History of Locks
The earliest known Chubb lock , serial number 452 which dates it to December 1819 . Early locks had a solid rocker arm style detector Interestingly the bolt is forged true at the anvil .
invention patented by Jeremiah Chubb ( Patent No . 4219 ) on February 3rd 1818 , whilst the security principles of locking were experimented with and developed . There are two inventions however that stand out . The first was Robert Barons of 1778 ( Patent No . 1200 ) which although this lock established the double acting principle it was very limited in the number of levers that could be supported , four being the maximum . Also the number of lifts per lever was another limiting factor . However , it was relatively inexpensive to manufacture and was still produced well after the Victorian era . The other was Bramah ’ s lock patented in 1784 ( Patent No . 1430 ). Although the Bramah lock fully exploited the double acting principle it was slow to establish due to its handmade nature and consequently very expensive to produce . Even when machines were developed to produce it the lock remained disproportionally expensive . Finally in 1818 Jeremiah Chubb patented his now famous detecting mechanism which was both affordable and offered good security and , as a bonus , would warn of surruptious attempts to defeat it with its detecting mechanism .
Chubbs new patent , with distinctive kidney shaped levers , but the detector is now a catch on a strip of spring steel .
‘ how did a general blacksmith end up inventing and eventually dominating the lock trade , which at that time was dominated by locksmiths far removed from the rural south ?
Jeremiah was born in rural Fordingbridge , Hampshire in 1793 and along with his older brother Charles was apprenticed as blacksmiths , subsequently setting up in business initially in Winchester and then moving to Portsea around 1804 . The brothers could see the potential and focused on the speciality of a ships ironmonger supplying and repairing the unique metalwork required by sailing ships .
However , how did a general blacksmith end up inventing and eventually dominating the lock trade , which at that time was dominated by locksmiths far removed from the rural south ?
Part of Jeremiah Chubb ’ s patent drawing illustrating two different arrangements .
One theory might be that Jeremiah , whilst carrying on his early trade of a general blacksmith , became inspired with locks and experimented with ideas , which eventually came to fruition with his patent of 1818 . There must have been many locks produced as the idea was developed . Some ideas immediately consigned to the scrap bin , others placed in practical situations . The question is would we recognise any of these trials as precursors to the final outcome . Locks found with a rocker arm style detector are worthy of special study for marks , method of construction etc . One point that has been noticed is that the bolts on the very earliest locks seem to be blacksmith made with very little dressing and filing . This might be a clue in identifying pre serial number locks as both brothers were apprenticed as blacksmiths .
Initially the locks were produced in Portsea with one or two men employed . It ’ s not clear at what point the serial numbering commenced , my hunch is that many locks were produced even before the patent and that as the detector lock became increasingly successful a patent was applied for .
The patent drawing illustrates the principal , but so far no locks have been found to this design . It ’ s not uncommon
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