Chubb detector lock
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A Chubb detector lock is a type of lever tumbler lock that when picked or opened with the wrong key will stop working until either a special regulator key or the original key is used (depending on the lock). This security feature was known as a regulator, which was tripped when an individual lever was pushed past the position required to bring the lever in line to open the lock.
Jeremiah Chubb invented and patented his detector lock in 1818. This lock was developed in a successful attempt to win a reward being offered by the British Crown for an unpickable lock, a reward which was prompted by a dockyard burglary in 1817. In 1820, Jeremiah joined his brother Charles Chubb's business and they started selling the lock through the company Chubb.
A number of improvements were made to the original design over the years. In 1824, Charles patented an improved design that no longer required a special regulator key to reset the lock.
Although a number of other people attempted and failed, the first person to pick this lock was Alfred Charles Hobbs in 1851 at the Great Exhibition.
References
- Roper, C.A.; & Phillips, Bill (2001). The Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing. McGraw-Hill Publishing. ISBN 0071374949.
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