History of Locks
A Bramah night
latch with a dogging
snib, this example
with a 6 slider co-
axial cylinder from
the time when J.
T. Needs owned
the company.
Chubbs combination night latch
where the bolt was effectively
a number of plates each lifted
by its own step on the key
and latching into the staple
much like a Suffolk latch.
The second half of the 19th century saw
a great boom in the night latch, and by
the 1900s the more familiar looking night
latch was well established, with all the
traditional makers such as Chubb, Bramah
and Yale patenting various features.
The pin tumbler cylinder leads itself to
night latches with secondary deadlocking
bolts, mastering and keying alike options
and even change key functions; indeed
many today see the high security
versions as a much more secure lock
from the fact that the installation doesn’t
weaken the door in the way that a
mortice lock might.
Another key change night latch
cylinder, The German Futran, this
one primarily for hotel room doors.
Chubbs mortice
night latch from
the 1930’s, the
lock had 5 levers,
one of which was
a monitor lever
and a dogging
snib, a detector
version could
also be supplied.
‘by the 1900’s the
more familiar looking
night latch was well
established’
Today the night latch is as popular as
ever for wooden doors. The functions
of a night latch have also always been
available in a mortice lock case, and
although they look neater the door is
weakened by the mortice. It’s interesting
how often today customers enquire if
their multi-point locks on uPVC front
doors can be converted to a night latch
function such is the ingrained usefulness
perceived by the public – a nice source
of extra income for the field locksmith.
So man, in his very busy lifestyle, still
opts for the night latch option especially
as today there are very secure versions
with all the traditional functions but
also meeting British Standards for thief
resistance.
By Brian Morland, curator of the
Heritage Collection of locks and keys,
welcomes comments and corrections
on historical aspects of locks and
keys. Brian can be contacted by email:
[email protected]
This lock, called Code, marketed
by Brockhurst in the UK, was
also a key change lock and dates
from the mid-20th century.
The mysterious Salsbury lock was also
a change key lock. The staple was
very securely held with 4 ball bearings
much like a padlock shackle is held.
Little was known about it but was
very well engineered, perhaps over
engineered, and was popular for a
short while in the southern counties.
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