science · 22 April 1924 · 100 years ago
In 1924, a U.S. patent for a laminated padlock was issued to its inventor Harry E. Soref. (No. 1,490,987). As a locksmith, Soref had realized that the cheaper padlocks, made with stamped metal sheels, were poor security because they were easily damaged. He applied the idea to his invention of a laminated padlock that bank vault doors and battleships were built in laminations of layer on layer of steel for greater strength. This would also be a low-cost construction for a padlock. He established Master Lock company in 1921. When he was unable to sell his invention to any existing manufacturer, he began making them at his own company. In 1935, he introduced the Master combination padlock.
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