History and Invention
– Chinese created the first word combination lock in the 13th Century
– Todd Basche invented the modern word lock in 2004
– Todd Basche and Rahn Basche founded WordLock, Inc. in 2007
– WordLock won the Staples Inc. Invention Quest in 2004
– WordLock received Top 100 New Inventions distinction in 2008
Possible Combinations
– The five-ring WordLock contains 10 letters per ring
– Each ring rotates independently, yielding 10,000 different combinations
– WordLock has one blank space on the fifth dial for four-letter words
– Approximately 2,000 words are possible as combinations
– Quasi-words, certain names, acronyms, foreign words, and gibberish can also be used as combinations
Related Concepts
– History of science and technology in China
– Memory
– Cryptex
– Combination locks
References
– Locks: How Products Are Made
– Wordlock Wins 2004 Staples Invention Quest
– Wordlist file and UNIX-commandline tools can be used to check combinations
– Reference to Wordlock Patent Appl. No. 29/298,386
– Reference to Wordlock Patent Appl. No. 29/298,385
External Links
– Wordlock, Inc.
– Wordlock Patent Appl. No. 29/298,386
– Wordlock Patent Appl. No. 29/298,385
– Link to the Wikipedia page on Wordlock
– Category: Locks (security device)Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wordlock
