Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Yale lock
References
Images
Figure 2: Contemporary version of the Yale lock (Left) All pins lifted to proper height by correct key, which can be turned to open lock, and (right) pins lifted to incorrect height by wrong key, lock will not open
Britannica AI Icon

Yale lock

Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Figure 2: Contemporary version of the Yale lock (Left) All pins lifted to proper height by correct key, which can be turned to open lock, and (right) pins lifted to incorrect height by wrong key, lock will not open
Figure 2: Contemporary version of the Yale lock (Left) All pins lifted to proper height by correct key, which can be turned to open lock, and (right) pins lifted to incorrect height by wrong key, lock will not open

The Yale lock, named after inventor Linus Yale, is a type of cylinder lock that uses a pin-tumbler mechanism. This mechanism, based on ancient Egyptian designs, allows a specially cut key to raise internal pins to a precise height, enabling the cylinder to turn and unlock the bolt.12

Linus Yale, who also designed earlier bank locks and combination locks, partnered with others in 1868 to found the Yale Lock Manufacturing Company. The thin, convenient keys used with these locks can be made with thousands of variations, offering a reasonable degree of security and becoming a common choice for exterior doors.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
  1. Linus Yale
  2. key
  3. Yale University

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.