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The Stock lock, in this
case mounted in oak
and decorated with iron
protective corner pieces.
So we jump forward to
the medieval times when
although by now metal, iron,
was produced and used for
the bolt, tumblers and wards,
these components were set into
a block of oak or other hard
wood. No-one knows exactly
when this style first appears
but it is known as the Banbury
lock. Another distinctive
feature of this lock is actually
in the key, the shoulder is part
way along the key bit. Because
the lock body was wood there
was no proper bearing for the
key in the conventional way,
the warding bridge served to
position the key within the
lock. Later, the Victorians
mounted the works on a steel
plate and simply half mortised
it into a block of wood, and
known as a stock lock. Part of
the appeal must have been
the wooden case, for many
were set into exotic woods and
historyoflocks
some nice examples can still
did extensive trials to find an
be seen in everyday use in old
efficient fire proofing medium
churches and stately homes.
to fill the space between the
Well-respected Victorian
inner and out lining of safes. In
makers such as Chubb and
those days, as today, fire was as
Hobbs have incorporated
much a hazard as the thief. The
their respective patents into
outcome of these experiments
lock bodies of wood, a stock of
was a very efficient material
hard or exotic woods such is
which consisted of a mixture
the beauty and appeal when
of sawdust from a specific type
mounted on important doors.
of exotic wood and alum. The
They eventually died out during theory was that in a fire the safe
the early part of the 20th
heated up on the outside
century.
causing the trapped
Another
moisture in the
security
‘fill’ to vaporise
application
into steam in
utilising the
its confined
strength of
cavity. This
wood was in
in turn had a
chests and
cooling effect
coffers. Safes
on the safes
of steel are
contents – the
a relatively
hotter the
Milners capitalised on the
modern
safe got on
success of their fire proof safe
trials with adverts like this.
invention.
the outside,
Stout boards
the cooler it
of oak banded with iron were
became on the inside. This
the receptacles entrusted
brings to mind one of those
with valuables until about 200
early Victorian public trials.
years ago when the industrial
Two competing safe makers
revolution got into full swing.
staged a public fire resisting
It may not be realised that
test of each other’s product.
wood still formed part of the
Bonfires were lit, and safes,
security in these early all steel
each containing a live chicken,
safes. Both Tann and Milner
were subjected to the flames
and embers. Once the flames
had died down the safes were
removed and allowed to cool.
You can imagine the tension
in the air as each safe was
opened. As the d