Very old Yale cylinder lock

YALE7750

This is the oldest Yale cylinder I’ve ever seen. The patent dates on the mortise lock it came from are June 27, 1865 & April 2, 1878. Lock & key are both marked Yale Lock Mfg. Co., which makes it pre-1884 unless Y&T didn’t change the name on the products until later. I think the lock is ₁₈₈₀ ish. Anyone have any info as to how old/how long this version was actually produced?

Pschiffe

YALE7750 wrote
This is the oldest Yale cylinder I’ve ever seen. The patent dates on the mortise lock it came from are June 27, 1865 & April 2, 1878. Lock & key are both marked Yale Lock Mfg. Co., which makes it pre-1884 unless Y&T didn’t change the name on the products until later. I think the lock is ₁₈₈₀ ish. Anyone have any info as to how old/how long this version was actually produced?

That is an original Yale flat pin tumbler key with trefoil bow, patented by Linus Yale, Jr. in 1865. It is said to have been replaced by the corrugated key in 1882 so your lock, bearing the later patent date; was likely made between 1878 and 1881. By 1904 the corrugated key was replaced by the paracentric key made of nickel silver with gold plate.*

*adapted from:
Locks and Lockmakers of America © 1976, 1997 by Thomas F. Hennessy
150 Years of Builders Hardware: Forms Use & Lore © 1993 by Maud L. Eastwood

Pete Schifferli

[unknown]

Timothy

Here patent number with date June 27 1865. Almost look like it but can’t tell because can’t see what on the other side of the cylinder…..Timothy…..

us48475-l-yale-jr-cylinder-lock.pdf

562kB

YALE7750

Here’s the back of the cylinder–standard Yale cam, just like much newer Yale cylinders. Amazing that a design patented over 150 years ago has remained in continuous use with so few changes.