History and Development of Bramah Lock
– Bramah designed and patented his own lock in 1784
– He started the Bramah Locks company in 1784
– The locks produced by Bramah’s company were known for their resistance to lock picking and tampering
– The company displayed a challenge lock in their London shop from 1790
– Alfred Charles Hobbs was able to open the challenge lock at the Great Exhibition of 1851
Design Features of Bramah Lock
– The Bramah lock used a cylindrical key and keyhole
– The key had slots of different depths that would depress wafers to open the lock
– The original lock had 18 different wafers, allowing for 470 million possible permutations
– Bramah worked with engineer Henry Maudslay to create machine tools for the lock’s design
– The lock had similarities to a modern tubular pin tumbler lock
Location and Current Status of Bramah Lock
– The Bramah company is currently based in Fitzrovia, London and Romford, Essex
– The lock is still sold as a very secure lock
– The lock is no longer considered completely unpickable
References and Additional Information
– Tobias, Marc Weber. ‘LOCKS, SAFES, AND SECURITY: An International Police Reference Two Volumes (2nd Ed.)’
– Kastner, Jeffrey. ‘National Insecurity.’ Cabinet Magazine.
– Bankers Magazine, Journal of the Money Market, and Commercial Digest.
– Bramah UK: British Lock Manufacturer, Locksmiths, and Alarm Engineers. www.bramah.co.uk
– Bramah 18 slide safe lock. www.antique-locks.com
– Sir Alec Skempton; et al. ‘A Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers in Great Britain and Ireland: Vol 1: 1500 to 1830’ (2002)
– Pulford, Graham. ‘High-Security Mechanical Locks: An Encyclopedic Reference’ (2007)
– Estes, Adam Clark. ‘The History and Future of Locks and Keys.’ Gizmodo.
Bibliography
– Sir Alec Skempton; et al. ‘A Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers in Great Britain and Ireland: Vol 1: 1500 to 1830’ (2002)
– Pulford, Graham. ‘High-Security Mechanical Locks: An Encyclopedic Reference’ (2007)
– Estes, Adam Clark. ‘The History and Future of Locks and Keys.’ Gizmodo.Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bramah_lock
