About Yale

Since 1840, Yale locks have provided American homes with dependable security. At that time, Linus Yale modified an ancient Egyptian locking device and created the compact cylinder pin-tumbler lock. He patented his invention as the “domestic lock”. By 1845, Yale had begun manufacturing his locks in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, in a small brick building that still stands today. Over the years there have been advances in materials and manufacturing, but the basic principle of Yale’s ingenious design remains unchanged. Most of the locks securing American homes today owe a nod to Linus Yale’s genius, a fact that makes Yale the most trusted name in locks.

Inspired by the Egyptians

Image of an Ancient Egyptian wooden lock with pins, the model used by Linus Yale for his inventions, but his most important invention was the Yale Cylinder lock.

The Pin-Tumbler invention

Yale’s best known lock design is the cylinder pin-tumbler lock. The pin tumbler lock is a lock mechanism that uses pins of varying lengths to prevent the lock from opening without the correct key.