House Locks
Lock
Locks are mechanical fastening devices used in doors, vehicles and containers to restrict access to the property or area enclosed. This can be released by either a combination or a key.
Lock History
Throughout the globe, the main concern of many people is their security. The only way to hide or guard one’s most endeared possession or secret is to have it locked down. In the earlier days, they used knots for detection purposes. This includes the hamper or thief knot. A good example is the Gordian Knot.
In Assyria, about 4,000 years ago, they used wooden keys and locks. The first regarded lock that has a key was known as the pin lock. This lock is strung using a rope that hangs out of a hole of a door. A cylindrical piece of wood having a hole drilled in its axis is made as the key. It is the length of the cylinder that acts as the critical factor. When the key inserted through the hole, the bolt is pushed at a correct distance. In order to lock the door, you need to pull the rope so as to extract the key cylinder. This will simultaneously pull the bolt to close it. There are still those who use this variety of lock.
Pin locks were later on improved with the addition of pins so as to increase the security. When the orientation of the pins is changed, the key can enable an unlocking force as compared to using a rope. This is how the modern pin tumbler lock principle was established.
The warded lock was also developed and still in use these days. This is for those who need security at a more affordable price. It is regarded as the 1st lock design which features a key that is recognizable to modern Western people. The use of lock puzzles is to obscure locking mechanisms for non-functioning locks.
Lock Types
There are locks that are electromechanical and those that are mechanical. They are operated when you either turn a removable key, by dialing or keying a combination or via electromechanical measures such as using card or magnetic readers. Another option is to moving a part of the safety lock to prevent accidental operation instead of preventing unauthorized access.
Here are some types of locks:
· Cam lock
· Cylinder lock
· Zeiss or Cruciform lock
· Disc tumbler lock
· Pin tumbler lock
· Tubular pin tumbler lock
· Rim lock
· Turner lock
· Warded lock
Other locks include the following:
· Combination lock – This type of lock uses a sequence of symbol or numbers for opening the lock.
· Deadbolt – This is a locking mechanism which is a bit similar from a spring bolt lock except that it can’t be moved onto the open position other than rotating its lock cylinder. This makes a door very much resistant to entry if you don’t have the correct key. It is used hand in hand with a spring bolt lock on a building’s entry door.
· Electronic lock – This is a locking device that operates via an electric current. This also includes the magnetic lock and electric strike.
· Keycard lock – This is a type of lock that makes use of a keycard having identical dimensions like a credit card. It opens when the card inserted coincides with the information encoded in the magnetic strip of the card.
· Padlock – This is a type of portable lock that is designed for protection for surreptitious and forced entry.
· Time lock – This is a type of locking mechanism common in bank vaults as well as other high security containers. It prevents the opening of the vault or safe until the time lock can “unlock” the safe at a preset time and day. This is regardless if the combination is correct. Hence, they are different form time-delay combination locks that opens any time as long as the right combination is keyed in then it will unlock when the set delay period has elapsed (less than an hour or so).
About the Author
Jake Myers is a freelance writer who is the author of articles such as How to pick a Lock, How to Pick a Lock with a Hair Pin, and How to put a lock together Visit House Locks.
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