Ingenious Mechanical Devices - The Dial Lock
Did you know the dial lock has been around since, well - forever!? There are surviving examples dating as far back as the ancient Roman times when dial locks were used to protect the valuables of the dead from grave robbers. And they proved a very good deterrent to thieves even back then. We find the first written information on dial locks in 1206, in the wonderfully named The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by the engineer Al Jazari. Very much later, the dial lock gets to be patented in the U.S around the beginning of the 20th century by Joseph Loch. The aptly named Loch had been supplying locks for the world famous jeweller Tiffany, who were looking for ways to increase security and protect their precious gems. These locks also went by the name of the tumbler lock and combination lock, because the lock obviously needs a combination of numbers to open. Modern locks vs traditional locks Nowadays we have also advanced on to electronic and digital locks wh...