Where were locks invented?

Posted by missaifahmed on December 18th, 2022

Door locks Where invented

Door locks appeared in ancient times, when people were divided into rich and poor. The first lock designs were invented in Egypt and China. They were made from wood. They were used by wealthy people to protect their wealth.

The oldest door lock was found in Iraq in an Assyrian palace. It dates from 705-721 BC. It is a vertical wooden case with a wooden horizontal bolt. Pins move easily in the inside of the case. Such a door device hung on one of the door wings of a ruined old castle. The same door locks were used in Turkish territory. They were repeatedly described by travelers of that time.

The first drawing depicting a door lock device was placed in 1803 on its pages by the Universal magazine. In those days, such mechanisms were called "Egyptian lock with a falling pin" or "needle glass"

In the book "The Palaces of Nineveh" there is an interesting characteristic of an ancient door lock: "At the back of the hall, a large door with one leaf closed the exit. On it hung a massive lock made of wood, one of those that were common in the East. The wooden key was so large that you had to carry it on your back. Unfortunately, the book does not contain a picture showing a door lock, but there is a sketch of a wooden key and a sketch of how it was carried from place to place.

Door locks made of wood were popular in European states until the middle of the 19th century. Now they can only be seen in historical museums. For a long time they were combined - a wooden case, a metal key and a bolt. In England, such locking devices are still made of durable oak with iron elements. It is attached to the door with curly braces.

The first mention of all-metal door locks dates back to the era of Ancient Rome. The Roman key was a mechanical device with a cast bronze key. Springs appeared in the locking devices. The Greeks made iron locks, locked with a rope pull, and opened with a long bronze key.

The Celts made a special contribution to the development of the door lock design. They came up with locks made entirely of metal, overhead and hinged. After the fall of Rome, the “age of iron” came. Massive metal locks appeared with a key that needed to be rotated. A characteristic feature of the keys of that time is slots of an intricate configuration.

At that time, 2 types of door locks were popular:

German with a beveled platform

In an old German lock, the key was thrust into the lock hole, and a 120-degree turn was made. The beard at the key moved the bolt to the side, the door opened.

French straight cut

To open the lock, you had to turn the key 180 degrees. The spring located on top of the bolt did not allow the mechanism to spontaneously open.