, that no man in England could

2 W

706

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

pick a lock ; but in this I differ, being able to produce at any moment several poor working locksmiths, capable of picking any lock in half the time Mr. Hobbs occupies, and withal, consider they have done nothing worth fussing about. In reference to the remarks applied to Mr. Chubb in this matter, I have no doubt but this gentleman's long experience and well-earned reputation as a lockmaker will enable him to meet the aspersion cast upon his judgment, and give a different complexion to the whole affair. " I shall now, for the second time, put Mr. Hobbs' ability to pick a lock upon my patented principle and my manufacture to the test, by the following challenge ::" I will fix one of my commercial locks to a door and allow him one entire day to operate upon it, and should he succeed in picking it, I will reward him with 50 guineas. After this is disposed of, I will take him upon higher ground-viz ., I will fix one of my best locks (not a Manchester machine like his) upon an iron door, and at the same time deposit 200 guineas in the hands of any respectable person, and should he be successful in violating this lock, taking a reasonable time to perform his task, he shall at once claim and receive the said 200 guineas ; and in order to show that I mean business, I will pay his expenses to Birmingham ; or, if he prefers it, I will bring the locks to London. "My attention has only just been called to the paragraph in question, otherwise this reply would have appeared earlier. " I am, Sir, respectfully yours, " EDWIN COTTERILL. " 105, New Street, Birmingham." Mr. Hobbs replied to Mr. Cotterill in the following letter, which appeared in the Times of the 15th

·of July :" To the Editor of the Times. " SIR, -As you have given the publicity of your large circulation to a letter from Mr. Cotterill, in which my name is somewhat freely mentioned by that gentleman, I trust to your sense of

707

LOCK CONTROVERSY. justice for permission to say a few words in reply.

The question,

however, is not one that primarily concerns myself, or indeed Mr. Cotterill (though he has given it a more personal aspect by a change in the words quoted from the Banker's Circular), but the Society of Arts, whose committee awarded a premium for a lock which has proved to be worthless. At the same time, I am not less sensitive of insinuations which really tend to lower my character for candour and honesty-though I will not presume to say that such is their object- than Mr. Cotterill can be of such as ' have for their object the lowering of his invention.' "By ' insinuating ' that I might, ' if so disposed,' have taken impressions and measurements of the interior of the lock invented by Mr. Saxby, and rewarded by the Society of Arts, and by speaking in different parts of his letter of the leisure and opportunities afforded me for examining it, Mr. Cotterill really leaves the impression on the mind of his reader that such was the case. It is a common trick in argument to begin by putting a suppositious case, and after rambling up and down the statement, and thereby mystifying the reader, to speak of it in the end as if the case were actually as the writer had supposed. These cobwebs to catch the unwary are easily brushed away by the simple statement that such opportunities were not afforded, and, in short, that they were quite unnecessary. The absence of any difficulty in the lock would have rendered any resort to such means a mere waste of ingenuity.

" So much for the fact ; and now with regard to the principle of the lock and the price at which it can be produced. I should be most happy to submit the lock of Mr. Cotterill, for comparison with that of Mr. Saxby, to the gentlemen named by Mr. Cotterill, as having expressed their opinion of his lock, and leave to them the verification of my statement in the Journal of the Society of Arts-viz ., that the lock of Mr. Saxby, which the committee of the Society judged worthy of a premium as a new invention, is constructed on precisely the same principles as the Yale lock, described in a paper read before the Society in January, 1852 , 2w2

708

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

and that it is precisely the same both in principle and arrangement as the Cotterill lock. The inferiority of its workmanship was a point particularly named by me ; and, with regard to price, it is absurd to suppose-even such as it is- that it can be manufactured and sold for 2s. " One word in regard to lock-picking . It seems to be taken for granted that I am open to challenges like that of Mr. Cotterill if only a sufficient inducement is held out in the shape of a pecuniary reward.

I beg to assure that gentleman , and others who

have made the same mistake, that they will hardly catch me · 'tinkering,' as it is elegantly expressed, with my basket full of instruments, ' either upon their demand or that of any other man. When I came to this country it was as a competitor at the Great Exhibition ; and in order to satisfy the public that the principle on which locks were constructed was not secure, I picked the locks then considered the most secure in the country, and in turn offered to submit my own to the same test. This is a privilege I still claim, without laying myself open to such demands as those I have felt it necessary to comment upon.

Mr. Cotterill speaks

contemptuously of my success on the Bramah lock.

I have only

to say that it did not rest with me to decide whether I had succeeded or not, but with a committee, whose impartiality it is both too late and too absurd to call in question . Your readers will remember that the gentlemen of the committee-whose decision was also unanimous -were the late Professor Cowper, of King's College, Mr. George Rennie, and Dr. Black. 66 6 Any common observer would suppose, ' Mr. Cotterill remarks, from the eager manner in which the press gives publicity to every little movement of Mr. Hobbs, that no man in England could pick a lock ; but in this I differ, being able to produce at any moment several poor working locksmiths capable of picking any lock in half the time Mr. Hobbs occupies.' Mr. Cotterill does not perceive that the ease with which locks can be picked is my own argument, and I agree with him that there are many who can accomplish the feat in less time than myself. In con-

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

709

clusion, it is not in Mr. Hobbs that either the public or the press feel any particular interest, but in the security of the enormous wealth confided to locks and keys so recently proved to be utterly valueless.

" 97, Cheapside, July 13."

" I am, yours, & c., " A. C. HOBBS.

The editor of the Times appended a note to this letter to the effect that any future correspondence on the subject could only be inserted as an advertisement.

The following remarks, which concluded

the controversy on the " Saxby lock " affair, appeared in the Circular to Bankers, on the 23rd of July : " The remarks which we made in the Circular of the 2nd of July respecting the Society of Arts and their prize lock have created quite a commotion amongst the English lockmakers. But several of them who have addressed us appear to have mistaken the real object we had in view ; and some of them have gone so far as to pervert the language we made use of altogether to suit their own purposes . Our attention was directed to the subject not to decide whether Mr. Hobbs or Mr. Cotterill, of Birmingham, could make a lock that cannot be picked ; but to shew that the committee of the Society of Arts, in awarding a prize for Mr. Saxby's lock, with Mr. Chubb as chairman, which Mr. Hobbs easily picked in three minutes with a small slip of steel, placed themselves in an unfavourable light before the public.

We did

not take upon us to decide whether Mr. Hobbs ' locks, or those manufactured by Mr. Cotterill or by Mr. Chubb, were the safest and best. The defence put forward on behalf of the committee by a correspondent in the Journal of the Society of Arts, to which we briefly referred last week, was that the ' great security, ' as set forth in the prize list, meant great security against the attempts of the idle and the mischievous ; but it certainly never aspired to defy the systematic ingenuity of a professional lock- picker like

710

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

Mr. Hobbs.

We hope the committee of the Society of Arts, for its own honour, will not acknowledge this weak defence ; for Mr. Cotterill says ' He is able to produce at any moment several poor working locksmiths capable of picking any lock in half the time Mr. Hobbs occupies '

His condemnation of the Society's

committee is, therefore, virtually stronger than our own ; for he evidently does not rank Mr. Hobbs as a professional lockpicker,' but puts him on a footing with the ' poor working locksmith.' If, then, the Society ofArts be desirous of awarding prizes for the promotion of mechanical skill in its application to domestic purposes, it ought to confer them upon those whose productions are most worthy ; for in the present instance it has been clearly shewn that the lock for which the prize has been awarded can be easily picked. " We have nothing to do with the controversy between the lockmakers and Mr. Hobbs.

This is a matter they must settle

amongst themselves . But we regard the question solely in a public light. Several extraordinary robberies have occurred that have rendered the security of locks an important desideratum in banking and other establishments ; and whether the honour of accomplishing it be won by Mr. Hobbs or any one of our own countrymen, he is equally entitled to public support."

We have now arrived at the year 1854, which gave birth to such great events in connexion with the Lock Controversy, the particulars of which will not soon be forgotten. In order that the following letters may be better understood, we shall here insert the official report of the discussion on Mr. Hobbs ' paper " On the Principles and Construction of Locks," read before the Institution of Civil Engineers, February 21st , 1854.

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

711

" A succinct description was given of the various recent modifications generally introduced by makers of locks, and it was argued, that most of them were simply alterations of form , without materially adding to the security. An exception might, perhaps, be made in favour of Mr. Denison's lock ; which was so constructed, that the bolt was shot by turning a handle, without the intervention of a key, which in fact was only used for placing the tumblers in a proper position, to allow the bolt to be withdrawn, or unlocked, by the handle, —the keyhole being kept closed during the passage of the bolt ; the key might, therefore, be always retained in the possession of one person, whilst the lock could be closed by

any subordinate ; this was important in banks and other similar establishments. * " The principle of the bolts being shot by a handle was not new, but the other arrangements were

admitted to possess

novelty. " Mr. Whishaw's electro-magnetic lock, now exhibiting at the Polytechnic Institution, was explained, but was admitted not to be applicable to all the ordinary uses for locks. " The principle of Mr. Cotterill's ' patent climax detector lock ' was then examined, and it was shown to be entirely based upon the Bramah lock, but was less secure in its arrangement, inasmuch as the form of the key admitted of so litte variation in the depth of the grooves, for moving the slides-that a lock, having six slides, might be opened by the end pressure of a piece of soft wood,—and that any lock on that principle, with any number of slides, could be easily picked by the pressure system. " It was explained that the American permutating lock, which had been so fully described in the paper, was not intended for ordinary domestic purposes, but for banks and establishments requiring extreme precautions for security, and that the chief object in the introduction of Hobbs' moveable stump, or protector lock, was to supply a secure lock at a moderate price. * See the description of Tucker's first lock, invented in 1851 , and described at page 516 ante. This part of Mr. Denison's lock is identical with Tucker's, invented and exhibited three years before.

712

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

"In the course of manufacturing, as might be naturally supposed, the weak points of this lock had not escaped detection, and it was soon discovered, that although the principle was correct as long as the stump remained moveable, if by any means the stump could be held fast, the lock became one of the ordinary tumbler locks, and was as easily picked as the others. For instance, in a till or drawer lock, where the keyhole was parallel to the bolt, it was easy, by the insertion of a piece of watch-spring beneath the bolt, to catch and hold the stump, and to open the lock. This, however, was readily prevented by the insertion of a tongue in the back plate, fitting into a corresponding groove in the back of the bolt, thus cutting off all access to the moveable piece under the bolt ; and further, to preclude access to the stump itself, a piece of steel was rivetted into the front plate, reaching through the tumblers into a groove in the bolt, thus placing an effectual barrier between the keyhole and the stump. With these slight additions, which were now introduced, it was contended that locks constructed on the principle of the moveable stump might be considered secure . " It was shewn that Mr. Goater, who was connected with the establishment of Mr. Chubb, had succeeded very ingeniously in picking three of Hobbs' till locks, by the means which had been described ; those locks, however, not having the additions for security which had been alluded to . " This opening of these locks was admitted to be perfectly legitimate, shewing slight defects in the details of construction, but demonstrating the correctness of the principle ; and it was argued that it was only by such means that the manufacture of locks could be tested and improved -indeed, that the lockmakers were greatly indebted to Mr. Hobbs for shewing them the weak points of the locks constructed prior to 1851 . " The manufacture of locks in this mechanical country had hitherto been conducted in the rudest manner, and with the most

primitive tools ; and whilst the price of common and insecure locks was incredibly low, that of locks of good construction was

713

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

much too high to introduce them into general use.

It was, there-

fore, the object of Mr. Hobbs, by the employment of good machinery, to produce locks of uniformly correct construction, on sound principles, and at such a modified scale of prices as would insure their general adoption ; being assured that whoever might be the maker, the most secure locks, at the lowest price, would eventually take the lead with the public." It would appear from the following letters that Hobbs' protector lock had been picked by Mr. Goater, some time before the meeting of the Institution of Civil Engineers on the 21st of February, and that statements to that effect were in circulation ; and at the meeting referred to the modus operandi was explained by Mr.

Hobbs himself.

Without further preface, we now give the whole of the correspondence at length : -The first letter from Mr. Goater appeared in the Morning Advertiser, February 24th. 61 To the Editor of the Morning Advertiser. 66 Sir,-About a year and a half ago I obtained one of Hobbs'

patent protector locks, and after carefully examining its construction, I felt convinced that I could pick it. I then prepared suitable instruments , and picked the lock in five minutes ; this I did again and again, the third time it occupied only one minute and a half. I also picked another lock about two months since.

Hear-

ing the week before last that a paper on locks was to be read at the Institution of Civil Engineers by Mr. Hobbs, I requested my employer, Mr. Chubb, to allow me to operate on Mr. Hobbs' locks in such a manner as to prove to the world, beyond any doubt, how easily they may be picked.

Mr. Chubb then on

Friday, the 10th of this month , put into my hands one of Hobbs' locks, sealed up, the only access to the interior of it being through

714

the keyhole.

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

I had to make fresh instruments for this lock ; I

commenced operating upon it on the Monday morning, and in two hours I succeeded in picking it. I neither saw the keys nor the interior of this lock. I then picked two other of Hobbs' locks under the circumstances detailed in the following certificate :" London, Feb. 20, 1854. " On the 13th of February , Dr. Lobb and Mr. S. Maw called at the shop of Messrs. Hobbs and Co. , Cheapside , and asked for, and purchased, two of Hobbs' best patent protector locks, with different keys.

Each lock was accompanied by a label,

stating that " the peculiarity of these locks consists in the arrangement of the tumbler-stump, it being attached to a moveable piece that works under the bolt, thereby preventing the possibility of ascertaining the proper position of the tumblers, which renders the lock secure against picking. "

The locks were then taken to

Messrs. Liddiard and Co., Friday -street, where the bolt of one was locked out with its own key ; the lock was then enveloped in paper, and sealed with the seals of Messrs. Liddiard, Sheriff, and Lobb, the keyhole only being left open. This lock was placed in the hands of John Goater the same evening, who returned it picked (still sealed up as when given to him) on Wednesday, the 15th of February. The second lock was then sealed in the same manner by Dr. Lobb, Mr. Copeland, and Mr. Arthur Lobb. This was delivered into John Goater's hands at nine o'clock on Thursday morning, who picked and returned it (sealed as when given to him) at three o'clock the same afternoon. *

The keys of

the first lock still remain sealed up in the custody of Mr. Sheriff, and those of the second in that of Mr. Arthur Lobb. Both these locks were fairly picked by the use of certain instruments, solely through the keyholes, and neither previously nor since has the undersigned John Goater seen either the keys or the interior of the locks.

* "It appears by Mr. Goater's own statement, that it occupied him six hours to pick one of our ordinary drawer locks, having the lock in his own workshop, with all his instruments prepared." --Messrs. Hobbs and Co.

715

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

" We, the undersigned, append our signatures to vouch for the truth of the above statement, so far as each of us is concerned therein.

" S. MAW, 11, Aldersgate-street. " J. M. COPELAND, 2 , Vernon -place, Bloomsbury-square. " WILLIAM LOBB, 12, Aldersgate -street. " G. W. SHERIFF, 61 , Friday-street. " W. LIDDIARD, 61 , Friday-street. 666 ARTHUR LOBB, Stock Exchange. " JOHN GOATER, 14, St. James's - walk.'

" In order to show there was no unfairness in the way I picked these locks, I explained the manner in which it was done to Mr. Carpmael, of Lincoln's-inn, and on Friday last Mr. Carpmael purchased a lock at Mr. Hobbs ' shop, which he sealed up and gave to me ; this I picked the same afternoon. " It was not my intention to have explained the manner which I adopted in picking these ' unpickable American locks,' but upon second consideration, the plan being so simple, easy, and certain in its results, and knowing that the fact of their having been picked would set so many to try their hands at it, that it was sure to be discovered, induced me to alter my mind ; therefore I described one of the methods at the Institution of Civil Engineers on Tuesday last ; it simply consists in the application of a piece of watch-spring and two common picks. " I am, Sir, your obedient servant, " JOHN GOATER. " 14, St. James's -walk, Feb. 23, 1854," The following is the reply of Mr. Hobbs , in the same paper of the 25th of February : " To the Editor of the Morning Advertiser. " Sir,-Amongst the advertisements in the Morning Advertiser of the 24th instant is a statement by Mr. Goater, foreman of Messrs. Chubb's establishment, which is calculated to convey to the public so erroneous an impression as to the security of the

716

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

'Patent American Lock,' that I deem it incumbent on me, in selfdefence, to state explicitly the true facts of the case, and the only legitimate conclusions to be drawn from them. " At a recent meeting of the Institution of Civil Engineers, after describing the peculiar advantages of my patent moveable stump lock, I took the opportunity of pointing out certain defects which I had discovered in its construction, which rendered it possible in the common till or drawer lock to introduce a piece of watch-spring, so as to fix the moveable stump or protector, and thus convert the lock into a mere ordinary tumbler or Chubb lock. Of course I made no secret of the fact, that so soon as this was accomplished there was no longer any difficulty in picking it.

I

stated further, that upon discovering these defects in my own locks-which I had thus pointed out- I had lost no time in adopting such improvements in its construction as would effectually obviate them . These improvements I described to the meeting, and drew attention to some locks so constructed, which were then lying on the table. " After I had thus openly explained the defect of a certain small class of my own locks, and the means by which these defects were now effectually removed, it was triumphantly announced to the meeting by Mr. Chubb that Mr. Goater had actually succeeded in picking that identical class of locks, and in the identical manner that I had already described. But more, or rather much less even than this, it must be understood that the locks thus picked by Mr. Chubb's foreman, instead of being properly fastened to a drawer or box, were simply enveloped in paper, thus having the end of the bolt exposed so that a pressure could be applied by the hand, instead of requiring any instrument in the keyhole, as would be the case whenever the locks were really in use. " And because Mr. Goater has thus achieved the very humble feat of bearing practical witness to the truth of what I stated only in words, the public are led to infer that he has proved the 6 whole of my locks, including the Unpickable American Lock,'

LOCK CONTROVERSY. as insecure as their own.

717

I say as their own, for it must be

borne in mind that this wonderful triumph of Mr. Goater amounts simply to this- that through an oversight in the construction of a small class of my locks, he succeeded in so fixing the moveable stump that the lock became precisely the same as the ordinary Chubb or tumbler locks. " I am, Sir, your obedient Servant, " A. C. HOBBS . " 97, Cheapside, February 24, 1854." The second letter from Mr. Goater is from the Morning Advertiser, February 27th . " To the Editor of the Morning Advertiser. " Sir,-In replying to my letter to you in which I announced my picking the " Unpickable American Locks," Mr. Hobbs has thought fit, in his advertisement in reply, to drag the firm of Chubb and Son into the discussion. Allow me, Sir, to say that they are not parties in the matter.

The question is-Have I picked the Hobbs' locks or not ? He owns that I have done so, but he insinuates that it was after he took the opportunity

of pointing out certain defects which he had discovered in their This, Sir, is simply untrue. I picked Hobbs' locks eighteen months ago. Again, he says—' I made no secret of the fact, and lost no time in adopting such improvements in construction.'

its construction as would effectually obviate them.'

Then, why did he not mention the insecurity of his locks in his lecture at the first meeting, and why did he then say that they were secure ? And why did he delay hinting at the insecurity of his locks until he knew that some of them had been picked by me ? Nobody better knew the worthless character of the locks than Hobbs ' himself. Such a notoriously clever lock-picker as Mr. Hobbs must have well known how easily they can be picked. Mr. Hobbs now questions the mode in which I picked his Unpickable American Locks.' At the meeting of the Civil Engineers he admitted, over and over again, the fairness of the whole proceeding. This is another of his after-thoughts.

718

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

" As a practical lockmaker, I assert that the principle of Hobbs' locks is bad and worthless ; and I do not care what alteration he may make in it, I will pick them as easily as before. As to the locks which I picked, I simply chose locks sold by him as unpickable ; but I can pick all forms and sizes, and the larger the better ; and if fixed, still it makes not a bit of difference. I beg also to say that the pressure on the bolt was applied through the keyhole only .

Now I would ask, Sir, what reliance the

public can place on the promised improvement in locks, by a man coming from America to condemn the English locks, and who sells a very inferior article to those he condemns, some of them only taking one minute and a half to pick ? In short, his ten shilling American locks are but a little better than a one shilling BirAgain, on Tuesday week, he said his locks were perfect ; but, as I have before said, the next Tuesday, having ascertained my movements, he acknowledged defects. mingham lock.

" In conclusion, Hobbs' locks have been picked-the bubble is burst- and let him blow as many more as he likes, they will all share the same fate. I have not yet done with Mr. Hobbs. It was under great and un- English provocation I drew the sword, but having done so, I have thrown away the scabbard. JOHN GOATER. " Yours, & c., " 14, St. James's Walk, February 25, 1854." In reply to the above, the following letter and challenge appeared on the 28th :" To the Editor of the Morning Advertiser. " Sir, -In reply to Mr. Goater's letter in the Morning Advertiser of to-day, I shall simply refer, for the truth of the statement made by me on the 24th instant, to the printed official minutes of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Perhaps it may be as well to

state that the lock claimed to have been picked was not, as Mr. Goater would have the public believe,

The American Lock, ' nor

" The supposed contradiction is explained by the fact that the remarks related to two different locks."-Messrs. Hobbs and Co.

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

was it in any respect similar in its construction.

719

It was simply a

lock constructed to be secure for all ordinary purposes, without materially increasing its cost. That Mr. Goater picked this lock eighteen months ago, and kept it a profound secret until the present moment will hardly be credited after the feeling he has displayed in his letters on the subject. "But in order to give him an opportunity of proving his boast that he will pick all and any of my ' Unpickable American Locks , ' notwithstanding any alterations that I can make, I beg to inform him that one of my ' Unpickable American Locks,' without additions, alterations, or improvements, shall be submitted to him, upon any terms, and for any length of time that shall be agreed to by a committee appointed for that purpose ; and the sum of 200 guineas shall be deposited in their hands by me, to be paid to him in the event of his picking the lock. " I am, Sir, yours, & c., " A. C. HOBBS . " 97, Cheapside, February 27, 1854."

"To Mr. Goater, in the employ of Messrs. Chubb and Son. 66 Sir,-There are, in the employment of Messrs. Hobbs and Co. , fifty skilful English mechanics, part locksmiths and part machinists, who, having read your bombastic advertisement in this journal of yesterday, come forward to rescue the article of our production (the protector lock) from the very sweeping condemnations you have thought fit to pass upon it. We wish to fix your attention to one point only at present, and that is, you affirm that you can pick Mr. Hobbs ' protector lock with any alteration he may make: very well, then, you shall try; for we, the fifty workmen of Messrs. Hobbs and Co., give you the following challengeto pick this simple lock for £50, subject to regulations that may be agreed upon by a committee of five gentlemen ; and in order that you shall not give us trouble for nothing, one condition is that you shall deposit £50 likewise, so that if you attempt to pick the lock and fail, we, the fifty men of Messrs. Hobbs and Co.,

720

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

shall have the £ 50 deposited by you.

Should you not think fit

to accept this challenge, which, be it remembered, is given in connexion with the true meaning of your advertisement in this paper of Monday, the 27th of February, we hereby give you notice that the omission shall be duly noticed, with additional points, from your advertisement before referred to . Anxious for a reply, we

beg to remain, 66 Your very humble servants, " THE WORKMEN OF MESSRS. HOBBS & Co.

" 97, Cheapside, 27th Feb., 1854."

The following

extracts

will

show

how con-

siderable was the public interest excited by this incident in the Lock Controversy.

" LOCKS AND LOCK PICKING. -The workmen of Mr. Hobbs, the well-known lock manufacturer, have set a novel example of combination, which is somewhat remarkable at the present moment. A rumour having become current that the locks of their employer were as subject to the tampering touch of the ' pick ' as that of most others, they, considering themselves and their skill compromised in the charge, have offered to deposit £50 against the like amount, to be forfeited on either side, in the event of any person fairly picking the American lock. This is in addition to 200 guineas offered by Mr. Hobbs for a similar result.” —The Sun of Tuesday Evening, Feb. 28, 1854.

" THE LOCK CONTROVERSY.- Mr . Hobbs , the patentee of the American lock, in reply to some charges recently made against the security of that piece of mechanism, has offered 200 guineas to any one who can accomplish this task. It would further seem that the amor propre of the artisans in Mr. Hobbs ' employ - some fifty in number, all British workmen— has been touched by the assertion of Mr. Goater, and they have entered an independent challenge for £50 against his picking the locks of their workmanship under this patent." -The Globe of February 28, 1854.

721

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

" THE LOCKS OF ENGLAND AND AMERICA. -It would appear, from a paper war now going on, that the lock question of 1851 is again open, a champion for the defeated manufacturers of that period having entered the lists. Mr. Hobbs, against whom the lance is poised, has accepted the gage, and with it has offered to reward the valiant knight with 200 guineas if he fairly sustains his menace . Nor are the large body of artisans who work for Mr. Hobbs silent spectators of the melée, but have undertaken, through the columns of the Advertiser, to wager £50 on the issue being in favour of their chief.”—The Standard of March 2, 1854. The Morning Advertiser of March 1st contained the following from Mr. John Goater :" HOBBS' LOCKS PICKED. " To Mr. A. C. Hobbs, and my very humble servants, the Workmen of Messrs. Hobbs and Co. ' 66 Gentlemen,-' Catch a Weasel asleep.'

" I am, Gentlemen, yours very truly, 66 JOHN GOATER, " The picker of four of Hobbs' Locks, all warranted by " Mr. Hobbs as ' secure against picking.' " 14, St. James's Walk, February 28, 1854."

The following concluding letter from the workmen in the employ of Messrs.

Hobbs and Co.

appeared in the Advertiser of March 4th, 1854 :" HOBBS' LOCKS . " To the Editor of the Advertiser. " Sir,

Mr. Goater, in the employ of Messrs. Chubb and Son,

has publicly boasted that he could with the greatest ease pick any of Hobbs' patent protector locks, notwithstanding the improvements. which Mr. Hobbs has added for their more perfect security. Feeling satisfied, as practical workmen employed in the manufacture of these locks, that he was unable to make his boast good, 2 x

722

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

we offered at our own risk to take him at his word, and stake £50 on the issue. " Mr. Goater, with an assumption of dignity rather inconsistent with his position, declines this fair and open challenge from workmen employed like himself, and like him, of course, personally interested in the value and reputation of the locks they are engaged in manufacturing ; and as he thus refuses the opportunity we have offered him of establishing beyond dispute what he has so freely and so easily asserted, we feel perfectly satisfied in now leaving the result with the public, assuring him, however, that 6 should it be necessary to select a champion to maintain the character of English locksmiths against American (or even native) misrepresentations, ' we, as members of that body, will hope to find one not only ready to correct the errors of others, but with sufficient candour to acknowledge merit, and honourably confess to a fair defeat.

" We remain, Sir, " Your obedient Servants, " THE WORKMEN OF MESSRS. HOBBS AND CO. "97, Cheapside, March 3, 1854." The next lock-picking have now to

notice

is

experiment which we

one of considerable im-

portance, and is the only unsuccessful public one which has resulted from Mr. Hobbs ' manipulations . The circumstances which led to it, and the incidents connected therewith, are so fully described in the reports from the Manchester Guardian, ( which we shall insert at length) that we have but little to state in addition thereto .

(From the Manchester Guardian of Saturday, April 29, 1854. ) "Circumstances, which may be gathered from the following statement, led Mr. Edwin Cotterill, of Birmingham, the patentee

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

723

of a safety lock called ' The Patent Climax Detector Lock,' to challenge Mr. A. C. Hobbs (who picked the Bramah locks and those of Messrs. Chubb and Son) to pick his lock, offering to pay him fifty guineas if he succeeded within the time specified. After much correspondence, it was finally agreed that the lock to be subjected to this clever picker should be one upon an iron chest, sold some months since to Mr. B. Fothergill, consulting engineer, of this city. As the lock and key had been for some time out of Mr. Cotterill's possession, it was agreed that the patentee should be allowed to take the lock off in the presence of Mr. Fothergill, and minutely examine it, and then re-affix the lock to the door of the safe. This having been done, a meeting of a few gentlemen was held at Mr. Fothergill's offices, Queen's Chambers, on Thursday morning week, for the purpose of making the requisite arrangements for carrying out the test. Besides Mr. Cotterill and Mr. Hobbs, there were present Mr. Richard Roberts, C.E., Mr. Fothergill, C.E. , Mr. Charles Beyer, M.E. , Mr. J. F. Roberts, Mr. Harland (of the Manchester Guardian), and Mr. Morris.

The agreement, written and signed in duplicate, was

then read over, and it was fully assented to on both sides. It stated that Mr. Cotterill had done to the lock, in the presence of Mr. Fothergill, just what the agreement authorised and no more. Mr. Cotterill then named Mr. Roberts as the gentleman to remain with Mr. Hobbs during the visit he was to be allowed to make to the lock, for the purpose of taking measurements from the outside of the keyhole for adjusting his instrument by which to pick the lock.

This operation commenced at 11'6 a.m. on Thursday ;

at 11.15 Mr. Hobbs removed the nozzle-drop ; and he concluded taking measurements at 12:24 p.m., thereby occupying one hour and eighteen minutes in this visit to the lock, having the remainder of the day to make any alteration in the instruments he thought necessary, and this was granted in addition to the twenty-four hours allowed for actual operation.

The outer brass shield of the

lock was then carefully sealed up by Mr. Roberts, so that the lock

2x2

724

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

could not be subjected to any further experiment till that should be authorised. " Yesterday (Friday ) morning, at half-past ten, the gentlemen already named re-assembled at Mr. Fothergill's offices, together with Mr. Salt, secretary of the Liverpool Polytechnic Society, Mr. Weild, engineer, and Mr. Morris, a reporter. Again the agreement was read over, and it was intimated that the words 6 one entire day' must be construed as twenty-four consecutive hours. Mr. Hobbs said he had made his instrument and was ready to begin .

Mr. Cotterill drew a cheque on the Birmingham

Banking Company for £ 52 10s., payable to Mr. Hobbs or bearer, and handed it to Mr. Richard Roberts. Mr. Hobbs then said that he wished to observe that this challenge was not of his own seeking.

At the Great Exhibition of 1851 he was challenged by

Mr. Cotterill to pick his lock, and if he had thought that it was at all different in principle from those of Bramah or Chubb, he would have tested it ; but thinking it to be much the same as Bramah's, he declined the challenge.

Then his name was put

forth in Mr. Cotterill's circulars and advertisements to the effect that he had been fairly challenged to pick the lock, and had declined. This went on for some time ; till he (Mr. Hobbs) reading a paper on locks at the Society of Arts, he had referred amongst others to Mr. Cotterill's lock, not with any view of calling him out.

On this Mr. Cotterill again challenged him,

and he again declined ; and his name was again put in Mr. Cotterill's window as not daring to test his lock.-[Mr. Cotterill said that what was stated was-" Mr. Hobbs has declined my challenge."] - He did not wish to test the lock ; but he had certainly felt annoyed by his name being thus used, and at length, when Mr. Fothergill wrote to him, he took up the challenge ; believing that otherwise his name would be again held up as shrinking from the test.

He wanted everything during this trial

to be perfectly smooth and pleasant ; he would throw aside all feeling of annoyance, and ask the gentlemen present to look upon the matter simply as the solving of a mechanical problem.

725

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

Whether he succeeded or not, everything he did should be made public ; the instrument he would use should be shown , and its application to the lock ; nothing should be concealed ; and he hoped everything would be conducted with the best feeling and understanding. — Mr. Cotterill said that Mr. Hobbs had represented him as acting upon the offensive.

This he must deny ; he

was merely upon the defensive. Mr. Hobbs had spoken in disparagement of his lock ; had called it a Bramah lock, as if there was no difference, and said it could be easily picked.

His only

object was to prevent these statements being injurious to his reputation as the patentee of this lock, and to prove its security. As Mr. Hobbs had publicly spoken of the ease with which he could violate the lock, he thought it the best method to give him the opportunity of doing so. Rumour was sometimes stronger than truth ; and what Mr. Hobbs had positively stated would be believed extensively, and he was aware that what he had stated was working to his (Mr. Cotterill's ) injury ; therefore he felt it imperative upon him to bring his lock and Mr. Hobbs to the test. He offered him a handsome inducement ; and if Mr. Hobbs was convinced that the lock was in substance a Bramah's, why it would be so much the easier for him to operate upon it. Mr. Hobbs, as a maker of locks himself, must influence the business of others and his own by showing the insecurity of other locks ; for he was thus in a great measure and by implication proving the security of his own. For these reasons he felt bound to challenge him ; and when Mr. Hobbs declined that challenge, he thought it legitimate to let the public know he had declined.

He had never

spoken one word disrespectfully of Mr. Hobbs ; he had merely stated facts ; he had published his own letter and Mr. Hobbs' reply ; he had offered no comment of his own, and he did not see that Mr. Hobbs had any real ground for feeling annoyed. — Mr. Fothergill explained that, happening to attend one evening a meeting of the Institution of Civil Engineers, he heard Mr. Hobbs read a paper on locks, in the course of which he named Mr. Cotterill's lock.

He (Mr. Fothergill) meeting Mr. Cotterill

726

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

at Birmingham shortly after, to pay him for the safe with his patent lock now to be experimented upon, told him what Mr. Hobbs had said.

This led to the challenge : he had been a medium of

communication between them, and it was at length agreed that the lock on this safe should be the one subjected to the test. Mr. Cotterill said that that safe had been sold and delivered some months, and before he had ever dreamed of Mr. Hobbs making experiments upon it ; therefore it would be seen at once that it was not a lock which was made for the purpose of resisting any such extraordinary operations. When Mr. Hobbs had referred to his lock at the Institution of Civil Engineers would be between two and three months ago. " All preliminaries having been amicably settled, Mr. Roberts broke the wax round the lock, which having been repeatedly locked and unlocked with the key, was finally locked, and the two keys were sealed up by Mr. Roberts, and delivered into the hands of Mr. Cotterill, to prevent any access to them. Mr. Hobbs produced a small rod, which he had used in taking measurements the preceding day.

The lock has twelve radiating

slides, and as these marked the sides of the rod, he filed away the marks till he got a sort of model for his instrument.

This pick-

lock (which must have occupied some days in constructing ) was the most ingenious tool of the kind we ever saw ; consisting of a series of twelve radiating iron needles or wires , with screw ends, which could be gently inserted, and each in turn carefully propelled forward till it reached the requisite point. Where it did not at once act, as was most usually the case, a little filing was applied where its smoked surface showed that it impinged on the Before beginning, Mr. Hobbs, by means of an slide within. instrument, raised the nozzle-drop, which is to guard the interior of the lock against burglarious efforts. " Mr. Hobbs commenced to use his instrument at five minutes after eleven a.m. yesterday, and for many hours applied himself diligently to his task, advancing but slowly in the adjusting of needle after needle to the requisite length and form. At five

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

727

o'clock, after he had been engaged about six hours, he was still quietly seated before the chest, occasionally poking in this instrument ; and we understand that with the exception of ten minutes or a quarter of an hour for some slight refreshment, he had remained steadily at his work throughout the day.

At 8 o'clock

Mr. Hobbs left the room for atime, to get some tea ; he returned at a quarter before nine, and soon afterwards resumed his efforts. About a quarter before ten o'clock this instrument broke, or became unsoldered ; and accompanied by Mr. Weild, with some difficulty, he succeeded in inducing a watch-maker in Salford to solder it. He returned a few minutes before eleven o'clock and resumed his labours .

There remained in the room with him, but

not near him, Messrs. Richard Roberts and J. F. Roberts, Mr. Weild, and Mr. Cotterill. He appeared determined to continue his efforts throughout the night, and said he should not work after eleven on Saturday morning ; when the twenty-four hours allowed for the trial will have elapsed." (From the Manchester Guardian of Wednesday, May 3, 1854. ) " In the Guardian of Saturday, we gave an account of the challenge by Mr. Edwin Cotterill, of Birmingham, patentee of "The Patent Climax Detector Lock,' to Mr. A. C. Hobbs, the celebrated American locksmith- whose picking of Bramah's and Chubb's locks created so great a sensation during the Great Exhibition-to pick that lock within one entire day of twenty-four consecutive hours,' and, if successful, Mr. Cotterill bound himself to pay him fifty guineas ; ifunsuccessful, all Mr. Cotterill required was to receive from a committee of gentlemen, appointed to witness the experimental test, a certificate to that effect. In our last, we published an agreement signed in duplicate by Mr. Cotterill and Mr. Hobbs, and described the commencement of the experiment and the progress supposed to have been made by Mr. Hobbs from Friday forenoon at 11.5 up to the same hour on Friday night-being just twelve hours, or half the time allotted for the experiment.

In a later edition of our Saturday's paper,

728

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

we briefly stated the fact of Mr. Hobbs having failed to open the lock within the twenty-four hours. We now briefly sketch the proceedings during the latter half of that time, and those attending the subsequent examination of the lock.

In the third edition

of Saturday's paper we stated that Mr. Hobbs said he had succeeded in lifting or raising ten of the twelve slides which the lock contains ; but this was subsequently proved to be an involuntary error of Mr. Hobbs' . He might have raised ten slides a certain portion of the distance necessary ; but it was clear that he had not raised one of them sufficiently, and that if he had even forced eleven of them into the proper position, the lock could not have been opened. Indeed, if all had been raised by his ingenious instrument, in turn, he could not have opened the lock, which will yield to nothing but a simultaneous action on all the twelve slides at once, and this could only be effected by the legitimate key. "We stated that up to eleven o'clock on Friday night Mr. Hobbs continued his efforts to open the lock ; four gentlemen remaining at the other end of the room, so as not to disturb him by over close and inquisitive inspection of his labours.

These

gentlemen were Mr. Richard Roberts , C.E., and his son , Mr. J. F. Roberts ; Mr. Weild, mechanical engineer ; and Mr. Edwin Cotterill, the patentee of the lock under the trial ; the other gentlemen having retired for the night. After having got his lockinstrument soldered, Mr. Hobbs resumed his labours a few minutes before eleven o'clock on Friday night.

After continuing before

the lock till 12:30 ( midnight), he said he would go and recruit himself by a few hours' sleep, and would resume his work at five in the morning. and went to bed.

He accordingly proceeded to the Royal Hotel, The four gentlemen remained in Mr. FotherHe was

gill's offices, Queen's Chambers, awaiting his return.

back at his post a little earlier than the time named, and recommenced his labours at 4:26 a.m. , Saturday. At 7:45 a.m. he again suspended his operations for further rest and breakfast ; and he once more sat down before the hitherto impregnable lock at 9.20 a.m. A few minutes before the expiration of the twenty-

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

729

four hours, he quietly arose, and said, ' The lock's yours ; I give it up .' The committee having reassembled, Mr. Hobbs repeatedly said he had not succeeded, and that all that remained was to have the lock taken off and examined .

Mr. Cotterill produced the

sealed packet containing the two keys for the lock; both these were tried, and the lock was opened, and found both to lock and unlock freely; thus proving first that Mr. Hobbs, in his operations, had not injured the interior ; and, second, that no accidental obstruction had resulted during his experiment, so as to raise up an unexpected obstacle to his success. Mr. Cotterill's workman was then called in , and in the presence of the committee and the two parties to the trial, and several witnesses, took off the lock, and, removing the inner plate, revealed the whole of its construction ; so as to show that it was no little addition introduced for the occasion, but the construction of the lock itself, which had baffled the ingenuity of Mr. Hobbs. A few moments examination sufficed to reveal to him that this latter was the fact. There were two obstacles, either of which would singly have defeated his attempt, but combined, they rendered the actual difficulty inOne of these was a detector. Mr. Hobbs next superable. examined another and still more formidable obstacle to his success, consisting of an outer ring of steel round the circular brass lock; and every slide on being pushed, by key or instrument, from the centre to the periphery, at first impinges on this external steel ring ; but on increasing the pressure applied simultaneously by the regular key to all the twelve slides, they force themselves, by means of a sloping or bevilled edge, into a groove in this outer ring, and till all the slides do this at once, the lock cannot be opened. -Mr . Hobbs examined this portion of the construction very carefully, and then said : ' Really it is very ingenious.

I believe it to be a regular, fair, commercial lock,

and I really think it is a very pretty arrangement, and I think great credit is due to Mr. Cotterill. time, and never overcome it.'

A man might work a life-

Mr. Hobbs was then asked (after

he had minutely examined the internal part of the lock) whether

730

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

he would again encounter with the lock upon the same terms ? He answered, no ; adding, that if allowed a month, he could not accomplish the task. After some further examination and conversation, Mr. Hobbs, turning to Mr. Cotterill, said: " Well, you will make the most of this in trade, and you have a perfect right to do so ; but, at the same time, I hope we shall not have any personalities.'-Mr. Cotterill : ' Mr. Hobbs, I confess I think there has been a little aggression on your part ; but I dislike personalities as much as any one, and I hope we shall part friends .'- Mr. Hobbs : ' I have never made any attack on you. I have described your lock in public and private, as I have seen it, and as I saw it at the Great Exhibition.

This lock [ one of Mr. Cotterill's earlier make, which Mr. Hobbs had bought and experimented upon, and made his instrument by, ] was bought within six months ; and as such I have described that lock.'—Mr. Cotterill : ' I could pick a Bramah lock in a minute ; I have tried to pick my own, and failed ; and, as its inventor, if it had weak points, I may be supposed to have known them. The lock I make now I consider inviolable, and I shall take my stand upon it ; for I may now say that it is a practical impossibility to pick my commercial lock.'— Mr. Hobbs : ' I was just as near picking it when I first put the instrument in yesterday, as I was at the last moment.'-Mr. Cotterill then expressed his acknowledgments to the gentlemen of high mechanical knowledge and skill, who had given their valuable time and attention to this experiment, and whose sanction was so high an authority with the general public ; one which none would attempt to gainsay. Much had been said against his lock ; but he could offer no better proof of its character than that it had passed the severe ordeal of Mr. Hobbs' manipulation during so many hours. He felt that Mr. Hobbs had in this instance acted very handsomely, in making the admission that the lock was a good one, and that if he had tried for a month he should not have succeeded. He hoped that in these contests every man would try to rise higher, and not to drag others down to a low level. He thought his lock had now that security about

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

731

it as to demonstrate that it was much easier to take care of money than to get it; and he hoped the commercial community of Manchester would, therefore, give him a share of their patronage.Mr. Hobbs : ' It is said, " Let him laugh who [ Laughter. ] wins ;" but here, I think we are all winners. Mr. Cotterill wins reputation for his lock ; and I have won something, for I have learned something by it.'-Mr. Cotterill then said that Mr. Hobbs had been kind enough to offer him the same privilege to test his (Mr. Hobbs') lock upon [ we think] a three-inch scale. He had declined accepting that challenge for himself ; but, if Mr. Hobbs had no objection, he would accept it for his young man, reserving to himself the privilege of constructing the instruments only. Mr. Hobbs said he had no objection whatever. " Mr. Cotterill having requested the committee to furnish him with the certificate stipulated for in the written agreement, the following was hastily drawn up, read over to both parties and to the committee, and when Mr. Cotterill, Mr. Hobbs, and the committee had expressed their full approval of it, it was signed by the committee and by other gentlemen who had been more or less witnesses of the experiment :" Queen's Chambers, Manchester, April 29, 1854. " We, the undersigned, being the committee appointed to see that the " Patent Climax Dectector Lock " of Mr. Edwin Cotterill, of Birmingham, should be fairly subjected to the manipulation of Mr. A. C. Hobbs, of London, during twenty-four consecutive hours, to be picked or opened by him, with an instrument or instruments constructed by him or for him for the purpose- do hereby declare that the experiment has been fairly tried, during the time, and under the conditions of the written agreement in duplicate, signed by the respective parties ; and that Mr. Hobbs has failed to pick the lock, and has declared that it is a very ingenious one, and that if he had tried to pick it for a month, he should have failed .

" RICHD. ROBERTS, C.E. " C. BEYER, M.E.

J. HARLAND. THOS. MORRIS .

732

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

666 Signed in the presence of us, who have also witnessed the

experiment, " BENJN. FOTHERGILL, C.E. " W. WEILD, M.E. " PETER J. LIVSEY, C. E. " J. F. ROBERTS .' "The experiment having thus terminated, and the greatest good feeling prevailing, Mr. Cotterill invited Mr. Hobbs, the committee, and other gentlemen, expecially the four who had remained in the room (with the exception of a short absence for refreshment) during the twenty-four hours, to partake of luncheon, at the Clarence Hotel. This invitation was accepted, and a very pleasant afternoon ensued.

Amongst the toasts were 'The

Queen ;'

The President of the United States ;' The Committee ;' 'Mr. Cotterill;' ' Mr. Hobbs ;' ' Mr. Richard Roberts,' C.E.; Mr.

Benjamin Fothergill,' consulting engineer ;

Mr. Bennet Wood-

croft,' of the Great Seal Patent Office ; ' The Press,' &c."

In this experiment Mr. Hobbs had evidently miscalculated the chances of opening the lock .

It

is only fair to state that it was not a test lock, as it had been sold in the regular way of trade, affixed to the door of an iron safe, some months prior to the experiment being made.

That it was a better

and a more secure lock than the earlier locks made by Mr. Cotterill must also be admitted .

By referring

to the description of Cotterill's lock at page 489 , the action of " the ring " will be understood ; and a drawing of a similar instrument to the one used by Mr. Hobbs in the experiment will be found on page 314, the only difference being that the former is suitable only for a lock with six slides, whilst

733

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

Mr. Hobbs' pick was constructed for the lock in question, which had twelve slides. *

In operating upon a Cotterill's lock with this instrument, the sliding wires ( e, fig. 136 ) are first all set free.

It is then inserted in the lock, and

pressure is applied to feel which of the slides bind , when such slide is forced into its true position by the wire in connexion with it, and so on with the remainder.

The manipulation requires a firm as .

well as a great delicacy of touch.

We are not sur-

prised that Mr. Hobbs did not succeed in picking the lock. Many of the remarks made in reference to the Bramah lock equally apply to this one.

We admit

that a badly-made Cotterill lock is not difficult to pick by a clever lock-picker with an instrument similar to fig. 136 ; but a lock with twelve slides and well made, containing both the " ring" and the " double click," we consider sufficiently inviolable for any purpose for which a lock may be required . We have shewn in the course of the work how Bramah's , Chubb's, and Cotterill's locks had been subjected to the severe trial of being operated upoǹ by Mr. Hobbs, who is acknowledged to be one of the most ingenious and clever engineers of the day, and the result of his manipulations in respect to each of them ; and also how Hobbs' protector lock * This ingeniously constructed " universal pick " is at this time in our possession, and it shews the marks of the repairs referred to in the report of the proceedings.

734

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

had been picked by Mr. Goater.

We now come to

the affair of Goater's tampering with the defiance lock

of Parnell

and

Puckridge at the

Crystal

Palace, Sydenham, which will form a contrast to the honourable and open course pursued by Mr. Hobbs in respect to his experiments with the locks before described. It would appear that at the opening of the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, in 1854 , Messrs. Parnell and Puckridge, like many other manufacturers, rented space in the building for the purpose of exhibiting their locks and other goods. Amongst the former was a " Defiance " lock, with a label attached thereto in the usual way, offering a reward of two hundred guineas to any one who should fairly pick it, and a pamphlet was circulated containing the terms and conditions of such trial.

The

lock was a twelve-inch one-sided rim dead lock, very strongly made, and with the cap‐plate perforated so as to shew the working parts of the interior, and sufficiently open to allow the hand to pass through .

It would further appear from the

evidence given at the trial which resulted from Goater's conduct, and from Lord Campbell's charge to the jury, that Mr. Goater, who was then a foreman in the employ of Messrs. Chubb and Son, of St. Paul's Churchyard, did in the absence of Messrs. Parnell and Puckridge, and without notice to them, and before and after the hours when the Crystal Palace was open to the public, clandestinely get

735

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

access to the lock, possessed himself of it, and made a key to it.

When the trick was sufficiently ripe

for execution, he ( Goater) addressed to Messrs . Parnell and Puckridge the following letter : 66

Saturday, August 5th, 1854. "Gentlemen,-I beg to acquaint you that I am prepared to put the bolt of your lock back this 5th day of August; and hope to meet you at the Crystal Palace this morning, between the hours of eleven and twelve of the clock. "I am, Gentlemen, "Your obedient servant, "J. GOATER.

"To Messrs. Parnell and Puckridge."

Messrs . Parnell and Puckridge having discovered that the lock had been tampered with, refused to submit that particular lock to Goater to experiment upon, but proposed to send to their depôt in the Strand for another similar in all respects, which was to be screwed on to a door suited to the purpose ; and after adjusting the usual preliminaries, Goater was to be allowed to commence operations. proposal was declined by Mr. Goater ;

This

when, to

prevent any misunderstanding, the following notice was delivered to

him

by

Messrs.

Parnell and

Puckridge :-

" August 5th, 1854.

“ Mr. Goater, 66 Sir,-We beg to inform you, that we entirely ignore your proceedings in respect of the attempt to open our lock in our

736

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

absence, without due notice, and in defiance of the printed terms and conditions, laid down by us, of such trial ; and we hereby give you notice, that we are quite willing to submit a lock precisely similar to that with which you have experimented, for the purpose of attempting a similar experiment upon, provided that it be conducted in our presence, with due notice, and upon terms and conditions to be agreed ; and we shall be prepared to submit such a lock to you on Tuesday next, at one o'clock, p.m., in the Crystal Palace, in such a situation or position as may be determined . "We remain, Sir, yours, &c. "PARNELL & PUCKRIDGE. "

In accordance with the latter notice, Parnell and

Puckridge

attended

Messrs .

at the Crystal

Palace with the second lock and their friends ; and " Mr. Goater and the Messrs . Chubb were at their stand in the building, but did not come forward . " In two days afterwards Mr. Goater sent to Messrs . Parnell and Puckridge the following answer, which was inserted in the public papers : --" Parnell's Patent Lock Picked. " 6, White Lion Buildings, White Lion Street, Pentonville, " August 10, 1854. "Gentlemen, -On Saturday last I fairly picked your ‘ Patent Defiance and National Lock,' at the Crystal Palace, in the presence of several witnesses ; for picking which particular lock you affixed a label offering 200 guineas reward. I then and there again offered to pick the same lock in your presence, and before some hundreds of persons then present. " This offer you cowardly declined, and dishonourably refused to pay me, a working man, the reward I had earned ; and then you took away the lock and label amidst the groans and hootings of the spectators .

737

LOCK CONTROVERSY. 66

Mind, I do not decline your present challenge ; but until the 200 guineas you owe me are paid, either from your own sense of justice, or the compulsion of a verdict of a jury, I decline having anything to do with Messrs. Parnell and Puckridge. I confidently appeal to a host of gentlemen connected with the Crystal Palace Company, who were present on the occasion, for the truth of what I state.

" I am, Gentlemen, " Your obedient Servant, " JOHN GOATER. " Messrs. Parnell and Puckridge, 52, Strand." Messrs. Parnell and Puckridge replied to the above in the following letter, which was inserted in the

Daily

News and

Morning

Advertiser of

August 12th : -

66 Parnell's Patent Defiance Lock has not been picked, and is unpickable. " 52, Strand, August 11 , 1854. . Chubb and Son, Lockmakers. Messrs Goater, " To Mr. John 66 Sir,-Your very specious but lame reply to our challenge will not serve the purpose you desire. " What you assert and wish the public to believe you have

already done fairly, surely you can do again . You must admit that you did not even 6 put back the bolt' of our lock in our presence, much less ' pick the lock fairly' before us. 66 Why decline to pick any other lock than the one referred to by you ? which, be it remembered, had been without its coverplate, and unprotected in any manner, exposed openly upon our stand in the Crystal Palace for a considerable time, you and others having ready access thereto, if you chose to violate propriety and our exclusive rights by trespassing upon our property. Moreover, it was from off that particular lock that you admitted having broken the label referred to, not while operating on Satur2 Y

738

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

day morning (the time you stated you proposed to ' put back the bolt of our lock, ' not pick it), but previously to Friday morning,' for it was only upon Friday morning that we found that that lock had been removed from off our stand, opened, chipped, and scratched all over, bearing strong and unmistakeable evidence of having been opened and worked upon, and the label forcibly broken off from it, evidently with a view to render it more portable and the easier to be removed from our stand, or probably out of the building, without exciting observation. " That you broke the label off that lock was admitted by you. " That on Saturday, when we received your note at 10 o'clock, appointing 11 to 12 o'clock the same day, for the purpose, as you state (of putting back the bolt of ' your lock '), we believe we saw at once the explanation of the extraordinary state in which we found our lock on the previous day, and but for going to the Crystal Palace on Friday morning last, we might - in our confidence in the sacredness of our stand and the goods thereon after the hours at which the attendants leave, and before the usual hour of their admittance in the morning--have been in ignorance of ; and but for which we should have been ready to fall into your proposition and plan.

But upon entertaining the suspicion that

something most unfair had been practised upon us, and which suspicion we considered was confirmed afterwards, determined us to act only under advice, feeling that you were not, by your own admission, entirely free from the suspicion which we saw good reasons for entertaining, and we would ask any honourable and disinterested man if he does not agree with us that under those circumstances you were not in a position to persist in your attempt, and that we were justified in objecting thereto . We cannot but remember that the temptation of 200 guineas is great to any working man ; moreover that the opportunity of asserting even for a short time, and without regard to truth, that the Defiance lock had been picked, is probably a greater temptation to a rival patentee and lock manufacturer whose locks have been picked .

If you have no other object to serve than that which

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

739

you stated, why did you not rather accept the proposition that we should send to our shop in the Strand for the fellow lock, which you could not be charged with having tampered with, or making instruments representing the key, from having had access to the working parts of the lock ? and if you had succeeded in picking that lock, the matter would have been set at rest on Saturday last. This, we felt assured, would have been done by any competent person who had confidence in his ability to pick our patent Defiance lock. " In conclusion, we beg to remind you that our object is not an idle display or desire to figure unnecessarily in print. The extent of our business demands our whole time ; our object is to defend our property from unfair and improper attacks ; and our confidence, as well as that of the public generally in the high character of our locks, has been increased rather than diminished by your conduct towards us and our lock. " We are, Sir, your obedient Servants , " PARNELL AND PUCKRIDGE."

We extract the following from a pamphlet on this subject, published

by Messrs.

Parnell and

Puckridge : " The effrontery and indecency of this letter require no comment ; every man expresses himself in the language congenial to his temper and habits. " We were amazed at any person of character or respectability countenancing Mr. Goater in this attempt to cheat us of two hundred guineas . There were some who appeared to us to approve of his conduct, and who assisted, we understand, in aspersing us, and circulating injurious reports. " A very unfair and damaging notice of the proceedings having been furnished to the public papers by interested parties, our friends, seeing the inevitable tendency of any further discussion to degenerate into personal altercation, and fearing lest from the

2Y2

740

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

general persuasion of mankind, that where much is positively asserted something must be true, we might be injured in our business, advised us to require Mr. Goater to retract and apologise, and in default of his doing so to bring an action against him.

Mr. Goater having declined, on the contrary persisting in his injurious statements, we commenced proceedings at once. The case was tried at Guildhall, before Lord Chief

Justice Campbell and a special jury, on the 21st of December, 1854. The defence was rather remarkable. Mr. Goater, who was examined, told the jury he had not seen our notice requesting of the public not to touch the goods, nor our pamphlet (though we were distributing it generally at our stand) wherein we distinctly stated preliminaries should be settled with us, nor our printed preliminaries (which some days before his exploit one of his employers, Mr. Charles Chubb, procured from us at our depôt, 52, Strand). Of these Mr. Goater never heard. However unaccountable and suspicious it may seem, he saw nothing on our stand but the lock and label. None so blind as those who do not choose to see. The charge of his lordship on this part of the defence renders any comment from us superfluous. "He also attempted to persuade the jury he could pick any lock as well as ours, but after four months' preparation he alto-

gether failed to satisfy the jury either that he had fairly picked or could fairly pick our lock. Exposed as our lock was, any ordinary workman, provided with an uncut blank key, by removing the cover-plate and cylinder for a few minutes (and we are sure our lock was taken to pieces by some one) could complete a key in a few hours . A key could, without very much mechanical ingenuity or skill, be made to any lock under similar circumstances. " Even the clap-trap operation of making a key in open court to one of our small inferior locks was but a sham and a deception. This lock was in his possession for several months, and he had his supposed blank ready prepared, but which, with becoming gravity ofcourse, he passed through the ceremony of smoking at the candle. He might as well have dipped it in the Thames.

741

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

" If Mr. Goater could pick our lock by this simple process, how can any one give credit to certain stories about convicts, trained and skilled in all the mysteries of smoked blanks and skeleton keys, being offered a free pardon and a reward of £100 if successful in picking inferior lever locks, and after months spent at it, giving up the attempt.

( See Chubb's Pamphlet on Locks. )

Mr. Goater is a very clever and ingenious mechanic ; he prides himself on his powers of lock-picking . He showed very great ingenuity in picking some of Mr. Hobbs' Protector locks, before the late improvements in them . We are well aware of his capabilities ; and, in his assault on us, he had more than one motive to stimulate him to put forth his whole strength.

In case of

success, the honour and glory of crushing us- the advantage to his employers from an unwelcome competitor being pushed out of the way-and the premium of two hundred guineas ; and, in case of failure, damages, costs, and loss of character. He failed. If success were possible he would not have failed ."

The trial above referred to took place as stated, the following account of which we here copy from the Daily News of December 22 , 1854 : -

" COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, DECEMBER 21 .

66 Sittings at Nisi Prius at Guildhall, before Lord Campbell and Special Juries.-Parnell and another v. Goater-The Battle of the Locksmiths- Alleged Libel. " Sir F. Thesiger, Mr. Montagu Chambers, and Mr. Needham, appeared for the plaintiffs ; the Attorney- General and Mr. D. D. Keane represented the defendant. " This was an action for an alleged libel published in the Morning Advertiser, reflecting on the characters of the plaintiffs, the proprietors of a patent lock called " The Defiance Lock," brought by them against the defendant, as the writer of the article

complained

of, a workman

in the

employ

of the

742

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Messrs. Chubbs, the patent lockmakers, and who, it will be remembered, had succeeded in picking the lock constructed by Mr. Hobbs, the American. " The plaintiff, Mr. Parnell, stated that his firm had exhibited

their lock in the Crystal Palace, and appended to it a label offering a reward of 200 guineas to any one who should succeed in opening it. Goater, the defendant, superintended the stall kept in the Crystal Palace by the Messrs. Chubbs, and had therefore many opportunities of seeing the plaintiffs' lock. the 14th of July the defendant came to the plaintiff, and after some conversation remarked it was foolish to offer the reward, for they would surely have the Yankee- meaning Mr. Hobbsdown upon them, as he would do anything for money ; to which he had replied that any one was welcome to endeavour to pick the lock, subject to the preliminaries. Goater then went away. On the 4th of August, having gone to the Crystal Palace, he found that some one had been tampering with the lock. It had been misplaced ; the iron stay by which the label offering the reward was attached to the lock was broken, the skeleton coverplate had been removed, and had been but partly screwed on again, and there were marks of fingers and thumbs on the interior works. On the following day a note was sent by the defendant to plaintiff's shop, in which he stated he was prepared to pick the lock, and hoped they would meet him at half-past eleven that day. On receiving that note he went down to the Crystal Palace, where he arrived about half-past eleven, before the doors were open, as it was a Saturday. The defendant asked him if he had received a note from him . He replied he had, and asked him if he meant what he had written. The defendant said he did, and that he had prepared all his instruments for the purpose, on which the plaintiff observed that the lock had been previously tampered with. The defendant said he said broken off the label in getting out his He also said he wanted nothing for doing it, nor did he want to make it public, and that if the plaintiff would take the lock into Mr. Deane's room he would show him how he could instruments.

LOCK CONTROVERSY. pick it.

743

Mr. Charles Chubb subsequently said that Goater could

do it, and that he had himself found a way by which the lock could be made undeniably safe.

The plaintiff then said he did.

not believe that either Mr. Chubb or his man could pick the lock he had seen fairly ; on which Mr. Chubb replied—' By Ghis man do it four times.'

The plaintiff then said— ' They ought

to be ashamed of themselves ; for they had no right to touch the lock without observing the preliminaries. ' Mr. Puckridge, the other plaintiff, and Mr. W. Smith, C.E., then arrived, and Mr. Charles Chubb and Goater kept calling on them to allow Goater to try to pick the lock. The plaintiffs offered to have a lock brought from the Strand and put on a door, when Goater might attempt to pick it ; but that offer was declined. The lock was then wrapped up in paper, and sealed up. Goater then said— ' He had fairly picked the lock, and that they would not pay him the reward, and that he was prepared to do it again, but they would not let him.'

The plaintiffs had subsequently examined

the lock more closely, and found that some instruments had been used on the lock. There was also a spot of tallow grease on the inside.

The plaintiffs sent the defendant a notice that they repu-

diated his attempt ; but they were prepared to submit another lock for trial, and would attend at the Crystal Palace for that purpose on Tuesday, the 8th of August. They went to the Crystal Palace in pursuance of that notice, but neither the defendant nor Mr. Charles Chubb attended.

" Cross-examined. He had published two editions of a pamphlet descriptive of the lock ; the first edition was withdrawn on the 14th of July.

He had placed 500 copies of the second edition on the stand and in the safes which they exhibited in the Crystal Palace. He had told Mr. Deane that the conditions had not been complied with, and he said he did not know of any conditions. He had never examined the lock with a candle, and would swear positively that when it was put up in the Crystal Palace the spot of grease was not on it.

744

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

"Mr. Puckridge, the other plaintiff, was then called, and corroborated his partner's account of the interview with the defendant and Mr. Charles Chubb in the Crystal Palace. 66 Tebbutt, who had charge of the plaintiffs' stand in the Crytal Palace, proved that about ten o'clock one morning, about a fortnight before the 5th of August, he saw Goater and one of the firemen, named Perry, at the plaintiffs' stand.

After some

conversation about the reward, Goater got a chair, and touched the cylinder of the lock with something like a key. He was not up a second when he got down, and said he could pick that lock in six hours, but as he was a friend of Mr. Parnell's, he would not wish the witness to mention what he had said.

"Cross-examined-The defendant had advised the plaintiffs in a friendly way to take the lock down, for the offer would surely be taken up . He should say he had not seen any of the pamphlets containing the conditions on the title page prior to the 5th of August. " Mr. William Smith, C.E., was then called, and proved the state of the lock when it was examined in his presence, after it had been tampered with as alleged, and as to which he had given a certificate. "Mr. William Cooper, the superintendent of the Crystal Palace, deposed that, soon after ten o'clock on the morning of the 5th of August, the defendant expressed a wish that he should go to the stand of Mr. Parnell to see him open the lock, on which the witness asked if the parties belonging to the stand would be present. He said he had sent a boy with a letter, asking them to be present, but he wished him to see him do it before they came, as he had already opened it that morning. He then showed witness the key or instrument with which he had opened it, and which he said he had made in five hours. " The plaintiffs' foreman proved the state of the lock when it was first placed in the Crystal Palace, and the condition in which it was on its being examined by the plaintiffs and others.

745

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

" The printer's foreman deposed that 500 copies of the second edition of the pamphlet were delivered to the plaintiffs on the first of July. "A copy of the Morning Advertiser, containing the alleged libel which the defendant admitted he had written, was then put in evidence.

It ran as follows :-

[ See Goater's letter, dated August 10th, at page 736. ] "The Attorney-General, on behalf of the defendant , said that though he was only a workman, he might, like love, ' laugh at locksmiths ;' he would call him to prove that he had never removed the lock, or had acted in any way that was unfair ; and he would also show to the jury the very simple process which he had adopted, and by which he had succeeded in opening the much vaunted lock of the plaintiffs. " John Goater, the defendant, was then called.

He said he

had been for 27 years foreman to the Messrs. Chubb. Charles Chubb was not a partner.

Mr.

On the 27th of July, his

attention was first called to the lock in the Crystal Palace. There had previously been a smaller one there. Mr. Parnell never at any time gave him a pamphlet. He had told the plaintiff that either he or Hobbs would pick the little lock ; and he replied he had nothing to fear, as Hobbs had had it in his possession for eighteen months, and had failed. He never removed the lock from the plaintiffs' stall . He had never removed the cover -plate, nor had he unscrewed it . The defendant then exhibited to the jury the very simple but most ingenious process which he had adopted. He first took a small till lock manufactured by the plaintiffs, and measured the keyhole. He then obtained from a wooden model a blank key made of brass, which he blacked by means of a candle. He then inserted it, and the smut was removed in those places where each impediment met it, which portion was filed away, and the process having been repeated, a perfect key was obtained. The entire operation, including the filing of the key, occupied six minutes, and the defendant stated he could pick four locks in the same time, but he felt nervous on the present occasion .

746

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

" Mr. Chambers suggested that this lock had not the recent improvements. "The Attorney- General said that the defendant would pick the same lock that he had picked at the Crystal Palace, if they got an assurance that it was in the same condition as it then was. " The plaintiff said it was, with the exception of an alteration of one of the levers . " Lord Campbell-That may alter the whole. " Mr. Chambers - Why did you alter it? " The Plaintiff-To present it to him to pick on the Tuesday, if he could. ( Laughter. ) "Lord Campbell - Did you give him notice of the alteration ? "Plaintiff- We told him we should be prepared to meet him. (Laughter. ) "Lord Campbell ( to defendant)—Do you undertake to pick any lock ? "Defendant-I undertake to pick any lock- it is a matter of time. " Mr. Chambers - Can you pick your master's- Mr. Chubb`s lock ?

" Defendant- That is also a matter of time, but not so easily as I can Parnell's.

(Laughter.) " The defendant further stated that, on Thursday, he took the model, and on Friday he could have picked the lock, but the in-

strument required some trifling alteration, and on the following day he opened the lock in the presence of several persons employed in the Crystal Palace. He had broken the stay to the label accidentally, and had at once given information of it to Mr. Cooper, that the officials might not be blamed. " Cross -examined . —He had told Mr. Chubb that he intended to pick the plaintiffs' lock, but he had advised him not to do so. He then said to Mr. Chubb that if he prevented his trying he would leave him.

He had picked Hobbs' lock, which was wrapped

all up in paper, the keyhole only being exposed.

He spent five

747

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

or six hours in manufacturing the instruments, at a cost not exceeding 20s. altogether. the same process .

He could not pick Chubb's lock by

" Several of the employés in the Crystal Palace were then called, and proved that they had seen the defendant open the lock.

One of the witnesses stated there were only four firemen

in the Crystal Palace, and they who had the entire charge of the building were on duty for twenty-four hours at a time in rotation. Some of the witnesses said they saw no pamphlets on the plaintiffs ' stand.

" Scientific evidence on the subject of the similarity of the principle in the large and smaller lock having been given, " The Attorney-General summed up the defendant's evidence ; and " Mr. Chambers then replied on the entire case. " Lord Campbell, in summing up, said the question was not whether Mr. Parnell's lock was capable of being picked or not. If they thought it could be picked, that would entitle the defendant to their verdict.

He must say he thought the defendant had

not acted rightly in operating on the lock clandestinely and behind the backs of the plaintiffs. Having accepted the challenge, he should have given fair notice of his intention .

The first count

charged the defendant with breaking into the plaintiffs' stand in the Crystal Palace, and damaging their property ; to which he pleaded leave and license. On this point the jury would say whether the defendant was at that time aware of the pamphlet containing the conditions ; for, if so, he was bound to go to the plaintiffs ' depôt, and have the preliminaries settled, before he commenced operations on the lock. The second count charged the defendant with slandering the plaintiffs ; and the third charged a written libel.

They had the evidence of the plaintiff that the

lock was safe until the 4th of August, when he discovered it had been tampered with by some one. The defendant pleaded that he had fairly picked the lock ; and, taking all the facts into consideration, they would say whether the lock had or had not been fairly picked .

748

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

" The Jury found for the plaintiff on the first issue, as they considered the defendant had not the leave or license of the plaintiffs to enter their stand in the Crystal Palace ; secondly, that the defendant had obtained wrongful possession of the lock ; and thirdly, that he did not fairly pick the lock. " Lord Campbell . -That is a verdict for the plaintiffs.

Now,

gentlemen, you must assess the damages. " Mr. Chambers said he would be satisfied with such damages as would carry costs. " The Jury then awarded damages of £ 10 on each count. " The following extract is from Messrs. Parnell and Puckridge's pamphlet before referred to : — "We do confess we are elated at this result.

Mr. Goater's

audacious assertion, that he had fairly picked our lock, is disposed of; and we commit ourselves and our adversaries to the judgment of the PUBLIC . As to the question whether the Defiance lock is capable of being picked , our answer is, ' Let it be done.' " In conclusion, we return our thanks to our competitors in business, who would not countenance shabby, unbecoming tricks, and were willing to give us their valuable assistance in exposing them . Fair open rivalry in business, we rejoice to think, does not, except in some individual instances, extinguish the amenities of society, or dispense with the proprieties of trade. “ Some, perhaps, may be curious to learn what part Messrs . Chubb took with their foreman. We can only tell what we know. Mr. John Chubb attended the court the whole of the day during the trial, and assisted in conducting the defence, and Mr. Charles Chubb was present on the 5th of August, at the scene at the Crystal Palace ; he was Mr. Goater's bottle-holder on the occasion ; he urged him to enter our premises and take possession of our lock, and operate on it (that is, open it with a key made in the manner so properly condemned by Lord Campbell) ; he remonstrated violently with us before every one present, and upbraided us for not giving Mr. Goater the premium; and he

749

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

announced openly that Mr. Goater would not want money, for he could get £500 in ten minutes to carry on the war with us. Moreover, the Wolverhampton

Chronicle

has

given up the

Messrs. Chubb to us as the parties requiring the insertion of the article headed, ' Scene at the Crystal Palace,' that gave a very incorrect and highly coloured account of what took place, and which went the rounds of the provincial papers. "Now, notwithstanding Mr. Charles Chubb's assertion as to the defendant Goater being able to pay £500 to ' carry on the war against us,' the defendant, upon being defeated, retreated, and up to the date [ Feb. 5th, 1855 ] of this pamphlet has not paid the costs and damages in the action. "†

The last lock-picking

experiment we have to

notice is one that took place during the present year ( 1856) in America.

The lock operated upon

was one of Day and Newell's Parautoptic Bank Locks, described at page 470.

The simple circum-

stance was announced in the papers, when the following particulars

appeared

in

the

Banker's

Circular for June 22nd, 1856 : -

* "SCENE AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE LAST SATURDAY.-Messrs. Parnell and Puckridge, ironmongers, of the Strand , London , having patented an improvement in locks, placed a large lock of their construction, with a label affixed, in the Crystal Palace, offering 200 guineas reward to any person who should succeed in picking it. Mr. John Goater, who it will be remembered picked several of Hobbs' patent American locks before the Institution of Civil Engineers, seeing the challenge, took the size of the keyhole, and set to work and in a short time made a pick, with which he (in the presence of several respectable people) unlocked and relocked this very lock. He then sent the patentees notice to attend and witness his success, with an intimation that they had better bring the 200 guineas with them. These gentlemen attended on Saturday, but forbad Goater to try his skill then, and wished to substitute another lock, on the ground that the instrument was made in their absence. The result was, that the lock and label were removed amidst the derisive shouts of a crowd of people. Goater, who conducted himself in a quiet and proper manner, and who repeatedly offered to pick the lock, was congratulated by all present. Ifthe money be not paid, we are informed it will become the subject of litigation."-Wolverhampton Chronicle, August 16, 1854. + We are informed that to this day (Nov. 5th, 1856, ) the costs and damages referred to still remain unpaid.

750

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

"PICKING EXPERIMENTS ON HOBBS' LOCKS. - The following paragraph, copied from the Ilion Independent, having gone the round of the papers, shows that great interest is still manifested in the American lock question.

An explanation of what is termed

' Mapping the Lock ' may therefore not be unacceptable. But first, as to the report itself :" THE HOBBS' LOCK PICKED. - The Ilion Independent asserts

that the Day and Newell Lock, manufactured at New York, commonly known as the " Hobbs' Lock, " has at last been picked by Lynus Yale, jun. , of the adjoining village of Newport. It says " The exact modus operandi of picking the lock of course is not expected to be made known to the public just at present ; but it is sufficient to say that by a singular and ingenious method, the action of the key upon the curves and tumblers of the lock is mapped out, from which a wooden key is made, which unlocks and locks the lock, and in all respects operates on it as perfectly as the true key." ' The method of mapping the tumblers is here treated as a mystery, but any person acquainted with the mechanism of locks may understand how it is accomplished. With an instrument made for the purpose, a little printer's ink, or other suitable material, is deposited on the tumblers in such a manner that the next time the proper key is used, the ink is distributed along the edge of the tumblers at distances corresponding to the several lengths of the bits or steps of the key.

The lock being thus prepared, the proper key must be used , which, of course, can be done only by the proprietor, or others possessed of it. After this , access must again be had to the lock, and a key-bit made of wood, cut to suit the curve of the tumblers, and covered with paper, must be inserted into the keyhole. This instrument being pressed against the tumblers, takes an impression from the ink previously distributed by the proper key, and thus shows the form of key that had been just previously used in the lock. It is about a year since this method of experimenting on the American Bank Lock was first made known in England by Mr. Hobbs . It is evidently another application of a method long since practised to

751

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

obtain a mapping of the tumblers by means of smoke, to prevent which a ring or curtain was placed round the keyhole.

Farther,

on this new experiment being made, an additional precaution was taken by adding what are termed ' wipers ' to the ring ; and as this piece of mechanism both precedes and follows the key along the edge of the tumblers, it of course renders it impossible to get an impression. Such a precaution, indeed, was almost unnecessary ; for though the process of mapping may be successful as an experiment, performed by leave of the proprietor, it could not, under any circumstances, be accomplished without the proper key being used in the course of the operation, as described above. " We have in the course of the work fulfilled our promise to fully explain the several modes of picking the various locks , and we have done so in the spirit of the great naturalist Reaùmùr (see page 532), so that those who use locks should be made aware of their weak points , as well as the thieves who make such defects their constant study.

We

cannot teach these clever rogues more than they already know, but manufacturers may often learn a great deal which they never knew before from these professors of the locksmiths ' vocation .

This

leads us to notice a way of opening Chubb's combination latch, which

we

describing it at page 417 .

omitted to state when

When it was first told

to us we felt amazed at the simple mode, and now state it in order that a remedy may be applied, or the use of it discontinued where real security is desired.

The combined latches, or the levers which

when combined form the latch, are secured when the latch is not required to act by a pin or cotter

752

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

which goes right through the or levers, and the case.

cap,

the latches

To open the latch when

locked, from the outside, a hole is drilled with a centre-bit, or even a gimlet, through the front of the door over this pin-hole, and the pin being out, a knitting-needle or any other similar instrument is then inserted into the hole of each lever in succession till it has gone through all, when by its aid the latch is lifted out of the catch and the door opened.

That the Lock

Controversy has produced good

effects must be admitted by all parties, even by those whose reputation as " lights " in the trade has been somewhat diminished ; and if it is continued in an open, honourable, and generous spirit, further improvements will be the inevitable result. Ignoring the mottos, " No friendship in trade," and " Two in trade

can never agree," we would

suggest that all connected with " the art and mysteries " of the locksmith's profession should act as friends and by that " generous rivalry " consistent with such a feeling, endeavour to produce well-constructed

articles

as

should

such

entitle Eng-

land to be considered as the first country in the world for meritorious inventions in locks and keys. We are sorry to say that the custom is sadly too general, when one inventor or manufacturer has produced anything better than his brethren in the craft, for most of the members of the same body to unjustly criticise it and knowingly misrepresent it.

753

LOCK CONTROVERSY.

We hope, however, to see a higher principle manifested for the future, by giving to every man his due, and that others will disclaim all title to be considered as the only inventors of merit, and that they will also discontinue assuming that position in the trade which undoubtedly belongs to other , though humbler members.

We do not object to one

maker trying to pick another's lock, so long as it is done in a proper spirit and openly, in accordance with the term we have before used , and which fully expresses our meaning, namely, " generous rivalry." Though it may not be

possible universally for

" each [to ] esteem other better than himself,"* still all who desire to be considered as honourable and respectable members of the commercial community could not lose caste by adopting such an exalted principle of action . In closing this chapter we wish it to be particularly understood that the liability of a good lock to be picked by the professional

and

scientific

operator and the practical thief cannot be placed on the same footing .

The former understands the

principle of the lock he is about to experiment upon, the peculiarity of its construction, and its weak points, and he has generally a duplicate lock (though of a different combination ) of the same make and size by him, to assist him in his manipulations.

He

has the opportunity of carefully

preparing his instruments beforehand, and if he

* Phil. ii, 3.

2 z

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

754

breaks them he can repair them and again resume the task.

He operates with the assistance of the

light of Heaven, and he has no qualm of conscience to make him nervous, nor the fear of detection and consequent punishment to hurry him in the performance of the feat ; whilst with the thief nearly all the circumstances are the reverse, and before he has the remotest chance of picking a good lock he has first to discover who's lock it is ; and there are now so many locks of the various patentees which have the keyholes of the same size, that in the absence of the key the interior of the lock must be minutely examined before the particular make of the lock can be known.

In most cases the prin-

cipal essential in effecting a robbery is TIME ; and we have before had occasion to remark, that whatever contrivance necessitates more time being requisite to effect an opening into any repository, in the same degree does it add to its security, and this is especially the case with respect to the picking of a lock.

Only add the slightest limb to a lock, or

alter its construction in the smallest degree , and place it in the hands of the most scientific and expert operator, and tell him it is such and such a lock, and he will in vain try to pick it, though he might have picked dozens of the same lock before. Mr. Hobbs states the reason why he did not succeed in picking Cotterill's lock at Manchester to be this very circumstance , viz. , that the lock was somewhat differently constructed from those locks

755

LOCK CONTROVERSY. he had before seen of the same make. *

For the

same reason Mr. Hart did not open Chubb's lock in 1832 in the specified time, though he had opened eighteen previously with ease, because the test lock . contained a bridge-ward, which was unusual, and the lock was also made stronger, thus consuming more time in the construction of the pick which was to open it. Although we have made numerous enquiries we have failed to discover a single instance in which a thief has succeeded in picking a good modern lock, which had any real pretensions to security. It is the common warded and other inferior locks that have hitherto so readily yielded to the operations of the thieves .

We have shewn how these

locks can be opened even by the most ordinary thief; and if the public , knowing this, will persist in using them , why then we must be excused for saying they deserve to be robbed, as no one in his senses would place the slightest reliance upon a machine now so well known to be minus every property which makes a lock secure. most of the principal locks

We consider

invented

since the

closing of the Great Exhibition of 1851 , and some others invented before , but which since that period have been improved , are entitled to be considered as 66 GOOD LOCKS . " * In a six-lever lock, constructed with one of the levers " dead " (that is, the dead lever always remains in the same position, and does not require to be lifted in locking and unlocking), will tease even an expert and practised lock-picker more than all the other five added together. 2Z2

756

CHAPTER XVIII.

ON KEYS .

In most of the locks in general use the key is the only part that is seen, or that has to be handled.

In

the earliest examples of metal keys great variety of form has been given to the bow or handle.

The

first bows were of the ring kind, as shewn in Nos. 1 , 2, and 3, figs. 69 , 70, and 71 respectively ; * next came those of the shape of figs. 72 and 73,† and other

similar

forms ;

and in the

sixteenth

century, when lock-making had risen to such a state of perfection , the key-bows were generally elegantly decorated in patterns more or less intricate, and of artistic design in proportion to the destination of the lock to which they belonged (see figs . 74 and 75, page 195 ) ; whether it was for common security, or was affixed to the magnificent cabinets of the middle ages, --the locks and keys of which are so elaborately worked , and as beauti* See pages 190, 191 , and 192.

+ See page 193.

757

ON KEYS.

ful in detail, as the furniture to which they were affixed ,—all were more or less unique in shape, forming a strong contrast to the plain and unseemly rings subsequently adopted .

Fig. 286.

Fig. 287.

" One of the great reasons of the excellence of much of mediæval design was that, in almost all cases, the manufacturer was led to take a personal pride and interest in the productions of his establishment, and frequently in the emulation excited by the admiration and approbation of his guild. Those old trade associations did an infinite deal of good ; they maintained feelings of benevolence one

758

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

towards another ;

they led to

sociality and the

exercise of much charity ; they assisted in rewarding the industrious apprentice and in punishing the idle ; they prevented the admission of quackery and uneducated professors by regulating the qualifications to the practice of their trade ; and in all these several ways tended to elevate the social position and self-respect of the tradesman

as tradesman .

Now, when too many of our manufacturers go with

1671

M

Fig. 288.

Fig. 289.

Fig. 290.

the hounds , shoot in Scotland, send their sons to Oxford, and teach their daughters that inanity is refinement,

sinking the shop, '

as it is called, and

leaving the conduct of every part of their business (except, perhaps, the financial) to understrappers whom they despise, what chance is there that the branch of commerce they practise can receive any dignity or improvement from their connexion with it ?

So long as the immediate object of supplying

759

ON KEYS .

the public demands, in the most wholesale way, with the cheapest things, is carried out, their mission is fulfilled , and every grace beyond that point may, they consider, ' a' gang tapsalteery, oh . ' Most of the following figures have been drawn from old keys, whilst others have been engraved from the

Art Journal,

five from the

Illustrated

Dublin Exhibition Catalogue, and two (figs.

288

and 290) are from the Journal of Design.

We

have attempted to classify them in groups, as it is thought by some that from the generic character of the designs they were produced by various members of different and distinct families .

One style

of work belonged exclusively to the members of one family, whilst another style was the invariable production of the members

of another family.†

We believe this was so, and that the " filing and finishing " of these exquisite bows were confined to a very small number of artists. We think it more than probable that the whole of the finest antique bows were elaborated by steel toy and watch chain makers, as the only individual‡

* Journal ofDesign and Manufactures, vol. i , page 138 . + In all filed articles there is a peculiarity of finish which a thoroughly practical workman can distinguish as the work of one particular hand . Mr. Patchett informs us that if a hundred fancy bows were placed before him, he could " sort " them into different lots, each lot having been " finished " by as many different operatives. Mr. James Patchett, Wolverhampton, above referred to, files and finishes fancy bows for the trade generally. His grandfather was considered one of the best fancy steel- toy makers of his day, and about the middle of the last century received ten guineas for making a steel neck chain, and the same sum for making a steel sword hilt. The late Mr.

760

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

now in Wolverhampton who professes to file and finish first-class fancy bows, is by trade a steel-toy maker ; and his father and grandfather were also in the same business. 66 The expression filing and finishing ," must be understood to include the entire elaboration of the bow, which consists of first drilling the perforations, and then finishing as desired with very fine small files and a graver.

The key is then " case-

hardened " by the usual process, and is hence called a steel key.

Fig. 290A. Some of the modern fancy bows are produced from dies by the stamping press .

Fig. 290A repre-

sents a bow of this description . John Patchett, son of the latter and father of the present Mr. James Patchett, was also celebrated as a very superior workman in the same trade, and the numerous fancy bows of his elaborating are an evidence of his taste and ability. He made two netting vices for her late Majesty Queen Adelaide, and also some ornamental keys for Windsor Castle andthe Royal Gardens at Kew. The dies for some of these keys alone cost £10 the pair, and the keys cost ten shillings each for finishing. The fancy steel toy trade has become almost extinct in Wolverhampton , though previous to the French war it was an important branch of the town's manufactures.

761

ON KEYS .

Fig. 291.

Fig. 292.

Fig . 295.

Fig. 293 .

Fig. 296.

Fig. 294.

+7 € Fig. 299. Fig. 298. Fig. 297.

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

762

Fig . 300.

Fig. 301 .

Fig. 303.

Fig. 305.

Fig. 302.

Fig . 304 .

Fig. 306 .

Fig. 307.

763 ON KEYS .

Fig. 309 .

Fig. 308 .

Fig. 310 .

Fig . 312.

Fig . 311 .

764

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Fig. 314.

Fig. 313.

Fig. 315.

Fig. 316.

Fig. 317.

ON KEYS .

Fig. 318.

765

Fig. 319.

Fig. 320.

Fig. 321 .

Fig. 322.

766

ON LOCKS AND KEYS

Fig. 323. Fig. 324.

Fig. 325.

Fig. 326.

Fig. 327.

767

ON KEYS.

T 1I

Fig. 329 . Fig. 328.

Fig. 330.

Fig. 332 .

Fig. 331 .

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

768

Fig. 334.

Fig. 333.

Fig. 335.

Fig. 336 .

Fig. 337.

769

ON KEYS .

Fig. 339.

Fig . 338 .

Fig . 340 .

Fig. 342 . Fig. 341 . 3 A

770

ON LOCKS AND KEYS

Figs . 286 , 287 , 289 , 340 , 343 , and 344 are from the originals at Marlborough House.

We are of

opinion that these, together with the whole of the

O

preceding specimens (with two or three exceptions)

定

Fig. 344.

Fig. 343 . are of English workmanship of the sixteenth and seventeenth

centuries.

Fig.

343 was originally

brought from Penshurst . Fig. 345 , which is drawn half the size of the original, represents a noble outer door key, that belonged to the old Town Hall ofWolverhampton . * The building was situate in the middle of the Market-place, and was pulled down about the year 1777.

ON KEYS.

771

The bow, although of a bold character, corresponding with the office of the key, is not inelegant in form .

The particular construction of the lock it

Fig. 345 . belonged to is unknown ;

but we are of opinion

that all the locks containing such intricate and numerous wards were constructed similar to the spring locks of the present day, in which the key 3A2

772

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

does not perform a revolution .

On no other hypoth-

esis could such wards be placed in the lock ; and that all the wards represented in the keys of these antique locks were really contained in the locks is evident from the specimens in the collection at Marlborough House. Figs. 291 to 299 inclusive and fig. 301 represent fancy bows of a very early date, and serve to mark the period when the ordinary ring was changing to a shape of an ornamental character.

The same

idea appears to have suggested the whole of the examples in this group . Figs. 302, 304 , 305 , 306 , 307 , 308 , 309 , 316 , 317 , 318 , 321 , 323, 329 , 332, and 339 , are all of a similar character, being composed of scrolls , curves, circles, and lines, and shew what pleasing designs may be obtained by a tasteful combination of such simple figures. Figs. 312 , 318 , and 323 represent modern bows, which have a very pleasing appearance , and are the design and workmanship of Mr. Henry Yates, lock manufacturer, Wolverhampton. Figs . 333 to 338 and 342 are unquestionably the production of one individual.

The figures are

ingeniously introduced into them, and stamp them with a character peculiar to themselves. dom

of these

designs prove

artist that " filed them out."

The free-

it was no ordinary The whole of them ,

with most of the previous and following specimens, may be studied with advantage.

ON KEYS .

773

Fig. 344 represents a key with a bow very plain and simple, yet exhibiting artistic feeling in the design . Fig. 354 is a good specimen of a foliated bow ; the scrolls are tastefully introduced and agreeably disposed. Fig. 355 is another bow with foliage introduced , and is very pretty .

Fig. 341 is unique.

As plain examples notice seven figures, 300 , 313, 319 , 324, 326 , 327 , and 330, which are formed of three elliptical curves, than which nothing could be more simple. Fig. 328 is the only example of its

style, as

besides its beautiful form, the scrolls are chased . Figs. 315 and 331 , composed of scrolls and ornament, have the appearance of net work, a style peculiar to the bows of the seventeenth century. The centre of each of these examples, as will be observed, partakes of the form of the cross ; and this was a very common ornament at the time in question.

The same characteristic is observable in

the bows represented by figs . 310, 311 , 314, 320 , 322, and 325 . Fig. 351 is a beautiful design from Feuchére, but it is too elongated and is more suited for a

The key this figure was drawn from belongs to an antique walnutwood cabinet of the sixteenth or seventeenth century. Each lock affixed to it is constructed with a revolving barrel. Bows of the same design and of the same period are now and then met with, but they are not common. We were shewn one of the same size and design whilst this chapter was being written by Mr. Ebenezer Hunter, jun., the respected manager of Messrs. Chubb's establishment at Wolverhampton. This latter, with four other unique specimens, were all soldered on to modern stems.

774

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

whip handle than the bow of a key, which should always have a considerable breadth across the bow.

Fig. 347.

Fig. 346.

Fig. 348.

Fig. 349.

Fig. 350.

ON KEYS.

775

Figs. 346 to 350, which are of Gothic design , formed part of Messrs . Chubb's collection exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851. Messrs. Chubb and Son have devoted much attention to the improving of key-bows, which may be described as restorations, for by taking the best antique models, they have in some instances improved upon them , and have thus substituted forms of much elegance for the ungainly shapes of later times.

Fig. 351 .

Figs . 353 , 356 , 357 , 358 , and 359 , without explanation would be supposed to represent the handles of keys, but we think it only right to mention that they represent skewer handles, as manufactured by

776

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Mr. Penny, London, in electro-plated metal.

We

were so struck with the beauty of the designs and their applicability to the more refined and honour-

Fig. 352.

Fig. 354.

Fig . 353.

Fig. 355.

able office of key-handles, that we could not refrain from copying them from that truly admirable and art- instructive work- The Art Journal.

777

ON KEYS.

Fig. 356.

Fig. 358.

Fig. 357.

Fig. 359 .

778

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Fig. 352 represents a bow more massive than most of the preceding examples in the same class. It appears to have been a favourite design two centuries ago .

Fig. 360.

Fig. 360 represents the bow of a chamberlain's key of office, and is an elegant example of gilded German work.

The foliated ornament forming the

bow is most skilfully disposed .

The original key

is at Marlborough House. From these beautiful specimens of the sixteenth century the bow gradually degenerated in design till it again assumed its primitive form -the common ring - when within the last few years, and more especially since the Great Exhibition of 1851 , con-

ON KEYS .

779

siderable advances have been made towards attaining the same perfection in the design and workmanship of fancy key-bows as prevailed several centuries ago.

Fig. 361

Fig. 361 represents a noble key drawn half the size, belonging to a lock with most intricate wards,

780

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

manufactured by Mr. James Gibbons, jun. , of Wolverhampton, but we think the bow might have been much improved .

Figs . 362 , 363, and 364 are

Fig. 364.

Fig. 362

Fig. 363. by the same maker.

Fig. 364 represents a key

with a beautifully embossed bow in or-molu.

All

these belong to two-sided locks.

We had wished to have given more examples of these art specimens of the lock trade, but our space forbids. We had intended

to have given also a few

examples of ornamental locks besides the one on

781

ON KEYS.

page 175 , which is by Mr. James Gibbons, jun . , of Wolverhampton, but the same cause prevents us. * The specimen referred to is a very creditable and beautifully executed piece of work in blued steel. Mr. F. W. Fairholt, in a Art Union of March,

communication to the

1846 , on " The Industrial

Arts in Paris," makes the following remarks on the subject of " key-handles : "" In the present day, our characteristic utilitarianism has bestowed the greatest possible attention on the wards of the lock, and that part of the key which opens it, to the nearly total neglect of the handle.

It would be folly to quarrel with such an

arrangement, because the principal object is considered ; but it is not, therefore, to be denied that an extra trifle in outlay should not be bestowed on the key-handles , more particularly as they are ôften left in the locks ; and, as in most instances they are too small to admit the hand in turning them therein, the more reason is there that the oval space be filled with some ornament which should please the eye, and would really at the same time afford a firmer and better hold in turning than the open band of steel now so universal."

" If the cost of the work be objected to , or any elaboration of design scouted as unnecessary, this,

* See pages 306 and 307 of the volume of the Art Journal for 1854, on which are engravings of several beautifully designed antique locks on some of the doors of the Moritz Chapel, Academy, and Bath Haus, at Nuremberg .

782

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

after all, will not defend the thoughtless monotony of our ordinary key-handles, because

designs as

simple might be found, still exhibiting artistic feeling and some taste in construction . " I should, however, imagine that a little extra outlay would be well laid out by the manufacturer in this one branch of our trade, for people will generally buy what is good ; and certainly nothing in the way of elegant improvement is made in vain in England.

The public generally appreciate and

purchase such things in preference to others of less excellence .

And surely we are not less likely than

our ancestors were to secure for our best cabinets and choicest cases articles combining utility and tastefulness at the same time." After giving numerous examples of antique keybows, several of which we have copied in the preceding pages, he says-" I

close a subject that

would admit of many more examples being given ; my object has been merely to shew that as the handle of an ordinary key does not admit the hand , it would really be a more serviceable thing if filled with ornament, which would give a firmer hold in turning it, and render an article of utility also one of ornament, and this at an outlay that would well repay itself.

It is surely worth while in these days

of improvement to look well to all these things, as the public eye is open to their appreciation ; and now a re-action is taking place, and the enriched style of internal decoration in use by our ancestors

783

ON KEYS.

is being so much adopted by ourselves, it would be worth the attention of the manufacturer to supply the market with characteristic assessories."

We quite agree with the above remarks, and it will doubtless as much surprise Mr. Fairholt as our readers generally to be told that even were the public willing to pay for ornamental bows to their keys, there are no artists now in the trade who could elaborate such specimens as shewn in figs . 74 and

195 ),

75 (page

cimens

which

may

and be

other

seen

inimitable

at

spe-

Marlborough

House. It is supposed that the ornamental parts in these bows were cut out with a graver, and afterwards finished with very fine files.

We are of opinion

that the keys represented were originals, and that few if any duplicates were made of these or others in the same class .

The value of such specimens at

the period of their production must have been from ten to twenty guineas each . It must be understood, as before stated , that the filing of fancy bows is a trade quite distinct from either lock-making or key-making ; it is of a more artistic character.

We must remark that most of

the elegant bows exhibited by some makers and so full of work are genuine antique specimens soldered on to modern stems. As it may interest some of our readers to know the cost of these ornamental keys, we here give the following table, showing the value of some of the bows before referred to .

To

784

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

these charges respectively must be added the cost of making the key : -

Fig. 300 99 302 99 304

...

8. d. 1 6

4

0 6

Fig. 335 39 336 337

...

8. 8

d. 0

...

8

0

... 12

0

338

...

7

0

99

309

... 7 ... 12

99

310

... 25

0

99

342

22

311

... 14

O

99

343

.. 7 ... 30

0

99

313

...

5

0

99

344

...

2

0 0

39

99

315

... 25

0

""

345

...

5

0

99

317

...

1

6

""

346

...

8

0

99

319

0

99

347

99 "2

320

... 5 ... 25

0

99

348

... 8 ... 12

0 0

7

6

99

349

17

0

99

324

...

8

0

99

... 10

0

""

325

... 25

0

350 352

... 25

0

99

327

...

0

362

...

2

6 0

0

321

6

99

328

... 15

0

""

363

... 12

99

329

99

386

331

... 15 ... 15

0

99

387

... 14 ... 14

O

99

332

... 12

0

99

333

...

8

0

97

334

8

0

""

99

0

388

...

7

6

389

... 12

0

390

... 40

0

The fluted stems similar to the one shewn in fig. 76 (page 196 ) have puzzled the locksmiths of the present day as to how they were produced quite as much as the antique locks and keys which are so full of intricate and curiously formed wards , as shewn in figs. 77 , 344 , and 345 ( pp . 197 , 770 , and 771 ) .

We lately discovered a working key-maker,* * Richard Manning, Petit Street, Wolverhampton.

785

ON KEYS.

who informed us that his father used to make fluted stems to keys more than sixty years ago, by the following process : -A hole was first drilled up the stem of the blank key ; a mandrel of the grooved triangular shape as represented in the cut (fig . 76) was next driven up the hole and made to fit quite tight ; the key containing the mandrel was then heated,* and the stem hammered till the required shape was formed , when,

after

cooling, it was

finished by filing in the usual way. Until lately if a large door had to be secured by a lock, it was thought that it must needs be a large one with a corresponding large key.

This

was

universally the custom till the plan was adopted of throwing numerous bolts by a knob or handle, as described at page 45 , and securing these large bolts by a small lock and key.

In the former instance

the keys were too large to be carried about the person, except by attaching them to the girdle, or to a chain worn round the neck. As the convenience of small keys is becoming appreciated more and more every day,

we may

remark that the key, fig . 361 , which is drawn full size , is sufficiently large and

strong enough to

secure any door, however massive ; and being so small , it may be kept on the key-ring in the pocket. Besides the convenience of a key so small, the lock * Mr. Robinson, lock-maker, Horseley Fields , used to make many keys with fluted stems, about twelve years ago, by the same process, except that the tube with the " drift " in it was hammered into the required shape whilst cold. 3 B

786

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

is more secure, as it is always more difficult to pick or tamper with a small lock

than with a large

one. The smallness of the keys of the locks exhibited by Messrs. Bramah and by Messrs. Chubb at the Great Exhibition of 1851 , in comparison with the 66 ponderous and bulky " key belonging to Day and Newell's American

bank lock,

appears to have

made a deep impression on the minds of the Jury, as it is almost the only point upon which they venture to give an opinion.

(See the Jury's Report

at page 530 , ante.) The use and advantages of master keys are very imperfectly understood and appreciated , otherwise the principle would be more generally adopted, How convenient and pleasant if you have fifty doors of various kinds, whether to rooms or articles of furniture, &c. , to carry on your key-ring but three or four small keys, and yet every one of the locks to be different and incapable of being locked or unlocked by each others' keys.

We have in pre-

vious chapters treated on the subject of suite locks and master keys, and it is upon this principle that the locks are fitted to the various prisons.

Accord-

ing to Mr. John Chubb, " two hundred and twenty locks might be made with one keyhole, and a separate key to each, yet having one master key for the whole ; but if a greater number was required, it would be necessary to have two holes."

key-

787

ON KEYS .

Mr. Duce, jun . , can make a suite of locks , each lock to differ, with master keys to pass the whole, and with but one keyhole to each lock , amounting to 1,100. * From the following passage in Dr. Plot's History of Staffordshire,† it appears that the locksmiths of Wolverhampton were in the seventeenth century then celebrated for constructing locks in suites : " But the greatest excellency of the black-smiths profession, that I could hear of in this county, lyes in their making locks for doores , wherein the artisans of Wolverhampton seem to be preferr'd to all others, where they make them in sutes , six , eight, or more in a sute, according as the chapman bespeaks them ; whereof the keys shall neither of them open each others lock, yet one master key shall open them all ; so that these locks being set upon the doores of a house, and the inferior keys kept by distinct servants, tho' neither of them can come at each others charge, yet the master can come at them all .

Beside the

master turning his key in any of the servants locks but once extraordinary, the

servants themselves

cannot come at their charge, neither shall the servant spoil his key or the lock in endeavouring it ; for his, after the master key has given the lock a second turn, will only run round in it backward and for-

* In a lock containing five levers sixty locks can be made each to differ with a master key to pass all of them with perfect safety, and this without using any wheel or ward in their construction, or making any alteration in the keyholes . + Published at Oxford in 1686.

3 B 2

788

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

ward, without either stopping at, or prejudiceing it any thing.

Nay so curious are they in lockwork

(indeed beyond all preference ) that they can contrive a lock, so that the master or mistris of a family sending a servant into their closets, either with the master key, or (if they permit an inferiour key) with their own, can certainly tell by the lock how many times that servant has been in, at any distance of time ; or how many times the lock has been shot for a whole year together ; some of them being made to shew it 300 , 500, or 1,000 times ; nay one of the chief workmen of the town told me ( might he have workman's wages) he could make one should Farther yet I was told of a

it to 10,000 times .

very very fine lock made in this town, sold for 20 pounds, that had a set of chimes in it that would goe at any hour the owner should think fit.

And

these locks they make either with brass or iron boxes so curiously polish't, and the keys so finely wrought, that ' tis not reasonable to think they were ever exceeded, unless by Tubal Cain, the inspired artificer in brass and iron . "* We have frequently in the course of this work spoken of the combinations which could be produced in some locks .

The number of possible

changes or combinations is found by multiplying the terms 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5 , continually into each other. Thus 1 x 2 = 2 ; 2 x 3-6 ; 6 x 4-24 ; 24 x 5

* Gen. iv, 22.

789

ON KEYS. = 120 .

The changes that can be rung on twelve

bells amount to 479,001,600 , which is identical with the number of combinations which can be produced in a lock with twelve tumblers or levers. The twenty-four letters of the alphabet admit of 62,044 , 840,173 , 323,943 , 936,000 .

So does a lock

that comprises twenty-four pieces, which admit of the requisite variations in size or shape.

Therefore

to open a lock by " ringing the changes " would require either a number of keys equal to the number of combinations the lock is capable of, or a key which can be altered to an equal number of permutations. be the right

It

is

true the very first

one, and it is

as

might

equally likely

that the lock would not answer to any but the last. To illustrate the above principle of combinations A person wishing to

we will relate an anecdote.

dine every day with a small family, happened to drop in when the family comprised six persons He asked mine host the amount besides himself. he should pay him to take up his abode in the house as long as he could place the six members of the family and himself in a different position at the dinner table every day.

Mine host thinking it

would not be long, named a trifling sum.

" Oh, I

am quite satisfied ," replied the stranger, " for I shall now have to sojourn with you for 5,040 days !"

790

ON LOCKS AND KEYS

Fig.

which represents

365,

steps besides the four-lever lock.

a key with four

terminal step, is the key of a The following table shews the

twenty-four

how

changes

are

4 produced by the four steps ofthe key.

We will start with the

arrangement

of the steps

as

shewn, in the cut and numbered O

1 , 2, 3, and 4 respectively . Now the second combination is produced by simply placing the step No. 3 in the place of the step No. 4, and vice versa ; and the whole number of the twentyfour combinations are

effected

Fig. 365. by the simple transposition of the four figures, which answer to the four steps of the key :-

SERIES OF 24 CHANGES ; FOUR LEVERS IN EACH LOCK.

1st combination 1234 1243 33 3 1324 1342 "" 5 1423 1432 6 99 7 2134 "" 8 2143 19 9 2341 10 2314 99 11 2413 29 12 2431

13th combination 3124 3142 14 23 3214 15 3241 16 3412 17 18 3421 4123 19 99 20 4132 99 4213 21 99 4231 22 99 4312 23 "" 4321 24 39

791

ON KEYS.

Fig . 366 represents a key similar to fig. 365 , but with five steps ; and the following table shows how

5

Fig. 366. the 120 combinations are effected in a lock with five levers : -

SERIES OF 120 CHANGES ; FIVE LEVERS IN EACH LOCK.

33

39

36

15th combination 14325 14352 16 99 14523 17 14532 18 99 19 15234 99 15243 20 "" 21 15324 99 22 15342 15423 23 39 24 15432 99 25 21345 99 26 21354 99 21435 27 99 21453 28 22

66

1st combination 12345 2 12354 "" 3 12435 99 4 12453 99 5 12534 6 12543 22 13245 7 99 8 13254 9 13425 99 13452 10 11 13524 12 13542 99 13 14235 99 14 14253

792

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. 29th combination 21534 30 21543 99 31 23145 99 32 23154 97 23415 33 29 34 23451 99 35 23514 99 23541 36 29 37 24135 39 38 24153 29 39 24315 99 40 24351 99 41 24513 99 24531 42 99 43 25134 99 44 25143 99 45 25314 46 25341 99 47 25413 "" 48 25431 99 49 31245 50 31254 97 51 31425 29 52 31452 "" 53 31524 29 54 31542 55 32145 56 32154 99 57 32415 58 32451 "" 59 32514 "" 60 32541 99 61 34125 62 84152 "" 63 34215 "" 64 34251 65 34512 "" 34521 66 99 67 35124 "" 68 35142 99 69 35214 ""

70th combination 35241 71 35412 "" 72 35421 99 73 41235 99 74 41253 99 75 41325 99 76 41352 3. 77 41523 "2 78 41532 79 42135 รา 80 42153 27 81 42315 29 82 42351 99 83 42513 29 81 42531 33 85 43125 ‫دو‬ 43152 86 29 43215 87 "" 88 43251 "" 89 43512 99 43521 90 99 91 45123 97 45132 92 45213 93 99 94 45231 93 95 45312 39 45321 96 33 51234 97 "" 98 51243 99 99 51324 99 51342 100 19 101 51423 99 102 51432 99 103 52134 99 104 52143 39 105 52314 29 106 52341 107 52413 99 108 52431 109 53124 99 110 53142

793

ON KEYS. 111th combination 53214 112 53241 29 113 53412 99 114 53421 99 115 54123 99

116th combination 54132 117 54213 118 54231 119 54312 120 54321 33

On reference to Mr. Parsons' table, at page 438 , the number of the various combinations which may be produced by the different numbers of levers in a lock will be seen at one view.

An idea of the

immense number which can be made may be formed from the fact that to work out the changes in a lock with 12 levers, and make 10 changes a minute, would require 91 years, 3 weeks , 5 days , and 5 hours to exhaust the variations.

To explain the

theory of " working the changes,"

we will take

only seven figures - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 . 7

56

7

1

2

6712

3

4

712345

6

5

3

པ་

6

4

5

3

2

CO

4

1

3

5

6

7

1

4

567

1

2

3

6

7

1

3

4

2

2

5

The seven figures are placed in the first horizontal rank in their numerical order. The second rank (the next below the top or first rank) may either commence with 2, 4 , 5 , or 6 , but in our example it begins with 3 ; the third rank,

794

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

therefore, must begin with 5 , the fourth with 7, the fifth with 2, the sixth with 4, and the seventh with 6.

The commencement of the seven ranks

being thus determined, the other numbers, as observed, must be written down in the order in which they stand in the first rank, going on to 5, 6, and 7, and returning to 1 , 2, &c. , till every number in the first rank be found in every rank underneath, according to the order chosen at the commencement . From this arrangement it will be evident that no number can be repeated twice in the same rank, and consequently the seven numbers 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 being in each rank must of necessity make the same sum . Mr. Chubb,

in his paper before referred to, *

states that 2,592,000 changes may be effected on the key (fig. 367 ) of a three-

CHUBBS

inch drawer lock ; and we have also heard of locks being made

PATENT with a variation between their separate combination only

one-millionth

parts

of

part of an

inch ; but all such statements must be considered as figures of speech, and not as facts, as from an examination of the following scale it will be apparent that such niceties

Fig . 367. Chubb's Key to a 3-inch drawer lock.

in

utterly impossible.

practice

Fig.

are

368

represents a scale of 10, 20 , 40 , * See page 384, ante.

795

ON KEYS .

and 80 parts to an inch, showing how moderate even the tenth part of an inch is, and that the 80th part can only just be indicated by the graver

7/20

7/20

1/40

80™ OF AN INCH

Fig. 368.- Scale of parts to an inch.

on the wood block.

We do not deny that the

above number of changes can be effected on a key sufficiently large to admit of the requisite variations, but we distinctly say that it is impracticable with the key of a three- inch drawer lock, or even with that of a ten-inch rim lock.

The bit of the key represented by fig.

367

measures 13-40ths of an inch from its junction with the stem to the extreme point of the longest step ; and the shortest step measures 5-40ths. Now it must be borne in mind that whenever a series of combinations is required different from those effected by the transposition of the various keysteps forming the bit, it must be done by shortening the length of the steps, but ( and this must be particularly noticed ) all the steps must be reduced in the same ratio, consequently the key of a three-inch drawer lock to be capable of being reduced, as Mr. Chubb says, twenty times, thereby giving 14,400 combinations, would require the bit to be at least one inch longer than that of the key shewn in fig.

796 367.

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. The shortest step must always be cut at least

a sixteenth of an inch from the stem, and the lever which that step is intended to work would remain " dead," or in a quiescent state, i . e. , both it and the key would cease to be levers in action, as the bit in revolving would merely pass that particular lever without lifting it at all .

On reference to the

scale (fig. 368), it will be apparent that instead of the step in question being capable of twenty reductions, allowing each reduction to consist of not more than the 40th part of an inch, two reductions would be the most that could possibly be effected, the extreme length of the shortest step being but 5-40ths of an inch.

But we go further, and say

that these additional combinations cannot be made for practical purposes by reducing the steps as above described with a variation less than the twentieth of an inch, and therefore that such a key could only be reduced throughout the six steps it contains once, which with the 720 combinations effected by the transposition of the steps , as shewn in the cut , would give 1,440 as the total number of changes such a key is practically capable of with safety.

A

few more changes, however, can be made by cutting the deep step right to the shank, and of course all the others in the same proportion ; but this is very objectionable , as it separates the bit into two parts, and thus makes it very liable to be broken. If a lock is gated so closely at first that there is no play allowed for the levers, in a very short time

797

ON KEYS.

the wear of the key, as well as the wear of the combination parts of the lock which come in contact with the nose of the key-bit, is quite sufficient to prevent the lock answering to its key.

On this

account it is the custom with some in the trade, who have given this point due consideration , to leave the gatings of the levers a little wider in the back part to compensate for such wear- otherwise the levers would drop, and so prevent the stump of the bolt from passing through the gating from one rack to the other in locking or unlocking, or the stump would be dragged through the main-gating. For the same reason it is customary to bevil a little that side of the stump which enters the main-gating in the act of locking, or to make the end of the main-gating next the centre of motion a little wider than the other end . Although the keys are hardened after being cut and finished , which makes them of course much harder than the brass of which the levers are made , yet it is the fact that the hard iron key-bit wears considerably more than the soft brass levers ; therefore to talk of such close fitting is simply absurd . Like many other theories, it may appear feasible, but it is never carried out in practice.

It is found

when two keys are stepped to the same lock, with a variation of the 40th part of an inch between the steps on the one key and the steps on the other, that both keys will work the lock .

So much for

the theory of combinations, and now for the manner of properly effecting them in locks.

798

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

To carry out the principle of having every lock different requires more care than is usually given to the subject, for unless a proper system is adopted and a register kept, the same combination is sure to be frequently cut over and over again in the key-bit.

There are two ways of cutting the steps

of the key-bit- one by a machine,* the other by hand. Those who cut by a CHUBBS machine with reasonable care cannot go wrong, that is, they

PATENT

will

not cut a duplicate key

unless so required, while with those who cut by hand the same combinations over

7

are

again.

In

weekly

cut

some shops

different workmen, who

have

been

as

they

different

from

stepping

thought

quite

keys

each other, have found that the

Fig. 369. Key to a Chubb's 7lever Detector Lock.+

keys passed each others' locks. The men from use get a certain

combination in their minds, which is frequently repeated in the key.

Another serious objection to

* As far as we have been able to learn, it would appear that there are only six in the trade who cut their keys by a machine, viz ., Messrs. Bramah, whose machine was constructed by Mr. Maudsley ; Messrs . Mordan, who constructed their own machine ; Messrs. Hobbs and Co., whose machine was constructed by Mr. Hobbs ; Mr. Duce, whose machine was constructed by Mr. Henfrey ; Mr. Aubin, who constructed his own two machines --one for Bramah keys, the other for lever lock keys ; and Mr. Turner, whose machine was constructed also by Mr. Aubin. + The lock to which the key represented by fig . 369 belongs was furnished to us during the present year from Messrs. Chubb's establishment in Horseley Fields, as a pattern lock; and in all other respects besides the above defect it is a specimen of good workmanship.

799

ON KEYS.

cutting keys by hand is that two steps in the same key are often cut of the same length, as shewn in fig. 369, thereby lessening the security of the lock ; for, as before shewn , if the key-bit has seven steps and corresponding levers in the lock, there are 5,040 combinations ; whereas , if two of the steps are alike— that is, of the same length- it would only be equal to a lock with six levers, having 720 combinations ; and if two others in the same key were also alike, it would then be only equal to a key with five steps, having only 120

com-

binations.

0

0

On 7

331 42

Fig. 370.

Fig. 371.

Fig. 372.

Fig. 373.

Fig. 374.

The above cut represents a series of five keys stepped respectively for locks with 4, 5 , 6, 7, and 8

800

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

levers.

It will be noticed that in each key no two

of the steps are of the same length, thereby insuring the number of combinations each lock admits of, viz., 4 levers = 24 ; 5 levers= 120 ; 6 levers = 720 ; 7 levers = 5,040 ; 8 levers = 40,320 , respectively. Keys with wards and guards cut in the bit, as shewn in figs. 375 and 376 , although they may have the requisite number of steps, can never have

0

0

produced in the locks to which they respectively

w

Fig. 375.

Fig. 376.

belong the number of combinations they are otherwise capable of, as the deep steps cannot be cut in the bit. To effect the true number would require the deep step to go right through the ward.

Before closing this chapter we must notice a great defect in the construction of some makers'

801

ON KEYS. keys.

A key to a lock with seven levers has eight

steps on its bit - seven for the seven levers, and the eighth or bottom step to throw the bolt ; and for locks which contain a curtain there is another step at the top, making altogether nine, as shewn in fig. 369.

Now upon a moment's reflection it will be

apparent that the work required from the bottom or terminal step and the others is very different, the seven steps having merely to lift the levers to their

7

O

O

Fig. 378.- Strong Terminal Step.

Fig. 377.-Weak Terminal Step.

positions, while the bottom step by coming in contact with the talon of the bolt has to move it backwards and forwards in locking and unlocking, the bolt being much heavier than the levers, and its thickness about double that of one of the levers. For these reasons the step which moves the bolt 3 c

802

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

should always be double the thickness of one of the other steps , or even more .

Figs. 377 and 378 will

shew more clearly what we mean.

There is another

important reason why the bottom step of a key-bit should be particularly strong, and that is that when a key is dropped upon a hard substance, as a stone or brick floor, and it happens to fall on the bottom or terminal step, it is almost certain to break the end off.

With one maker's locks , some of which

we have used, from this cause we have often had keys returned to us with just the point broken off the bottom step, and have had to supply new ones. In some cases the piece had broken in the lock. Another defect in some makers' keys is that the nose of the bit is too pointed, as shewn in fig. 379,

Fig. 379.

Fig. 380.

which causes the key to wear itself and the levers to a more considerable extent than is the case when the bit is shaped as shewn in fig. 380, in which the angles are only just taken off.

803

CHAPTER XIX .

THE VARIOUS KINDS OF LOCKS AND THEIR COMPARATIVE PRICES .

THE various kinds of locks may be divided into the following classes , viz.:1. -Brass cabinet and other best locks . 2.-Bright and japanned iron cabinet and other common locks . 3. - Stock or wooden-case locks. Each class contains many varieties, and there are numerous sizes of most of the kinds, and also several qualities of many of them. We will first describe the different kinds, and then shew in

a tabular form their various sizes

and prices .

CLASS LOCKS.

1.- BRASS

CABINET AND

OTHER

BEST

This class comprises the following kinds,

which are principally manufactured in Wolverhampton : Till or drawer locks, as represented by fig. 381 , are used in very large quantities, and are made of 3 c 2

804

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

various qualities.

This figure represents a cut till,

which is the kind more generally used, but some are also made as the straight cupboard (fig. 382) , and are often used for the drawers of common iron safes.

They are also made as spring locks , i. e. , the

lock locks itself by closing the drawer. Straight cupboard locks ( fig. 382 ) are constructed for screwing on to the door in the readiest manner, with the flat

side

against the woodwork, thus

causing the whole of the lock to project from the surface of the door .

They are made both for right

or left-hand doors , as required . Cut cupboard locks (fig. 383 ) are the same as the latter, except that a cavity has to be sunk in the door for the case and plate of the lock to occupy, so that the back-plate of the lock is flush with the surface of the door.

Both these kinds can be made

as spring locks if desired. Double-handed straight cupboard locks (fig. 384) are so constructed as to do for either a right or a left-hand door. Box and sloping desk locks (fig. 385 ) are both made with a link-plate, which is secured to the lid with two or three screws .

For a desk which slopes

the selvage of the lock-plate is made to slope accordingly.

These and all other link-plate locks ,

when affixed to wooden articles of furniture, afford no security against violence, as a very small lever or a turnscrew is sufficiently powerful to prize the lid open by drawing the screws out of the wood-

805

THE VARIOUS KINDS OF LOCKS .

work.

Iron chest locks are of this description , but

are made much stronger.

Cash box locks also are

similar, but have generally a nozel, and the linkplate instead of being made to be fixed with screws , is made so as to be soldered only. Mortise camp desk locks.

( Fig.

386. )

These

locks have a plate which is screwed to the lid of the desk, as in the last named, but the plate is without links.

Holes are sunk in the lid where the

plate is affixed to allow the bolt to enter and fasten. Pedestal or sideboard locks . locks are used for the

(Fig . 387 . ) — These

pedestals

of sideboards.

They are similar to a box lock, but with the keyhole at right angles to the position of the keyhole in a box lock. Link-plate cupboard locks (fig. 388 ) are made so that the link-plate is fixed to the side of the cupboard, at right angles to the bolt and face of the lock .

They are used for the wings of wardrobes.

They require very careful fitting to make the door and lock work pleasantly.

Chamfering the link

would be an improvement.

The lock is of course

let into the door, and made for right or left-hand as required. Travelling desk locks.

(Fig. 389 . ) - These are

used ( as their name implies) for portable or travelling desks and cases. Mortise box locks (fig. 390) are of the same construction as fig . 385 , except that these are of the mortise shape .

806

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Flush-bolt mortise travelling desk and pianoforte locks .

(Fig. 391. )

These are similar to the locks

(fig. 386 ) described before , except that the bolt in these locks remains flush with the selvage of the lock-plate when the lock is unlocked. Padlocks.

(Fig. 392 . ) - These,

as is

so well

known, are used for carpet and leather bags , and for all other purposes where hasps and staples or chains are affixed to the articles or depositories to be secured. Puzzle or letter locks.

(List No. 4 . ) - These are

generally used for carpet and leather bags, and other similar purposes for which the ordinary padlock is applicable.

For a full description of these

locks, see pages 205 and 658.

Portfolio and writing case locks. 394. )

( Figs . 393 and

These are made either of the form of fig.

393, or with a nozel which projects from the face They are secured to of the lock, as in fig. 394. the above-named articles with rivets. Trunk and portmanteau locks (fig. 395 ) afford no security against violence, the whole of the lock being fixed outside the article it is intended to secure with screws or rivets. Book-edge or ledger locks. • ( Fig . 396 . )- These are made with a spring-bolt to lock itself on the book being closed. Carpet bag locks.

( Fig. 397 . ) - These are con-

structed so as to be secured by rivets to the iron frame of carpet and leather bags.

THE VARIOUS KINDS OF LOCKS.

807

Letter bag locks (fig . 398) are precisely of the same construction as the trunk locks (fig . 395), but of a smaller size . Escutcheon locks .

(Fig. 399 . )- These are used

for securing the keyholes of iron safes, &c . , from the prying curiosity of children and servants.

( See

pages 56 and 322.) All the preceding locks are made of brass .

Combination latches (fig. 400 ) are constructed with a number of separate latches, as described before at pages 417 and 751 , which when combined form the latch.

They are principally used

for street doors. Flush night latch.

( Fig. 401 . ) — This is let into

the door, and is therefore flush with the surface of the woodwork. Rim night latch.

(Fig. 402. ) - This is made

to screw on to the door, and consequently it projects from the surface of the door as all rim locks and latches do . Mortise night latch .

( Fig. 403 . ) - This is the

same as the two former latches , except that it is mortised into the thickness of the door. All these (figs. 401 , 402, and 403 ) are made to open on the inside by drawing back the knob , and on the outside with the key only.

They are usually

made to spring only, but can , if required, be made to lock as well.

There is also a small vertical slide

that fits into the bolt, which either fastens the bolt back altogether, or when the bolt is shot out.

808

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

secures it so that the latch cannot then be opened with the key from the outside.

They are usually

fitted with small keys, and are much used as night latches for street doors, having superseded the use of the insecure French latch .

Rim dead lock, to lock on one side only. 403. )

(Fig.

This is constructed with one bolt, which

can only be shot out and in by the key- hence called a dead lock. Rim dead lock, to lock on both sides. ( Fig. 404. ) -This lock is constructed in the same manner as the latter, except that it locks and unlocks from both sides of the door to which it may be affixed . Spring rim or drawback locks for front doors. (Fig. 405 . ) - These are constructed with but one bolt, to lock and spring by the key, and to draw back by the knob on the inside .

They are prin-

cipally used for the front doors of dwelling-houses, and may be described as extra large and extra strong night latches . Three-bolt rim locks ( fig . 406 ) are

constructed

with a spring latch-bolt, which is worked by the knob, a main-bolt, which is worked by the key, and a private bolt, which is worked by a slide fixed to the under-side of the rim when the lock is fixed . This and figs. 400 , 401 , 402 , 404 , 405 , 406 , and 407 have the cases made of iron japanned black, but with brass bolt-plates or striking-plates, whichever the locks require, and with other best furniture .

THE VARIOUS KINDS OF LOCKS .

809

Formerly rim locks were used for the doors of parlours and even drawing rooms, but their unsightly appearance soon caused the substitution of the brass-cased locks , which

in their

turn were

superseded by the mortise lock, the inventor of which useful and elegant improvement we have failed to discover. Mortise one-bolt dead locks.

(Fig. 408 . ) — These

are used for the same purposes as the lock fig. 405 , but in addition are sometimes used as extra locks for the doors of dwelling-houses, &c.

This and the

two following varieties are two-sided locks . It must be particularly noticed that all two-sided locks are not so secure as one-sided ones -the number of the levers in each case being equal . A one-sided lock with five levers is about ten times more secure against being picked than a two-sided lock with the same number of levers, as by referring to figs. 288, 290, 302, and 304 (pages 758 and 780 ), it will be seen that the steps in the upper half of the key-bit are precisely the same as those on the lower half ; the deep step being in the middle , and dividing the bit into two equal parts. Mortise two-bolt locks.

( Fig . 409 . ) — These are

constructed with a spring latch-bolt, which is withdrawn by the knob ; and also one bolt, which is shot out and in by the key.

These locks are used

for chamber and other room doors. Mortise three-bolt locks .

( Fig . 410 . ) —These are

the same as the last described , but with the addition

810

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

of a private bolt, which can be worked from the inside of the room only by turning a small knob ; and this bolt secures the door against its being opened from the outside, thereby dispensing with the use of the main-bolt, which is moved by the key. Mortise drawback or spring locks . (Fig. 411 . )— These are constructed with but one spring-bolt, but which can be withdrawn by the knob , and locked out further by the key ; in the latter case , the bolt can only be withdrawn or unlocked by the key. Besides the locks before described, there are many

other kinds, as gate locks, alcove locks , " box of wards," which used to be employed for securing the doors of iron safes (see figs. 4, 23, and 236 ) , and " iron door locks, with projecting bit," some of which are also now used for the same purpose as the " box of wards."

(See b, fig. 36. )

Also spring

book-case or wardrobe locks , which are constructed with a knob, and are similar in all respects to the two-bolt mortise lock, fig.

409 , but considerably

less in size. There is also another lock used for front doors, called a two-bolt knob or drawback ; it contains two spring bolts, both of which must be released before the door can be

opened .

One of these bolts is

acted upon by turning the knob, as in an ordinary rim lock ; the other by pulling the knob back, as in a drawback lock.

The key releases the draw-

back bolt from the outside, and also locks it, as in the ordinary drawback lock.

It is, in fact, a rim

lock and drawback lock combined.

811

THE VARIOUS KINDS OF LOCKS.

From the preceding description of the various kinds of locks it will be seen that rim locks are those which project from the surface of the doors to which they are attached.

Dead locks are those the

bolts of which require to be shot out and in by the aid of a key, &c

Spring locks are those in which

the bolt locks itself out by coming in contact with the striking-plate.

In most door locks there is a

latch-bolt, which acts in the latter manner.

The

term rim applies to the case of the lock and its appearance when fixed ; dead to the action of the bolt ; mortise to the manner offixing it in the woodwork ; flush denotes that the lock is let into the woodwork and made flush with the surface.

Fig . 173 ,

page 382, shews the construction of a rim lock ; and figs. 270 and 277 , pages 635 and 653 , the construction of a three-bolt mortise lock.

A grave defect in most spring locks is that the bolt can be shot back (the lock unlocked) by means of a piece of sheet steel , and sufficient force applied to overcome the power of the spring. The following prices have been taken from the patentees' lists themselves, or have been adapted from the lists of the various makers by reducing the gross to the net cost, and then adding thereto a scale of profit which we consider fair between the purchaser and the retailer, supposing the latter 66 buys well. " But those who are obliged either to take or to give the very long credit customary in some districts, the prices throughout would be higher in proportion .

812

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

LIST, No. 1.

Chubb's Cotterill's Gibbons' Hobbs' Size. Detector , Climax Detent, Protector, 6 Levers. Detector. 6 Levers. 6 Levers.

Each. 8. d. 10 0 10 0

NO O O

Inch. Each. S. d. 2 10 0 Till or Drawer 2 & 3 10 0 To 3 13 0 Spring ditto.

Each. 8. d. 9 0 9 12 0

Each. 8. d. 8 6 10 0 12 0

2 & 3 10 0

10 0

9 0

10 0

31

10 0

10 O

96

10 0

4

10 0

10 O

10 0

10 O

Fig. 381 .

Fig. 382. Straight Cupboard.

Fig. 383. Cut Cupboard.

:

:

31 :

:

:

:

:

:

O

:

ខ

Fig. 384. Doublehanded Straight Cupboard.

Fig. 385 . Box or Sloping Desk.

Fig. 386 . Mortise Camp Desk.

Fig. 387. Pedestal or Sideboard.

Fig. 388 . Link-plate Cupboard.

2

11 0

11

0

10 0

10 0

24

11 0

11 0

10 0

11 6

3

11

11 0

10 0

11

6

31

12 0

12 0

11 0

12

6

4

13 6

13 6

12 O

13

6

41

14 6

14 6

14 O

14 6

6

813

Tucker's Nettlefold's Parsons' Guardian, Balance- Parnell's Parnell's Restell's Ruxton's Safe- Tucker's 6 Levers. Lever, Defiance. National. Protector. 5 Levers. guard. Holdfast. 6 Levers . Each. Each. Each. Each. Each. Each Each. Each. 8. d. 8. d. S. d. 8. d. S. d. 8. d. S. d. 8. d. 5 6 8 0 6 6 7 0 6 4 14 O 10 0 8 0 5 6 6 4 0 7 0 70 8 0 14 O 10 0 10 6 6 6 0 16 0 10 0

79

. 81 3Fig

COMPARATIVE PRICES.

8 0

14 0

10 0

70

6 4

7 6

86

15 0

10 6

7 0

6 8

8 0

9 6

16 O

12 0

76

7 0

8 0

:

56

6 0

:

: :

9 0

:

:

:

: 8

4

15 0

10 6

76

7 8

9 0

6 6

B

3.,Figs 86 85 88 87

8 0

:

:

:

384 .Fig

:

:

:

8 6

5 6

:

3Figs 82 ,. 83

:

7 0

4

15 0

10

6

7 6

7• 8

9 0

6 6

7 6

9 4

15 0

10 6

7 6

7 8

9 6

6 6

8 0

10 O

16 O

12 0

8 0

8 4

10 0

6 9

8 6

11 4

18 O

12 6

8 6'

9 8

11 6

7 6

10 0

12 8

20 0

14 0

11 0

12 6

8 6

7 6

7 6

10 6

814

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

ara

Fig. 389 . Travelling Desk.

Fig. 390. Mortise Box.

Chubb's Cotterill's Detector, Climax Gibbons Hobbs' 6 Levers. Detector Detent. Protector.

Inch . 2

Each. S. d. 11 0

Each. 8. d. 11

Each. 8. d. 10 0

Each. 8. d. 10 0

21

11 0

11 0

10 0

11 6

3

11 6

11 0

10 0

11 6

31

12 0

12 0

11 0

12 6

4

13

6

13 6

12 0

13

41

14 6

14 6

14 0

14 6

6

То 3 :

:

Fig. 391. - Flush-Bolt Mortise Travelling Desk & Pianoforte.

Size.

20

LIST No. 1.

(See fig. 285, page 670. )

∞ *

.. ::

31 :

Fig. 392.

:

Ditto, with cheeks and screws.

To 3 31

:

Cash-box, with fixed nozle.

34 4 :

2-bolt Wardrobe Cut- Cupboard, with Spindle and Striking-plate-no knob.

? } 1 11 11 12 2 21 21

31

12 11 11 11 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

6 0 0 O 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

11 11 11 12 13 14 15 16 21

0 O 6 6 6 6 6 6 0

..

11 11 11 11 11 11 12 14 16

0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 ..

8 6 .. 9 0 11 0 11 6 12 6 13 6 14 6 15 6 16 6 17 6 22 0

815

COMPARATIVE PRICES.

6

9 4

15 0

10 6

7 6

8 0

10 O

16 O

12 0

8

8 6

11 4

18 O

12 8

20 0

6

10 0

8

9 0

66

7 8

9 6

6

-

10 6

9

་

-2

Figs 390 ,

15 0

6

0

8

12 6

8 6

6

4

389 .

Tucker's Nettlefold's Parsons' Guardian, Balance- Parnell's Parnell's Restell's Ruxton's Safe- Tucker's 6 Levers. Lever, Defiance. National. Protector. 5 Levers. guard. Holdfast. 6 Levers. Each. Each. Each. Each. Each Each. Each. Each. S. d. 8. d. 9. d. S. d. 8. d. S. d. 8. d. 8. d. 9 4 10 6 7 6 7 8 6 6 9 0 7 6 15 0

14 0

10 6

6 9

8

11 6

7 6

11 0

12 6

8 6

:

:

:

391 .Fig

:

10 6

10 0

6

10 6

:: : ..

..

9 6 9 6 9 6 9 6 9 6 10 0 11 0 12 0 12 6 14 O 16 0 ..

86 8 6 8 6 8 6 8 8 6 8 6 8 6 86 10 0 12 0 ..

∞

0 O O 0 0 O 0 0 6 0 6

8 8 7 8 7 8 78 7 8 7 8 7 8 8 4 9 8 10 8 11

∞

16 16 16 16 16 17 18 20 22 25 27

777777

9 4 9 4 94 9 4 9 4 9 4 9 8 10 O 10 8 12 0 14 O ..

68

Fig .392

:

:

:

:

10 0 10 8 12 O

8 9 9 3 9 9

8 0 8 0 80 8 0 8 6 9 0 9 6 10 0 10 6 11 6 12 6 14 O

:

:

:

8 6 9 0 9 6

:

:

:

11 6

9 9 9 9 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 ..

0 0 0 0 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

5 6 56 5 6 5 6 5 9 6 3 6 9 7 0 8 0 9 0 10 O ..

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

816

LIST No. 1.

Chubb's Cotterill's Gibbons' Hobbs Detector. Climax Detent, Protector , Levers. Detector. 6 Levers. 6 Levers.

Size.

Each. S. d.

Each. S. d.

Each. 8. d.

Each. 8. d.

Fig. 393. Portfolio and Writing Case.

10 O

10 0

10 0

10 0 to 12 6

Fig. 394.- Ditto, with a projecting nozle .

10 0

10

0

10 0

10 0 to 12 6

13 14 15 16

15 0 18 0 .. 20 0

Inch

Fig. 395. Trunk and Portmanteau.

15 0 18 0 20 0 20

To 3 31 41

0 0 0 O

Fig. 396. Book- edge or Ledger.

20 0 21 22 0 21 24 0

15 0 16 O 17 0

15 0 16 O 17 O

15 17 20 22

Fig. 397. Carpet Bag.

15 0

15 0

15

0

15 O

15 0

15 0

15 0

15 0

To 1

O 6 0 0

Fig. 398. Letter Bag. O

Fig. 399. 26 0 :

:

Escutcheon

28 0

13 0

5

14 O

6

15

:

To 4

:

:

Lock.

: :

:

O :

Fig. 400.- Combination Latch.

817

COMPARATIVE PRICES. Nettlefold's Parsons' Guardian, Balance- Parnell's Parnell's Restell's Ruxton's, 6 Levers. Lever, Defiance. National. Protector. 5 Levers. 6 Levers. Each. Each. Each. Each. Each. Each. S. d. S. d. 8. d. S. d. S. d. 8. d.

Tucker's Safeguard. Each. 8. d.

12 0

10 0

7 6

8 0

7 6

12 0

10 0

7 6

11 0

16 C

15 0

Each. 8. d. 5 0

Fig .393

7 6

Tucker's Holdfast.

396 .Fig

7 8 9 13

88

6 6 6 6

..

O 6 O 0

14 16 18 20

12 14 16 18

0 0 0 O

10 0

16 0

10 0

7 6

16 0

10 0

86 9 6 ..

17 0 19 0 21 0

86 9 6 10 6

13 0

70

13 0

5 0

20 0

15 O

22 0

17 0

:

O : :

:

::

:

:

: :

:

:

::

:

:

:

:

:

:

: :

:

14

:

0 :

399 .Fig

13 0 15 6 17 O

.. 14 O 15 O 16 O

:

13

::

Fig .400

6 6 6 0

:

Fig |.397.

10 11 12 13

398 .Fig

6 6 6 6

:

395 .Fig

.3|F94 ig

:

9 10 11 12

D

:

:

:

:

3

818

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. Chubb's Cotterill's Gibbons' Hobbs' Detector, Climax Detent, Protector, 6 Levers. Detector. 6 Levers. 6 Levers.

Size.

LIST No. 1.

Each. 8. d. 20 0 20 0 21 O 21 0 22 0

Inch. 31 Fig. 401. 4 Flush 41 5 Night Latch 6

4667

C

31 4 44

Fig. 404.- Rim Dead to 9 lock on one side 10 only. 12

7 8 9 Fig. 405.- Rim Dead to 10 lock on both sides. 12

16 0 17 0

18 0 19 0

..

22 0

.. 25 0

19 19 20 22 26 30 38 50

0 0 0 0 0 O 0 0

19 20 21 23 27 31 40 52

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

22 22 22 25 28 33 42 55

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

22 23 24 26 30 34 44 57

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

30 0

20 20 21 23 27 31 40 52

0 O 0 0 0 0 O 0

20 20 21 23 27 31 40 52

23 23 23 26 29 34 44 57

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

21 21 23 26 29 34 44 57

228

5

17 17 0

0 0 0 0 0

&&&&&

Night Latch.

17 O 18 0

15 0

25 25 25 25 25

21

Mortise

Each. 6. d. .. .. 25 0

21 0

B

Fig. 403.

Each. 8. d 16 0 16 0

C

Fig. 402. Drawback 4 Rim 41 Night 5 Latch.

Each. 8. d. 21 0 21 0 25 0 ..

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

819

Nettlefold's Parsons' Guardian, Balance- Parnell's Parnell's 6 Levers. Lever, Defiance. National. 6 Levers.i Each. Each. Each. Each. 8. d. S. d. 8. d. 8. d. 13 6 22 0 13 6 .. 14 0 23 0 25 0 25 0 14 6

Tucker's Restell's Ruxton's, Safe- Tucker's Protector. 5 Levers. guard. Holdfast.

15 0 16 O 17 0

Each. 8. d. 15 O 16 0 17 O

0

15 0

16 O

25 0

17 6

17 0 18 0

245

.402 Fig

401 .Fig

COMPARATIVE PRICES.

25

21

Each. 8. d. 14 6 15 6 16 0 16

Each. 8. d. ..

15 0 16 O 17 0

17 0

9 6

0 0

10 6 11 6

22 0

14 6

17 18 20 24 28 37 49

O 0 0 0 0 0 0

12 13 14 17

20 23 26 31 41 54

0 0 0 0 0 0

. 03 4Fig

22 0 23 0 25 0

42 0 45 0

30

283

0

.. ..

18 19

:

: 18

Each. 8. d. ..

20 0

..

0 6 6 0 0 6 0

4Fig . 05

30 35 40 49 57 62 67

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0

6 6 6

17 17 20 25 30 32 37 42

6 6 0 0 () 6 6 0

21 21 23 28 34 37 42 46

15 15 15 17 20 24 30 40 བབབ

25 26 29 33 40 46 61

25 30 35 42 50 55 60

3333

Fig .404

:

..

..

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 6 6 0 0 6

17 19 22 26 32 42

3D 2

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

16 16 18 20 22 26

O 0 0 0 6 6

220

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

.. 20 21 24 26 32 37 52

900

16 16 17 19 23 28 34

388888

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

63

14 14 15 17 21 26 32

0 0 0 0 6 6

22 24 26 30

..

6 6 6 0 ..

6 6 0 0

14 15 17 19 ..

820

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

LIST No. 1.

Ø

Size

Chubb's Cotterill's Gibbons' Hobbs Detector, Climax Detent, Protector, 6 Levers. Detector. 6 Levers. 6 Levers.

Inch.

Each. 8. d.

Each. S. d.

Each. 8. d.

Each. 8. d.

4

35 0

35 0

..

35 0

5

37 0

37 0

6

40 0

40 0

32 0

40 0

7

42 0

42 0

35 0

42 0

8

i

Fig. 406.-Spring Lock for Front Doors.

37 0

45 0

45 0

40 0

45 0

9

50 0

50 0

45 0

50 0

10

56 0

56 0

50 0

56 0

3

22 0

22 0

20 0

22 0

4

Fig. 407 . Three-bolt ditto. Fig. 408. 23 0

23 0

20 0

23 0

5

24 0

24 0

21 0

24 0

6

27 0

27 0

22 0

27 0

7

32 0

32 0

24 0

32

5

40 0

6

42 0

32 0

45 0

34 6

Mortise

one-bolt Dead.

34 6

45 0

37 0

42 0 63

:

Fig. 410.- Mortise 3 -bolt.

42 0 :

6 t-

100

DO

:

:

Fig. 409.- Mortise 2-bolt.

0

45

0

821

COMPARATIVE PRICES.

Nettlefold's Parsons' Guardian, Balance- Parnell's Parnell's Restell's Ruxton's 6 Levers. Lever, Defiance. National. Protector. 5 Levers. 6 Levers. Each. Each. Each. Each. Each. Each. S. d. S. d. S. d. S. d. 9. d. 6. d.

Tucker's Safe- Tucker's guard. Holdfast.

23 0

30 0 :

:

40 0

45 0

30 0

22 0

34 0

23 0

30 0

44 0

50 0

35 0

25 0

36 0

25 0

35 0

48 0

55 0

45 0

31 0

40 0

27 0

40 O

56 0

60 0

50 0

36 0

44 0

65 0

55 0

42 0

51 0

19 0

16

20 0

16 6

0

17 0

406 .Fig

..

25 0

32 0

16 0

..

32 0

21 0

15 0

16

..

32 0

21 0

15 0

..

17 O

25 0

35 0

24 0

17 0

15 0

21

18 0

26 6

37 6

27 0

19 0

15 0

24 0

21 O

29 6

42 0

30 0

22 0

17 0

29

23 0

..

23 0

38 6

25 0

42 6

25 0

40 0

27 0

44 0

18

O

0

1

0

..

:

:

I 407 .Fig

Each. S. d .

23 0

45 0

408 .Fig

Each. s. d.

.. :

:

:

:

109 .Fig

: 20 0

23 0 :

1

:

:

22

0

25 0

25 0

30 0

27 0

:

:

:

.410 Fig

:

22 0

822

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

LIST No. 1.

Fig. 411.- Mortise Spring Lock.

Chubb's Cotterill's Size. Detector, Climax Gibbons' ! Hobbs' 6 Levers . Detector Detent. Protector. Each. Each . Each. Each. Inch. 8. d. 8. d. 8. d. 8. d. 35 0 .. 31 35 0 37 0 44 40 0 42 0 45 0

All the preceding prices include two keys to each lock. Figures 406, 407 , 409, 410 , and 411 are all fitted with best furniture.

LIST No. 2.- FOUR-LEVER LOCKS , 1 KEY, BEST QUALITY.

To 28in. d.

3 inch.

4 inch.

8. d. 37 33 0 36 0 43 O

8. d. 41 0 42 0 45 51 0

S. 45 50 53 60

72 0

80 0

40 O

48 0

57 0

45 0 48 O 78 0

54 0 63 0 57 0 166 0 99 O 102 9

:

d. 0 0 0 0

:

:

8885

:::

S. Till or Drawer 33 Cut-cupboard Straight ditto Double-handed straight cupboard 2- bolt wardrobe cut-cupboard, with spindle and striking plate ; no knob. Box, sloping desk, mortise camp' desk, pedestal, link plate cupboard, and mortise box. Cash Box, with fixed nozels Ditto ditto, cheeks and screws .. Trunk

3 inch.

ོ

Per dozen Locks.

823

.411 Fig

COMPARATIVE PRICES. Nettlefold's Parsons' Guardian, Balance- Parnell's 6 Levers . Lever, Defiance. 6 Levers. Each . Each. Each 8. d. S. d. 9. d. 18 0 18 O 18 O 18 0 18 0 20

Parnell's Restell's Ruxton's National. Protector. 5 Levers. Each. 8. d.

Each. S. d.

24 0 .. 27 0 30 0 33 0

..

Each. 8. d. ..

Tucker's Safe- Tucker's guard. Holdfast. Each. 8. d.

Each. S. d.

Extra keys from 2s. to 3s. each, according to the size of the lock. Suite locks from 1s. to 2s . each lock extra. Ornamental key-bows are extra.

( See page 784. )

LIST No.. 2.-SPRING BOOK-EDGE , PAD, AND PORTFOLIO LOCKS.

Per dozen Locks. 14 in. 1 inch 13 inch. 2 inch. 2 inch. 2 inch. 23 inch. 3 in.

S. d. S. d. S. d. Spring Book- ) 78 081 0 edge 75 078 0 29 99 3 levers 72 075 0 29 "" 2 99 Padlocks 52 0 56 0 60 0 Portfolio .. 1 lever ..

S.

d.

S.

d. S.

d.

S.

d. s. d.

87 0 93 0102 0 120 0 138/ 84 81 64 33 17

0 90 087 0. 69 0 37 6

0 99 096 0 72 042

0.117 135/ 0 114 0 132/ 0 78 0 87/ 0

Ifto pass with only nine or any less number of keys to the dozen locks, same price as above. If to pass with twelve keys to the dozen, 1/6 per dozen extra. Extra keys, 6/ per doz. Best hardened and polished keys, 1/6 per dozen extra.

824

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

LIST No. 2. -LATCHES, FOUR LEVERS , TWO KEYS, BEST QUALITY.

4 inch.

Per dozen Locks.

4 inch.

d. 0 10 6 15 0 17 0 8.

Flush Rim Mortise Mortise, extra strong, with slide..

S. d. 9 6 11 0

5 inch. 8. d . 10 3 12 0

If made to lock as well as latch, Is. each extra. Extra keys, 9d. each. DOOR LOCKS, FOUR LEVERS , ONE KEY, BEST QUALITY.

Per dozen Locks.

4 in.

5 in.

8. d. 8. Rim dead, to lock on 11 0 11 one side only " " to lock on 13 0 13 both sides Drawbacks and 3-) bolt rim, with best furniture Mortise dead, 1 - bolt.. 13 6 14 3 29 "" no furniture

6 in.

d.

8.

612

7 in.

10 in.

9 in.

8. d. 8. d .

d. 8. d. 8.

d.

6 14

0 20 0 23

614 6 16

21

8 in.

0 23

6 17

0

6 19 0 22 0225 0

0 25 0 27 6 30 0

6 15 617 6 120 0 22

Extra keys from Is. each.

5 4

3 in.

4 in.

8. d. 6 4 8 5 10

s. d .

S. d . 7

4

5 8

6 2

6 8

37

4 10

d. 10 4 4

3 in.

67

S. d. 8. 5 4 5 4 10 5 0 15

8. d. 5 0 :

0

::

Straight cupboard Cut cupboard Box, sloping desk, mortise, camp desk, pedestal, link - plate cupboard, and mortise box Folio and writing case Trunk

34 in.

0800

Till

To 23 in. 3 in.

9706

Each Lock.

102

LIST No. 3.- BRAMAH LOCKS, WITH 4 SLIDES AND 2 KEYS, BEST QUALITY.

11 0

825

COMPARATIVE PRICES. BRAMAH SPRING BOOK-EDGE LOCKS AND PADLOCKS .

Each Lock.

Tol in 1 in. 1 in. 18 in. 1 in. 18 in. 2 in. 2 in. 3 in.

Book-edge

s. d. 8. d. S. d. s. d. s. d. 8. d. s. d. s. d. 8. d. 6 0646 87 07 88 4

Padlocks

4 6

5

0

..

..

5 6

..

6 69 011 0

BRAMAH NIGHT LATCHES.

5 in.

4 in .

4 in.

Flush

8. d. 9 0

S. 9

d. 6

S. d. 10 0

Rim

12 O

12

6

13

Each Lock.

0

BRAMAH DOOR LOCKS .

Each Lock.

4 in.

5 in.

s. d. s. d.

6 in. 7 in. s. d.

8 in

9 in. 10 in. 11 in . 12 in.

s. d. s. d.

s . d . s. d.

s. d.

s. d

Rim dead, to

14 015 617 019 021 023 0 lock on 1 side ) 29 27 both sides 25 026 028 030 032

034 0

3-bolt rim, for

35 039 042 044 046 048 050 0 front doors Drawback or

spring lock for

135 039 042 044 046 048

050 0

front doors 38 040 042 0

.. 39 041

3 "9

40 042

2

043 :

33

99

:

.

Mortise, 1 -bolt ..

044 0 :

:

Second quality, each kind and size, 1s. less. Locks to spring, 1s. to 2s. each extra. Extra keys, 1s. to 2s . each.

826

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

LIST No. 4.- BEST CHANGEABLE LETTER LOCKS, WITH STEEL SHACKLES. EACH LOCK.

No.

Size.

0

lin.long by fin.dia.

8. d. 8 3

8. 9

d. 0

DO

S. d. 10 0

8. d. 11 3

8. d. 12 3

1

11 29 by

" J

8 9

9 6

10 6

11 9

12

2

11 29

by

36

9

10 O

12 0

13 3

3

14

35

by 1

99

10 3

99

11 0

10 6

11 6

12 9

13 9

4

2

99 by 11

55

10 9

11

12 6

14 0

15 9

5

21

by 11 99

12 3

12 9

14 3

15 9

17 3

21 99 by 18 99

14 3

15 0

17 3

19

21 9

23 99 by 14

15

18

0

20 3

22 6

24 9

22 6

25 6

28

31 6

9

cop

6

1

9

Co

1

3

2

Co

CO

7

39

cop

3 Rollers. 4 Rollers. 5 Rollers. 6 Rollers. 7 Rollers.

B

"" by 1g ""

20 3

6

COMMON LETTER LOCKS , CORDED.-(EACH LOCK.) No. 1 2

6 3

5 6 3 4 5 6 3 4 5 6

29

29 99

99

inch long by -in . 1 1-16th ,, by 1 3-16th 39 by 1@ by "" by } 1 1-16th 22 by 1 3-16th "" by 1 8 by 99 by 1 1-16th 99 by 1 3-16th 99 by 18 29 by 3 by 1 1 1-16th 99 by 1 1 3-16th 39 by 1 18 29 by 1

diameter. 27 22 29 39 ""

29 23 99 39 35

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

3 Rollers 4 99

29

99

S. 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 4 5

Figure Locks, same price. LIST No. 5.- BANKERS ' LOCKS. £ 10 10s.-See page 470. American Parautoptic £ 4 10s.-See page 496. Chubb's Quadruple £ 4 Os. See page 625. Simson and Gibbons' Duplex

d. 6 9 0 3 8 11 2 5 6 0 6 0 0 9 6

827

COMPARATIVE PRICES. LIST No. 6.- BRASS CABINET LOCKS.

Inch.

1 wheel.

Back Spring, 2 bolt Till, Cut Cupboard, & Single Link Box.

21 21 23 3

8. 7 8 9 10 11

Back Spring Camp Desk

21 24

HR3

2 21 21 23 3 31 31 33 4

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 20

Back Spring Double Link Chest and Desk.

d. 0 0 0 0 0

11 0 12 0 13 0

2

Per Dozen.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2 wheel.

3 wheel. 3 wh. fine 4 wh. fine]

8. 8 9 10 11 12

S. 9 10 11 12 13

d. 0 0 0 0 0

d. 0 0 0 0 O

S. 11 12 13 14 15

8. 13 14 15 16 17

d. 0 0 0 O 0

d. 0 O O 0 O

12 O 13 O 14 0

13 0 14 O 15 0

15 0 16 0 17 0

17 0 18 0 19 0

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 21

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 22

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 24

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 26

0 0 0 O 0 O 0 0 0

0 0 O 0 O O 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

0 O 0 O 0 0 0 0 0

FOUR KEY'D SINGLE BOLT BACK-SPRING IRON TILL.

Size.

Plain.

1 wheel.

2 wheel.

3 wheel.

S. 2

d. 6

S. 3

d. 0

8. 3

d6

8. 4

d.

23

3

6

3

6

4

0

4

6

3

4

0

4

0

4

6

5

0

Inch.

2

1s. 6d. per dozen extra for 12 key'd.

Fancy 12 key'd, 1s. 6d. per dozen extra. 4 key'd, 1s. per dozen extra.

828

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. SINGLE BOLT BACK-SPRING BRASS TILL.

24

5 6

6

23

6

с

7

3

7

6

8 e

6 6

21

0

8 0

9 0

7

21

0

0

10 0

623

0

10 0

11

0

10 0

11 0

12

0

9 6

7

5 6

་

4 6

အ

21

Ф

4 Key'd 1 wheel. 2 wheel. 3 wheel. 12 Key'd 1 wheel. 2 wheel. 3 wheel. Single Single Bolt Till. Bolt Till. 9. d. S. d. s. d. 8. d. 8 d. 8. d. 4 6 5 6 2 In. 6 0 7 0 8 0 2 In.

3

4 wheel 1s. and passing 1s. extra. LIST No. 7.- BRASS CABINET LOCKS . 3 wh. rivetted 3 wh. fine. 4 wh. fine

Q

S. d. 16 0

21

17 0

19 0

21

21

18 0

20 0

22 0

21

19 0

21 0

23 0

20 0

22 0

24 0

31

21 0

23 0

25 0

31

22 0

34

24 0

26 0

Desk.

S. 18

d. 0

24 0

8. d. 20 0

200 02

Tumbler Double Link Camp

Inch.

200 20 220

Per dozen.

0

26 0 28 0

26 0

28

O

30

2

13 0

15 0

17

0

21

14 0

16 0

18

0

21

15 0

17

23

16

O

18 0

20 0

3

17 0

19 0

228 120

0

21

O

0

board .

2220

ང་

Tumbler Till and Cut Cup-

19

0

31

18

20 0

22 0

31

19 O

21

0

23 0

34

21 0

22 0

24 O

21 0

23 0

25 0

829

COMPARATIVE PRICES. LIST No. 8. - BRASS CABINET LOCKS.

Brass Till.

Plain.

1 wheel. 2 wheel.

8. d. 3 3

8 d. 4 3

per doz. 8. d. 3 3 1 In.

8. d. 3 9

8. d. 4 3

11

3 0

3 6

4 0

11

3 0

3 6

4 0

14

3 0

3 6

4 0

11

30

3 6

4 0

14

3 0

3 6

4 0

14

36

4 0

4 6

2

3 6

4 0

4 6

2

4 0

4 6

5 0

21

4 6

5 0

5 6

21

5 0

5 6

6 0

5 6

6 0

6 6

60

6

7 0

Plain.

1 wheel.

d. 3 3

8. d. 3 9

8. d. 4 3

3 0

co

: co

copl

cc

1 wheel. 2 wheel.

-0

Small Common Plain. Brass. per doz. 8. d. 3 3 1 In.

4 0

Brass Cut Cupb'd. per doz. 1 In. 11

!* co

24

3 6

21

6

2 wheel. Straight Cupb'd.

Plain.

1 wheel. 2 wheel.

per doz. 1 In.

8. d. 4 3

S. d. 4 9

8. d. 5 0

11

4 0

4 6

5 0

11

3 0

3 6

4 0

11

4 0

4 6

5 0

12

3 6

4 0

4 8

11

4 6

5 0

5 6

2

4 0

4 6

5 0

2

5 0

5 6

60

21

5 0

5 6

6 0

21

60

6 6

7 0

21

6 0

6

7 0

21

7 0

7 6

8 0

0

THREE WHEEL BEST KEY'D STRAIGHT CUPBOARD .

Box. per doz. S. d. 6 3 1 In.

Till. per doz. 8. d. 1 ln. 6 3

Cut Cupboard. per doz. 8. d. 1 In. 6 3

3 wheel fine. per doz. 8. d. 7 3 1 In.

6 0

11

6 0

11

6 0

11

7 0

11

6 0

14

6 0

1층

60

11

7 0

14

60

13

6 6

18

66

14

7 6

2

66

2

7 6

2

7 0

2

8 0

21

7 6

21

8 6

21

8 0

21

9 0

9 0

21

10 0

21

8 6

22

11

21

9 6

21

830

ON LOCKS AND KEYS. LIST No. 9.-BRASS CABINET LOCKS.

Till.

Box . ¦

per doz. 2 in.

S. d. 4 3

per doz. 2 In.

S. d. 4 3

4

21

21

4 5

21

5

23

6

-

21

21

4 6

3

4

6

31

4

7

31

4 8

32

4

4

5 0

41

5 4

44

60

3

4 8

Barron's Patent 1 key 1

10

2s. per dozen extra for Straight Cupboard ; for Fancying 2s .; Short Hooks 3s.; Round Hooks 8s .; Round Wheels 4s.; T Wards 12s.; Two Thick Wards the same as Four Wheels ; Solid Wards for Tumbler Locks and Steeple Wards 8s. more than Three Wheels ; Nose Wards 4s,; Back Springs Solid Wards 6s.; Colouring 2s . per dozen ; for Passing Suite Locks 2s. per dozen.

CLASS II.- BRIGHT AND JAPANNED IRON CABINET AND OTHER COMMON LOCKS . This class comprises a very immense variety, and contains locks suitable for almost every conceivable purpose.

For several centuries past these locks

have been made by the cottagers inhabiting the outskirts of Willenhall, as well as at Lane Head,

COMPARATIVE PRICES.

831

Short Heath, and New Invention , within the township .

Nearly all the country makers still continue

to make these with the same primitive tools that have been in use in the trade from time immemorial , but in the township several manufacturers have adopted the press and steam-power to their production, and the locks of these latter makers are, in consequence, far better looking than those which are completely made by hand labour.

They

are made in very great quantities, principally for the foreign market.

An idea may be formed of the

character of some of these locks from the fact that " tumbler cupboard locks " can be bought wholesale " Chest locks " at the same at 12s . 6d. per gross . price, and drawer locks as low as 6s. 6d . per gross , all net.

An anecdote is told of a locksmith engaged

in making chest locks having been visited by a friend in his shop , when the former dropped a lock from his bench, and went on making others without picking the dropped one up ; and this being pointed out to him by his visitor, he replied-" Ah ! bless thee, I can always make another before that has done ringing "-meaning that he could make another lock in less time than it would take him to pick the dropped one up, or, as he said, " before it had done ringing ; " and this is the fact, for whatever number may be dropped in the course of making, they are always left to be picked up when the shop is swept. one gross per day.

An apprentice boy will make

832

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

Description.

Size.

7 8 9 10

10 11 14 18

Inch . 6 7

! Fig. 413.- Two - bolt draw-back, or hall door lock

67

་

Fig. 412.- Secure hall door lock

2925

9 10

Best Medium Common Quality . Quality. Quality. Each. Each. Each. 8. d. 8. d. 8. d. 37 6 39 O 42 0 46 6 52 6 8 8 8 6

2 7 3 4 7 6 3 8 3

6 7

3 2 3 10

Q 3

Fig. 415.- Two-bolt loose tail rim lock

6 7 8 9 10

∞ Q

Fig. 414.- Two- bolt door lock

8 9 10

4 0 5 0 7 0 96 13 O

Fig. 416.- Two -bolt cast case lock (Baillie's Patent. )

10

468

47

7880

Fig. 417.- Store door dead lock

5

Fig. 418.- Wrought - iron doublehanded dead lock

10 12 14 17

6 0 O 0

1 10 1 10 2 2

833

COMPARATIVE PRICES.

Size.

Best Quality.

Inch.

Each. 8. d.

15 ප

Description.

9 4 10 2 11 10

6 7

Medium Common Quality. Quality. Each. Each. 8. d. 8. d.

..

9 0 10 0 12 0

Fig. 421.- Double Spanish door lock.

::

0 10 0 11

31

3 4 3 4 34 4 4 5 10

:: :

1 4 1 6 1 8

.. 60 66 8 0

::

3 4 5 6 7

567

Fig. 420.-Two-bolt mortise lock.

:

Fig. 419.-Three- bolt brass cabin door lock.

0 9 0 9 09-

00

000

20

31

1 0 1 0 1 0

09 09 09

0 3 0 3 0 3

=

2020 20

Fig. 422.- Portuguese trunk lock

1 4

0 7

0 2

31

0 3 03 3

∞ ∞ +

Fig. 423.-Bright iron chest or box lock.

The same, japanned black.

31 Fig. 424.-Double-handed japan'd cupboard lock.

3 E

834

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Size.

Description .

Inch.

Medium Common Best Quality. Quality. Quality. Each. Each. Each. 8. d. S. d. 8. d.

141 0703

1 4

13

0 11

2

0 2

21

0 2

21

0 21

23

03

3

0 3

13

0 2

0 2

..

:

28

:

Fig. 425.-Bright - iron till or drawer lock.

:

22222223

18

: :

Fig. 426.- Tildesley's patent tumbler padlock (940 )

20

03

24

0 3

3

0 31

:

:

24

:

0 21

:

:

23

:

2 2

1 3

0 2

21

2 3

1 4

0 3

3

2 8

7

04

31

3 2

2 2

07

4 0

30

1 0

:

:

2

-

Fig. 427.-Harper's spring padlock (960)

0 3

:

Fig. 428.-Screw key padlock. (970)

-

Fig. 429.-Padlock.

835

COMPARATIVE PRICES.

Description.

OF

Medium Common Quality. Quality. Euch. Each. S. d. 8. d. 0 8 0

Size.

Best Quality.

Inch. 1

Each. 8. d. 2

11

2 3

2

0 4

2

3 0

8

0 8

21

B 9

Fig. 430.- Common brass padlock

31

Fig. 431.-Spring bow latch.

co

3

1 6

2

3

0.10

3

1

0 11

4

1 2

1 0

31

0 10

:

0 10 :

3

:

1 0

1 4

41

1 4

5

1 6

5

1 6

6

9

7

2 2

:

00

4

:

:

Fig. 432.-Improved bolted bow latch.

:

Fig. 433.-Bolted rim latch.

:

Fig. 434.- Hall door latch.

:

3 6

Fig. 435. ― Two keyed French night latch. 3 E 2

2616

836

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Description.

Size.

Medium Common Best Quality. Quality. Quality.

Inch .

Each. S. d.

4

4 6

Each. S. d.

Each. 8. d.

Fig. 436.- Sham Bramah night latch.

Fig. 416.-These are the same as rim locks, but with the angles rounded off. Fig. 417.-A lock is made of this description which is known in the trade as a " four-inch common closet lock," and is sold at 7d. each, or with fine wards at 11d. each. Fig. 423.-Best quality lock contains three wheels and hook-ward, strongly made, with double links, well finished, with stepped key. Medium quality lock contains two copper wheels and bridge-ward, fancy key-bit, and screwed cap. Common quality lock contains two copper wheels, screwed cap, and double links.

The same japanned black. Best quality lock contains two copper wheels, thick drill- pin, S -bitted flat- bow key, double-link, tumbler, and bright brass cap. Medium quality the same, but with a bright iron cap. Common quality lock contains one copper wheel, double-link, tumbler, and japanned cap. Fig. 425.- Best quality lock contains three copper wheels, L-ward, tumbler, broad bolt, screwed cap, and flat-bow key. Medium quality lock contains one copper wheel, broad bolt, strongly made, and S-bitted flat-bow key. Common quality contains one wheel and short-bitted key. These locks are frequently sold in sets of five for chests of drawers, with one, two, three, or more keys to the set as required. Per set of five locks, with two keys, 1s. 1d. per set. If with five loose nozzles for the fronts of the drawers, 4d. per set extra. They are also sold in dozens, with three or four keys to the dozen, and are known in the trade as " threekeyed till locks." The same kind of lock is also made for the German market with two keyholes, which are suitable either for drawers or cupboards .

COMPARATIVE PRICES.

837

Fig. 430. -Best quality has two wheels, with T nose, and bridgewards. Medium quality contains one wheel and nose-ward. Common quality contains one wheel and taper key. Fig. 431. —Common quality is complete with brass furniture and patent spindle-plain spring. Medium quality is the same, but with a Scotch spring. Best quality is the same, with bolts. Figs. 432 and 433 are complete with best furniture and patent spindles. Fig. 435.- Common quality is complete with the requisite ironwork. Medium quality contains full wards and an oval -bitted key. Either quality can be had with nuts and screws at 8d. extra.

CLASS III - STOCK OR WOODEN- CASE LOCKS . All wooden locks are called " stock locks ," from the circumstance of the works of the lock being embedded in a cavity cut out of a block of wood to receive them.

Besides the following there is

another lock of this description called the " Banbury lock," in which the various limbs composing it are fixed separately in the piece of wood ; whereas in the others the lock is first made complete on its plate, which is then inserted in the cavity of the stock prepared for its reception . The Banbury locks are inferior, and are consequently lower in price than the following kinds :— " Steele's patent " (figs. 444 and 451 ) is simply a double-handed stock lock.

( See page 419. )

Young's patent lock (figs. 450 and 454 ) has the chamber for the works of the lock to occupy formed of a circular shape, which is cut out by a tool in a lathe, which gives the lock a neater appearance .

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

838

LIST No. 10.

Fig. 437. Pin bushed

Fig. 438. Full-bushed and with better wards, and better made

0

խա

than 437.

Fig. 439. Same as 438, but extra strong.

Fig. 440 . Has a brass bolt-head, with a neat small key, and pinbushed.

Fig. 441. With screw bolt-tail and best best strength, full bushed.

839

7 Inch.

8 Inch.

9 Inch.

10 Inch.

11 Inch.

12 Inch.

dozen. S. d.

dozen. S. d.

dozen. 8. d.

dozen. 8. d.

dozen S. d.

dozen. 5. d.

dozen. 8. d.

437 .Fig

15 0

16 6

18 0

21

0

24 0

33 0

42 0

. 38 4Fig

18 0

19 6

21 0

24 0

27 0

36 0

45 0

22 6

24 0

25 6

28 6

31 6

40 6

49 6

27 0

28 6

300

33 0

36 0

45 0

54 0

28 6

30 0

31 6

36

40 6

49 6

58 6

441 .Fig

. 40 4Fig

6 Inch.

Fig .439

COMPARATIVE PRICES.

0

ON LOCKS AND KEYS,

840

LIST No. 10.

Fig. 442 . This is similar to 440, but fullbushed, and with a flat bow key.

Fig. 443. This is a superior lock, made

very strong, &c. 0

Fig. 444. Double-handed Lock or Steele's patent, (see page 419 ) with flat bow key. For other front, see fig. 451 .

Fig. 445. Superior lock, with screw tail and brass fore-end.

Fig . 446. This is extra large and strong, and is called a " proof " lock.

841

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

7 inch.

8 Inch.

9 Inch.

10 Inch.

11 Inch.

12 Inch.

dozen. 8. d.

dozen. S. d.

dozen. S. d.

dozen. S. d.

dozen. 8. d.

dozen. 8. d.

dozen. 8. d.

20 0

30 0

33 0

36 0

40 6

49 6

58 6

33 0

34 6

36 0

40 6

45 0

54 0

63 0

34 6

36 0

37 6

42 0

46 6

36 0

37 6

39 0

43 6

48 0

57 0

66 0

37 6

39 0

40 6

45 0

49 6

58 6

67 6

446 .Fig

Fig .445

Fig .444

. 43 4Fig

4Fig . 42

6 Inch.

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

842

LIST No. 10.

Fig. 447. This is double-bolted and barred at the back. -See fig. 452.

Fig. 448. This is inferior to all the preceding locks--it is known as " Best fine plate," or " B 1."

Fig. 449. Sanders' Patent. -See page 450.-For back, see fig. 453.

Fig. 453 . Young's Patent. - See page 406. For back, see fig. 454.

Fig. 451 .

Fig. 452.

843

7 Inch.

8 Inch.

9 Inch.

10 Inch.

11 Inch.

12 Inch.

dozen. S. d.

dozen. 8. d.

dozen. S. d.

dozen. S. d.

dozen. S. d.

dozen. S. d.

dozen. 8. d.

. 47 4Fig

48 0

51 0

54 0

58 6

63 0

72 0

81 0

12 6

14 0

17 0

19 0

21 0

28 0

35 0

42 0

45

0

0 54 0 54

63 0

78 0

99 0

. 50 4Fig

Fig 4. 49

P

6 Inch.

448 .Fig

COMPARATIVE PRICES.

Fig. 453.

Fig. 454.

844

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Besides the foregoing " Fancy Plate Locks," there are other qualities known as " Bastard Plate," " Fine Plate," " Best Fine Plate or B 1," " Best Best or B B," " Common Irish," " Best Irish," and " Barrack Irish," all of which are inferior and consequently lower priced than those described in List No. 10. The three latter sorts are made especially for and are mostly sold in Ireland. Extra best locks are made to order. Larger sizes are also made, which are principally used for church doors. There are various patterns of fancy bars (see figs. 452, 453, and 454) , which are charged according to the design and workmanship. Any of the foregoing locks can have the bar, as shewn in fig. 453, at 3s. per dozen locks extra. The

BRITANNI

VIC

REGINA

IA TOR DIG

various qualities are subject to the following extra charges, viz., if made with copper wards, 6s. per dozen ; if with solid brass wards, 3s. 9d. each ; if twice dead (i. e., the bolt by a second revolution of the key is shot further out), screwed and barred, up to 12 inch, 10s. per dozen ; above 12 inch, 12s. per dozen ; S-bits and ring- keyed, 6s. per dozen ; screwing, 2s. per dozen ; filling bows with brass, 4s. 6d. per dozen ; filling bows with iron, 3s. per dozen ; if pin-bushed, 8s. per dozen ; full-bushed, 10s. per dozen. Extra keys, from 1s. to 2s. each. In figures 437 to 454 inclusive, white represents the parts which are of brass ; the dark shades, bright iron, or iron japanned black, and the grained portion oak.

AN

NO

34

18

Fig. 455.

845

CHAPTER XX .

AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF WOLVERHAMPTON , ---- ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS .

IT is

somewhat

remarkable

that

no

historical

account of the manufacture of locks, as carried on in England in general, or at Wolverhampton in particular, has ever been published .

This is

the more surprising, as the manufacture of locks was for several centuries the staple trade of the parish of Wolverhampton, including Bilston and Willenhall. *

In the few records that relate to

Wolverhampton the lock-trade is the only manufacture particularly mentioned. Wolverhampton, which is of great antiquity, was previous to the introduction of lock-making altogether an agricultural town, and was celebrated for its wool .

Its earliest importance resulted from

the foundation of the Collegiate Church. The parish of Wolverhampton comprises seventeen townships and hamlets, which are mostly dispersed and unconnected. It is at least thirty miles in circumference, and extends over an area of 16,560 acres.

846

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

The following account is taken from a plan of the town, surveyed by Isaac Taylor, and published by Thomas Jefferys, London , in 1751 : — 66 Wolverhampton is a populous town, situated

in the south-east part of the county of Stafford, in north latitude 52 deg . 40 min . ( as is nearly the whole parish, except what belongs to the Church in the manor of Stowheath, whereof the Right Honble. John Earl Gower, Lord Privy Seal, and Thomas Giffard , of Chillington , Esq. , a minor,

are

joynt lords ), and is distant from London 100 computed and 130 measured miles ; its present number of houses are 1,440 and inhabitants 7,454. " This town was first called Hanton by the Saxons from its high situation, then Hamton and Wulfrunes Hamton, and so Wolverhampton, from the Princess Wulfrune, its owner, a daughter or sister to King Ethelred, who came to the crown in 979 ; here she founded a Collegiate Church for a dean and seven prebendaries , an official, and other inferior officers, and to each of these eight she gave a power over his own lands equal to that of any lord of a manor, and to the dean the same power in spiritual matters as any bishop enjoyed , making the whole body and parish subject to him, and him subject to no man's visitation except that of the King, or Lord Keeper of the Great Seal under him . Edward the Confessor made it one of his royal free chapels, and Edward IV. , in 1477 , annext the deanery to that of Windsor.

The present magni-

WOLVERHAMPTON

ITS LOCK -TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 847

ficent church, except the chancel, was built by that great man, Hubert Walter, A.B. * of Canterbury, perhaps born here, about the year 1200.

He also

built proper houses round about it for the dean and prebendaries, & c . , all which are long since gone to ruin ; but the dean's was rebuilt by Mr. R. Guest, who farm'd the excise of Oliver Cromwell, and the chancel by a voluntary subscription collected by the Reverend Mr. Allestree since that time.

In

1258 Henry II . granted to the dean a market on Wednesdays, and a fair on the 26th of June ; the church being dedicated to St. Peter ; but tradition says they were granted by King John , his father. The free schoolt was founded by Mr. Stephen Jennings , born here, who was lord mayor of London in 1509 ; the government and choice of the masters he gave to the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, of which he was a member.

In 1714 they

built the present handsome fabrick for a school and houses for the two masters.

At present it has

one church and three meeting houses for Roman Catholicks, Quakers, and Presbyterians, all which will not contain one-fifth part of the inhabitants, a charity school for fifty boys and forty girls.

The

iron manufacture and toy trade in gold , silver, brass, mother of pearl, &c . , are here carried on, as also

* 66 King John bestowed the manor on the Archbp. some time before the building of St. Peter's Church." + Sir William Congreve and Abernethy were educated at this school.

848

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

at Willenhall and Bilston , in this parish , after the same manner as at Birmingham, Walsall , &c. " The Rev.

Dr. Oliver, in his " Historical and

Descriptive Account of the Collegiate Church of Wolverhampton," says- " I am inclined to think that in the time of Wulfere, the town of Hantune, now Wolverhampton , had attained to a good comparative population ; which from the building of the church increased gradually to the Conquest ; being improved by the weekly market held there, which was probably established before that period . But it does not appear to have been a town of general trade in those early times, for in the reign of Edward III. * the Nona Roll states that the town had no merchants."

"The alteration which the face of the country about Wolverhampton has sustained from the time when Wulfruna flourished is striking beyond conception.

Formerly it was a retired district, abound-

ing in groves and streamlets, and occupied by a pastoral population, who were employed in tending cattle and feeding swine, which latter were herded in innumerable quantities amongst the woods and forests, and collected at night in a place called Swinesta (i. e., porcorum stabulum fortè, vel haram), between Wolverhampton and Bilston ; † while the * Edward III. reigned from 1327 to 1377. + Bilston, an ancient township in the parish of Wolverhampton, and variously spelled in old deeds Bilson , Bylston, Bylstone, Bileston, and Bilstone, lies in a south-easterly direction three miles from Wolverhampton. At this period Bilston was of an agricultural character, and had but few inhabitants, and these were gentlemen residing on their own estates.

WOLVERHAMPTON - ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 849 iron and coal lay quietly beneath the surface, undisturbed by the restless cupidity of man.

The

forests were well stocked with deer, and the country intersected with paved roads, and crossed by at least one military way.

Numerous small streams

irrigated the herbage, and afforded nourishment to the cattle with which the district was stored .

At

present the herbage and all other natural productions have vanished before the speculations of commercial enterprise, and it has become a region of darkness and steam-engines.

The fitful appearance

of numerous detached fires, the hissing and booming of the furnace blasts, the loud and frequent reports like claps of thunder from the iron forges ; the dense clouds of smoke which always envelope this sterile tract, intersected by sluggish canals ; the abundant population that swarm throughout the district- men and women alike habited in the dark livery of the mine - combined with the appearance of total desolation which is everywhere exhibited , overwhelm a stranger with sentiments and feelings which he is at a loss to define ; but they are usually a mixture of pity for the presumed misery and privations of the people, and congratulations on the comparative felicity of his own lot, which has not been cast in such a dreary and inhospitable climate. In

reality,

wholesome

however, the and

healthy,

situation and the

is

perfectly

people gene-

rally, working at good wages, are happy and contented ."

3 F

850

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

The particular year when the manufacture of locks commenced in Wolverhampton , or the circumstances which led thereto , will perhaps never be known, but the fact of the iron (which was previous to 1768 all smelted with wood) * being

* Pit coal for smelting iron, after many experiments by Sturtevant, Dud Dudley, Ravenson, and others, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, was used by Mr. Darby, of Coalbrookdale, in 1713, but did not come into general use till towards the end of the eighteenth century. The first blast furnaces erected in this neighbourhood were those of John Wilkinson, Esq ., at Bradley, a hamlet of Bilston, in the parish of Wolverhampton, about the year 1768, and at this place the first forge for making iron from the pig was established about the year 1782. Our revered parent (the late Mr. Joseph Price, of Bilston ) was present, and saw the first ball put under the hammer. " The name of Wilkinson is associated with so many improvements and discoveries in relation to the manufacture of iron that we are tempted, from the interesting materials placed in our hands for the purpose, to give a brief sketch of some features of his history. These we shall select chiefly from a number of manuscript letters and documents written in a free clear hand to his clerks and to his friends, or by the latter to himself. John Wilkinson, Esq. was an eminent Shropshire ironmaster. He died in 1808, at the age of eighty. He was the first to introduce dry instead of moist sand in moulding, and effected so many improvements in casting that Boulton and Watt, when they commenced their improvements in the steam -engine, deemed him the only person capable of executing their designs.' He was the first to avail himself of the power of the steamengine forthe purposes of blast-the first who introduced coal for smelting purposes in France ; he was the first who distilled gas from coal for the purpose of obtaining oils, and he made the first iron barge upon the Severn. He carried on works at Willey, at Snedshill, at Bradley, at Brymbo, and at Bersham. At the former as at the latter he manufactured guns from 6lbs. to 32lbs ., howitzers, mortars, shot, and shell for the Board of Ordnance, for the East India Company, and occasionally for the French. He had faith in iron, and did more, we verily believe, than any other man to stimulate its production, and to adapt it to the uses and purposes of life. He made an iron vessel to carry his guns from Willey down the river ; he made an iron pulpit for a body of religionists who had erected a chapel upon his estate ; he had an iron coffin, with screws and spanner, made some time before he died, and wrote his own epitaph, cast it in iron, and a tablet of the same metal now points out the spot where his remains repose, in an excavation of the rock upon an estate on which he resided during the latter portion of his life."-Extract from a letter in the Shropshire News on the " Iron Manufactures of Shropshire."

WOLVERHAMPTON- ITS LOCK -TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 851

of a very superior quality, might have drawn the artisans here, or might have initiated the trade itself. By the extract from Dr. Plot's " Natural History of Staffordshire" (see page 787 ), published in 1686 , it is manifest that the manufacture of locks was the principal trade of the town, if not the only one, at that period. Another notice of Wolverhampton occurs in the Harleian Manuscripts, which give an account of " The Voyage of Don Manuel Gonzales (late merchant of the city of Lisbon, in Portugal), to Great Britain ; containing an

Historical, Geographical,

Typographical, Political, and Ecclesiastical Account of England and Scotland, with a curious collection of things antiquity."

particularly rare,

both in nature and

This MS . was written about the year

1732 , and was translated from the Portuguese, and printed in Pinkerton's Collection of Voyages and Travels.

He says-" Wolverhampton , in Stafford-

shire, about 117 † miles from London , was anciently called Hampton, and so large a parish that it was nearly thirty miles in compass, and contained seventeen great villages .

A priory was formerly built

here by King Edgar, as Sir William Dugdale says, at the request of his dying sister Wulfruna ; and for this reason the place was Hampton, which is since

called Wulfrune's

corrupted to

Wolver-

* Vol. ii, page 40. The correct distance is 123 miles by road and 126 miles by rail. 3 F 2

852

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

hampton .

It stands upon high ground, and is a

populous town, well built,

and the streets well

paved ; but all the water the town is supplied with , except what falls from the skies, comes from four weak springs of different qualities, which go by the names of Pudding-well , Horse-well, Washing-well , and Meat-well ; uses.

all appropriated to their several

From the last they fetch all the water which

they use for boiling or brewing in leather-budgets laid across a horse, with a funnel at the top , by which they fill them ; and to the other three wells they carry their tripe, horses, and linen .

To this

scarcity of water and the high situation of the place is ascribed its healthy state, in spite of the adjacent coal mines ; and it is said the plague was hardly ever known here, but the small-pox often, which has been observed to be an indication of the wholesomeness of the air.

The chief manufacturers of

this town are lock-smiths, who are reckoned the most expert of that trade in England."

The town (which contained 7,454 inhabitants) had now ( 1750) become of great commercial importance. It retained its agricultural celebrity, and was the chief town of a district exceedingly rich in those three most valuable minerals - coal, ironstone , and limestone. Besides the lock manufacture, the fancy steeltoy trade,*

comprising fine steel

watch chains,

The steel -toy trade, which used to be carried on here to such a considerable extent, has now ( 1856 ) dwindled to almost nothing, there

WOLVERHAMPTON— ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 853 buckles, buttons, ornamental sword hilts, &c. , all of which were produced in a costly and superb style, was at its height, and the foundation of all the trades of the ironmongery or hardware line, and of which brass, iron, and steel form the component materials,

and which latter trades have

since assumed such vast proportions , were firmly established. The following interesting table, which we have compiled from various sources,

shews the rapid

increase of the houses and inhabitants (Wolverhampton only) , at various periods from the year -1750 to 1851 : -

Houses.

Inhabitants.

...

1440

7454

2532

...

12,566

1811

...

2937

...

14,836

1821

...

3612

... ...

18,380 24,732

...

36,382

Year. 1750*

1801

:.

1831 1841

...

7481

1851

...

9807

49,989

:

1855

57,000

being but two or three persons left who carry it on, and these are in a very small way. Previous to the French War, which all but annihilated the trade, steel watch chains were then sold for more money than gold ones are now ; buckles at from ten to fifteen guineas a pair ; and not unfrequently sword hilts at fifty guineas each. The following is the number of houses and inhabitants in each street, in 1750 :Houses. Inhabitants. 24 160 Belcroft Street 91 599 Berry Street, Workhouse, &c. 888 180 Boblake and Barns Street 43 175 Cock Street 52 237 Courts, Alleys, and Back Buildings 784 114 Bilston Street and Manor Lane

854

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

From the commencement of the present century Wolverhampton has increased in population, wealth, and importance more rapidly perhaps than almost any other town in the kingdom.

Its race of wealthy

ironmasters, and factors or merchants, have since the middle of the last century established an extensive trade with almost every part of the habitable world, and whose industry, energy, and integrity of character are proverbial with the commercial classes in every part of the kingdom , and we may say, almost throughout Europe. Other trades were now beginning to take root in Wolverhampton .

The tin-plate and japan busi-

nesses, which at the present time employ a larger number of hands than any other branch of trade in the town, were about this period firmly established, having been originally introduced about the middle of the last century . We can only name the principal buildings and institutions of this town, as other particulars relating thereto would only be interesting to the inhabitants of the district.

High Green and Dudley Street Horse Fair John Street Lichfield Street London Row New Street Rottons Row Stafford Street and Middle Row Tup Street Worcester Street and Brickhill Lane

Total .

Houses. 214 55 66 57 22 14 112 127 209 60

1,440

Inhabitants. 1032 264 335 228 148 77 527 718 854 428 7,454

WOLVERHAMPTON- ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 855 In addition to the public edifices which existed in 1750 and noticed before, there have been erected

A

National Directory that of year .)

Wolverhampton .4Bisset's Fig V of iew (F56. .1805 in rom Grand

since that period numerous temples for the worship

of the Most High, as well as schools for the education of the children of the working classes, including a Ragged School and an Orphanage, which

856

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

latter we take especial pride in naming, as the noble and elegant building owes its foundation to the liberality of a worthy man, whose father, by trade a keymaker, from the superior excellence of his work, was called by the trade the " king of the keysmiths."

Many a widow and many an orphan

will rejoice in the circumstance that the son of such a " king"--appreciating the value of a good education , which had been purchased by the industry of his revered parent- by the utter forgetfulness of self -should have conferred the blessing of a sound and religious education, together with board, clothing, and lodging, on the many orphans who have already been admitted into the institution. The South Staffordshire Hospital, situate in the Cleveland Road, is a fine structure, built in the Italian and Roman Doric style of architecture.

It

was built by public subscription, and is supported by voluntary contributions. The town, which was incorporated in

1848 ,*

contains a Town Hall, Public Office, Market Hall , an extensive

and well-planned Cattle Market, a

Fat Pig Market, a Corn Exchange, a School of Design and Practical Art, a Library, a Mechanics' Institution, a Theatre, Baths, Gas Works, Water Works, and the largest provincial Suburban Cemetery in the kingdom. * The first Mayor was the late G. B. Thorneycroft, Esq., who by a life of active industry and strict integrity raised himself to that exalted position from being a workman at the " puddling furnace." He was an ornament to the municipal institution, and his charities were both numerous and great.

WOLVERHAMPTON- ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 857 The London and North Western , Shrewsbury and Birmingham, and Stour Valley Joint Railway Station, and that of the Great Western, and the Oxford , Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway Companies, are situate nearly in the centre of the town, and comprise extensive erections.

The town

has also water communication by means of the Birmingham and Liverpool, the Staffordshire and Worcestershire, and the Wyrley and

Essington

Canals, with every part of the kingdom. The town was made a Parliamentary Borough at the passing of the Reform Bill in 1832 , which includes

Bilston , Willenhall,

Wednesfield ,

and

Sedgley, and returns two members. * We could say much more about this growing borough, but our space forbids. As before stated, it was in the sixteenth century that the lock-trade was at its height, not only in England, but also in France and Germany ; and though we have no published records which describe the peculiarities of the construction of the English locks of that period, or other particulars relating thereto , yet there are numerous specimens which have been handed down to us which prove the ingenuity and taste of the locksmiths of that time.

The ornamental and artistic designs of these

locks and keys have never to the present day been

* The present members are the Right Hon. C. P. Villiers and Thomas Thornely, Esq., who have represented the borough since 1835. The two first members were W. W. Whitmore, Esq. and the late Richard Fryer, Esq.

858

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

excelled .

We have in chapters XIII . and XVIII .

given numerous drawings of locks and keys of the above early date, which will serve to indicate the steps by which arrived at.

such perfection in the art was

Although Wolverhampton has always been the great store-house whence locks were obtained , and is known commercially as the chief locale of the English lock-trade, yet it is at Willenhall,* a township in the same parish, about three miles distant on the Lichfield turnpike road , that the great bulk of the common locks are manufactured in all their details.

The better quality of locks are

almost

exclusively manufactured at Wolverhampton. In 1770 there were the following locksmiths in the parish :-

Wolverhampton Bilston •

134

Willenhall

148

8

At this period no patent had been taken out for improvements

in the construction

of locks and

latches ; nor for anything in any way connected

" This town (Willenhall ) consists of one long street, newly paved. The principal house is that beyond the church, going to Wolverhampton, formerly inhabited by Dr. Wilkes, who further adds that the village did not begin to flourish till the iron manufactory was brought into these parts in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Since that time this place is become very populous, and more locks of all kinds are made here than in any other town of the same size in England or Europe. The better sort of which tradesmen have erected many good houses." -Shaw's History and Antiquities of Staffordshire, published in 1801.

WOLVERHAMPTON

ITS LOCK -TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS . 859

with the trade, although the patent law had been in existence from the reign of James I. In the year 1855 the number of master locksmiths in business in the district was as follows : -

·

Wolverhampton Bilston

110 2

Willenhall

340

Willenhall , as before stated, is not only the principal neighbourhood for the production of locks and latches, but also for the manufacture of bolts, gridirons, currycombs, &c.

Almost the entire popu-

lation are employed in the various branches of the above manufactures, as up to the year 1844 there were but two inhabitants who were not engaged in business, and these were the clergyman of the township and the Wesleyan

minister.

At this

period ( 1844 ) there were neither a resident magistrate, lawyer, or policeman. This busy hive of the " Sons of Vulcan" has since 1801 * increased in population five-fold, numbering now ( 1856 ) at least 15,000 souls.

These

are not all employed in the above trades, as since the mines of coal and ironstone in the immediate neighbourhood have been proved to be so rich and extensive, many of the persons employed in connexion with these mining operations reside in the town .

There are, however, at the present time

* In 1801 the population of Willenhall was 3,143 ; in 1811 , 3,523 ; in 1821 , 3,965 ; in 1831 , 5,834 ; in 1841 , 8,695 ; and in 1851 , 11,924.

860

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

about 340 of what are termed " master men," the greater part of whom are in a small way, employing only a few hands each, and these are mostly apprentices.

These small masters having no capital,

and being very poor, are compelled to sell the produce of one week's work before commencing the next.

They must sell their wares at some

price -the principal purchasers being the Wolverhampton factors.

This circumstance tends to keep

down the price of the various kinds of manufactured goods, and hence the apparent, nay actual poverty of this humble

class

of manufacturers.

Amongst such a large number of master men, it would be strange indeed if there were none in a better condition ; and on a recent visit to the town we were informed that there were a goodly number who had small manufactories , and were in thriving and well-to-do circumstances.

Within the last few

years numbers of this latter class have

erected

premises of some pretensions on their own freeholds , several of which are of considerable extent and importance,

and far excel all other similar

manufactories at Wolverhampton .

One of the

largest concerns is that of Messrs . John Harper and Matthew Tildesley, and is called the " Albion Works," where the various kinds of locks described and illustrated in the last chapter, together with bolts, wood screws, &c., are produced in vast quantities.

We here inspected many different samples* * Their total number of patterns exceeds 1,700.

WOLVERHAMPTON- ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 861

0

OEC

111 IIII

Ο

Fig. 457.

OO

ใ

Fig. 458. 11211

Fig. 462.

Fig. 459.

Fig. 460 .

Fig. 461.

862

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

of locks, & c . , including patterns of locks, handles , bolts , and bars used in the plantations of South America, which are made in large quantities, and are supplied at regular periods.

Figs . 457 to 462*

inclusive represent a set of these latter fastenings, which are larger than any we have ever seen . These figures also form a good illustration of the Willenhall

manufactures.

Messrs.

Harper

and

Tildesley are also the sole manufacturers of a patent tumbler padlock (see fig. 426 , page 834), which is very saleable in the Levant and East India markets , and for simplicity and cheapness is one of the wonders of the age.

It is without

exception the cheapest padlock in the world, as it can be sold retail from one penny each.

They have

been sold wholesale in quantities varying from five to ten thousand dozens at a time.†

Although the principle of division of labour is not carried out to the extent it is capable of in the manufacture of locks and keys, yet many operations are carried on as distinct trades, as for instance key-stamping, pressing, casting, &c.; and it is interesting to note when some of these branches of the trade were first introduced , the circumstances which led thereto, and the results consequent upon their adoption . * The bolt represented by fig. 459 is 42 inches long ; fig. 462 is 24 inches long , the door fastener, fig. 458, is 18 inches long ; and the lock fig. 457 is a 14 inch dead lock. + Whilst inspecting the works of Messrs. Harper and Tildesley, we saw an order for one ton of small bolts for a double-handed cupboard lock, which would be equal to 40,000 locks.

WOLVERHAMPTON -ITS LOCK -TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS . 863 We have before assigned as a reason for the establishment of the lock manufacture in this district to be the excellent quality of the iron before it was smelted with pit coal ; and it is worthy of notice that many of the Willenhall little manufacturers still

use

no

other than the very best

charcoal iron, not, as may be supposed , for best work, but for many kinds of common locks , & c . A very superior quality of iron used to be made from the " swarf " or filings of iron , and hence called " swarf iron."* This iron was used formerly for all particular purposes in forged work, and even for links for best chest locks.

A Mr. Daniel Daker, of Darlaston ,

used to go round the district collecting the swarf from the locksmiths, which he made into " swarf balls."

Mr. Richard Tildesley, a cabinet or bright

lock-maker, who died

so late as the year 1816 ,

not only used this iron for his " links," but he also bought old horse shoes, from which he made the internal parts of the locks.

The great grandfathers of some of the oldest inhabitants of Willenhall, in their day, had to work

* Swarf iron is made by fusing swarf in a smith's forge, when it is worked upon the anvil to a proper consistency by three men with sledge hammers. The lump, weighing generally about 20lbs ., when sufficiently solid, is next flattened and cut into two, three, or four equal bars, and in the latter state it used to be carried round to the key-forgers, who purchased it. The " swarf balls " weighed from 12lbs. to 15lbs . each . An idea may be formed of the value set upon this kind of iron in those days from a statement made by a person now living, to the effect that " he liked to forge offswarf iron, because such a short bit made a key."

864

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

down thin iron for " lock-plates," &c . , from bars which were considerably too large for their use. Rolls for rolling sheets and plates were then unknown.

It was the

custom with the masters,

towards nine or ten o'clock at night, to say to the apprentices, " Now, lads, leave work and come and strike," which was the process employed for drawing the bars of iron to a proper strength and size for use, as at that period iron was not made as it is now of every size and shape suitable for the various articles it may be required for, and hence called merchant iron .

In connexion with this sub-

ject an anecdote is told of a hard-working man, who had two named Tom.

apprentices and a spendthrift son At night he had these two boys to

strike the iron in the

manner before described,

when he (the master) would drop his hammer on the anvil between each blow, which his neighbours said chimed " Dad gets it -Tom spends it."

" Dad

gets it - Tom spends it."

In bolt-making, about 40 years ago, the plates were cut from sheet iron with a small pair of shears, and the screw and rivet-holes were punched out over the vice.

Round bolts* were then worked down

from square rods ; a process also done by a forger and strikers.

Padlock shackles were also forged

* Previous to the year 1825 the barrel bolts were constructed out of gun barrels. The Willenhall makers used to purchase the waste ends of the gun barrels from the Birmingham gunsmiths, which the bolt-makers used to cut into the proper lengths and rivet on to an iron plate-hence the term " barrel bolt."

WOLVERHAMPTON— ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 865 from square rods, and the plates cut into the required form with a pair of shears and a chisel upon the anvil.

Such was the rude method of forming parts of locks previous to the year 1790, when a Mr. Isaac Mason, of Bilston , introduced the present method of pressing various parts of locks by means of tools and the ordinary fly press.

In the year 1796 , Mr.

Mason was induced by John Beebee , Esq. , a factor, to take up his residence at Willenhall, where he carried on a lucrative business for many years.

By

the adoption of the press an immense amount of labour has since been saved.

To this same Mr.

Mason belongs the credit of adopting cast iron , both common and malleable ,* for lock purposes , about the year 1815 , but who , after spending considerable sums in trying to produce the iron of a proper quality, finally abandoned the project in 1817.

The lock-makers were then dependent upon

Birmingham ironfounders for their malleable iron castings, which were at that period used in very large quantities for Dutch and Spanish locks by Mr.

William

Badger,

and afterwards by John

Collett, whose family are still largely engaged in manufacturing common Dutch locks.

The great

demand for this class of work led Mr. Wells, of Walsall, to commence

casting, and the various

* A patent was taken out for cast malleable iron in 1804, by Samuel Lucas, of Sheffield.

3 G

866

ON LOCKS AND KEYS .

limbs were retailed by Mr. Joseph Hodson at so much per dozen - not by weight, as at the present time. In 1830 , Mr. Richard Tildesley ( son of the Mr. Richard Tildesley before named), then a brassfounder, was the next to make another attempt at casting common and malleable iron for lock purposes, but which, like the preceding one of Mr. Mason, proved unsuccessful. It was not till the year 1836 that the next attempt to perfect the manufacture of malleable iron castings was made in Willenhall , when the still increasing quantity weekly consumed in the fabrication of the different kinds of locks induced Mr. Richard Tildesley to make further experiments to accomplish this great desideratum ;

but who ,

like his predecessor, after spending a considerable amount

of

money,

relinquished

further

trials.

However the circumstance of being still compelled to obtain these

castings either from Walsall or

Birmingham induced Mr. Tildesley subsequently to try again, when at length his perseverance and labours were crowned with success . There are now ( 1856) three ironfounders in the townshipMr. Richard Tildesley, Mr. Knowles, and Messrs . John Harper, jun. and Co.

We believe this latter

firm were the first to produce locks entirely of cast malleable iron, and the perfection to which they have brought this branch of the lock manufacture may be estimated from the following figure, which

WOLVERHAMPTON - ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 867 represents a Bramah key as it came from the sand. It is without a mark or blemish of any kind, and the cuts in the barrel are quite perfect.

The fineness and

clear-

ness of surface and its malleability far surpass any thing of the kind we had ever before examined. Prior to the year 1806 , most, if not all of the keys used in lenhall had to be forged,

Wil-

as before

stated, from " swarf balls," when about this period several parties in

Fig. 463. Birmingham commenced to stamp keys and supply them (called key-blanks ) to the Willenhall locksmiths . In 1810, Mr. Hope, of Compton, near Wolverhampton, also commenced key-stamping , in which he soon excelled all other stampers, and has continued to the present day to turn out very superior work. In the course of our researches we were shewn a list of prices issued in 1810, jointly by the keymakers of Birmingham - John Grimley, William Taylor, and Charles Ash- in which the price of small keys was at that time 4s. 6d . per gross.

Now

the same sized keys are sold at 1s. 8d . per gross , and if made of malleable iron at 10d. per gross.

The casting of keys was first introduced by Mr. Grove, of Birmingham about the year 1816 . 3 E 2

868

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

For some time- prejudice -that arch enemy of every thing that is new and of every attempt at getting out of the beaten track - prevented the general employment of stamped keys, but ultimately (1811 ) one of the above-named persons was induced to leave Birmingham and commence key-stamping at Willenhall.

In 1812 , John Grimley also com-

menced there in the same business, and whose sons and grandsons continue to carry on the trade ; so that the laborious and slow operation of key-forging soon became extinct, at least nearly so, there being now ( 1856 ) but " one " left, and his services are only occasionally required . 66 Lock-making, as carried on in Willenhall, is divided into mortise locks, box and trunk locks , cabinet locks, rim locks, bright locks, brass-case locks ,

closet locks, dead locks, and padlocks , in

iron and brass.

Except some of the parts of the

brass-work, which are cast, the processes by which all these locks are made are forging, pressing, and filing.

The forging is a light process of smith's

work , affording variety of action in the use of a light hammer, and blowing the bellows. and young persons are employed at it.

Children Pressing is

work done at a press, by which certain parts of the lock are pressed, i. e., stamped or cut out. presses are of various sizes.

The

All require strength ;

the large ones considerable strength .

This press

has a horizontal lever, the centre of which ( if it have two arms) crosses the top of a perpendicular

WOLVERHAMPTON- ITS LOCK -TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 869 screw, which is the fulcrum.

There is generally

an iron weight at each end of the lever, according to the power required.

One of these arms of the

lever is grasped by the right hand of the presser and whirled round with a jerk, while the fingers of the left hand place the metal to be worked upon , and remove it at each operation .

Very often the

press has only one arm, i. e. , a lever , one end of which is fixed in the top of the screw ; perhaps , also, it has no weight at the

other end.

Children and young persons are employed at it. The age and strength of the child, and the power required, as well as the hours of labour, should be properly adjusted, which they very seldom are. Filing is the most general of all the processes , and is prolonged indefinitely, and with least variety of action .

scarcely the

Children are placed stand-

ing upon blocks so as to be able to reach the vice, and set to work with a file almost as soon as they can hold one.

Key-making is divided into light

forge-work, stamping, piercing , and filing.

The

forging, as previously described, is light smith's work. The process of stamping is effected by placing the end of an iron wire, taken

red-hot

from the forge, into one-half of a key-mould, made in a kind of anvil or block.

A heavy weight is

then raised between an upright frame-work, in the grooves of which it runs (like the knife in a guillotine ), by means of a cord , which is drawn by both hands, with the assistance of one foot in a stirrup

870

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

attached to the end of the cord .

At the bottom of

this weight, thus raised , there is the other half of the key-mould.

The foot in the stirrup being

suddenly raised, and the cord loosed , the weight falls upon the red-hot wire , and the blow stamps it into the two moulds, which are brought accurately together by means of the slides or side-grooves in the frame-work in which the weight runs. The rough key is also trimmed and cleared by this stamping apparatus ; that is, the surplus metal all round is cut off by a single blow from above, and the metal which fills up the rim or ring is punched, cut, or stamped out by a blow given in the same way.

Children never use the cord and stirrup, as

they have not strength to raise the weight.

It is

always done by adults, or by young persons of at least sixteen or seventeen years of age.

Children

and young persons very commonly do the forgework, the former blowing the bellows, and the latter placing the heated rod in the mould below, either for stamping the key, clearing it.

or trimming, and

The piercing is making the hole or

pipe of the key, which is drilled by a small machine worked with the foot, like a lathe.

This is done

both by young persons and children , but seldom under eleven years of age, as it requires skill. Filing is the process that finishes the key.

The

wards are cut, and the key made bright entirely with the file .

Children and young persons work at

this in all descriptions of common keys.

Keys

WOLVERHAMPTON- ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 871 that have complicated wards are only entrusted to adults and to apprentices of some years' practice"* We have previously described various improvements which have been introduced from the earliest times to the present day into the manufacture of locks and keys, but it will doubtless surprise many of our readers to find that these improvements are so few in number ; but though few, still they have been of vast importance to the trade, and the only wonder is that other improvements, the want of which has all along been so apparent, have never yet been introduced, as for instance the adoption of machinery to do half the work that is now done by hand.

In prosecuting our inquiries in con-

nection with this subject, we were astonished to find that, at Wolverhampton , the Messrs. Chubb† and other large makers should still produce the whole of their work with the same primitive tools which have been in use from time immemorial ;

* Appendix to the Second Report of R. H. Horne, Esq., " On the employment of children and young persons employed in the iron trade and other manufactures of South Staffordshire. "- 1841. + The founder of the present firm of Charles Chubb and Son was the late Mr. Jeremiah Chubb, who was an ironmonger at Portsea, and who, as before stated, patented the lever lock constructed with a detector, in the year 1818. We cannot discover the year when the latter commenced manufacturing locks at Wolverhampton , but Mr. Ebenezer Hunter, sen.,whose name is associated with the Messrs. Chubb in two patents, and who was a sergeant in the Royal Sappers and Miners, and who obtained his discharge (41 years ago ) was employed in the Government Works at Portsea as foreman of the blacksmiths, left there about forty years ago, and entered the employ of the first Mr. Chubb,-came to Wolverhampton in the year 1830 to manage the present business. The manufactory was then in Temple-street, next in St. Johns'-square, and afterwards ( 1842) removed to the present premises.

872

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

they do not employ a single machine, and we believe throughout the trade in this district the only makers who use machines at all are Mr. Duce and Mr. Aubin. *

That most of the limbs

of which a lock is composed are capable of being produced at a much cheaper rate, and with a degree of uniformity impracticable by hand labour, has been lately proved by Messrs. Hobbs, Ashley, and Co. , of London , whose machines, invented by Mr. Hobbs, are not only of the most interesting character, but

perform their work in the most

admirable manner.

Mr. Hobbs , who has twice

thrown open his establishment for our inspection, and who has in the most unreserved manner given us all the information we

required on various

matters connected with this subject, and also with respect to each machine, has commenced a course of action, which must ultimately lead to success. The only doubt we have, is, whether London is the right place for establishing a lock manufactory, as the materials and some of the separate parts of the locks must be had from this district .

The

operatives, also, must be drawn from this town.

It is almost incredible that " stock" locks at the cular

saw

present

even in making time,

not a cir-

nor machinery of any kind is

used .

The cavity for the works of a double-handed lock Messrs. Harper and Tildesley, of Willenhall, have recently adapted Naysmith's steam hammer to the purpose of stamping, which has partly superseded the laborious process of forging, by which the work is much better done, and also at a much cheaper rate.

WOLVERHAMPTON— ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 873

(Steele's patent) is bored out with a hand auger and finished with a chisel, the block of wood being tightly screwed in a vice.

The wood used for these

locks is oak (pipe staves), and when Quebec timber is employed, from its hardness and roughness, the labour in working it by hand is very great, yet not a single maker has had the temerity to introduce the circular saw, which in other manufactures has produced such beneficial results.

In making the

iron parts, not even a press is used - all the holes being punched out by hand.

The plates are cut

out by hand also, and the bolts are all forged .

The

principal tools are the shears, file, and punch.

The

great waste of materials consequent upon such an antiquated system of manufacture is very considerable. The patentee of a lock, who was not a lockmaker, and consequently had no feeling of attachment for the " things of old," came to Wolverhampton for the purpose of having his locks made, and called upon one of the principal manufacturers for that purpose.

Part of the arrangement entered

into comprised the purchase of a new and powerful press , which the manufacturer duly procured, and the patentee was shortly afterwards requested to come and inspect it.

He did so , and found to

his amazement that it had been constructed out of three or more separate parts, bought at as many second-hand establishments.

This is an apt illus-

tration of the kind of enterprise the master lock-

874

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

smiths of Wolverhampton possess ;

and we feel

assured that whatever great improvements are to be introduced into the trade generally, they will emanate from persons altogether unconnected with the manufacture .

Such has been the case with

- the particular nearly every other manufacture — improvements in which have mostly been the work of inventors not belonging to the particular trade . * If our Manchester friends should become slack of orders we would recommend them to come and inspect the " antique " tools of the Wolverhampton locksmiths, and at once design the machinery which must some day cause a revolution in the lock trade. The manufactories here are as antiquated as the tools, and are quite as susceptible of improvement. There is only one that has any pretensions to importance, and that is Messrs. Chubb's, in Horseley Fields, which was formerly the old Workhouse .† The circumstance of the Americans having invented so many useful machines and improved others does not arise from any superior genius or skill possessed by them over their brethren in this country, but from their being at liberty to act without the trammels of the antique usages of the Old World. If they require a tool or a machine, they do not go to Mr. A., who has supplied their ancestors with the same article from time immemorial, but they set about contriving and constructing those tools and machines which will best perform the work required to be done. " Routine " and " red-tapeism " is a system which they ignore. For the same reason in many trades those hands make the best and most expert workmen who previously knew nothing of the particular business, but of course knew how to use the general tools employed in it. + On a stone tablet fixed in the wall on the east side of the building is the following inscription :: -" Mrs. Ann Gough, of this town, spinster, sister of the late Sir Heny. Gough, Kt., of Perry Hall, by her will left one hundred pounds to the use of the Workhouse of this town, which was expended in erecting this infirmary. A.D. 1714. " SAML. BENNETT, Ch. Wardens." " FRANS . BUTler, }

WOLVERHAMPTON-ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 875 This, together with all the minor establishments (with one or two exceptions), are ill- contrived low

CHUBBS PATENT LOCK MANUFACTORY AFESTONERMAJEST CASH BOXESSOPECALAPPANI BIREPROOFS Y HA PRINCE ALDMENT MANUFACTURER

Fig . 464. - Chubb's Lock Manufactory, Horseley Fields, Wolverhampton. (Drawn November, 1856. )

buildings, badly lighted and worse ventilated . Iworkshops of the humbler masters

The

are regular

menageries, dogs being tied up under the bellows ; " Many of the small masters are too small to be known, except personally to some of the foremen of the factors to whom they take their work; and to find out their abodes in any regular way would be attended with great difficulty and expenditure of time. Out of upwards of 260 locksmiths, who are nearly all small masters, there are probably not half-a-dozen (I never saw one) who has his name over his door, or whose workshop is in the front of a street. The same may be said of the key-makers (of whom there are sixty or seventy masters ) , of the screw-makers, latch, bolt, snuffer, tobacco-box, and spectacle frame and case makers, of each among whom there are from twenty to thirty masters. You might pass along a street fifty times, up the passages and court yards of which there were shops containing nests full of young children, and never know it. They are as much out of sight as birds' nests. There are scarcely any workshops in front of the street. The whole ofthe work of the town is carried on in shops at the backs of the houses, except in the case of some of the large manufactories."-Report of R. H. Horne, Esq., before referred to.We are sorry to say that the above description and remarks hold good at the present time.

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

876

bird-cages hung in the windows ; rabbit-pens constructed under the work-bench ; and pigeons kept outside on the roof.

The windows, which act as

ventilators in summer, in winter form specimens of marqueterie work, made with paper, sheet iron, tinplate, & c.

A pigsty under the workshop window

and its accompanying tender-the wash tub-near it, with the accumulated dust and dirt of the floor, form the enchantments of a locksmith's shop . Amongst the old buildings of the town the premises now occupied

by Mr.

Fleeming,

chemist,

High Green, possess considerable interest in connexion with the lock manufacturers of this district, as the house was formerly a very celebrated inn , known as the " Angel," and it was this house that the locksmiths were in the habit of frequenting for the purpose of meeting the foreign merchants and country buyers.

The Swan Hotel adjoining was

originally an inn, at which the same class of masters and purchasers also assembled.

The custom appears

to have been for the manufacturers to take up their standings outside and next the doors of these two houses in the order in which they arrived .

The

American merchants were the principal customers, and it was usual for the latter in making a bargain to sell to the manufacturer a barrel of flour.

Each

seller had also to take a ticket from the innkeeper for a pint of ale, as a consideration for the accommodation afforded .

It is stated that scarcely an

instance occurred without the whole of the manu-

WOLVERHAMPTON- ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 877 factured goods having been thus periodically disposed of. This custom prevailed till the enactment of the Corn Laws.

We have endeavoured to find

out the period

when the " factoring trade " was first established in this district, but our efforts have been unsuccessful.

That the sales of manufactured goods were

formerly effected direct between the foreign merchants and country dealers and the producers is beyond question ;

and that some of the foreign

merchants had resident* agents here, who bought the goods and shipped them off by canal, is also certain. Some think that the factoring trade originated from the circumstance of the foreign merchants and the country buyers having " bantered " the manufacturers in the price of their goods, when the producers reduced the quality in proportion , and, as some say, sold them locks without keys, which, when discovered , caused a feeling of distrust on the part of the buyers, and made them afraid to purchase direct.

They then employed a middle-

man to make their purchases , who was afterwards called a " chapman," and subsequently " factor. "†

* Our maternal grandfather (the late Mr. Isaac Pedley, whose father was a factor at Willenhall) resided here as agent to the respectable and old-established firm of American merchants, Messrs. Walker, of Livery Street, Birmingham. According to " Sketchley and Adams's Tradesman's True Guide ; or an Universal Directory for the Towns of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, and the Manufacturing Villages in the neighbourhood of

878

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

In using the term " factor" in any other part of the kingdom to designate a trade, it would at once be asked what factor ? -cheese, butter, or bacon ? But in this district the term is synonymous with merchant, and is understood to mean only a wholesale dealer in hardware and other goods. Originally the chapmen, although wealthy, did not travel or send out representatives, and it is said they lacked the enterprise in this respect of their brethren of Birmingham, and allowed the chapmen of that town to get the start of them.

Some, however, by

degrees added the country to their foreign trade, whilst others continued alone, the latter business.

Birmingham ," 4th edition , published in 1770, there were the following chapmen, factors, and merchants then in business in Wolverhampton :Bradney, Thomas, dealer and factor, Manor Lane. Carr, Rowland, and Co. , factors and merchants, Queen Street. Clutterbuck and Beckford, ironmongers, Craddock's Walk. Gibbons, Thomas, merchant, Dudley Street. Hewitt, James, brassfounder and chapman, King Street. Hill, William, ironmonger and chapman, Bilston Street. Jenkins, for Crawley and Co., merchants, Horse Fair. Lane, Jos., merchant, Bilston Street. Molineux, Ben., ironmonger and merchant, Tup Street. Perry and Hayes, merchants, Horse Fair. Pershouse, John, ironmonger and merchant, High Green. Price, Rich., ironmonger and merchant, Berry Street. Radenhurst, Thomas, chapman, High Green. Smith and Gaskill, ironmongers and merchants, Snow Hill. White, John, ironmonger and merchant, Stafford Street. Wright, Thomas, ironmonger and chapman, Snowhill. The business of Perry and Hayes, above-mentioned, after being carried on by Messrs. Thomas and James Perry, was next conducted by Mr. Joseph Tarratt, then by Joseph Tarratt and Sons ; under this firm the business is still carried on. This is the oldest house of any importance which has continued to do an extensive business with America, whose predecessors commenced at so early a period. This concern has continued from its first establishment to the present time in only two families.

WOLVERHAMPTON- ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 879 The representatives were then called - not as now by the dignified title of " commercial travellers" but " outriders," a very significant term, for they used to travel on horseback with their samples in their saddle-bags.

The saddle-bags and horse

afterwards gave place to the box and gig, and the latter is becoming in these railway times almost as great a novelty as the former.

Although the foreign merchants had from the circumstance before named ceased to come to the town, the manufacturers still expected them, and continued making stock in the anticipation of the whole being some day cleared off by these large buyers, when, after hoping against hope, they went and offered their goods to the factors, who told them that they (the factors) did not require such merchandise, but if they (the manufacturers ) would reduce their respective prices five or ten per cent. , then they would purchase and take the goods into stock, although they had no orders for them .

This

is said to have been the origin of the present system of discounts so universally adopted , not only in the lock-trade, but also in almost every other branch of the hardware manufacture.

The late Mr. Timmins, of King Street, a retired factor, used in his early days to travel to and through North Wales, on horseback, with his patterns in his saddle-bags, and as at that period there were few provincial banks, he had to bring the receipts of his journey home in the same receptacles.

880

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Whether this would apply to all other trades we do not know, but that it was the case with the lock-makers we have every reason to believe, for several aged locksmiths recollect the time when discounts were unknown, and when locks which are now sold wholesale at a reduction from the original price of from 10 to 75 per cent. , were formerly sold net. We have heard many droll anecdotes relative to the first establishment of these discounts .

Some of

the manufacturers, when it was first proposed to them , did not even understand the meaning of the word, whilst others, not only at that period , but even to the present time, from ignorance of the difference between discount and interest, have come to ruin, at the same time that they supposed themselves to be saving money ; for so soon as the principle of discounts became a rule in the trade, the various manufacturers, as they invented new things or improved old ones, in calculating the price they could sell them at, would put on a certain amount of interest on the prime cost of the article, for the purpose of taking it off again to the factor ; and this in most cases was reckoned thus : -If the particular article had cost the manufacturer 3s. 9d. , which, with his profit of 3d . added would make 4s . , he would add to the latter amount 25 per cent. interest, for the purpose of allowing the same discount to the factor, which made the gross price 5s. , and with 25 per cent. discount off, reduced it

WOLVERHAMPTON- ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS . 881 to 3s. 9d. net, which was, as stated before , the actual prime cost of the article. * We will illustrate this further by relating the following anecdote, which was told to us as a fact, and which we believe to be quite true :-A small manufacturer, who had been started in business by a factor, kept so many journeymen , and on the Saturday night, after drawing his money from the factor for so many dozens of locks made and delivered , gave the amount, as is customary with this class of the commercial community, to his " better half," to pay the journeymen their wages.

After

paying most of them, and the good dame being requested by her lord and master to pay the remainder, she replied , and we think very prudently, " but Thomas we shall have no money left for ourselves."

" How can that be ?" replied the master ;

“ I have made and drawn for so many dozen, and I reckon to get so much by each dozen after putting on the discount ; there must be plenty left. " The good wife paid all the men, but the cash left was indeed " small and beautifully less " -it was simply the difference between putting on the discount and taking it off again."t

* A very useful work has this year been published by Effingham Wilson, London, containing " tables of profit, discount, commission, and brokerage, on an entirely new principle, " by Andrew Ferguson, accountant. "The discount established by the factors upon the various articles of ironmongery, which are the chief commodity of trade in Wolverhampton, is something very extraordinary. It is most commonly from 50 to 70 per cent. It varies, however, upon the same articles with the fluctuations of demand or the factor's power to apply 6 the screw ;' but it always varies

3 G

882

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

All the master locksmiths, with a few exceptions, work at the vice themselves, and it is a rare circumstance to see one in the streets without his apron on.

They have such an attachment to the

apron that it is said some of them decline going to a place of worship, because they should have to " doff the apron ." The journeymen locksmiths, as a class, work hard when at their work, but are much addicted to drinking .

Most of them are in a very degenerate

state, and few seem inclined to better their condition .

Little hope can be entertained of their

improvement till the abominable system of hiring is abolished.

The following extracts on this subject

in Mr. Horne's report before referred to, although written fifteen years ago, equally apply at the present time, and we insert them at length in the hope that they may arouse the philanthropic spirit of our townsmen to make an effort to abolish the system altogether.

We hope the magistrates who

adjudicate upon these cases will give the weight of their influence in assisting to do away with this system of English slavery.

Its demoralizing effects

cannot for one moment be doubted, and we feel convinced of the impossibility of improving the moral condition of this class of our working population till its eradication is complete and final :-immensely with regard to different articles. Thus, the discount upon some things is often 2 per cent. only ( as upon iron wire ) , while it is sometimes 60 per cent. (as upon bellows ' pipes), and upwards of 90 per cent. upon other things, such as iron cinder-sifters."-Appendix to the Second Report of R. H. Horne, Esq.

WOLVERHAMPTON—ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 883

" When a large master engages an adult, it is very common for the former to offer to lend the man money.

This money is to be returned by

weekly instalments from the man's wages, and will generally require at least a twelvemonth to be thus repaid at 1s. 6d . or 2s. per week.

Hence the man

indirectly hires himself for at least a twelvemonth . Two years are a more common period by means of these kind of contracts.

But as these weekly

instalments are very seldom strictly enforced, and never enforced when the man has paid up pretty regularly to a certain

extent, it may well be

expected that the man is far more glad to avail himself of the extra 1s. 6d. or 2s. a week than anxious to get out of debt.

Thus, at the end of

the year he is not again a free man , but is required to work as many more weeks as will pay up the balance by the instalments .

While doing this the master offers to lend him another sum of money on

similar terms.

The man cannot resist the tempta-

tion of having the means of a week's riot and debauchery, and he enters on a fresh contract of service for a year and a half, two years, or more , according to the amount of the sum and the weekly instalment.

It hence appears that the object of

this loan of money from the master to the man is to create a debt which shall govern the period of service. A man, for instance, is engaged on the loan of £2 12s. to work for a master until such sum shall be paid by weekly instalments of 1s. 3H 2

884

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

Suppose a default is made in the payment of the instalments, the service must continue until such payments are made in that particular way ; which service would extend to the termination

of the

man's life if he continued a defaulter.

" That these contracts are sufficiently stringent on

one

side and

loose

on the other

may be

They are drawn up by an readily apprehended . The attorney who is employed by the master. following is from a copy of an agreement of this kind :-

" First the said R. O

hereby agrees to hire himself to,

and to work solely for the said J. H——, his executors, administrators, and assigns, for the term of one hundred and four weeks, at the work or trade of rim lock making, &c .; and the said J. H

, his executors, administrators, and assigns shall be at

liberty to retain out of the wages or earnings of the said R. Othe sum of two shillings and sixpence per week, till the sum of thirteen pounds is fully paid, which is now due and owing from the said R. O—————— to the said J. H— . If the said R. Oshall borrow any more money of the said J. H-

while he is

fulfilling his number of weeks as a contract servant, he shall in no wise leave the service of the said J. H— , his executors, administrators, and assigns, so long as he is indebted to them, &c. "

The following clauses occur in a copy of another of these agreements : -

" And it is agreed by both parties that the acceptance by the said servant B. S , at the usual reckoning times, of any sum as his wages, except expressly paid on account, shall be conclusive of a settlement ; and it shall not be lawful for him again to dispute the amount, or open the account."

WOLVERHAMPTON- ITS LOCK -TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 885 " That in case at any time the said master J. C—

shall

advance any sum of money to the said B. S beyond the wages then due, it shall be lawful for him to retain out of the wages from time to time to become due to the said B. S― by instalments of [ shillings per week, until the whole of such advancement shall be paid : And this contract, and the term of service, shall extend and subsist until the sum be fully paid by such instalments, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary. " " These kind of contracts also contain other ' stringent clauses, such as compensation

out of the

wages ' for work not well done or damaged .

From

the operation of this kind of contract it happens in very few instances that a man is free, or has any definite period of service.

The good of this system

is that, if the master be a wise and benevolent man, the power he thus possesses over the servant may be beneficial to both parties. The evils of the system are these : -First, that as all masters are not wise and benevolent, it gives them a power which is liable to be abused in all the intricate ways of Tommy.

Secondly, that it incites the man

to a system of borrowing and of extravagant riot, in which the loans are almost always expended. Thirdly, it puts the means out of a man's power of availing himself of any opportunity that might occur for bettering his condition .

The man has

sold himself.

" Should a master and a man agree to part, the first question with a new master is, ' What do you owe your last master ?'

The new contract is

886

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

founded upon the re-payment of the last master by the new master (the former consenting to receive the sum of money) and an advance is again made to the man on the same terms, carrying on the whole debt.

Hence the man is passed , with an

accumulating debt upon his head , from one master's hands to the other. The man knows he shall never recover his freedom, and becomes reckless.

Since

a loan is made with every fresh engagement , he endeavours to change as often as he can. "* " But very often the man breaks through the contract he has made with his master on account of money lent, and insists upon leaving the master. The master, not agreeing, insists upon the payment of the money remaining due to him by weekly instalments, say £2, together with the current service . But suppose the man can raise the £2, he is still not free to leave upon paying it, for the master refuses to receive it, as not being according to the contract, which was by weekly instalments from wages for work performed .

The man refusing to

fulfil this, the master instantly gets a warrant out against him-takes him before a magistrate -and the man is forthwith sent to Stafford Jail.

On his

liberation he still has to fulfil his contract of service and payment of his debt by instalments.

In the

course of the last four years there has been, on an average, other towns of the county inclusive, two

* Appendix to the Second Report of R. H. Horne, Esq.

WOLVERHAMPTON- ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 887 hundred and forty individuals sent to Stafford Jail each year for this very offence.

The expense to the

county thus incurred is prodigious .

*

" I question the legality of the whole proceeding ; for if the man offer to discharge the money debt at once, and the master refuse to accept it, then the remainder of his claim (except he can prove substantial damages by the departure of the man at that time) would surely be accounted, in equity, as frivolous and vexatious, and conspiring against the liberty of the subject.

If a man agrees to work

until he has paid his master fifty-two shillings by one shilling per week, this would be equivalent to a hiring for one year certain ; and if, at the end of that year, any sum remained unpaid, I should conceive it would be a debt which, legally, had nothing to do with the service.

But if the man engaged

to work for the master until he paid him fifty-two shillings, that would be an indefinite contract as to time, and therefore voidable at any time.

Now,

in both cases, the magistrates enforce the service until the debts are discharged .

They take no

notice of the default of payment of any instalment, (to which default it is probable the master has no objection), but only of the default of service while the debt is due."* Mr. Horne makes the following remarks relative to the physical labour of the locksmiths of Wolverhampton and Willenhall. * Appendix to the Second Report, Q. 33.

888

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

"With the locksmiths and key-makers the work becomes most injurious from the sameness of the position of the body and action of the arms, and the long protracted hours during which they stand filing at a vice. "Physically injurious as these processes become here, [Wolverhampton ] they are rendered far more so by the lock smiths and key-makers of Willenhall." " The right shoulder-blade becomes displaced and projects, and the right leg crooks and bends inwards at the knee, like the letter K.

It is the

leg which is hindermost in standing at the vice. One of my witnesses who was accustomed to the hind leg,'

sight could not help terming it

so

impressed was he with its similarity to that of a drudging animal. " The right hand, also, has frequently a marked distortion .

Almost every thing it holds takes the

position of the file.

If the poor man carries a limp

lettuce or a limper mackerel from Wolverhampton market, they are never dangled , but always held like the file.

If he carry nothing, his right hand

is in just the same position . " I have heard several inhabitants of Wolverhampton declare they can recognize a Willenhall man whenever they see one in the streets. this requires some qualification ;

Probably

at all events I

believe I could do the same myself if he were a locksmith, almost at the first glance. ”

WOLVERHAMPTON- ITS LOCK-TRADE AND LOCKSMITHS. 889 The hours of labour with the Willenhall locksmiths are less now than was universally the custom a few years ago.

Since the opening of additional

places of worship and the establishment of Sunday and day schools for the children of the working classes, and the gradual attainment of knowledge by the adult population , the operatives are not those drudges they were formerly.

In proportion

as they acquire useful knowledge, does the practice of long hours and excessive work lessen.

Mr.

Horne, in the report before referred to, has drawn some very gloomy pictures of the moral condition of the locksmiths of Willenhall , but we are glad to state that since that period ( 1841 ) considerable improvements in this respect have taken place . The town also has much improved in its general appearance, as well as in a sanitary point of view. There are now both gas works and water works in full operation . The following extracts will serve to give some idea of the social habits of these hard-worked and badly paid artisans : " Some years ago , a factor, who had projected a manufactory in Brussels, engaged some five-andtwenty Willenhall men , whom he was expense of taking over.

at

the

He gave them all work,

and from hard-earned wages of from 9s. to 15s. a week, these ' practised hands ' found themselves able to earn £3 a week and upwards.

But they

were not satisfied, and began to feel uncomfortable.

890

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

First one left and returned home ; then another, then one or two, till in the course of a few weeks every man had returned to Willenhall, resuming his slavery and his drunkenness, his low wages, dirty lanes, and destitution. " " About two o'clock on Saturday, some of those who did some work on Tuesday begin to appear in the streets ; and large masses issue forth between four and five o'clock.

The wives and elder girls

go to market ; the husbands and other adults to the beer-shops.

By seven or eight o'clock the

market is full ; the streets are all alive ; the beershops and gin-shops are full ;

and all the other

The [small]

manufacturers are

shops are full .

stretching their limbs, expanding their souls to the utmost, and spending their money as fast as they possibly can.

No one ever thinks of saving a

shilling."

We shall conclude this chapter by the following account of several small locks :Many minute locks and keys have been exhibited which are remarkable

only for their smallness.

Fig. 465 represents a Barron's box lock and key, full size, made by Mr. Henry Yates. At the Exhibition of British Manufactures at Birmingham, in 1849 , Mr. Chubb exhibited one of his patent detector locks , set in a gold finger-ring , the lock At the and key weighing but sixteen grains. Great Exhibition of 1851 , Mr. Aubin exhibited a four-lever padlock 3-32nds of an inch in diameter,

891

SMALL LOCKS AND KEYS.

or just small enough to go inside a hemp-seed husk. The key was a quarter of an inch long.

The lock

and key were made by two young boys, the sons of

Fig. 465.

Mr. Aubin before-named ; but most of these locks are monstrously large in

comparison with what

were made nearly a century ago,* as shown by the following extract from Staffordshire : -

Shaw's

History

of

" June 13, 1776, James Lees, of Willenhall, aged 63 years and upwards, shewed me ( Rev. T. Unett) a padlock, with its key, made by himself, that was not the weight of a silver two-pence .

He at the

same time showed me a lock that was not the weight of a silver penny ; he was then making the key to it, all of iron.

He said he would be bound

to make a dozen locks, with their keys, that should not exceed the weight of a sixpence . "

" In 1578, Mark Sealiot, a blacksmith of London, made a lock of iron, steel, and brass, comprising eleven several pieces, and a pipe key, all which weighed but one grain. He also made a chain of gold of forty-three links, which chain being fastened to the lock and key and put on a flea's neck, weighed but one grain and a half." --Old Paper.

892

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

The illustration (fig. 455, page 844) represents a Barron's portfolio lock made of a half-crown, and the hasp part of a four-penny piece, by Mr. Henry Yates, without at all injuring the faces of either coin by screws or rivets.

893

CHAPTER XXI .

USEFUL HINTS IN CONNEXION WITH IRON SAFES AND LOCKS AND KEYS.

1.-We have stated before when noticing the detector locks, that these locks will frequently detect themselves, and it often happens that in the carriage of iron safes which are fitted with detector locks , when they arrive at their destination , from the above cause, they cannot be opened- therefore we would recommend all persons not to jump to the conclusion that the lock is spoiled, but to turn the key in the same direction as in locking, which will release the detector, then turn the key and unlock, when if the throwing of the detector has been the cause of the lock not answering to its key, it will at once open . 2.

Under no circumstances use violence when a

lock does not act properly.

Violence will always

do harm , whilst a little patience in " humouring" it will, in nine cases out of ten , enable the key rightly

894

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

to perform its office.

The majority of locks, if they

are to go well, are like watches, they must have some degree of careful treatment.

Instances are not

uncommon of persons who have iron safes, in the possible event of the lock " taking to go wrong," putting an instrument ( as a piece of iron ) through the bow of the key to act as a powerful lever, hoping by such violent means to make the key unlock it.

In such cases the words " open sesame”

would be far more likely to produce the desired effect.

The result of such violence is that the key-

bit breaks in the lock, and then there is no alternative but to drill or cut open the door, and in many cases the safe has to be sent to the maker to be opened and refitted, thus entailing on the owner a very considerable expense. 3. -Others , under similar circumstances, fill the lock with oil ; and if this happens to be at all glutinous, it sticks the levers (in the lock) together, in which case, whatever security the lock previously possessed, is by that means destroyed. 4.-It must be remembered that the lock is the lightest and weakest part of an iron safe, and in its transit from one place to another the jerks or jars it meets with are quite sufficient to somewhat disorder the internal parts of the lock, but a sharp rap with a hammer on that part of the door immediately over the small lock we have always found sufficient to set all right again.

895

USEFUL HINTS. 66

5.-In some locks containing a

curtain ," the

latter will sometimes get over the keyhole , and thus prevent the key from entering the lock ; but it is easily moved from before the keyhole into its proper position by means of the blade of a penknife or any other similar pointed instrument. 6.

We recommend in all cases in locking and

unlocking any lock, to remove the key after performing either operation. 7.-In those safes where the large bolts are thrown by a knob or handle and secured by a small lock, it is a good plan to throw the bolts with a swing, for unless the bolts are thrown quite " home," the bolt of the small lock cannot enter the slot in the arm of the large bolts, by which all are secured. From not understanding the construction of the locks on the doors of iron safes, persons frequently attempt to lock the small lock without even turning the handle to first throw the large bolts, and the key is thereby sometimes broken .

8.-When iron safes are made true and square, they require to be carefully fixed ; and it is advisable to use a spirit level to set them, otherwise the doors will not open and shut freely, and in doubledoor safes the bolts of the locks cannot be thrown. 9. -In double-door safes, first close the left-hand door, and then throw the bolts with the knob by turning it from right to left ; then close the righthand door, and throw the bolts of it by turning the handle in the same direction ; then insert the key in

896

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

the small lock, turn it round, and withdraw it ; and to make sure that it is locked, try the handle of the right-hand door, as in unlocking .

To open

the safe, the same operation must be performed, but of course in the reverse order. 10.

When safes are required to be sent abroad

or removed from place to place, it is advisable to remove the handle and other outside fittings, placing them inside , and then with any square instrument which will answer the purpose of a spindle, or what is called a T-key (fig. 466 ), throw the bolts , lock the small lock, and send the key by post or otherwise . We have

adopted this plan for several years and have never had an accident, and it dispenses with the use of a packing-case. direction or a piece

The

of blank

T paper should

Fig. 466

be

gummed or

pasted over the key and spindle

holes, to prevent dust

or dirt

getting either into the lock or into the interior of the safe. *

For want of similar information to the foregoing, a safe weighing 20 cwt. was waiting in an useless condition at Valparaiso, because the parties could not open the safe, and believed the keys were lost, till the maker was communicated with in England, and a reply received at Valparaiso. The doors were afterwards opened by the means before described, and the keys found inside one of the drawers. In another instance we had a safe returned to us because the " lock was wrong," whereas on its receipt we found the lock worked beautifully, but it went so noiseless that the person in locking it could not hear the action, and therefore concluded it did not act at all. Had he, after turning the key in the act of locking, also

897

USEFUL HINTS.

11.

In most small locks the

main-bolt,

even

in brass ones, is usually made of iron, which in damp situations is sure to rust and will therefore stick, and when this is so , great care must be used to move it, otherwise the key-bit is apt to break in the lock.

In consequence of this liability

of the iron bolt to oxydise, we have for some time had all our locks constructed with brass bolts, and we recommend all lock-makers to use as little iron in the internal mechanism of their locks as possible. Although it may be thought unnecessary, 12. yet we must remind those who have iron safes to invariably have a duplicate key,

which should

not, as is so frequently the case, be placed inside the safe, but should be kept in some secret place , so that in the event of the other key being lost, the reserve key may be put in requisition to open the safe, when the combination of the lock can be altered, and new keys made at a trifling expense ; so that, if the former key has dropped into improper hands, it would fail to open the safe. stances have been of frequent

In-

occurrence where

an individual has lost the one key, having the turned the handle of the door in the same direction, he would at once have proved whether the door was locked or not, and would thus have saved himself the laugh our workmen had at his expense, as well as the cost of the carriage. " The offices of the London and North Western Railway, at the Waterloo station, were entered by thieves on Thursday evening. One of the safes was opened, and £300 abstracted. A duplicate key was found at the foot ofthe safe, with which, doubtless, it had been opened. Another safe, which also contained a large sum, was attempted in various ways, but firmly resisted all the efforts to break into it." —Liverpool Times.

3 I

898

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

other locked up in his safe, the result being, that the door has had to be cut or drilled open, and a new lock put on at a considerable cost. 13. - We have before observed, and it may be

well to repeat it here, that in fixing detector locks in which the detector has to be released by an extra shoot of the bolt, a space of from one-eighth to a quarter of an inch should always be allowed in the depth of the bolt-hole to allow for it, otherwise when the detector is thrown , and no play is left for the extra shoot, the lock cannot of course be unlocked. 14.

Never leave your keys in the locks,

indeed out of your own hands.

or

This precaution

will effectually prevent a dishonest employé from taking an impression of them, or of tampering with them in any way, and for this reason use small or moderate sized locks with corresponding keys. Several years ago a bank was robbed in America, and a clean sweep made of all the cash , although the iron safe was secured by an unpickable lock. On

an

enquiry

being

instituted, the manager

recollected leaving the key in an unlocked wooden desk.

The great gold robbery from the South Eastern Railway Company in May, 1855 , appears to have been consummated through an employé leaving the duplicate master key of the iron chest, whilst his back was turned only for a few minutes, in an

899

USEFUL HINTS..

unlocked repository.

This circumstance suggests

the propriety of using spring locks more generally, so that all doors or drawers could be fastened in an instant merely by closing them .

This robbery

has proved beyond all question the possibility of making a key that will open a Chubb lock, by simply taking an impression ofthe original; and we now think it necessary still further to caution all persons against carelessly leaving their keys in a public or in an unsafe depository.

The composi-

tion used for the purpose of taking impressions is composed of bees' wax, powdered charcoal, and oil ; and a sufficiently accurate impression can be thus obtained of the key of almost every patent lock made, from which a perfect key can be fabricated. We should recommend all such specie

chests

for regular transit between one place and another to be secured by two or even three locks, each lock in its contruction to be

as dissimilar from the

others as possible, as well as the keys .

Had this

plan been adopted , this robbery could not have been effected by the means stated to have been employed in the evidence taken before the Lord Mayor, at the Mansion House, London , in November, 1856 . 15.-Pipe keys should occasionally be examined , and any foreign matter that may have got inside the pipe or drill-hole should be removed. 16. ― Should the levers in lever locks be found to " grate " or to make a whistling noise when in

312

900

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

action, take a fine needle and dip it in olive or best sweet oil, and with it touch very slightly all the long steps of the key-bit, and then apply the key to the lock in the usual way- such grating is caused by the springs being made unnecessarily strong.

The short steps seldom or never require

any oil, as the lifts of these levers being short, produce but little friction .

17.

In ordering cabinet furniture, be particular

in stipulating that a certain quality of lock shall be used, as it is the custom both with first-class as well as inferior makers to use inferior or common locks.

We would recommend architects also in

their specifications to name particularly the quality of locks to be employed -whether warded locks, lever locks, &c .; and if the latter, how many levers the lock is to contain.

18.-

As most of the travelling and writing cases,

despatch boxes, & c. sold are fitted with common locks, many of which, as we have stated before, * can be readily picked by a quill, we strongly recommend commercial travellers and others who use such articles to satisfy themselves of the real quality and security of the locks before entrusting cash or private papers to their custody. 19.

Some makers call all iron doors and frames

fire-proof, whereas in some there is no fire-proof composition in their construction , therefore architects

* See page 317.

901

USEFUL HINTS.

should always specify that the back of the lockchamber should contain a certain thickness of comWe know of several instances where one

position .

maker has estimated for a genuine fire-proof door, and the order has been given to another maker, because his estimate was some little lower ;

but

when the door came to hand, it was found to be of the former kind, i. e. , without any fire-proof composition at all in its construction .

The difference

in price between a fire-proof door and one not fireproof is from two to five pounds, according to the size of the door. 20. -The bolt of a right-hand lock always shoots from left to right, and a left-hand lock from right to left, as you stand on the OUTSIDE of the door. Mistakes with respect to the hand of locks are of daily occurrence.

What the carpenter calls a right-

hand lock, the locksmith vice versa.

calls

a left-hand, and

In order to prevent such mistakes in

future, we have thought it as well to illustrate the difference by the following diagrams : -Fig . 467

Fig. 467.-This door requires a right hand rim or mortise lock.

Fig. 468-This door requires a left hand rim or mortise lock.

represents a door which would require a right-hand lock.

Fig. 468 represents a door which would

902

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

require a left-hand lock.

Fig. 469 represents a

pair of folding cupboard, book-case, or wardrobe doors , which would require a left-hand lock .

Fig.

470 represents a cupboard with a single door , which would require a right-hand lock.

By observing

these figures the reader will perceive that the hand

Fig. 469.- Pair of folding cupboard, book-case, or wardrobe doors, which require a lefthand lock.

Fig 470.- Single cupboard door which requires a right-hand lock.

Fig 471. -Single cupboard door which requires a left-hand lock.

is found by standing on the outside of the door, and locking the lock by turning the key in the right-hand locks to the right, and in the left-hand locks to the left ; if the bolt comes out to the left it is a left-hand lock ; if to the right it is a righthand lock .

This is the locksmiths ' rule .

We

903

USEFUL HINTS.

recommend all parties when ordering such locks to give a sketch of the previous figures , or quote the number of the particular figure or figures before described . It may be well to notice that for a closet in a room in which the door of the closet is constructed to pull towards you, if a rim lock be required to be fixed on such a door so as to be inside the closet when the door is closed, the bolt of the lock or latch would require to be bevilled just the contrary way to the ordinary locks, as in closing the door you push the lock away from you , instead of pulling it towards you. Such a lock is called by locksmiths a reverse-bolt lock, and it requires to be fitted with a striking-plate for the

door-case instead of the

ordinary box-staple of the other locks. 21 -The length and width of the lock required (if of importance) together with the thickness of the door should always be given in ordering any door lock.

22.-If the knob or the keyhole are required to be any particular

distance from the edge

of the

door, always measure from the centre of the spindle hole and the centre of the keyhole respectively. 23. -In ordering locks never run down the price, because whatever reduction you may get from the regular and fair prices, is certain to be made out to you in so much less security, so much less strength, and so much less finish.

By the adoption of such

a system , however much you may think you have

904

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

saved, the maker will have got more, as there is always more profit, in proportion , attending the manufacture of a common article, than one of a superior quality. * 24 -Before purchasing either an iron safe or a lock, we recommend buyers to compare the productions of one maker with those of another, examine their several merits and judge for themselves.

It is

to assist them in this object that this work has been published. Let them not be entrapped by the present unscrupulous means adopted by some persons to Even the professors of increase their business . religious truth in these days are guilty of conduct most reprehensible in this respect.

The old pro-

verb " let everything stand on its own bottom ,” seems to be altogether ignored.

One manufacturer

thinks no means too unworthy or disreputable to employ to raise his own wares and to lower those of his

E To illustrate this fact, we may state a circumstance which is of frequent occurrence in this district. A small manufacturer takes a pattern of a certain sized lock to the wholesale buyer and names a certain price per dozen ; this pattern is kept by the dealer, and on another maker calling, the pattern is produced, and the latter maker's price is asked for a similar article. The first perhaps was low enough, but the second maker's is still lower. An order with the pattern is given to him, and he sends the several parts to the brass-founder to be cast from. The locks are made and delivered, and the second maker has made quite as much profit out of the reduced price as the first maker would have got by the higher price ; and this arises from the circumstance that the limbs which formed the lock having been cast from the limbs of the pattern-lock were, after dressing, so much less in size, and consequently so much less in weight. By this mode three inch till locks in time measure but 2 inch and all the parts are as light in proportion. Whenever the " grinding " system is adopted the work, in the language of the workshop, is " devilled " just in the same ratio. We believe this holds good in every other trade-and so it ought to do.

905

USEFUL HINTS. competitors

in

the

estimation

of the

Another by the most unblushing the shape of puffing

falsehoods in

advertisements

to increase his business.

public.

seeks thus

Another knowing the

credulity of the general public , seeks to produce an impression on their minds of the vastness of his establishment, by exhibiting and publishing drawings of manufactories or shops that never had an existence, or the true buildings so increased in size, in number, or in the accessories to complete the picture, that the original is altogether lost in the supposed representation . 25. -Many robberies take place through the want of due care with respect to cash boxes and other portable depositories . The former useful articles, even when containing convertible property of great value, are frequently locked up at night in a wooden desk or cupboard .

A few weeks ago

we read an account of the robbery of a cash box from a carrying firm at Bradford .

The thieves had only

to prize open the lid of the desk, and there was the cash box containing about got clear off.

£40 with which they

Another careless practice is, to have

the cash box lying about the counting-house or office.

The following robberies which occurred .

lately will shew the necessity of either keeping such valuable property in the drawer of an iron safe, or locking-up the cash box in one. "DARING HOUSE ROBBERY AT CAMP HILL.-On Sunday evening last, a daring robbery was effected in the house occupied by Mr. Foster, Trinity Place, Camp Hill. The thieves, taking advantage ofthe temporary absence

906

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

of the inmates at Church, and the comparative seclusion of the locality, broke into the premises by means of skeleton keys, and making, as it would appear, direct to the bed room, carried off a cash box containing £5 and £10 notes on the Coventry Bank, to the amount of £80 ; also a gold watch, seals, and key, a silver snuff box, a gold ring, purse, silver toothpick, and other valuable trifles, amounting with the notes, to about £105. The cash box was found early on the following morning, empty, of course, in an entry in Hill Street ; but the thieves have not yet been traced by the police. It is to be hoped that this notice may serve as a caution to householders, many of whom, notwithstanding the frequent instances of housebreaking during Church time on Sabbath evenings, leave their premises not only unwatched, but in many cases entirely unsecured."-Aris's Birmingham Gazette. 66 Thirty Thousand Pounds stolen.-Early on Friday morning, as one of the Borough Constables of Sunderland was patrolling his beat, he observed two young boys endeavouring to avoid him, upon which he crossed the street to see what they were about. They at once ran off, but the officer succeeded in taking one of them into custody, who confessed that he and his companion had just broken into the counting-room of Mr. J. H. Brown, rope manufacturer, and stolen a cash box, the contents of which were of great value. The boy who escaped, he said, had the box with him, and the officer having ascertained the address of the fugitive, apprehended him, also in a few hours, and ascertained from him that he had buried the box in the Town Moor. The spot indicated was then dug up, and the box found ; and on its contents being reckoned up, they were found to amount to £87 in cash, and £2,460 in cheques and bills. The boy who was first taken into custody was employed in Mr. Brown's office, and on Saturday, he confessed to robbing his master of a £50 note about six weeks ago." Manchester Guardian. "A daring robbery was effected at the shop of Mr. Sotheron, bookseller, York, on Friday se'nnight. During the dinner hour of the assistants and the errand boy, two respectably-dressed men entered the shop and requested to be shown certain articles. Mr. Sotheron was in attendance, and produced several books, but one of the men particularly wished to see a 'History of the Bible,' which was lying in the window. To obtain this Mr. Sotheron had to open a folding sash, one side of which was covered with prints, and which when thrown back concealed part of the shop from his view. Under the pretext of facilitating the search, the taller of the men went outside the shop, and pointed through the window to the book in question, as well as to another, which he pretended to want. In the meantime his accomplice went into the counting- house behind the shop, and stole Mr. Sotheron's cash box, containing a quantity of gold and silver (including a double sovereign of the reign of George IV. ) , a promissory note for £200, a £10 Bank of England note, a £5 ditto, several York and West Riding notes, two bankers' deposit notes for £50 each, some bankers' receipts for railway calls, and other documents. The books pointed out having at length been found, the man who had stolen the cash box told his companion that he should walk on, and accordingly left the shop. The

907

USEFUL HINTS.

other fellow requested Mr. Sotheron to make a neat parcel of the books he had selected, and promised to call for it in about an hour. Nothing more, however, was seen of him by Mr. Sotheron, who in the course of the afternoon went to his desk for the cash box, and found it was gone. The thieves have not been detected." —Aris's Birmingham Gazette, November 10th, 1856.

Robberies similar to the above are of almost every day occurrence ; and yet although the accounts of them appear in the newspapers, few take warning , till they have been taught the necessity of it by dear experience .

When the horse is stolen , the

stable door is locked . The latter remark applies quite as much in respect to the carelessness

manifested by many

persons in reference to the preservation of books and papers from fire.

In colliery offices, many of

which are mere hovels, the books are almost invariably kept in

wooden receptacles,

sorts of articles used in the

amongst all

colliery,

some of

which-as cotton waste, oil , &c. , are calculated to cause spontaneous combustion .

Last year a fire

took place in an office of this description, in the neighbourhood of Willenhall , which of course consumed the wooden desk and the books it contained. We need not say, that after the books were thus destroyed, the proprietors of the colliery purchased an expensive fire-proof safe, whereas, had they have expended but half the amount previously in a safe receptacle for their books, they would have saved some scores of pounds , as they had to trust to the honor of their customers as to what amounts they respectively owed them .

908

ON LOCKS AND KEYS.

In closing this chapter, we would beg to draw especial attention to a little pamphlet by Mr. George Cruikshank- entitled " Stop Thief," - in which he suggests some most excellent and inexpensive concontrivances

for

against burglars.

securing

doors

and

windows

The house-breakers ' implements

and method of breaking in are also explained , in order to give the house-keeper a thorough knowledge of the plan of attack, so that he may apply such fastenings as may frustrate the operations of the thief.

APPENDIX .

A.-Page 15. Copy of the proceedings of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, on the application of William Milner, for an extension of Letters Patent for improvements in Boxes and Safes, 1st February, 1854 . At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 18th day of February, 1854,PRESENT , THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY, HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT ; Lord President, Earl of Clarendon, Viscount Palmerston, Lord Privy Seal, Duke of Newcastle, Mr. Herbert, Lord Chamberlain, Sir James Graham , Bart. Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Marquis of Abercorn , Earl of Aberdeen, Sir Charles Wood, Bart. Whereas, there was this day read at the Board a Report from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, dated the 1st February, 1854 , in the words following, viz. :— "Your Majesty having been pleased by your order in council of the 19th August, 1853, to refer unto this committee the humble petition of William Milner, of Liverpool, safe and box manufacturer, humbly praying your Majesty to grant unto him new letters patent for the term of seven years for certain improvements in boxes, safes, or other depositories, for the protection of papers or other materials from fire, on the expiration of certain letters patent previously granted to the said petitioner for the said invention. The Lords of the Committee have taken the same into consideration, and have appointed this day for the hearing of the same, and likewise of certain grounds of objection entered on behalf of Messrs. William Marr, Samuel Whitfield, and John Tann, and their lordships being informed that the said petitioner doth proceed no further inthe matter of his said petition, do agree humbly to report to your Majesty, as their opinion, that the said petition ought to be dismissed ; and their lordships do further order that the said petitionerdo pay the sum of sixty pounds sterling to the said William Marr, Samuel Whitfield, and John Tann, towards the payment of the costs of the opposition entered on their behalf.”

910

APPENDIX.

Her Majesty having taken the said report into consideration was pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to approve thereof and to order asit is hereby ordered that the said petition of the said William Milner, of Liverpool, for new letters patent for his invention of certain improvements in boxes, safes, or other depositories, for the protection of papers or other materials from fire, be and the same is hereby dismissed this board, and that the said petitioner do pay the sum of sixty pounds sterling to the said William Marr, Samuel Whitfield, and John Tann towards the payment of the costs of the opposition entered on their behalf. Whereof all persons whom it may concern are to take notice and govern themselves accordingly. WM. L. BATHURST. (Signed)

B.-Page 32.

MITNIEMA

Thickness of Wrought-iron Sheets and Plates, according to the Birmingham Wire Guage. No. 16 15 17 14 12 13 11 10

1-16th. No. 8

5

7

3-16ths.

3-8ths.

7-16ths.

4

3

1

5-16ths

4- inch.

-inch .

1-8th. 2

5-8ths.

4-inch.

C.- Page 68. "A very neat and pretty experiment, demonstrating the great difference in the conducting property of a metal and a piece of wood, may be shown by taking a piece of any metal, about a foot in length and an inch in diameter, wrapping round it closely a piece of clean writing paper, and then holding it in the flame of a spirit lamp ; it may be so held for a long time before ignition or any material change takes place. If a piece of wood of the same dimensions be treated in like manner, it will be seen very

APPENDIX.

911

soon to take fire. The difference in the results of these experiments depends entirely upon the difference in the conducting properties of the wood and metal. The flame, when applied to the paper in contact with the metal does not ignite it for a long period, because the metal being a good conductor of caloric, rapidly conveys it away ; on the contrary, however, the wood being a bad conductor, the heat is applied to the paper without passing off, and hence the cause of ignition ."-London Chemical Pocket-Book. According to experiments made by Ingenhouz, silver is the best conductor of heat ; then gold, tin , copper, platinum, steel, iron, and lead. "Meyer, of Erlungeu, experimented to ascertain the conducting powers of different kinds of wood. The following table will show the results of his inquiries.

Water Ebony wood Apple tree Ash Beech Hornbeam Plum tree . Elm Oak Pear tree Birch Silver fir Alder Scotch fir Norway Spruce Lime

Conducting Power. 10 21.7 27.4 30.8 32.1 32.3 32.5 32.5 32.6 33.2 34.1 37.5 38.4 38.6 38.9 39.0

•

Spec. Grav. 1 1.054 0.639 0.031 0.692 0.690 0'687 0.646 0.668 0.603 0.608 0.495 0.484 0.408 0.447 0.408"-Ibid.

D.-Page 88. " Bodies possess different powers of conducting heat, a property which may very readily be proved by simple means ; for example-take several rods of different substances, such as glass, metal, wood, charcoal, &c.; let one end be held in the hand, while the other extremity is placed in the flame ofa lamp or in a furnace. It will soon be discovered that the metal has the best power of conveying heat by the sensation communicated by it to the hand. The rod of glass will be a long time before it communicates any uneasy sensation to the hand, and the wood and charcoal may be in a state of ignition at one end, and held with perfect impunity at the other extremity. Those substances, therefore, which become soonest hot at the end farthest from the flame, are said to be good conductors of caloric. It may be here observed that the densest bodies are in general the best conductors of caloric, although this rule is by no means free from exceptions , as it will be found that the densest among the metals (platinum ) is about the worst conductor of that class of bodies. Earthy substances do not

912

APPENDIX.

conduct so well as metals. Wood is still inferior in this property to the last class of substances. The worst conductors among solid bodies are wool, hair, feathers, and the covering of animals generally."—Ibid. E.

Page 92.

Since the printing of the first part of this work, we have been furnished with the following confirmatory evidence as to the truth of our hypothesis, viz., that it is absolutely impossible to preserve parchment uninjured either in steam or water. The following letter is from Mr. Herapath, of Bristol, the celebrated analytical chemist, who, at our request, made a series of experiments upon parchment, in order to ascertain, beyond the possibility of doubt, the result to that substance when acted upon by steam. "Bristol, July 17, 1856. " Mr. G. PRICE , Wolverhampton, " Sir, I have made many experiments upon parchment and parchment deeds , and find that that material will bear a dry heat of 300 degrees Fahr. if it is not touched by metal ; whereas a moist or steam heat of 212 deg. causes it to shrink, hardens it, and causes it to become brittle and useless. I am acquainted with the construction of your Steam-tight Box, and feel satisfied that it will preserve parchment deeds from injury by heat up to 240 deg., that is, 28 degrees above boiling, provided water is not previously introduced into it. " I am , Sir, "Yours respectfully, " WILLIAM HERAPATH, F.C.S. (Signed) "Analytical Chemist." Having heard, on a visit to Dewsbury, in October last, that some parchment deeds belonging to Messrs. Hagues, Cook, and Wormald, of Dewsbury Mills, Dewsbury, had been either entirely spoiled or much damaged, in consequence ofthe water having broken into their safe, we wrote to the firm for the particulars, and we have been kindly furnished with the following account of the disaster and the result to the deeds, by F. Wormald, Esq., J.P. , a member of the firm. 66 4, Cliff Bridge Terrace, Scarbro', 10th Nov. , 1856. " SIR,-In reply to your letter of the 6th of November, I have to state that on our premises at Dewsbury Mills is a stone safe, in the basement storey of our building, and below the level of the water which is the moving power of our manufactory. On the night of the 9th of August last the water in the river Calder rose rapidly to an unusual height. Our premises were flooded, and the water forced an entrance not only into the safe but into some tin boxes there deposited, and containing a quantity of parchment deeds. It was not discovered until about ten days after this flood that the parchments had sustained any damage. Then we found, on opening one of the tin boxes, that the parchments were saturated with water,

APPENDIX.

913

and that the writing was in some cases nearly, in others quite obliterated. We called in an attorney to advise us how we should treat the parchments, and he sent them to a gentleman connected with the Record Office, London. In some cases the writing is pronounced to be capable of restoration ; in others, it is gone for ever. " The above is, as far as I know, a correct account of what has befallen our deeds ; and if the information is of any service to you in the prosecution of your labours in connexion with safes and chests, you may use it as you please. " I am, sir, your obedient servant, " FRANK WORMALD." " To Mr. George Price, " Cleveland Safe Works, Wolverhampton." From the foregoing evidence it is quite clear that if parchment deeds are to be preserved from the liability to destruction or damage by steam or water, they must be enclosed in some receptacle into which neither element can enter ; which fact, as before mentioned, led us to the invention of the steam- tight box referred to by Mr. Herapath, and described at page 90. Having been the first to make known the liability to injury of parchment both by steam and water, and Mr. Miller, the respected representative of Messrs . T. Milner and Son, in a conversation which took place at Newcastle-upon -Tyne, on the 16th of April last, having admitted trying an experiment on parchment, in consequence, as he stated, of what we had published, and the result being that it shrivelled it, we were anxiously waiting for Messrs. T. Milner and Son to have a public test, whereby they would prove the truth or falsehood of our hypothesis. From the Preston Guardian, of the 5th July, it appears that Messrs. T. Milner and Son got up a test of several fire-proof safes at Preston, on Thursday, July 3rd, in the presence of " a large party of the leading inhabitants, with their wives and families." The experiments were superintended by " Messrs. Wendon and Miller, Messrs . Milners' representatatives." The report in the Preston Guardian states that " The combustibles were divided into two heaps. On one was placed an ordinary cast-iron safe, and alongside of it a small-sized safe of Milners'. The former was then filled with papers of no value, and the latter with a quantity of circulars of the manufacturers, a silver tankard belonging to Mrs. F. Myers, a Bank of England note for £100, and a watch belonging to Mr. Leeming, of Bury. [ There was no parchment in this small- sized safe. ] On the second pile was placed one of Milners' DOUBLE BANKERS' safes, filled with books and papers like the former, and a bank note for £100, with four or five watches, lent by different ladies and gentlemen for the purpose of this test. A family record was also deposited by Mr. Myers [ Messrs. Milner's agent for Preston] to ascertain if the chemicals . which constitute the fire-proof principle of these chests would act upon the parchment on which the record was written ; and a certificate, signed by a large number of firms in this town, completed the contents. The safes were then locked and the keys handed to the editor of this journal, and

3 K

914

APPENDIX .

Mr. R. Clarke, of the Preston Pilot. The fires were then lighted. The shavings and wood rapidly ignited , and gave out an immense body offlame. More fuel was thrown upon the blazing heaps, and some tar barrels added to the lurid effect of the scene. Several hundred weight of coals, and several loads of timber were thus immolated ; and as the flames and smoke were driven about by the wind, a kind soul or two began to fear that, although the yard had been cleared, some damage might ensue to the adjacent workshops and other surrounding property. But these apprehensions were groundless. The wise precaution had been taken of securing the services of the fire brigade, with an engine and hose, to throw water on the devouring element, should it exhibit any wandering fancies. The breeze, however, shortly somewhat abated, and as the coals got heated, the smoke and flame diminished, so that the brigade were not required to restrain their course. There could be no mistake about the fire test. The burning mass could not be approached at all closely, the heat emitted was so intense. When the two first safes had been thus subjected to the action of the fire for two hours and a half, [ the regular time ] the hose of the fire engine was directed upon the pile, and they were withdrawn. The contents of the ordinary [ CAST-IRON ] safe-not Milners'-were partially singed, and all scorched , while those in the Milner Safe were found uninjured. The steam generated by the fire-proof principle being the sole evidence of the ordeal to which the box and its contents had been submitted. The watch was handed back to its owner, [ without, of course, the steam having got inside it ] the tankard given up to Mrs. Myers, and the note held up to the view of the spectators. Still further, however, to try the qualities of the rival safes, [ the " ordinary cast-iron safe " and " Milners' Quadruple Patent Safes "] they were then both placed, along with Milners' large chest, [ the double bankers ' safe ] in the fire still raging, [ " The burning mass could not be approached at all closely, the heat emitted was so intense "] and further burned for an hour and twenty-five minutes. At the end of this time they were again withdrawn and examined, when the mass of paper in the old-fashioned [ cast-iron ] " fire-proof " was reduced to a perfect tinder, while those in Milners' small safe were uninjured. * Messrs. Wendon The result of this trial was very satisfactory. and Miller then withdrew the double bankers' safe after it had remained in the fire rather more than FIVE hours [ the regular time again. ] The contents of this safe had also sustained no injury. The papers were slightly damped by the STEAM as in the former case, but not at all injured . The parchment, containing a record of Mr. F. Myers ' family, also deposited in this safe, did not sustain the slightest damage. This safe was opened in the presence of Mr. Richard Pedder, Mr. Teale, and several members of the corporation, and a number of the most respectable inhabitants of the town, who expressed their entire satisfaction with the experiment, which, it cannot we think be denied by any impartial person, was conducted with the utmost fairness. It will be perceived that the experiments occupied the greater portion of the day in their execution ; but during the whole time a large company were present, and many did not leave throughout the day ; refreshments being provided on the spot. Among those present we noticed "(Here follow 117 names. )

APPENDIX.

915

Our remarks made on the other testimonials of Messrs. T. Milner and Son, in the chapter on testimonials apply equally to this. We may, however, observe, that at the Preston test no parchment was placed in the " smallsized safe," which was tried against the " ordinary cast-iron safe" for "two hours and a half," but that Mr. Myers' family record stated to be parchment was really put inside the " double-bankers' safe " which was subjected to the fire for " rather more than five hours ," and although " the papers were slightly damped by the steam as in the former case," " the parchment * * did not sustain the slightest damage." It (the parchment) was neither " slightly damped," nor " thoroughly steamed"-so they say. How this can be reconciled, with the evidence before adduced, which so unmistakeably proves the impossibility of preserving parchment in a moist or steam heat uninjured, we must leave to our readers to determine. We may further remark, that although Messrs. T. Milner and Son, in their published lists of prices, warrant these very " double- bankers' safes "* "to bear TWENTY-FOUR HOURS' exposure to red heat, regulated to 1,000 deg. Fahrenheit, without injury to books and papers inside," [why not have said parchments also ?] they have never dared to test one of them publicly for a longer period than " rather more than five hours." What does such a warranty mean ? We earnestly hope that some scientific society will take means to prove either the truth or falsehood of our statement, viz., that it is a physical impossibility to preserve parchment deeds uninjured in any iron safe made fire-proof on the steam-generating principle, ( Milner's patent, 1840 ) when such safe is subjected to intense heat, (thereby liberating the water of crystallization contained in the alum, in the shape of steam or vapour, ) without first enclosing them in a steam-tight box. Messrs. T. Milner and Son say it can be done. We emphatically say it is utterly impossible. We respectfully recommend newspaper editors in future, in noticing tests of fire-proof safes, to state the following particulars, which would be of the greatest interest and importance both to the public and also to the makers of the safes. The size of each particular safe and the thickness of the fire -proof composition. The nature of the combustibles employed, whether coal or wood, or both, and what quantity of each. The exact time each safe remains in the fire and whether the fire is continually fed with fuel. Whether the safes are placed on the ground or raised from it, and to what height. An exact description of all the articles enclosed, but particularly of the bindings of the books, whether stitched in paper, or bound in cloth, leather, or forril (parchment) .

* Milner's " double-bankers' safe " is one distinct safe placed inside anotherdistinct safe " secured at the corners with hard wood bearings.'.

916

APPENDIX. When the time has arrived for the withdrawal of the fire from around the safes, whether they are allowed to cool of themselves, or are cooled by water. An exact description of the appearance of every article enclosedwhether the binding remained intact-whether the glue had melted-and whether the parchment as well as the papers appeared to be "' slightly damped '99 or were " thoroughly steamed." If any wax seals were attached to the parchment deeds , whether such seals remained perfectly intact, or whether the parchment had shrivelled and the seals spread upon the surface of the deeds- whether the watches indicated the correct time on their withdrawal-and whether their steel parts were at all affected by the steam. In other words -to give a simple, unbiassed, and truthful narrative of all the facts.

F.-Page 135. The following table, which shows the effects upon bodies of different degrees of heat according to Wedgwood's and Fahrenheit's scales, is copied from Murray's System of Chemistry :Fahr. Wedg. degrees. degrees. . 240 32277 Extremity of the scale of Wedgwood's pyrometer · 150 20577 Cast-iron thoroughly melted 17977 • 130 Cast-iron begins to melt at • 125 17327 Greatest heat of a common smith's forge . 95 13427 Greatest welding heat of iron ditto 12777 Least 90 ditto 32 5237 Fine gold melts 28 4717 Fine silver melts 27 4587 Swedish Copper melts 22 3937 Silver melts ( Dr. Kennedy) 21 Brass melts 3807 1077 Red heat fully visible in day light 884 Iron red-hot in the twilight 790 Heat of a common fire 752 Iron bright red in the dark 700 Zinc melts 660 Mercury boils (Dalton) 635 Lowest ignition of iron in the dark 594 Lead melts (Guyton, Irvine) 580 Surface of polished steel acquires an uniform deep blue 442 • Tin melts (Crichton, Irvine ) A mixture of three parts tin and two of lead melts, also a mixture 334 of two parts tin and one of bismuth 283 A compound of equal parts of tin and bismuth, melts Water boils (the barometer being at 30in . ) also a compound of 212 five of bismuth, three of tin, and two of lead melts

INDE X.

• Ainger's lock . Alport's lock Alum American locks • American lock controversy • American lock picked in America · . Andrews' (Dr. ) lock Arkwright's lock Articles uninjured by steam or · vapour Aubin's balance-detector lock compound- lever lock. 99 latch-bolt . • 99 curtain-lever lock • 99 lock 99 lock trophy 39 • slide-stump lock vibrating-guard lock. 99

Page 395 346 68 470 542 749 444 335 78 510 512 480 499 426 521 486 511

242 Back-spring lock • 257 Back-plate Baillie's lock . 458 · 826 Bankers' locks, prices of Barnard's lock . 429 Barrel and curtain . 117, 394, 495 Barron's bolt . • 258 373 fly-talon · "" 266 99 key lock • 261 99 tumbler • . 259 Bellford's lock 662 Benton's lock • 460 Bickerton's first lock 326 330 second lock . · 515 Bigford's lock Bird's lock 329 261 Black's lock • 864 Bolt-making at Willenhall

Page Book-edge locks, prices of 816, 823, 825 Box of wards . 236 509 Bradford's lock 293 Bramah's first model lock 268 99 lock picked by Hobbs 559 locks, prices of 824, 825 99 sliders 281, 302, 309 "" "" specification 271, 320 Brass cabinet locks, prices of. 827 500 Brierley's lock 830 Bright locks, cabinet Brookes' lock • 459 Browne's dial lock • 215 Brueton's improvements in 374 dog- collar locks • 333 Bullock's lever lock bolt · 367 Burton's lock • 672 Butler's dial lock 827 Cabinet locks, prices of · 257 Cap Carpenter and Young's lock • 423 Cast-iron chests .9, 25 Cast-iron, when first used for lock purposes • • 865 Cast malleable iron, when first used for lock purposes 865 Changeable letter locks, prices of 826 Chapmen of Wolverhampton, 1770 . 878 . · Chesterman's improvements in locks . 483 Chubb's combination latch · 417 "" gunpowder-proof lock 118 616 lock "" 557 lock, interior view 29

INDEX.

2

Page Chubb's lock picked by Hobbs 550 original detector lock 374 . 498 Chubb's quadruple lock 202 Classification of locks 788, 790 Combinations . • 244 Common tumbler • • 258 Common tumbler bolt • 243 lock • 99 99 Comparative size of keys and 46, 121 keyholes Comparative prices of fire-resisting and thief- proof safes 120 Contracts between masters and • 884 • journeymen 461 Cope's piano-forte lock • 401 99 lock 326 Cornthwaite's lock . Cotterill's climax detectorlock 486 Cotterill v. Hobbs, letter in the Times of July 13th, 1853 • 704 344 Cox's lock Daniel's improvement in locks Daniell's lock • • Davis's lock • Deane's locks Debate in the House of Lords on theChurch Discipline Bill De la Fons' improvements Denison's lock • Detectors • Dial lock Discount,when first introduced into the lock trade Dismore's lock Doody's lock . Doors for safes Donaldson on the door fasten• ings ofthe Greeks Double and triple chambers • • Duce's (junior) lock • Duce's quadruple lock · . • Duce's (senior) lock Dyass's lock .

Eagle's lock Early English keys Egyptian lock

643 347 337 853 92 493 637 380 214

880 590 341 41

185 76 463 402 368 386

340 193, 198 181 , 200

Page • 636 Eiler's lock . • 196 Elizabethan lock 197 keys Encyclopædia Britannica,extract from,respecting Bramah's lock 305 55 Escutcheons Exhibitors of locks and latches at the Great Exhibition, 1851 527

Factoring trade, when first established at Wolverhampton 877 402 Fairbank's lock 390 False notches 222 Fancy-bitted keys Fellowes' improvement in locks 486 • 674 Fenton's lock 330 Ferryman's lock 478 Fieldhouse's improvements Fire at Store- street Mill, Man102 chester Fire at Newcastle-upon Tyne 103 Fire-proof closets and strong 93 rooms 459, 610, 670 Flush-bolt lock Fluted stems of keys • 196, 784 6. Foreign coffers 459 Foster's lock . 234 French secret locks 331 99 night latch 232 99 warded locks 406 Friend's lock . Garbutt's attempt to pick the American lock Gerish's improvements in locks German coffer Gibbons' anti-friction latch-bolt • detent lock 99 double detector lock 99 Giles' lock on Goater's experiments Hobbs' locks Goater's tampering with Parnell and Puckridge's lock Gottlieb's lock Gold robbery from the South Eastern Railway Co. · Gould's lock .

679 451 239 635 632 642 348 713 735 422 898 372

INDEX. Page Granville Sharp on fire-proof safes 87, 103 Hancock's lock Henderson's lock • • Herculaneum, keys from Hickin's circular escutcheon . Higginson's lock · Hints, useful, in connexion with iron safes . Hiring locksmiths, system of Hobbs' flush-bolt lock locks picked by Goater 99 paper 66 on locks and keys"read before the Society of Arts Hobbs ' paper 66 on the principle & construction of locks" read before the Institution of Civil Engineers, February 1st, 1854 • Hobbs ' protector lock • 99 unsuccessful attempt to pick Cotterill's lock at Manchester · · Holdfast safes Holemburg's lock How long the various safes will resist fire · · How to pick the box of wards

467 663 190 461 370

893 882 610 713

684

710 606

722 37 339 73 237

233

Indian lock • 219 Internal temperature of a fireproof safe when exposed to fire 72 · Iron door and frame 95 Japanned cabinet locks . Jack in-the-box . Jennings ' lock Jones' (America) lock · Jones' lock r • Jury's report on locks

Kemp's lock · Keys Key-bits Key-bows

• 830 30 624 . 492 • 508 • 530

• 362 756 $00, 802 761

3

Page 784 Key-bows, prices of · 798 Key-cutting machines • Key of the old Town Hall of 771 . Wolverhampton 799, 801 Key-steps . 96 Large lock for iron door Leas' lock • 590 · 373 Lees' lock 205 Letter lock • 826 99 locks, prices of Lever 259, 260, 265 Lewis' lock 656 List ofexhibitors who obtained Locks, right and left hand • 901 prize medals or honourable mention at the Great Exhi528 bition of 1851 • List of locks not patentedinvented to 1851 • 256 List of patents for locks and 252 latches to 1851 . · Lock-cases for cast-iron chests 27 "" 99 safes, not fire29 proof 679 Lock controversy Chubb's chal99 99 533 lenge to Hart Locks and keys, early history of 177 Lock-making as carried on in • 868 Willenhall Locks of the Faroese • 182 · 822 99 prices of 4-lever • 890 99 small 803 99 various kinds of Loose stump 390 344 Mace's lock 415 Machin's lock Mackinnon's permutation lock 441 Mallet's lock 392 Manufactures of W'hampton 874 750 Mapping locks 448 Marr's lock Marquis of Worcester's lock 213 Marshall's secret escutcheon 322 Mason's latch • 332 • Master keys 786, 389

INDEX.

5 331 247

Parsons' balance lever lock . · 99 lever tumbler • 99 slip bolt lock • " change lock Parautoptic lock Parnell's defiance lock lock 99 Patents granted for locks and latches since the closing of the Great Exhibition , 1851 Patent locks, prices of . Peirce's lock Pedley's lock Perry's improvements in flush bolt locks . Pitt's improvements in latch bolts . . Pickin's improvements in locks

432 434 434 438 470 592 629

586 812 455 333 459 482 483

60

232

Oak chests Odell's latch Old French tumbler locks

69

Nettlefold's lock 450, 667 670 flush bolt lock 99 470 Newell's (America) lock Newton's lock . 656, 673 Newall's improvement in locks 502 Norton's lock 339

Page Pit coal, when first used for smelting iron in this district 850 106 Powder-proof lock 190 Pompeian keys Poole's lock . • 484 . 501 Plante's lock Plates and sheets, thickness of 910 iron 555, 556 Picking instruments 39 Price's patent safes 99 99 gunpowder-proof lock case . 50 57 Price's patent bankers' safes . 99 99 merchants' double 59 book safe Price's patent model counting 60 house safe . Price's patent plate cabinet and • 62 cash and deed safe · 64 Price's patent deed chest 83 99 test at Manchester 99 patent steam-tight parch90 ment box • Price's patent gunpowder-proof · 114 lock • · 267 Price's lock Preservation of parchment deeds 89, 159, 171 • 784 Prices of key bows 99 of bright and japanned iron cabinet and other com• 832 mon locks 812 Prices of locks Pressing, when first introduced into Willenhall • 865 Plot's (Dr. ) History of Stafford• 787 shire 205 Puzzle lock

69

Page 446 Meighan's alarum lock . Meeting of Civil Engineers, 1850 - Mr. Chubb's paper "on the construction of locks . 544 and keys " 813 Milner's test at Preston Milner's extended demonstration at Edinburgh in 1855 . 73 Milner's fire -proof composition 75,77 solid powder - proof lock . 108, 111 349 Mitchell and Lawton's lock Miles's lock • 655 42 Modern lock cases for safes Mordan's lock protector • 424 Morris's direction padlock • 500 Modern locks 583 238, 498 Multiple locks

• • 210 Regnier's letter lock 231 Reaùmur on locks . 519, 597 Restell's locks 414 Richards' locks 193 Roman keys • 327 Rowntree's lock 345 Roberts' lock Rock's improvements in locks 478 428 Rutherford's lock .

INDEX.

Page Russell's improvement in the . 319 Bramah lock Ruxton's lock 353 413 Rubery's bag-iron lock Sanders' lock 450 Safe door knobs 53 handles . 54 99 Sawdust 68 636 Saxby's lock Schwieso's lock 450 Screws used for fastening the lock-cases of safes to door• · 47 plate . Scott's lock 351 672 Scully's and Heywood's lock Scale of parts to an inch • 795 Sheet-ironfire-proof deed chests 32 Sixteenth century keys . 195 Sinclair's lock . 596 Simson's duplex bank lock · 625 Skeleton keys • 230 Smith's offer to pick the American lock · 682 Small keys • 785 Smith's lock . • 386 Solid-warded locks 224 Somerford's first lock • 353 second lock 22 364 Society of Arts and the 686 " Saxby" lock • Specifications of patents for 10 fire-proof safes . Chubb's 11 99 Marr's 11 99 12 Milner's, Thomas 99 Tanns' • 13 "" 16, 18 "" Milner's, W. Price's 17 "9 Strong wrought - iron safes, holdfast pattern 28 Steam injurious to leather and 79, 81 parchment • 342 Stansbury's lock Stuart's lock . • 345 Strutt's lock · 387 422 Stanley's lock 468 Strong's lock

Page Stamping when first employed for making key blanks Staffordshire, extract from Dr. • Plot's History of Stock locks prices of 99 Spicer's lock . Swarf balls iron

867 787 837 838 391 863 863

Table of combinations and degrees of security of lever 438 locks . Table shewing the quantity of gunpowder different locks will hold 112 257 Talon 321 Taylor's latch lock Tann's lock · • 481, 644, 648 513 Taylor's lock Taking impressions of locks 547 and keys Test of Milners' gunpowderproof lock at Newcastle on· 113 Tyne • 132 Testimonials . Tildesley's and Sanders' lock 465 502 99 cast iron pad 99 589 • Tittley's lock . • 343 Thompson's ditto Toy's improvements in locks . 369 449 Thompson's ( Sally) lock The true theory of making 66 safes fire- proof . Thickness of fire-proof com· 70, 73 position The best place for a fire-proof 100 safe to occupy 346 Tompson's lock 479 Thomas's prison lock Trial of Parsons' balance tum540 bler door lock Trial, Parnell and Puckridge v. Goater . 741 Tucker's powder- proof closed 107 • key-hole lock Tucker's gunpowder - proof 119 lock

6

INDEX.

Page 332 Turner's lock Tucker's closed key-hole se• · 516 parating key lock detector lock 610 39 630 Safeguard lock 99 Holdfast 99 • 665 99 674 Safety 99 29

Universal pick

313

Warded lock 204, 223 · 225 ,, keys . 402 Ward's lock 426 Walters' ditto Walton's improvements in • 418 locks . . Wakeman's improvements in 461 locks and escutcheons 658 Wenham's letter lock 623 Whishaw's magnetic lock . 454 Williams' lock • 505 Windle and Blyth's lock latch 507 99 99 Wilkes' lock 507

Page 830 Willenhall locks 29 number of locksmiths 858 858 notices of · 859 population of 861 99 manufacture of Wolverhampton - historical 845 account of 39 lock makers v. Chubb 528 its lock manufacture . 874 99 increase of houses and • 853 inhabitants • 99 the principal buildings of 855 ‫ وو‬number oflocksmiths in 858 Wolverson's & Rawlett's lock 457 Wolverson's lock • 520, 654, 661 Wrought iron money chests • 35 • 386 Wright's lock 504 Yale's (American ) lock Young's improvements in locks 430 lock 405, 651 99 • 652 latch 99 palace motion 3 - bolt 653 mortise lock

CORREGENDA .

Page 7, for Reaùmer, read Reaùmur. Page 18, third line from the bottom , for affidavits, read declarations. Page 219, second line from the top, for 1855, read 1854. Page 492, second line from the bottom, for permutation, read change. Page 542, bottom paragraph, for " which we shall fully describe in the next chapter," read which we have fully described in the last chapter.

PERFECT

SECURITY

AGAINST

FIRE

AND

THIEVES.

LIST OF

GEORGE

IMPROVED

PRICE'S

PATENT

WROUGHT - IRON

Fire-resisting and Thief-proof

BOOK

AND

PLATE

SAFES ,

DEED BOXES, & c.

Established . 1840

Patent dated Jan. 31., 1855

HI

‫חןגם‬ SHOW ROOMS AND WORKS ,

CLEVELAND

STREET,

LONDON DEPOT, CRYSTAL

PALACE ,

WOLVERHAMPTON.

181,

(HARDWARE 1856.

FLEET STREET. COURT, )

SYDENHAM.

ADDRESS . The Patentee and Manufacturer, in calling the attention of bankers, merchants, solicitors, public companies, jewellers, silversmiths, watchmakers, and the public in general, to the Illustrated Descriptive List of his Improved Patent Wrought-iron Fireproof Safes, Chests, and Boxes, takes the opportunity of stating, that they contain all the modern improvements, are made of the best plate-iron, and for construction, quality, and workmanship, cannot be excelled by any other maker. On comparison with others of the same strength and finish, they will be found to be from £ 10 to £30 per cent. lower in price. The outer bodies are put together in the strongest manner, being both dovetailed and rivetted inside to angle iron, so that they will effectually resist the violence of the burglar, and would sustain no damage from their fall from an upper story in a fire, or from building materials falling upon them. The improvements for which the Manufacturer has obtained Her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent, consist in painting the internal surfaces of the chambers containing the fire-proof composition to protect the iron from the continual decay, caused by the oxidation of the metal, by the chemical action of the salt ( alum) , and in CASE-HARDENING THE DOORS , making the surface as hard as steel, but without its brittleness , thus rendering them drill -proof ; and for constructing the lock and lock - chamber so as to make them both powder-proof, and consequently perfectly secure against any amount of ingenuity or perseverance that may be employed by the most elever cracksmen. The door being the vulnerable part of every Safe, to render the contents secure against thieves,the above improvements must be adopted, as the recent extensive robberies of iron safes by means of steel drills and gunpowder, prove that nine-tenths of the safes now in use, however well made in other respects , are most insecure, because so readily opened by the present race of clever and scientific thieves. The method of filling the vacant parts of the lock-chamber with a solid substance is highly objectionable, as the power of only a few grains of gunpowder when exploded between two flat surfaces is well known. The bolts, from three to sixteen, are thrown by a knob or handle, which are secured by one of the most approved patent unpickable and powder-proof locks with small keys. Two keys are supplied both to the door lock and to the drawer locks . They are made fire-proof by filling the chambers or inside casings with a non-conconducting and steam-generating composition, which, on the application of heat, evolves moisture, which pervades the interior of the Safe and its contents, and keeps them at a temperature of 212° Fahrenheit, in which books and papers will not burn. This method was introduced in 1840, the patent for which expired in 1854. It has been proved, both by experience and experiment, to be the most valuable and successful of any plan hitherto discovered or adopted. As the steam which preserves Books and Papers, Plate and Specie, will utterly destroy parchment deeds, or injure them in such a manner as to defy all attempts at restoration, where such documents are to be secured from damage, it can only be done by putting them within one of Price's Patent steam-tight Boxes, and placing the latter inside the fire-proof Safe or Chest. Any of the fire-proof Safes and Chests may be used as Magazines for small quantities of gunpowder, as in a fire it is saturated with moisture and becomes a wet paste, and before it could explode, it would have to be dried again. Purchasers are cautioned against buying inferior or cheap wrought-iron Safes, many of which are now made and sold as fire and thief- proof, whereas, from the thinness of the plates, being only 1-16th of an inch, and the insecure mode of making, their contents are rendered an easy prey both to the thief and the devouring element. The highest references and testimonials may be had from the manufacturer, who will be happy to give any further explanation or information connected with the subject, and advice as to the kind of Safe to order for certain uses and particular situations. Cleveland Safe Works, situate in Cleveland Street, Wolverhampton, have been specially built for the manufacture of wrought-iron fire-proof Safes, and have been fitted up with the most approved steam machinery, and are allowed to be the most complete of the kind in the kingdom. This, added to the fact that both the iron plates and locks are made in the same town, gives the manufacturer the means of successfully competing in quality, strength, finish, and lowness of price, with any maker in this or any other country.

PRICE'S PATENT STRONG WROUGHT-IRON SINGLE

DOOR

FIRE

PROOF

SAFE.

BOOK

PATTERN.

H " OLDFAST "

No. 101 C. With 24 inch chambers, and back of lock-chamber filled with patent Fire-resisting Composition. Outer plates 3-16ths thick, door 4-inch solid. Fitted with patent unpickable and Powder-proof Lock, and two drawers. With patent case-hardened door, and powder-proof lock-chamber. In. high . In. wide. In. deep. £ S. d. £ S. d. No. 1 24 15 .... 17 0 0 .... 11 0 0 2 26 18 17 10 0 0 12 0 0 3 28 20 18 11 0 13 0 0 4 30 21 20 12 14 0 0 5 22 21 32 15 18 0 0 6 34 23 23 18 21 0 0 7 24 24 36 21 24 0 0 8 26 24 42 30 35 0 0 28 9 25 48 35 40 00 10 30 26 60 40 O 45 0 0 Two partitions or two shelves, from 10s. to 20s. extra. Inside measure 5 inches less in height and width, and 64 inches in depth.

PRICE'S PATENT STRONG WROUGHT-IRON DOUBLE

DOOR

FIRE · PROOF

BOOK

SAFE.

‫מוווף‬

No. 102 C. With 24-inch chambers , and back of lock-case filled with patent Fire-resisting Composition. Outer plates 3-16ths thick, doors 4- inch solid, fitted with patent unpickable and Powderproof Lock, with two drawers and two partitions. With patent case-hardened doors, and powder-proof lock-chambers. £ s. d. £ S. d. In. high. In. wide. In. deep. 24 24 18 0 17 0 0 14 O No. 1 27 27 19 16 0 0 20 0 0 2 30 30 20 18 0 0 22 0 0 3 21 00 33 22 25 0 0 33 4 34 24 00 36 22 5 28 0 0 36 24 30 0 0 42 6 35 0 0 48 38 ...... 24 ...... 35 00 7 40 0 0 Nos. 4, 5, 6, and 7, have a shelf in addition to the partitions. Inside measure, 5 inches less in height and width, and 64 inches in depth.

STRONG WROUGHT - IRON BULLION FOR SHIPPING.

CHEST.

PRICE'S PATENT EXTRA STRONG WROUGHT-IRON

THE BEST QUALITY MADE .

THIS IS

FOR ALL. PURPOSES

STRONGLY RECOMMEND ED

SINGLE - DOOR FIRE - PROOF BOOK OR PLATE SAFE.

No. 101 D.

With 3-in. chambers, and back of lock-chamber filled with patent Fire-resisting Composition. Outer plates -in. thick, the door made of two plates and panelled between with bar iron, making it one inch thick of solid iron over the lock, or of one plate 5-8ths thick solid. The plates of body are both dovetailed and rivetted together to strong angle iron inside. Fitted with patent unpickable and Powder-proof Lock, and two drawers.

No.1 2 3 4 6

9 91 J0

In. high. In. wide. In. deep. 24 ...... 18 ...... 18 26 20 20 22 28 22 23 30 23 24 32 24 34 25 24 36 26 25 42 28 26 48 27 30 54 80 27 32 60 ... 28

£ 12 14 16 18 21 24 28 35 40 45 50

With patent case-hardened door, and powder-prooflock-chamber. £ S. d. S. d. 0 0 14 0 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 18 0 0 0 0 21 0 0 0 0 24 0 0 0 0 28 0 0 0 0 32 0 0 0 0 40 0 0 0 0 45 0 0 0 0 50 0 0 00 55 0 0

Two Partitions or two Shelves from 10s. to 20s. extra. Inside measure 6 inches less in height and width, and 8 inches in depth.

HINGES AND

CENTRES .

The doors of all Safes and Chests are either hung with hinges or on centres. However strong these may be, they add nothing to the real security of the Safe, as many erroneously suppose, being used simply to hang the door with. The safety of the door depends altogether upon the bolts and dogs, and the lock which secures them. In Safes with bolts and back fastenings, the door would be just as secure, even were the hinges cut through, or the centres knocked off.

PRICE'S PATENT EXTRA STRONG WROUGHT- IRON DOUBLE - DOOR FIRE - PROOF BOOK OR PLATE SAFE. BEST QUALITY MADE. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED FOR ALL PURPOSES.

1

No. 102 D. With 3-in. chambers, and back oflock-chamber filled with patent Fire resisting Composition. Outer plates -inch thick, the door made of two plates and panelled between with bar iron, making it one-inch thick of solid iron over the lock, or of one plate 5-8th thick solid. The plates of body are both dove-tailed and rivetted together to strong angle iron inside, and strengthened with bar iron and corner plates at front. Fitted with patent unpickable and Powder-proof Lock, with two drawers and two partitions. With patent case-hardened doors and powder-proof lock-chambers. £ 8. d. £ 8. d. In. high. In. wide. In. deep. 19 0 0 24 ...... 24 ...... 19 22 0 0 No. 1 25 0 0 2 27 21 0 0 27 20 3 28 0 0 30 24 0 0 30 22 33 27 0 0 24 31 0 0 4 33 5 35 0 36 31 0 36 24 6 42 0 0 42 38 0 0 36 24 7 26 45 00 ... 50 0 0 .... 48 38 Nos. 5, 6, and 7, have a shelf in addition to the partitions. Inside measure, 64 inches less in height and width , and 8 inches in depth. MR. GRANVILLE SHARP ON IRON SAFES IN THE " GILBART PRIZE ESSAY ON PRACTICAL BANKING." "It must, however, be observed that the ' Safes ' of the Great Exhibition ( 1851 ) , as a whole, are distinguished rather by ornament and beautiful workmanship than by strength and practical utility for banking purposes ; they are too small, and they are too handsome, and, as a consequence, they are ( proportioned to the accommodation afforded) far too costly." PRICE'S PATENT SAFES, besides being strongly made and neatly finished, are roomy, and may be had at about ONE- FOURTH the price of those referred to by Mr. Sharp, besides possessing thief-proof qualities, which no others in the world can equal.

PRICE'S PATENT EXTRA STRONG

WROUGHT - IRON

MODEL

COUNTING -HOUSE

SAFE.

ɖɔkup QuicS QUAL

a

Quality 102 D, except that the outer plates are 5-16ths thick. The quality of these Safes cannot be excelled. With patent case-hardened doors and powder-proof lock-chambers. In. wide. £ 8. d. In. long. In. deep. £ S. d. 27 65 00 55 0 0 ...... No. 74 ....... 54 ........ 42 ...... 8 ........ 60 42 28 65 0 0 75 0

81 9 ..... 10

66 72

44

28

48

78

54 ......

30 85 0 0 30 ........ 95 0 0 .......

75 0 0

85 0 0 95 0 0 105 0 0

Inside measure, 6 inches less in height and width, and 8 inches in depth. Nos. 7 , 8, 8 , 9, and 10 are fitted with 3 drawers in the middle, partitions above for a set of books, and cupboards at top, leaving 20 inches clear between drawers and cupboards ; they can be fitted also to any other plan. superior Lock, with two keys.

Each drawer and cupboard is fitted with a

Each lock to differ, with a master key to pass all of them.

PRICE'S

PATENT

EXTRA STRONG WROUGHT-IRON

FIRE-PROOF DOUBLE BOOK SAFE

No. 104 D. This Safe, which is strongly made and best finished, is the same as two Safes, each compartment being in itself distinct, and equally secure against fraud, voilence, or fire. Each door is fitted with two bolts top and bottom, and three on each side, which are thrown by a knob or handle, and secured by a patent powder-proof lock. The chambers are filled with patent steam-generating composition, as is also the back of the lock- chambers. It is recommended for establishments where the contents of one side would be required throughout the day, and the other side only occasionally. The compartment with the inner door is still more private and secure. They are fitted with drawers and shelves, or partitions, to any plan, and each lock can be made different, with a master key to pass them all.

.....

3 4 5 6

£ 30 40 50 60 70 80

With patent case-hardened doors, and powder-proof lock-chambers. £ s. d. S. d. 0 0 ...... 34 0 0 0 0 ...... 45 0 0 55 0 0 0 0 66 0 0 00 0 0 ...... 80 0 0 O 0 ..... 90 0 0 ......

No. 1

In. wide. In. deep. In. high . ...... 30 ...... 30 ...... 22 ...... 36 36 ...... 25 ...... 42 ...... 26 ...... 42 48 ...... 27 ...... 48 28 ...... 48 ...... 60 .... ...... 72 ...... 48 ...... 30 ......

With Drawers, Shelves, or Partitions. Inside measure 6 inches less in height and 8 inches in depth.

PRICE'S NEW AND IMPROVED WROUGHT-IRON PATENT

FIRE- PROOF

BANKERS'

SAFE .

SECURE MOST THE CAN THAT SAFE

BE AGAINST MADE FIRE AND THIEVES.

10 GOR

No. 106 D. With 5-inch chambers, and back of lock-chamber filled with patent Fire-resisting Compo sition. Outside plates -inch thick, both doors are made of two plates, and panelled between with bar iron, being one inch thick of solid iron over the lock, or the outer door made of one plate of 5-8th in. solid. The inner door fastens with a spring lock so as to lock itself by being closed. The outer door is made with twelve bolts, three top and bottom, and three on each side, which are turned by a knob or handle and secured by a patent unpickable and Powder-proof Lock. Fitted with two drawers. With patent case-hardened door, and powder-proof lock-chamber. In. high. £ S. d. £ 8. d. In. wide In. deep. 25 0 0 No. 1 ...... 30 24 ...... 24 ..... 22 0 0 0 0 25 26 25 30 0 0 ...... 32 30 0 0 3 34 35 0 0 26 26 4 ...... 36 35 0 0 40 0 0 27 27 50 0 0 5 28 45 O 0 ... 42 ... 28 55 0 0 50 O 0 6 48 30 30 60 0 0 32 ..... 55 0 0 .... 32 61 ...... 54 7 ...... 60 ..... 34 65 0 0 34 ...... 60 0 0

.....

Nos. 5, 6, 64, and 7, have two partitions and a shelf in addition to the two drawers. Inside measure 11 inches less each way. Where the risk is very great, this Safe is strongly recommended for all purposes.

PRICE'S

PATENT

STRONG

WROUGHT - IRON

FIRE - PROOF

DEED

CHEST.

No. 120.

No. 000 00 0 1 2

In. long. In. wide. 5 8 9 6 10 7 12 10 14 ........ 11

In. deep. 5 6 7 10 .... 11

29282202

The chambers filled with patent Fire-resisting Composition. Outer plates th to 3-16ths thick, the door lined with strong bar iron. Fitted with patent unpickable and Powder-proof lock. Specially adapted for fire-proof closets or strong rooms, and for papers and books in private dwelling houses and offices. Lock in front. £ S. d. 0 5 0 With 1-in. 2.10 3 0 ·0 Chambers. 310 0

Inside measure, 24 inches less each way. 3456

16 18 20 22 ......

12 13 14 16

12 13 14 16

400 5 0 0 With 14 in. 60 0 Chambers. 7 0 0

Nos. 3 to 6, inside measure, 34 inches less each way.

7881

10

24 26 28 30

18 20 22 24

18 20 22 24

800 9 0 0 With 2-in. 10 0 0 Chambers. 11 0 0

Nos. 7 to 10, inside measure, 5 inches less each way. Nos. 000, 00, and O are also used as Fire- proof Cash Boxes.

MOST IMPORTANT TO SOLICITORS, BANKERS, PRIVATE GENTLEMEN, AND OTHERS .

BY HER

ROYAL LETTERS

MAJESTY'S

PATENT .

GEORGE

PRICE'S

PATENT AIR, WATER, AND STEAM-TIGHT BOX, For the Preservation of Parchment Deeds and Documents from destruction or damage by Steam, when placed inside an Iron Safe made Fire-proof on the vaporizing principle. The only successful method of preserving Books and Papers, Plate and Specie, from damage by Fire inside an Iron Safe, is by the steamgenerating or vaporizing principle, which consists in filling the chambers or inside casings with a mixture of alum and sawdust. Alum which contains fifty per cent. of water of crystallization, on the application of heat, parts with its water in the shape of steam, which is taken up by the sawdust, the absorbent, the surplus pervading the interior of the Safe and its contents, and keeps them at the temperature of boiling water-212 deg. Fabrenheit- in which books and papersvegetable substances .—-will neither singe nor burn, but on the contrary, parchment-animal substance-is hopelessly destroyed, or so injured as to defy all attempts at restoration. This result is as certain and invariable as all the other laws of nature. To preserve parch ment by steam is a physical impossibility, except by enclosing it in a steam- tight box. This astounding fact will most likely produce much astonishment, especially with those who have read the numerous testimonials published by some makers, and most respectably signed, stating that in various tests of fire-proof Safes the parchment deeds were preserved uninjured . Ifthe temperature of the Safes thus tested ever attained that of 212 deg., the parchments must inevitably have suffered ; if they were uninjured, it only proves that the tests were no tests at all. It must be particularly noticed that parchment has been frequently entirely spoiled by water at the temperature of the atmosphere. In many fires, parchment deeds have suffered more from the water used in extinguishing the fire, than from the fire itself. Besides the above purpose for which the Steam-tight Box was especially invented, it will be found extremely useful for all purposes which require the air or moisture excluded from the contents. It is particularly suited for various uses in India, and other tropical climates, more particularly for protecting the contents from the destructive ravages of the white Ant and other insects. In. wide. £ 8. d. In. long. In deep. 2 2 6 10 6 No. 0 12 1 2 5 0 10 9 121 2 12 3 0 0 15 101 19 3 4 00 14 121 4 23 17 15 ... 500 5 27 18 600 ..... 29 Outside measure. Each Box is fitted with a superior lock with two keys.

IMPREGNABLE WROUGHT-IRON SINGLE-DOOR SAFES. FOR SPECIE, PLATE, PRECIOUS STONES, &c. NOT FIRE- PROOF.-" HOLDFAST " PATTERN . (For Drawing, see page 3. )

No. 151 C. Plates of body 3-8th-inch, door 4 -inch solid. Outside bands 24 -inch to 4-inch, rivetted to outer plates, and the whole strongly dovetailed together. Knob to throw three bolts at front, with three dogs at back. Secured by a patent unpickable and Powder-proof Lock. No drawers or partitions. Specially Thief- proof and recommended for building in walls or placing inside Fire-proof closets . With patent case-hardened door, and powder-proof lock case. In. high. In. wide. £ S. d. In. deep. £ S. d. 18 24 18 No. 1 ...... ...... 0 0 ..... 10 0 0 ...... ...... 20 20 2 ...... 26 10 0 0 12 0 0 22 22 .... 28 3 .... 12 0 0 14 O 0 23 30 23 4 14 0 0 16 O 0 24 24 16 00 5 32 19 0 0 25 ...... 24 18 0 0 .... 34 22 0 0 26 ...... 25 7 36 20 0 0 25 0 26 .... 8 28 .... 25 0 0 42 30 0 0 9 30 27 30 0 0 48 35 0 0 60 32 .... 28 35 0 0 10 40 0 0

Outside measure .

Two drawers, from 30s. to 40s. extra. to 40s- extra.

Shelves or partitions from 10s.

No. 151 D. Plates of body -in. door 5-8ths solid. Outside bands 3-inch to 4 inch by 5 8th -in. rivetted to outer plates, and the whole strongly dovetailed together. Knob to throw three bolts each, front and back. Secured by a patent unpickable and Powder-proof Lock. No drawers or partitions. Specially Thief- proof and recommended for building in walls or placing inside Fire-proof closets. With patent case-hardened door, and powder-prooflock case. In high. In. wide. £ S. d. In. deep. £ 8. d. 10 0 0 No. 1 ...... 24 ...... 18 ...... 18 12 10 0 2 26 ..... 20 12 00 ...... 14 10 0 20 28 22 22 14 0 0 3 16 10 0 23 4 30 23 16 00 ... 18 10 O 5 ..... 32 24 18 0 0 24 21 0 0 6 34 25 ...... 24 21 0 0 25 0 0 7 36 ... 26 25 24 0 0 29 0 0 8 28 .... 42 26 30 0 0 .... 35 0 0 9 .... 48 27 30 35 40 0 0 10 ...... 60 ...... 32 ..... 28 ...... 40 O 0 ...... 46 0 0

Outside measure. Two drawers from 30s. to 40s. extra. to 40s. extra.

Shelves or partitions from 10s.

IMPREGNABLE WROUGHT-IRON DOUBLE-DOOR SAFES. FOR SPECIE, PLATE, PRECIOUS STONES, & c. NOT FIRE-PROOF.-" HOLDFAST " PATTERN.

No.152 C.

Plates of body 3-8th -inch, doors -inch solid.

Outside bands 24-inch to 4-inch, rivetted to

outer plates, and the whole strongly dovetailed together. Knob to throw three bolts at front, with three dogs at back. Secured with a patent unpickable and Powder-proof Lock. No drawers or partitions. Specially Thief- proof and recommended for building in walls or placing inside Fire-proof closets. With patent case-hardened doors, and powder-proof lock-case. In. high. £ 8. d. In. wide. £ s. d. In. deep . No.1 .... 24 ...... 24 ...... 18 ...... 12 0 0 ...... 15 0 0 2 ...... 27 27 ...... 20 ...... 15 0 0 18 0 0 22 3 30 ..... 30 22 0 0 18 0 0 4 ...... 33 ...... 33 ...... 24 .... 22 0 0 ...... 27 0 0 5 36 ...... 36 ...... 24 .... 26 0 0 ...... 31 0 0 6 ...... 42 ...... 36 ...... 24 ...... 34 0 0 ...... 40 0 0 38 ... 26 ...... 40 0 0 ...... 46 0 0 7 ...... 48 60 ...... 42 ...... 28 ...... 50 0 0 ...... 60 0 0 9 ...... 72 ...... 48 ...... 30 ...... 60 0 0 ...... 70 00 Outside measure. Two drawers, from 30s . to 40s. extra. Shelves or partitions from 10s. to 40s. extra.

......

No. 152 D. Plates of body -inch, door 5-8th- inch solid. Outside bands 3 inch to 4-inch by -in., rivetted to outer plates, and the whole strongly dovetailed together. Knob to throw three bolts each, front and back. Secured with patent unpickable and Powder-proof Lock. No drawers or partitions. Specially Thief- proof and recommended for building in walls or placing inside Fire-proof closets . With patent case-hardened doors, and powder-proof lock-case. In. wide. In. deep . £ S. d. £ s. d. In. high. No. 1 ...... 24 ...... 24 ...... 18 ...... 14 O 0 ...... 17 0 0 2 ...... 27 ...... 27 ...... 20 17 0 0 ...... 20 0 0

3 ...... 30 ...... 30 ...... 22 ...... 21 0 ...... 25 0 0 4 33 33 ...... 24 25 0 0 30 0 0 ... 36 0 0 5 ...... 36 ...... 36 ...... 24 30 0 0 42 36 ...... 24 6 40 0 0 ... 47 0 0 7 ...... 48 ...... 38 ...... 26 ...... 50 0 0 ...... 58 0 0 8 ...... 60 ...... 42 ...... 28 ...... 60 0 0 ..... 70 0 0 48 ...... 30 ...... 70 0 0 ...... 80 0 0 9 ...... 72

......

Outside measure .

Two drawers from 30s. to 40s. extra. to 40s. extra.

Shelves or partitions from 10s.

IMPROVED STRONG WROUGHT-IRON DOOR & FRAME.

No. 130 C. Outside measure of frame 6 feet by 2 feet 6 inches. Frame 3 inches by -inch, with half-inch rabbet, strongly-made, with corner plates. Door half-inch solid. Moulding on outside to show either four small panels or two large ones . Knob to throw four bolts at front, with four dogs at back. Secured by patent 4-inch Iron Door unpickable and Powder-proof Lock, of the best quality and construction, with two Keys ...

£15

The same, Fire-proof,

£ 18 No. 130 D.

Outside measure of frame 6 feet by 2 feet 6 inches. Frame 4 inches by -inch, with -inch rabbet, strongly-made, with corner plates. Door half-inch solid. Moulding on outside to show either four small panels or two large ones. Knob to throw four bolts at front, with four dogs at back. Secured by patent 4-inch Iron Door unpickable and Powder-proof Lock, of the best quality and construction, with two keys....

£18

The same, Fire-proof ....

£22

If with patent case-hardened door and Powder-proof lock- chamber, £8 extra. If with sunk panels, each quality, £4 extra.

PRICE'S PATENT FIRE-RESISTING AND THIEF- PROOF

PLATE CABINET AND CASH AND DEED SAFE.

No. 142.

The Iron Safe is made of the quality 101 C, with the plates both dove-tailed and rivetted to angle-iron inside, and is 43 inches high, 24 inches wide, and 24 inches deep, outside measure.

It is fitted with two drawers for cash, and with a cupboard

at the bottom for deeds, &c.

The Plate Cabinet is made of oak with brass sunk handles,

and is constructed to hold the following pieces of plate :No. 1 Drawer contains separate spaces, lined with cloth for-eighteen tea spoons, six egg spoons, four salt spoons, one mustard spoon, two pickle forks, one butter knife, four knife-rests, six pairs of nut-crackers, and space for other small articles, such as decanter corks, &c.

No. 2-Eighteen dessert spoons, eighteen dessert forks, eighteen table forks. No. 3-Eight table spoons, two gravy spoons, one soup ladle, four sauce ladles, two toddy ladles, fish knife and fork, two pairs of sugar tongs, muffineer. No. 4 is eight inches deep, and is intended for a tea service or other large pieces.

Price complete, £35.

If with case-hardened door, &c., £40.

Without Cabinet, £5 less.

SUPERIOR STRONG

JAPANNED CASH

BOX.

BEST FINISHED.

No. 000 00 0 1 2 3 4

No. 110. With Tumbler With Superior With Tucker and Locks. Locks. Reeves' Locks. S d. S. d. £. s. d. In. long. In. wide. In . deep. .... 6 .... 3 .... 21 .... 6 0 .... 11 0 .... 16 O .... 78 .... 41 .... 3 .... 6 6 .... 11 6 16 6 .... 81 .... 51 .... 31 .... 12 0 70 17 O .... 54 .... 4 .... 13 O ... .... 8 0 18 0 4 ....10 .... 6 90 14 O 19 O .11 .... 64 .... 41 .... 10 0 15 O ... 100 ...12 .... 7글 .... 41 .... 12 6 17 O .... 1 2 0 Outside measure.

Strong wrought-iron Thief-proof CASH BOX, with Tray, 10-in. by 5 -in by 54-in., with superior Lock, 24s. With Tucker and Reeves ' Lock, 30s. SUPERIOR

STRONG SHEET- IRON DEED BOX.

JAPANNED BLACK, AND BEST FINISHED.

O

No. 1 2 3 4 5 6

No. 111. With Tumbler With Superior With Tucker and Locks. Reeves' Locks. Locks. In. long. In. wide. In. deep. £. s. d. £. s. d. £. s. d. .... 128 .... 91 .... 84 10 0 .... 15 0 .... 100 .... 14층 .... 101 .... 10 .... 11 0 .... 16 O .... 110 .... 161 .... 114 .... 11 .... 15 O .... 1 00 .... 150 .... 18 .... 13 .... 12 . 1 00 1 50 .... 1 10 0 .... 201 .... 14 .... 14 .... 1 50 .... 1 10 0 .... 1 15 0 .... 23 .... 16 .... 16 .... 1 10 0 .... 1 15 0 .... 200 Outside measure. Deed Boxes with falling front, all sizes.

ROYAL LETTERS PATENT.

BY HER MAJESTY'S DROM

DIEU

GEORGE

PATENT

PRICE'S

CHESTS ,

SAFES,

AND

IRON

DOORS

FRAMES ;

AND

also ebery description of

LOCKS

AND

KEYS

MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE FOLLOWING DEPOTS, AND FROM THE UNDERMENTIONED AGENTS :

LONDON :-181, Fleet Street ; 5, Sherborne Lane, King William Street, City ; and Crystal Palace, (Hardware Court, ) Sydenham. MANCHESTER :-Depôt, 2, Corporation Street, Market Street.

BOLTON:-LOMAX AND SONS, Auctioneers. BLACKBURN :-W. AND K. DEWHURST, Ironmongers. BRISTOL :-W. WHEREAT, Stationer, 7, Corn Street

BRADFORD -BYRNE AND Co., Ironmongers.

(AGENTS NAMES CONTINUED . ) BURNLEY:-DENBIGH AND SON, Auctioneers . DARLINGTON :-WATSON AND BENSON, Auctioneers. DEWSBURY :-HENRY CULLINGWORTH, Stationer, &c., Post Office. EXETER -HUGHES AND CARTER, Ironmongers. HALIFAX :-EDWIN LUMBY, General and Furnishing Ironmonger, Crown Street. HUDDERSFIELD : -T. A. HEAPS AND CO., Ironmongers. HULL :-YOUNG AND POOLE, Ironmongers . LEEDS :-JAMES AND CHARLES HEAPS, Ironmongers ; SINGLETON AND TENNANT, Ironmongers. LIVERPOOL -WEBB AND HUNT, Stationers, Castle Street. NEWCASTLE- ON-TYNE :-ANDERSON AND MACK, Auctioneers, Royal Arcade. PLYMOUTH :-R. CORNELIUS, Furnishing and General Ironmonger, 17, Old Town Street. PRESTON - H. C. WALTON, Auctioneer, Fishergate. ROCHDALE -RICHARD CLEGG, Auctioneer. STOCKTON-ON-TEES :-JENNETT and Co. , Stationers. SUNDERLAND :-J. WILLIAMs, Bookseller, 129, High Street. WAKEFIELD :-W. DODGSON, Auctioneer, &c.

WELLS : JOHN KELWAY, Ironmonger. (SCOTLAND. ) ABERDEEN :-D. M'HARDY, 54, Nether Kirkgate. DUNDEE :-C. D. CHALMERS, Stationer, 10, Castle Street. EDINBURGH :-GEORGE WATERSON, Stationer, 56, North Hanover Street. GLASGOW:-J. AND E. REID, Stationers, 41 , Argyle Street.

(IRELAND .) CORK :-RICHARD PERROTT, Hive Iron Works ; ROBERT SCOTT AND Co. DUBLIN :-EDMUNDSON AND Co., Ironmongers, 34, 35, and 36, Capel Street.

By Her Majesty's

Royal Letters Patent.

DROITI

GEORGE

GENERAL

PRICE ,

LOCK

CLEVELAND

FACTOR ,

STREET,

WOLVERHAMPTON .

WHOLESALE ,

RETAIL,

AND

FOR

EXPORTATION.

Rim, Mortice, Pad, & Brass Cabinet Locks ;

RIM AND MORTICE NIGHT LATCHES ;

BRIGHT AND JAPANNED CABINET LOCKS ; STOCK LOCKS.

THE VARIOUS PATENTED LOCKS AT THE PATENTEES' PRICES.

Locks made en suite with master keys, and locks made on the permutating principle at a moderate additional cost. All locks and keys are particularly examined before leaving the warehouse. No two locks are made alike except to order. Extra keys fitted.

FANCY

BOWS

TO ANY

DESIGN.

Royal Letters

By Her DIEU

SET M

Majesty's

Patent.

ONDR

OIT

CHARLES

POULTNEY

AUBIN ,

STREET ,

WOLVERHAMPTON ,

OBTAINED

A Prize Medal at the Great Exhibition, 1851 .

HOLDS THE DIPLOMA OF HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENT FROM THE UNIVERSAL SOCIETY OF ARTS AND INDUSTRY, LONDON, 1855.

SOLE MANUFACTURER OF

NETTLEFOLD'S

PATENT

GUARDIAN

LOCKS

AND

"A

1"

PATENT

LEVER

LOCKS ,

OF EVERY DESCRIPTION. ALSO,

BRA MAH'S

PATENT ,

AND EVERY VARIETY OF BEST LOCKS MADE TO ORDER, OR MODELS, &c. All the above kinds of Locks are warranted, and are made by the most approved Machinery.

By Her Majesty's

Royal Letters Patent.

PUCKRIDGE , LATE PARNELL

&

PUCKRIDGE'S

PATENT DEFIANCE

AND

LOCKS,

NATIONAL

Manufactory :-52, Strand, near Charing Cross.

E 0

F

dos

F. PUCKRIDGE, (late Parnell and Puckridge, ) SOLE PROPRIETOR OF THE PATENT

DEFIANCE AND

NATIONAL

LOCKS,

Respectfully informs the public that he has a Stock of these LOCKS for every purpose on hand. To give a detailed description of the Lock within the limits of an advertisement is impossible ; F. P. must therefore content himself with saying, that it is not one Lock, but several Locks in one ; that no instrument but its own key can possibly open it ; that it cannot, by any art or ingenuity be picked ; that the principles of it are simple, and applicable to Locks of all sizes ; that it cannot be put out of order ; and notwithstanding, that it is moderate in Price. To the Lock, as made for general use, there are two supplemental arrangements, for special purposes- one, by which any false Instrument, if introduced into the Lock, is held so firmly that it cannot be got out without taking the Lock asunder ; the other, by which the owner can in an instant stop the action of the ordinary key, until he restore it again by a MASTER KEY. TO BE HAD ONLY AS ABOVE. F. PUCKRIDGE has also a Stock of Fire-proof Safes, Doors and Frames for Strong Rooms, Deed and Cash Boxes, Copying and Lever Presses, Stands , &c., of the best make in great variety. SEE HARDWARE COURT, CRYSTAL PALACE , SYDENHAM .

For Price List see the two following pages.

7. 览 。

PUCKRIDGE , (LATE PARNELL AND PUCKRIDGE),

52 ,

STRAND ,

NEAR

LIST

PATENT

то

BE

CHARING

CROSS .

OF PRICES OF THE

DEFIANCE

LOCKS ,

WHICH CANNOT BE PICKED. HAD ONLY AS ABOVE .

D. 0 0

ÁO O

2995

S. Cut or Straight Cupboard, Till or Drawer up to 3 inch 14 ditto ditto .. Ditto up to 3 in. 15s. , and 4 39 16 If to Spring, 2s. extra. Link Cupboard, Chest, Sloping Desk, Pedestal and Camp Desk up to 3 99 15 ditto Ditto up to 3 in. 16s ., 4 in. 18s., 41 97 20 .. Chest, very strong, with three Links up to 5 29 22 Brass Pad Locks, with slide .. up to 1 in. 16s., 17 39 17 ditto Ditto 2 in. 18s. , 24 in. 20s., 24 in. 22s. 6d., 3 in. 25s. , 31 39 27 .. Iron Rim, dead one-sided, for Cellars 5 in. 25s., 6 in. 30s., 7 "9 35 Very strong ditto 8 in. 42s., 9 in. 50s ., 10 in. 55s., 12 99 60 If Two-sided, up to 7 inch, 5s. extra, above 7 inch, 7s. 6d. extra. .. Mortise, dead up to 4 29 32 Ditto .. 42 5 in. 35s., 6 in. 37s. 6d., 7 4 in. 42s., 4 99 45 Mortise Latches, one-sided, with Stop and Furniture ditto 5 in., with Stop and Furniture 47s. 6d., 6 in . 50s. , 7 29 55 Ditto If to Latch and Lock, 5s. extra. If Two-sided, 7s. 6d. extra. 6 39 45 Street Door Drawback Rim Latch, to Lock, one-sided, with Stop ditto Ditto 70 7 in. 50s. , 8 in. 55s., 9 in. 60s., 10 in. 65s., 12 If Two sided up to 7 inch, 5s. extra, above 7 inch, 7s. 6d . extra. Iron Safe Locks 29 30 up to 4 in. 25s ., 44 in. 27s. 6d., 5 If Projecting Bolt, 2s. 6d. extra. Trunk, Portmanteau, or Carpet Bag Lock, from 16s. Book Edge, from 14s., if Gilt, or to Spring, extra. Portfolio, from 12s. Street Door Rim Drawback Latches, 4 in. 21s. , if to lock, 25s . , two-sided, 30s. Ditto ditto ditto 5 in. 25s., if to lock, 30s., if two-sided , 35s.

0 0 6 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0

THE

DEFIANCE

LOCK

Has stood the Test of Public Challenge for three years, and is Warranted Safe from the Possibility of being Picked.

N. B.- Two Small hardened and neatly polished Keys to each Lock. EVERY DESCRIPTION OF LOCK MADE TO ORDER AND EN SUITE. See Hardware Court, Crystal Palace, Sydenham. DESCRIPTION BOOKS то BE HAD GRATIS .

F.

52 ,

PUCKRIDGE 9 (LATE PARNELL AND PUCKRIDGE),

STRAND ,

NEAR

LIST

PATENT

CHARING

CROSS .

PRICES OF OF THE

NATIONAL

::::::

LOCKS , WHICH CANNOT BE PICKED. то BE HAD ONLY AS ABOVE. S. D. up to 3 inch 10 Cut or Straight Cupboard Till or Drawer ditto ditto Ditto .. 3 in. 10s. 6d. , 4 99 12 0 up to 3 99 10 6 Link Cupboard, Chest, Sloping Desk, Pedestal, and Camp Desk ditto ditto Ditto 3 in. 12s., 4 in. 12s. 6d., 4 29 14 O .. Chest with three Links, very strong up to 5 "" 15 0 Brass Pad, with Slide up to 1 in. 9s. 6d., 99 10 6 ditto Ditto 2 in. 12s. 6d. , 3 in. 14s., 31 99 16 O .. 17 6 up to 5 Iron Rim, dead, one-sided ditto Ditto .. 6 in. 20s., 7 in. 25s ., 8 in. 30s., 9 "" 32 6 Ditto ditto 10 in. 37s. 6d., 12 in. 42s . , to 16 99 50 0 If two-sided, up to 7 in. 3s. 6d. extra, above 7 in. 4s. 6d. extra. Mortice, dead up to 4 in. 21s., 5 in, 24s., 6 in. 27s., 7 99 30 0 If to spring, 3s. extra. 25 0 Mortice 4 in. Night Latches, one-sided, with furniture Ditto ditto if to lock and latch 30 0 ditto two-sided Ditto 30 0 ditto if to lock and latch 35 0 Ditto .. 37 6 Ditto 2-bolt and stop 6 in. Ditto 42 0 7 in., no furniture STREET DOOR DRAWBACK RIM LATCHES, WITH STOP, ONE-SIDED. 9. d. 25 0 If to lock and latch 30 0 6 inch 30 0 ditto Ditto 35 6 7 inch ditto 35 0 8 inch Ditto .. 45 0 Ditto 40 0 9 inch 50 0 ditto .. Ditto 45 0 ditto 10 inch 55 0 ditto 55 0 Ditto 12 inch 65 0 Iron Safe Locks up to 4 in. 20 0 Ditto 4 in. 23s., 5 in. 26s., 6 in. 30 0 Ditto, with projecting bolts, 2s. 6d. extra. Trunk Locks, from 15s. each. Carpet Bag Locks, from 12s. each. Book Edge Locks , from 12s. each ; if gilt, extra, ditto to spring, 2s. each extra. Portfolio Locks, from 10s. each. Street Door Drawback Rim Latches .. up to 4 inch. 15 0 Ditto ditto ditto to lock and to latch 29 17 6 ditto ditto Ditto two-sided 99 21 0 ditto ditto Ditto 5 inch .. .. 99 17 6 ditto Ditto ditto to lock and to latch "9 20 0 ditto Ditto ditto two-sided .. "9 22 6 N. B.- Two Small hardened and neatly polished Keys to each Lock. EVERY DESCRIPTION OF LOCK MADE TO ORDER AND EN SUITE. See Hardware Court, Crystal Palace, Sydenham. DESCRIPTION BOOKS то BE HAD GRATIS .

MERRIDALE

LOCK

WORKS ,

WOLVERHAMPTON.

HENRY

YATES ,

MANUFACTURER OF

Every Description of Rim, Mortice.

Pad,

and Cabinet Locks ;

ALSO OF NIGHT LATCHES ; PULPIT, PEW, SHUTTER, AND CLOSET LATCHES , &c.

Sole Manufacturer of Restell's Patent, and also of Tucker and Reeves' Patent Locks, &c., &c.

JOSEPH

PIPER'S

ROW,

FISHER,

WOLVERHAMPTON,

MANUFACTURER OF

BEST

CAST

STEEL

FILES

FOR ENGINEERS AND FITTERS,

WHICH FOR QUALITY ARE INFERIOR TO NONE , BUT SUPERIOR TO MOST OF THE FILES MANUFACTURED IN SHEFFIELD .

N.B. -FILES

OF

ALL

KINDS

RE • CUT.

R

E GIBBONS, JUN., UR CT A F NU MA

JAMES

AL

ER

CK

N GE

LO

,

By Her

Royal Letters

Majesty's

Patent.

DIEU

UT

MON DRO

WOLVERHAMPTON.

Patentee of the

DETENT

LOCK,

DOUBLE

DETECTOR

LOCK,

PATENT ANTI -FRICTION LATCH BOLT.

Manufacturer of

RIM

AND

MORTICE

LOCKS, BRASS

NIGHT

CABINET LOCKS,

LATCHES ;

Locks for Asylums , Prisons, & Public Buildings .

GIBBONS'S

PATENT

DETENT

GIBBONS'S PATENT

LOCK .

DETENT LOOK

GIBBONS'S PATENT

The improvement effected in this lock consists in the introduction of a detainer or leverfixer; the use of which is to fix the levers in one position before the stump of the bolt comes in contact with them. The lever next the bolt is made with its face to project beyond the other levers, so that when the bolt is locked out, the stump of the bolt is retained in its proper position by this lever, which the inventor calls the " locking-lever." In the drawing a is the locking-lever; d the other levers, which are set back, so that in unlocking, the lever a must be raised to allow the stump of the bolt to enter its gating, when it moves along some distance before it comes to the face of the levers d. The act of lifting the lever a causes it to raise the arm ofthe detainer b, which is connected with it by the pin c, and this brings the point of the detainer into the notches formed in the ends of the levers d, as shewn in the cut. By this means the levers d become firmly fixed or detained in their position, and are incapable of any further adjustment before the stump of the bolt comes in contact with them. The true key lifts all the notched levers d to their true position before it acts upon the locking-lever a ; the detainer b is then brought into action, and the levers as represented in the cut offer no obstruction to the passage of the bolt; but should any one of the levers d be either above or below the true lift, at the time the lever a is lifted, the detainer will fix it in that particular position ; the face of the lever will oppose the passage of the stump of the bolt, which renders it impossible to open the lock, or even to tell which lever it is that causes the obstruction, and whether it arises from its being above or below its true position. This lock is constucted with a curtain and one deep ward or wheel, as shewn in the key.

The above construction makes it impossible to pick the lock by applying pressure to the bolt, and the true lift of the levers cannot be ascertained by raising them separately. The lock can only be opened by simultaneously raising all the levers to their true position, which can only be done by the true key.

PATENT

GIBBONS'S

DETENT LOCK ,

WITH SIX LEVERS, AND TWO KEYS .

8. d. ..to 3 inch. 9 0

Till or Drawer....

S. d. 5 inch. 19 0

3

99

12 0

6

33

to 3

""

9 0

7

99 22 0

8

Spring ditto ..........

36

26 0

10 0

9

30 0

10 0

10

36

Rim Dead, one sided

38 0

31 99

11 0

12

‫ دو‬50 0

4

36

6

39

9

36

St. and Cut Cupboard

20 0

12 0

6

41 ,

14 0

34 99

4 to 3

Chest, Sloping Desk,

7

11 0

19

11 to 2

Rim Dead, two sided

22 0

36 66 8

& Link Plate Cupb'd.

19

Camp Desk, Pedestal 25 0 28 0

6 22

21 ,‫د‬

11 6

21 29

12 0

23 ""

13 0

10 "" 42 0 12 55 0

""

14 0

4

34 ,,

16 O

5

Portfolio 36

to 3

3 19

21 0

.10 0

6

22 22 0

0

7

39 24 0

13

36 33

14 0

4 4

,, 16 0

34 Trunk

Mortice Dead

99 20 0

6

30 0

7

99 32 0

2-Bolt Mortice no fur. 15 0

{

་

Co

3

238 36

Brass Pad ......

99 33 0

6

99 32 0

7

99 34 0

6

99 32 0

Drawbacks and 3-Bolt

7

39 35 0

Rim Best Furniture

8

"" 40 0

99

16 0

9

93 45 0

""

17 0

10

50 0

18, 0

4

39

99 17 0

5

33

23

15 0

21 39 { 2플 "

16 O

to 2 Spring Book-edge.

17 0

{

.15 0

Carpet Bag

56

6.6

5

Flush Night Latch

11

3-Bolt Mortice ditto ..

18 0 19 0

Rim Night Latch

18 0

6

6

29 19 0 99 22 0

7

Mortice Night Latch ... 4 Ditto extra strong, with

{

34

4 slide in face .

24 0

39

Iron Safe

5

20 0

92 21 0

GIBBONS'S

PATENT

COMMERCIAL

LOCKS.

These Locks are made really good and secure for all ordinary purposes, and are offered at a very moderate price. They contain five levers-the faces of which are cut into a series of false notches, the projections between these false notches being of unequal lengths, by this arrangement it is impossible to pick them by applying pressure to the bolt. They are fitted with a curtain to close the key hole, and with one deep wheel . They are recommeded for their durability and economy. GIBBONS'S PATENT COMMERCIAL LOCK, WITH 5 LEVERS AND 2 KEYS. S. d. Till or Drawer ........ to 3 inch 6 Ο Spring .....

to 3 to 3

St. and cut Cupboard

99

9 0

99

6

31 29 4 99

8. d 5 inch. 14 0

0

6

33

7

23

15 0 17 0

Rim Dead, one sided

6 6

21 0

8

7 0

9

29

26 0

29

7 0

10

29

32 0

Camp Desk Pedestal.

31 ""

7 6

27

16 0

& Link Plate Cupb'd.

4

22

17 0

39

23 0

to 3

0

6

39

7 6

7

21 99

8 0

1 to2

3

99

27

34 0

4

37

16

5

99

17 0

6

37

18 0

23 0

0

0

Mortice Dead

8 0

31 99

8 6

7

27

9 6

6

23

7

97 25 0

6

39 25

7

39 27

6

36

2

27

12

0

21

99

13

0

24 39

14 O 10

Carpet Bag

3-Bolt Mortice, no fur.

O

99

10 6

Drawbacks and

7

36

11

6

39

12 6

4

99

11 6

10

5

99

12 6

--

5

2 - Bolt Mortice , no fur. {

3-Bolt Rim,

8

39 35 0

9

40 0

13 6 ""

19 O

22 0

Iron Safe

48 0

37

15 0

5

16

O

6

66

Mortice Night Latch .... 4 Ditto extra strong 4 slide in face.....

25 0 30 0

Best Furniture.

36

6

6

20 0

2025585

{

Rim Night Latch ..

10

10 6

28

6

Spring Book-edge

Flush Night Latch

9

99

to 3 Trunk ...

19 0

6

9

8 0

Portfolio

8

6

2} 99 28 29

Rim Dead, two sided

35

Brass Pad

99

35

Chest,Sloping Desk,

17

0

7

27 18 O

CR

GIBBONS'S

PATENT

DOUBLE

DETECTOR

LOCKS.

GIBBONS'S

PATENT

This lock contains a new element of security, it being so constructed that not only will the over lifting of any one of the levers throw the detector ; but should any attempt be made to move the bolt without having first sufficiently raised all the levers, the detector will be brought into action by the under-lift as well as the over-lift of any one of the levers. When any ofthe levers are raised above their true position, the arm b of the detector A is brought forward, and the arm e hooks into the bolt at f; the v-nosed spring D, acting upon the point c, keeps it in that position. The under-lift detector & has its arm i slightly hooked into the bolt at k. When the levers are lifted by the true key the point i rises out of the bolt ; but should any attempt be made to move the bolt when any of the levers are below their true position, the levers will keep down the detector by pressing upon it at h, and the bevilled edge of the bolt at k will draw down the detector at i, where it will be fixed by the spring D. In cases where a detector lock is required, these locks will be found very superior to the ordinary detector locks, which act by the over-lift only. 8. d. 25 0 to 6 inch .. 28 0 7 inch ... 8 inch.. 32 0 Rim Dead, one Sided ..... 37 O 9 inch .. 47 O 10 inch... 60 0 12 inch .

Rim Dead, two Sided

Mortice Dead

Iron Safe

to 6 7 8 9 10 12

inch... inch . inch ... inch... inch .. inch..

to 4 inch 5inch 6 inch 7 inch

(to 6 inch 7 inch

27 31 34 40 52 66

0 0 0 0 0 0

27 28 31 36

0 0 0 O

25 0 28 0

GIBBONS'S

PATENT

ANTI - FRICTION

LATCH - BOLT,

FOR ALL KINDS OF DOOR LOCKS.

B

MARE BONS

PATENT O

The Patentee respectfully solicits the attention of the public to this important Invention, by means of which the inconvenience and annoyance occasioned by the imperfect action of the ordinary latch-bolt is entirely prevented. The improvement is shown in the accompanying engraving, and consists in using a loose tail - piece, A, to connect the follow B with the latch-bolt C by means of a guide D. The guide D works at its upper end upon a circular pin or axis affixed to the plate of the lock, its lower end being connected with the latch-bolt C by a pin E, and with the tail-piece A by a centre-pin F. The upper and lower extremities of the follow B, as well as their corresponding recesses in the horns of the tail-piece A, are of a semicircular form, the consequence of which is, that on turning the knob in either direction, a rolling action takes place between the surfaces in contact, the ordinary friction is avoided and a perfectly smooth, easy, and durable action is obtained. When turned to its full extent, the follow is stopped by the tail- piece coming in contact with the end of the lock, thus making it impossible to strain the guide or to bend the tail of the bolt, defects to which the common latch-bolt is well known to be liable. The position of the follow, which is placed very near to the end of the lock, allows the greatest possible space between the knob and the key-hole, which in small-sized locks is a most important advantage.

MORTICE

LOCKS ,

No. 1. —Narrow Brass Follow, Step Wheel { 10.-Narrow, Steel Follow { 15 --Ward Round, 2-bolt Steel Follow

{ 20.-Ditto 3-bolt { 25.-Ward Round , 2-bolt Broad Latch Bolt, cut through Steel Follow { 30.-Ditto 3-bolt 40.-Best extra strong 3 bolt, Brass Wards, Broad Bolts , cut thro' Steel Follow, Bushed Key-hole as per engraving

No

5 inch . 6 inch .. 5 inch.. 6 inch ... 6 inch .. 7 inch ... 6 inch . 7 inch .. 6 inch . 7 inch .. 6 inch .. 7 inch ..

S. 6 7 7 8 11 13 12 13 13 14 13 15

6 inch .... 7 inch ..... 8 inch ......

20 0 21 0 24 0

Brass Furniture, Patent Spindles..6 inch 2-bolt .... 7 inch "" ... 99 6 inch 29 Ebony 7 inch ‫دو‬ "" Buffolo Horn . 6 inch 29 7 inch "" ""

RIM

LOCKS ,

with

No. 50.-3-bolt "99 "" 55.-Strong 3 -bolt .. 29 "" 60. -Extra strong, Broad Bolts, 2 -ward rounds ...

Furniture.

Best

6 inch 7 inch 8 inch 6 inch 7 inch 8 inch 6 inch 7 inch 8 inch 9 inch

S. d. 2 O per set. 2 6 99 "" 3 0 "9 4 6 22 6 0 22

d. 0 0 6 6 8 0 0 6 0 6 6 0

8. 3-bolt ...... 2 3 3 39 .... 93 ..... 3 99 ...... 5 6 99

Furniture .

8. 7 9 11 10 12 14 12 14 18 22

d. 6 0 0 0 O O O 0 0 Q

d. 6 0 0 6 0 G

RICHLY

CHASED

LOCKS

IN

OR-MOLU.

О

O

Ornamental Brass and Iron Work of every description .

GOTHIC

LOCKS ,

HINGES,

AND

HANDLES.

ALBION

WORKS ,

WILLENHALL.

By Her

Royal Letters

Majesty's

Patent. LI

MON DRO

J.

HARPER

JUN.,

&

Co.,

MANUFACTURERS OF

Locks , Latches, Bolts, Wood Screws , &c., &c.

IRONFOUNDERS .

Successors to

MR. JAMES TILDESLEY, THE LATE LOCK, LATCH, AND BOLT MANUFACTURER, IRONFOUNDER, AND FACTOR ; JOHN FOX, MORTISE LOCK MAKER AND FACTOR ; JOHN HARPER, SENIOR, SQUARE SPRING NIGHT AND FRENCH LATCH MAKER; J. LOCKET, WOOD SCREW MAKER ; THOMAS BRUERTON, DOG COLLAR LOCK MAKER.

Having purchased the stocks and trades from each of the above, accounts for the multifarious articles manufactured at this establishment, and having possession of their books and patterns, are enabled to execute orders from them, however remote the date.

பா

CROWLEY

ORKS.1

JNO.

HARPER

&

CO.,

MANUFACTURERS OF PATENT

Padlocks, Rim, Dead, Mortise, Box, and Trunk Locks, ALL BRASS LOCKS, FOR SHIPPING PURPOSES ; REGISTERED NORFOLK, AND THUMB LATCHES ;

Square, Improbed, Rim, Night, French, and Drop- Bitted Latches,

PATENT BARREL, IMPROVED TOWER & COMMON ROUND BOLTS ;

BRASS AND IRON, FLAT AND SQUARE SPRING

BOLTS,

SOUTH AMERICAN, EAST INDIAN

&

CANADIAN BOLTS.

IRONFOUNDERS .

AXLE PULLEYS, GALVANIZED SIDE & MORIZONTAL PULLEYS

Shutter and Door Rollers, for Railway purposes, KEYS

FOR

RAILWAY

WAGGONS ,

Cheap Bed Keys, Ornamental Bolts, Door Knockers, Plain and ornamental light castings, to any pattern, either malleable or common Iron, LOCKS ,

BOLTS , BARS , AND HANDLES , OF EVERY DESCRIPTION.

A FOR HOME AND EXPORTATION.

HARPER AND CO.'S 2-BOLT HALL DOOR LOCK, No. A 1275.

2, 3, or 5 levers, secure, with neat small key, which acts upon both lock and latch and Rock's patent roller staple.

HARPER AND CO.'S 2-BOLT HALL DOOR OR DRAWBACK LOCK.

Solid ward, key acting upon both bolts from outside of door.

No. A 236.

Also a large variety of Hall Door or Drawback Locks, 1 , 2, and 3 bolt.

6-in. 2-bolt Rim Lock, No. 60, with "lift up " latch, known as "inclined striker," or " Carpenter's Patent," in every size and quality.

3- bolt Rim Lock, solid brass ward, horizontal movement.

No. A 504.

2-bolt Rim Lock, with thin moulded rim. No. 330.

2-bolt Rim Lock, rounded cast case, known as

"Bailie's Patent."

HARPER AND CO.'S DOOR LOCKS,

Mortice Lock, 2-bolt, ward round.

Mortice Sash Lock, 2-bolt, collar ward, for half-glass doors or French windows.

!

Large extra strong Store Door Lock, or Dead Lock, with one or more keys. No. A353. Į

Dead Lock, double-handed, cover-plate. No. A57.

Spanish Door Lock, for single or double doors, suitable for the South American trade.

M

All Brass Locks, for Shipping purposes.

MORTICE

OR RIM LOCKS , FOR SLIDING

A VARIETY OF PATTERNS ALWAYS ON HAND FOR INSPECTION.

DOORS.

HARPER AND CO.'S TRUNK AND PAD LOCKS.

Portuguese Trunk Locks.

EL

Trunk Locks, both iron and brass, in great variety.

Padlock, strong full ward.

H. and Co. have at least 200

patterns of this article.

Brass Padlocks, in great variety.

Round Cast Padlock, known as " Tildesley's " Patent Tumbler, No. 940, suitable for the Indian and Levant trades, particularly. We have no hesitation in saying these are the cheapest Tumbler Padlocks ever produced.

Japanned Spring Padlock. No. 960.

Japanned Screw Padlock. No. 970.

HARPER AND CO.'S BRIGHT JAPANNED CABINET LOCKS AND LATCHES.

Chest, or Box Lock, double link.

Till, or Drawer Lock.

Till, or Drawer Lock, with double key-hole , suitable also for cut cup'd for German markets. ป

Double -handed tumbler cup'd Lock, japanned or bright,.

LATCHES.

Sham Bramah's Night Latch. No. A528.

French Latch, for Front Doors. No. 19.

Long Latch, bolted, either with key only, or knobs.

Square Spring Door Latch. No. 102.

Improved Square Spring Door Latch, bolted.

No. 250.

Rim Latch, bolted, with knobs or furniture. No. 551B.

HARPER AND CO.'S LATCHES, AND BOLTS, &c.

Registered Norfolk Latch, either with brass or iron thumbits. No. 362.

Thumb Latch, either wrought or cast iron.

BOLTS.

Best Barrel Bolt, No. 8.

Best Tower Bolt, No. 8.

Coach House Door Bolt.

Spring Bolt, either bright or japanned, with long tail, suitable for South American trade.

Curry Combs .

Best Tower Bolt, solid end,No.8.

Cast Bed Key, No. 506.

Cast Bed Key, No. 511.

HARPER AND CO.'S PULLEYS AND WOOD SCREWS.

Iron Axle Pulley, No. 40, and others of various qualities, similar to pattern, also brass front, No. 43, and electro-plated brass fronts.

Signal Pulleys, for railway purposes, galvanized with brass wheels.

0

00

10

Shutter or Door Rollers, for railway or other purposes

WOOD

SCREWS.

ROYAL LETTERS PATENT.

BY HER MAJESTY'S DROLL

COMPLETE IMMUNITY FROM

FIRE ,

THIEVES ,

EDWIN

AND

GUNPOWDER .

COTTERILL ,

INVENTOR, PATENTEE, AND SOLE MANUFACTURER OF THE ROYAL

CLIMAX

DETECTOR

LOCKS,

THE ONLY LOCKS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN PICKED, AND CANNOT BE BLOWN UP WITH GUNPOWDER.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE AN IMPRESSION OF THE KEYS- THE ONLY LOCK IN THE WORLD POSSESSING THIS SECURITY.

Manufactory :-A 16, Vittoria Street, Birmingham.

THE

CLIMAX

DETECTOR

LOCKS

Are all made to the keys by an unerring machine, consequently, none but the legitimate keys will pass ; the keys are also cut by a machine which is so constructed that millions of keys can be cut and every one to differ, two keys only are cut alike, (unless more are specially ordered ) and these are sent with the locks sold. (OVER )

SECOND. The Detectors, which are perfectly new in principle, are not liable to be thrown by accident or by the correct key which so frequently occurs with the ordinary Detector applied to other locks ; in short every Detector hitherto introduced has tended only to weaken the lock and occasion derangement. The Detector applied to the Climax lock imparts strength and inviolable security. THIRD. - The Patentee is convinced that many robberies have been committed by the aid and connivance of dishonest servants who find ( by watchfulness ) no difficulty in gaining a momentary possession of keys, which is sufficient to obtain an impression on clay, and by such simple means readily get duplicates made either for themselves or others ; under such circumstances the patentee considered it of vital importance that this great evil should be removed, and therefore by devoting considerable time and study, in order to obviate this fatal objection, he has been triumphantly successful in effecting the desired purpose ; both as regards the construction of a key and in the invention of a machine, to form the same, whereby the great desideratum is acquired, for by such means an impregnable lock is obtained, and a key produced which frustrates every attempt to take an impression of it or to form by any other means a correct copy, even if encountered by the most skilful and experienced mechanic ; in short, it has been pronounced, by scientific men, a mechanical impossibility to form a false key, or instrument to act successfully upon the works. FOURTH.- Many of the Mechanical and Scientific Journals have deemed the invention of that importance to the public, as to induce them to give many elaborate and illustrated articles on the principle of these locks, in order to prove their entire security. FIFTH.- These are the only Locks which have not been picked, and cannot be blown up with gunpowder, neither can any instrument be applied to the key from the outside, when the key is left in the door of a chamber inside-this is another peculiar advantage which no other lock possesses.

TESTIMONIALS .

From a great number of letters received from scientific and mechanical gentlemen , in commendation of these locks , the following few are submitted : Important Testimonial from the eminent Engineer, Robert Stephenson, Esq., M.P. 25, Great George Street, Westminster, London, May 29, 1852.

SIR, Since I examined your Lock in Birmingham and received your explanation of its construction, I have carefully considered the various arrangements adopted for making it secure, and I am of opinion that you have been successful. The ingenuity displayed is very great, and although at first sight it had the appearance of being complicated, further conideration convinced me, that to effect all those objects which are necessary in the construction of a PERFECT LOCK, your arrangement was both simple and beatiful. Yours faithfully, ROBERT STEPHENSON.

Mr. Edwin Cotterill , Birmingham .

TESTIMONIALS CONTINUED. ) From Luke Herbert, Esq., C.E., Editor of the " Engineers' and Mechanics' Enclyclopædia," after giving an illustrated article on the merits of this Lock, in the last volume of his work. SIR, I have attentively examined your new Patent Detector Rim Lock, and have discovered very much to admire in the construction and arrangement of its parts. I consider the action of the Lock the most ingenious piece of mechanism ever applied to this important article, and I have no hesitation in declaring, as my opinion, that it would be impossible to form an instrument to act upon the works. I also find that the indentations of the key are so varied in their depth and inclination , as to preclude the possibility of taking an accurate impression therefrom . The Detector is applied to a beautiful system of levers, in a very simple and efficient manner, which must increase the durability of that useful appendage. I also regard the contrivance of the spring bolt sliding in a channel made in the main locking bolt, as an important feature in your improvements, as it combines strength, inviolability, and ease of motion in a remarkable degree. Your Patent Detector Pad Lock which I received with the above, affords a splendid specimen of the modern manufacture of such articles, and it possesses all the security of the Rim Lock in a very compact and elegant form. Also the Patent Detector Cabinet Locks I received at the same time. These I consider truly unique, together with perfect security ; in short, I look upon the whole as a complete triumph in the art of lock-making, and I sincerely wish you all the patronage your invaluable inventions merits. I am, sir, your obedient servant, LUKE HERBERT. To Mr. Edwin Cotterill, Birmingham .

From William Johnson, Esq., Consulting Engineer, Assoc. Inst. , C.E., M. Inst., Mech. Engineers. 33, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, November 9th, 1849.

DBAR SIR, When in Birmingham during the present year, at the Meeting of the British Association, I carefully examined your " Climax Detector Lock " under its various modifications ; and subsequent to that date I further considered its principle in preparation for the illustrated article on the subject, written by me for the " Practical Mechanics' Journal," and I have arrived at the conclusion that it is the most secure lock yet produced. In fact it appears to me that it cannot be opened by any means whatever, other than the original key fitted by the maker. Having already so fully expressed my opinion as to the perfect safety of this lock, in the article previously referred to, on "Cotterill's Improvements in Locks," at page 183 , volume 2, of the " Practical Mechanics' Journal," for November, 1849, I may without further comment refer to it for details.

I am, dear sir, yours very obediently, WILLIAM JOHNSON. To Mr. Edwin Cotterill, Birmingham

( TESTIMONIALS CONTINUED. ) From George Shaw, Esq., Professor of Chemistry, Queen's College, Birmingham ; late Lecturer on Chemistry, and Experimental Philosophy in the Birmingham Philosophical Institution ; author of a Manuel of Electro- Metallurgy, &c.

Cannon Street, Birmingham, November 11, 1850.

DEAR SIR, For the last two years I have been intimately acquainted with the mechanism you have introduced into Locks, and have had many opportunities during that time of observing its action in Locks of different kinds : in stating, therefore, my opinion that yours are the most perfect Locks I have ever seen, and that I believe it to be impossible for any one, even the maker himself, to pick them , I express a deliberately formed opinion , founded on long observation : I know this opinion to be shared by many competent men, for in my capacity of Honorary Secretary to the late Exhibition of Manufactures, as well as at one of the Lectures of the British Association, at its last Meeting in Birmingham, I pointed out your invention to many of the scientific men there assembled in our Town, and it invariably elicited the warmest commendation. I also took an opportunity of explaining it to the Fellows and Members of the Literary and Philosophical Society here, in my discourse “On some recent Mechanical inventions " about a year ago, when the originality and efficiency of your invention were the subject of general admiration.

I am, dear sir, truly yours, GEORGE SHAW. To Mr. Cotterill.

From James Murdock, Esq., C.E., &c., &c. 7, Staple Inn, London.

SIR, As you have expressed a wish to have my opinion on your " Patent Detector Lock," I beg to say, after a minute examination of several forms of the Lock, and a careful consideration of the principle on which it is constructed, that I consider it one of the most efficient locks ever produced : it appears to me to possess in a high degree the leading requisites of a good lock, being strong and durable, offering perfect security, and not being liable to be put out of order. I notice particularly the " Detector " arrangement for exposing attempts to open the lock by false keys ; it is highly ingenious, and whilst it acts with the utmost certainty, it appears to me to be simpler than most contrivances of the kind that have come under my notice .

Altogether, I deem the invention a highly impor-

tant one, and which, from its merits, must be extensively adopted.

I am, sir, your obedient servant, JAMES MURDOCK.

To Mr. Edwin Cotterill.

(TESTIMONIALS CONTINUED. ) Testimonial from Richard Roberts, Esq., the great Inventor and Patentee, of Manchester ; after examining the American lock, and witnessing, by appointment, the successful picking ofChubb's. Globe Works, Manchester, September 8th, 1851. SIR, Knowing your celebrity as a lock maker, I ordered two of your Patent Climax Detector Locks, intended for a Bank Safe, and as you requested to have my opinion on their merits, I beg to state that I have carefully and minutely examined both locks in all their ingenious and beautiful movements ; and I can with pleasure (in addition to the valuable and eminent opinions you already possess, ) certify, that I believe your Locks, for security against picking, utility, and workmanship, stand unequalled.. I know of nothing extant entitled to a preference, and for any Bank Safes, Strong Rooms, &c., I may require Locks for, I shall be happy to order them from you. I am, sir, your obedient servant, RICHARD ROBERTS.

To Mr. Edwin Cotterill, Birmingham .

Copy of a letter from Henry Hitchins, Esq., Inspector ofPrisons. Government Prisons Office, Dublin Castle, July 30th, 1851.

DEAR SIR, The principle of your Patent Climax Detector Lock has excited much attention amongst scientific men here, and several competent persons, to whom I have submitted the invention, have expressed a very high opinion of its merits, and considered it a practical impossibility to violate the Lock. Being thoroughly convinced of the entire security of your Locks, I shall use my influence in forwarding their adoption in the Government Prisons. I am, sir, yours very respectfully, HENRY HITCHINS. To Mr. Edwin Cotterill, Birmingham . From the Coalbrookdale Company. We are useing Mr. Cotterill's Patent Climax Detector Locks, and have pleasure in bearing testimony to their security. Signed for " the Coalbrookdale Company," CHARLES CROOKS. To Mr. Edwin Cotterill, Birmingham. From Messrs. Elkington, Mason, and Co., the eminent Patentees and Proprietors of the Electro-Plate Works, and Gold and Silversmiths, Birmingham. Newhall Street, Birmingham, September 16th, 1851.

SIR, After a very careful examination of the principle of your Patent Detector Locks, we are so perfectly satisfied of the protection they will afford us, that we have decided to adopt them in the three instances we mentioned to you, and should wish them fixed immediately. You are at liberty to use our opinion in any way you think will serve you.

Yours very truly, ELKINGTON, MASON, AND CO.

Mr. Edwin Cotterill

(TESTIMONIALS CONTINUED. ) From Messrs. Hurt and Wray, the extensive Manufacturers of Clocks and Gold and Silver Watches. New Street, October 1 , 1851. SIR,. At a period like the present, when locks, which have hitherto been pronounced invulnerable, are violated by the most simple means, we consider it an act of justice, not only to yourself but also to the public, to add our testimony to the principle of your ingenious Lock. The one we purchased for a fire -proof safe, was tested, previous to fixing, in every imaginable way, for the purpose of ascertaining whether it really possessed the superiority and many advantages ascribed to it, and we can now speak with perfect confidence as to its complete inviolability against burglars and pick-locks ; we find also that gunpowder will not affect the bolts in the slightest degree. We are, sir, yours very respectfully, HURT AND WRAY.

To Mr. Edwin Cotterill, Birmingham.

THE

PATENTEE

Has great pleasure in stating that numerous other scientific and mechanical gentlemen, of the highest standing, can be referred to. Grand Lock-Picking Experiment at Manchester. The following certificate was received from a committee of scientific gentlemen who witnessed the signal defeat of Mr. Hobbs, in his attempt to pick one of Mr. Cotterill's patent Locks - an ordinary commercial one which had been sold, and out of the Patentee's possession for more than two months. Mr. Hobbs was allowed his own time to make the instruments and try the same upon the Lock, in addition to being allowed twenty four hours for actual operation. Mr. Cotterill agreed to give Mr. Hobbs 250 guineas if he succeeded in picking two locks, but Mr. Hobbs entirely failed with the common Patent Lock, and therefore declined experimenting upon the best lock. (COPY OF CERTIFICATE . ) Queen's Chambers, Manchester, April 29, 1874. We, the undersigned, being the committee appointed to see that the Patent Climax Detector Lock of Mr. Edwin Cotterill, of Birmingham, should be fairly subjected to the manipulation of Mr. A. C. Hobbs, of London , during 24 consecutive hours, to be picked or opened by him. with an instrument or instruments constructed by him or for him for the purpose-do hereby declare the experiment has been fairly tried, during the time, and under the conditions of the written agreement in duplicate, signed bythe respective parties ; and that Mr. Hobbs has failed to pick the lock and has declared that it is a very ingenious one, and that if he had tried to pick it for a month, he should have failed. RICHD. ROBERTS , C.E. C. BEYER, M.E. J. HARLAND THOMAS MORRIS Signed in the presence of us, who have also witnessed the experiment, BENJN. FOTHERGILL, C.E. W. WIELD, M.E. PETER J. LIVSEY, C.E. J. F. ROBERTS .

A MEDAL WAS AWARDED AT THE GREAT EXHIBITION FOR THESE LOCKS WHICH HAVE ALSO RECEIVED THE SPECIAL APPROBATION OF ROYALTY.

Notice.

It is impossible to take an impression of the Keys -the only Lock in the world possessing the security.

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