Biography and Early Life
– Linus Yale Jr. was born in Salisbury, New York.
– His father, Linus Yale Sr., opened a lock shop specializing in bank locks.
– Linus Yale Jr. joined his father’s business and introduced revolutionary locks.
– Linus Yale Jr. established the Yale & Greenleaf Lock Co. with his brother-in-law.
– He later founded the Yale Lock Manufacturing Company with Henry Robinson Towne.
– Linus Yale Jr. was descended from the same family as Elihu Yale, the benefactor of Yale University.
– His father held eight patents for locks and other mechanical inventions.
– Linus Yale Jr. developed an affinity for portrait painting in his youth.
– He decided to assist his father in improving bank locks and studying mechanical problems.
– His diagrams on lock designs were detailed and clear.
Career and Work
– Linus Yale Jr. opened his own lock shop in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts.
– He founded the Yale Lock Manufacturing Company in Stamford, Connecticut.
– Yale acquired numerous patents for his lock inventions.
– He exhibited his lock designs at world fairs and won awards.
– Yale received acclaim from clients for his lock products.
– Linus Yale Jr. revolutionized the lock industry and improved the security of financial institutions.
– He patented the pin tumbler lock for use in banks, doors, and padlocks.
– Yale’s padlock design was smaller, sturdier, and more reliable than others.
– He invented the Yale Magic Infallible Bank Lock for safes and bank vaults.
– Yale also invented the Chilled Iron Bank Doors and Vaults for increased security.
Inventions and Contributions
– Linus Yale Jr.’s inventions were based on principles used in ancient Egyptian locks.
– He created one of the first modern locks using a pin-tumbler design.
– Yale’s lock designs were widely used and received critical acclaim.
– He patented a device for adjusting joiners square and a tool for reversing screw-taps.
– Yale acquired many patents related to locks, safes, and mechanical problems.
– Linus Yale Jr. developed the Yale lock, which became widely used and is still recognized today.
– His lock designs included features like pin tumblers and cylinder locks.
– Linus Yale Jr. also patented chilled iron burglar-proof bank doors, vaults, and safes.
– His inventions were adopted by the U.S. Treasury Department and used in various government buildings.
Yale Lock Manufacturing Company
– Founded in 1868 by Yale and Henry R. Towne
– Produced cylinder locks
– Yale Locks quickly spread around major corporations in the United States
– Exploited weaknesses in other locks to promote his own
– The company’s name was later changed to The Yale and Towne Manufacturing Company
Legacy and Family
– Yale died suddenly of a heart attack in 1868
– His locks were already selling well and became the premier manufacturer of locks in the US
– Yale’s inventions, including the clock lock and double lock, are still used in security systems today
– His son, John Brooks Yale, helped grow the enterprise into a global manufacturing business
– Yale was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006
– Linus Yale Jr. was married to Catherine Brooks, a teacher and abolitionist
– Catherine was born into a prominent New England family and had connections to notable figures
– They had three children: John Brooks Yale, Madeline Yale, and Julian L. Yale
– John Brooks Yale became Treasurer of the Yale Lock Company and scaled it into a global company
– Madeline Yale married Senator Henry Winn and Julian L. Yale owned a railway supply businessSources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus_Yale_Jr
