Top 10 Security Innovators Of All Times

Check out the top 10 security innovators of all time. From the inventors of the pin tumbler lock to safe combinations, find out how their genius ideas changed our lives.

Innovation is a genuine cornerstone of growth, and it refers to the use of fresh, new and often times bold ideas in an attempt to create new items or processes. Some of these ideas end up being successful, while others do not last very long and are quickly forgotten. The ones that do go through usually result in excellent inventions that involve the use of new technology, different thinking patterns and added value to existing ideas.

In order for an investor to be able to invent something, they must possess a few important traits. They include hard work, perspiration, creativity, patience, and an open mind. There are thousands of great inventors in all fields and walks of life, and security innovators definitely count among the most important ones. Each and every person that has brought their contribution to the global safety must be acknowledged and appreciated at their full potential. However, it would be almost impossible – or at least extremely time-consuming – to make an exhaustive list of all security innovators in the world. What we can do, instead, is introduce you to some of the most memorable innovators in the sensitive field of security. Namely, here is a top 10 of some of the most important security innovators in history.

#1: Linus Yale Jr, The Father Of The Pin Tumbler Lock

Honorable member of the prestigious Yale ancestry, this clever inventor was initially passionate about painting. His father opened a lock shop in New York, focusing on bank locks. When he passed away, Linus Yale Jr became closer to his father's legacy. He started designing cylinder locks and he even started his own company in 1860. He then started working on the very first modern-day pin tumbler lock, he also improved techniques for combination locks on safes. He patented most of his ideas and he is now known as the father of modern security and his locks are still some of the most popular on the planet.

#2: Abraham O. Stansbury Patented The Double-Acting Pin Tumbler Lock

It happened in 1807, 50 years before Yale got his first patent, and it is considered to be the earliest patent for a pin tumbler lock. Stansbury patented his lock called the “Egyptian lock”, due to the ancient Egypt details drawn on it. While the person who created the lock continues to remain a mystery even today, Stansbury was the first one to hold the patent for it. His pin tumbler lock was used by Yale as a starting point for his modern pin tumbler lock invention.

#3: Robert Barron Invented The Double-Acting Level Lock

Barron is responsible for one of the most crucial inventions in the history of locks. Prior to the birth of this lock, everyone's safety was at the mercy of warded locks. Barron came up with the idea of a unique key that could put an end to the insecurity that was specific to the locks of his time. Barron had the brilliant idea to design the very first lever lock that required the use of a key that could lift an internal lever. Before his invention locks didn't interact with the keys, which made them extremely vulnerable.

#4: Joseph Bramah Invented The Bramah Lock

Bramah was an inventor responsible for a great number of innovations, including the hydraulic press and the water closet design. He even wrote down some pertinent suggestions that would improve Barron's lever lock patent. He also invented his own lock called the Bramah lock, a device similar to today's tubular locks. His locks featured various levels of complexity and they were so versatile that they were successfully used for homes and bank vaults.

#5: Vivant Denon, The Researcher

Denon is a critical figure in the world of security innovations. His contribution was mostly theoretical, in the form of important research that helped inventors document their work and file for their patents. He was also named the Director of the Louvre by Napoleon himself.

#6: Jeremiah Chubb And His Detector Lock

The Chubb Lock is a lever lock that relies on the step pattern key featuring several double-acting levers, with a twist. Whenever the levers are elevated too high, they will lock into place and prevent the key from opening the lock. An additional key is, therefore, needed to use the lock again. The key can be used after the levers are back in place.

#7: Henry Robinson Towne

Together with Linus Yale Jr., he created the Yale and Towne Lock Company. His talent helped shape the market for manufacturing security devices on a large scale. His critical views on the lock innovations of his time were shared in the book “Locks and the Builders Hardware: A Hand-Book For Architects”. He was also a firm believer in the theory according to which all locks could be picked.

#8: Alfred Charles Hobbs, The Man Who Picked The World's Unpickable Locks

Hobbs decided to prove that the locks his predecessors had invented were not at all unbreakable. On the contrary, he was a firm believer that all locks could be picked, and he actually managed to prove his theory. His work stimulated security pros to start working on new and better locks.

#9: Marc Weber Tobias, The Flaw Hunter

Responsible for lots of innovations in the security field, Tobias dedicates his time to discover the flaws in the locks and security products everyone thinks are entirely safe and unpickable. He does a great job of attracting the attention of the media, manufacturers and the community.

#10: James Sargent Created The Best Safe Combination Dial Of His Time

Sargent and Greenleaf is the name of one of the most reputable lock companies on the planet. They are famous for creating the most reliable padlocks in the world. Sargent used his passion for mechanical engineering to create the best safe combination dial in his time, along with other brilliant security innovations that didn't get the attention they deserved.

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