Designed in the past, made for the future

The lock and key have long been used as a way to protect our valuables, including our treasured belongings, family heirlooms and, of course, our homes.

But, of course, the well-known security device has gone through a few changes over the past few years, along with all the other security products that have entered the market during this time.

Yale and its home security experts have been there along the way, growing, developing and innovating to create trusted security products for homeowners across the globe. Moving with the times, Yale’s team of expert professionals have seen the various changes of the humble lock, having also been at the forefront of the transition to smartphone-operated ‘smart’ locks.

And, as part of our ‘We move with the times’ campaign, our team of experts want to delve into the history of Yale’s heritage, exploring where we started, and how we’ve grown and developed to become the ‘Yale’ brand we all know and love today.

Locks

Linus Yale Snr was the man behind the traditional ‘Yale’ lock, having begun designing and selling his design in early 1840’s New York.

The Yale family was the team behind the success story of the cylinder lock style we all use to this day, with Linus Yale Jr designing a cylinder with four pin tumblers, taking time to improve his design until receiving the patent for a lock with a round cylinder, five pin tumblers and flat key. This lock, patented in 1865, is still know to this day as the first complete cylinder lock.

This innovative approach to the lock and key helped to make them much safer for homeowners, whilst also giving the opportunity to make locks suitable for mass production.

And, since then, the traditional lock and key has been developed on a regular basis to be able to protect against a range of burglary attack methods, with the Yale team actively responding to these threats to ensure the security of its customers.

In more recent years, and with the development in smart technology, locks have recently seen a complete revamp. A smart lock recently became one of the most in-demand smart home products on the market, allowing homeowners to remotely control and monitor their front door from anywhere at any time.

Yale was one of the first security brands to design and develop a smart lock, leading the way in making smart locks accessible for homeowners across the globe.

Compared to Linus Yale Snr’s original four pin tumbler lock in the 1840’s, smart locks have since been revamped to include a range of entry methods including PIN codes, key cards, key tags and smartphone control. The Yale team created this range of smart locks to suit a variety of homes, door styles and customer preferences, utilising their knowledge of the security sector to create a range of designs suitable for all.

Padlocks

Following the popularity of the Yale family’s lock and cylinder design, it wasn’t long before the team were able to design another innovative product – the padlock.

In 1857, Yale Snr created another revolutionary design with five pin tumblers, utilising a sliding mechanism, differing to the traditional rotating style used in ancient Egyptian locks. This was the first time a lock using pin tumblers arranged in a row was used.

Around this time, the padlocks would be engraved with the ‘Yale’ logo, not far off the same circular design we still use and homeowners will recognise today.

What’s interesting about padlocks is that in terms of appearance, the range you can purchase today still looks very similar to those created over 180 years ago. With the typical shackle attachment and heavy-duty metal body, the only difference in the padlocks you can purchase today is that, similar to Yale’s locks, they have been created to cope with modern-day burglary techniques.

The majority of Yale’s padlocks are maximum or high security designs, reassuring their customer’s that they can feel protected, and their homes secure through the use of this superior-strength padlocks.

Yale’s padlocks have also developed along with the introduction of new security standards, with all of the Yale range meeting those standards imposed by an independent body.

The future of security

And, of course, cylinders and padlocks aren’t the only products that have grown, both in popularity and sophistication.

Along with the movement to smart technology, smart alarms have recently become a newer phenomenon, with many homeowners upgrading to a smart alarm for added peace of mind and control.

The traditional alarm that we are typically accustomed to that allowed control through a manual keypad are becoming a thing of the past, with Yale developing a handy smart alarm and corresponding app to offer remote control via a smartphone.

And it’s not just alarms that have had a ‘smart’ makeover. Security cameras, or CCTV, have also utilised the convenience of smart technology by allowing for remote monitoring of the home from afar via a smartphone.

Smart security technology continues to develop, offering homeowners the ultimate convenience over their home security. With smartphone control, remote monitoring, arming and disarming now a reality, the future of security still stands strong with smart technology.