History of Locks
The Age of Enlightenment
1685 to 1815 – Part 1
By Brian Morland
» THOSE EARLY WOODEN TUMBLER locks of some 2000 years ago of the ancient Egyptians and the ancient spring barb padlocks of the Far East together with the fixed ward became the mechanisms used to secure property for centuries . These three principles in their original conception only very slowly evolved ; primarily as technologies became refined .
The Romans for instance , who were masters in casting bronze , took the Egyptian wooden tumbler lock , miniaturised it and over time developed it with geometric shaped tumblers and eventually even adding a spring to urge the tumblers .
Spring barb locks also very gradually evolved both in terms of the number barbs , the keys resembling a comb , and in the case of padlocks the practice of adding external wards became both decorative and provided a bit more security .
The other ancient principle , the fixed ward , over the centuries was brought to a very high standard and complexity and the tolerance “ that even a fag paper wouldn ’ t pass between the key and its ward ” by proud highly skilled European locksmiths , but even that only provided minimal security .
Lock development seemed to largely stand still for centuries until … The Age of Enlightenment .
The Age of Enlightenment , 1685 to 1815 , or otherwise known as the Industrial Revolution totally changed the face of technological advances as the application of scientific principals was increasingly explored and applied .
One of the earliest great , but little known , names was that of Christopher Polhem ( b . c1661 – d . 1751 ) and he is acknowledged as the father of Swedish technology ; however his inventiveness inspired engineers everywhere . His mechanical contributions were many
The ancient Egyptian tumbler principle miniaturised by the Romans and mode of bronze . From Pitt-Rivers book : Primitive Locks and Keys .
Spring barb padlock from North Africa with the addition of an external ward .
and varied benefiting such fields as mining , textiles , clock-making and civil engineering . The lock world , both directly and indirectly , particularly benefited from his genius . It ’ s worth recording here ( from Schroder ’ s Journal in 1755 ) his mill and manufacturing works assets at Stjernsund ( a small town approximately 110 miles south west of Stockholm ), that locks and lock parts were amongst the very first items manufactured , this inventory recorded just after his death in 1755 :
1 ) A large blacksmith ’ s shop or forge , with two open hearths in “ German style ”, one rod-iron hammer , one “ annealing furnace ”, one plate hammer , as well as a plate-finishing hammer . In the same shop there were also one
Fixed wards were brought to a very high standard in complexity and tolerances , but still only offered ordinary security . This example still in use in the early 19th century .
trip hammer , one pinch hammer , anvils , sheet-metal shears , and other tools as well as a mill cutter ( with furnace ) “ to cut nails and rod-iron blanks from bars of iron ”. All these machines were driven from an axletree connected to a water wheel . There was also a little open hearth to make tools .
2 ) Two nailworks with a hearth and two nail hammers ; four nailworkers and four helpers in each , with a change of shift every six hours . All sizes of nail were made , from two and one half to six tum . ( tum : a Swedish unit of measure from 1665 to 1863 . 1 tum = 2.474 centimetres )
3 ) A lockworks with five locksmiths and assistants or helpers . “ They made
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