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Getting Started with Kubernetes
Table of Contents
Getting Started with Kubernetes
Credits
About the Author
Acknowledgments
About the Reviewer
www.PacktPub.com
Support files, eBooks, discount offers, and more
Why subscribe?
Free access for Packt account holders
Preface
What this book covers
What you need for this book
Who this book is for
Conventions
Reader feedback
Customer support
Downloading the example code
Errata
Piracy
Questions
1. Kubernetes and Container Operations
A brief overview of containers
What is a container?
Why are containers so cool?
Advantages to Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment
Resource utilization
Microservices and orchestration
Future challenges
Advantages of Kubernetes
 Our first cluster
Kubernetes UI
Grafana
Swagger
Command line
Services running on the master
Services running on the minions
Tear down cluster
Working with other providers
Resetting the cluster
Summary
Footnotes
References
2. Kubernetes – Core Concepts and Constructs
The architecture
Master
Node (formerly minions)
Core constructs
Pods
Pod example
Labels
The container’s afterlife
Services
Replication controllers
Our first Kubernetes application
More on labels
Health checks
TCP checks
Life cycle hooks or graceful shutdown
Application scheduling
Scheduling example
 Summary
Footnotes
3. Core Concepts – Networking, Storage, and Advanced Services
Kubernetes networking
Networking comparisons
Docker
Docker plugins (libnetwork)
Weave
Flannel
Project Calico
Balanced design
Advanced services
External services
Internal services
Custom load balancing
Cross-node proxy
Custom ports
Multiple ports
Migrations, multicluster, and more
Custom addressing
Service discovery
DNS
Persistent storage
Temporary disks
Cloud volumes
GCE persistent disks
AWS Elastic Block Store
Other PD options
Multitenancy
Limits
Summary
 Footnotes
4. Updates and Gradual Rollouts
Example set up
Scaling up
Smooth updates
Testing, releases, and cutovers
Growing your cluster
Scaling up the cluster on GCE
Autoscaling and scaling down
Scaling up the cluster on AWS
Scaling manually
Summary
5. Continuous Delivery
Integration with continuous delivery
Gulp.js
Prerequisites
Gulp build example
Kubernetes plugin for Jenkins
Prerequisites
Installing plugins
Configuring the Kubernetes plugin
Bonus fun
Summary
6. Monitoring and Logging
Monitoring operations
Built-in monitoring
Exploring Heapster
Customizing our dashboards
FluentD and Google Cloud Logging
FluentD
Maturing our monitoring operations
 GCE (StackDriver)
Sign-up for GCE monitoring
Configure detailed monitoring
Alerts
Beyond system monitoring with Sysdig
Sysdig Cloud
Detailed views
Topology views
Metrics
Alerting
Kubernetes support
The Sysdig command line
The csysdig command-line UI
Summary
Footnotes
7. OCI, CNCF, CoreOS, and Tectonic
The importance of standards
Open Container Initiative
Cloud Native Computing Foundation
Standard container specification
CoreOS
rkt
etcd
Kubernetes with CoreOS
Tectonic
Dashboard highlights
Summary
Footnotes
8. Towards Production-Ready
Ready for production
Security
 Ready, set, go
Third-party companies
Private registries
Google Container Engine
Twistlock
Kismatic
Mesosphere (Kubernetes on Mesos)
Deis
OpenShift
Where to learn more
Summary
Index
Getting Started with Kubernetes
Getting Started with Kubernetes
Copyright © 2015 Packt Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the
publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.
Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the
information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without
warranty, either express or implied. Neither the author nor Packt Publishing, and its
dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused
directly or indirectly by this book.
Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the
companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals.
However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
First published: December 2015
Production reference: 1151215
Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.
Livery Place
35 Livery Street
Birmingham B3 2PB, UK.
ISBN 978-1-78439-403-5
www.packtpub.com
Credits
Author
Jonathan Baier
Reviewer
Giragadurai Vallirajan
Commissioning Editor
Dipika Gaonkar
Acquisition Editor
Indrajit A. Das
Content Development Editor
Pooja Mhapsekar
Technical Editor
Gaurav Suri
Copy Editor
Dipti Mankame
Project Coordinator
Francina Pinto
Proofreader
Safis Editing
Indexer
Priya Sane
Graphics
Kirk D’Penha
Production Coordinator
Shantanu N. Zagade
Cover Work
Shantanu N. Zagade
About the Author
Jonathan Baier is a senior cloud architect living in Brooklyn, NY. He has had a passion
for technology since an early age. When he was 14 years old, he was so interested in the
family computer (an IBM PCjr) that he poured through the several hundred pages of
BASIC and DOS manuals. Then, he taught himself to code a very poorly-written version
of Tic-Tac-Toe. During his teen years, he started a computer support business. Since then,
he has dabbled in entrepreneurship several times throughout his life. He now enjoys
working for Cloud Technology Partners, a cloud-focused professional service and
application development firm headquartered in Boston.
He has over a decade of experience delivering technology strategies and solutions for both
public and private sector businesses of all sizes. He has a breadth of experience working
with a wide variety of technologies and with stakeholders from all levels of management.
Working in the areas of architecture, containerization, and cloud security, he has created
strategic roadmaps to guide and help mature the overall IT capabilities of various
enterprises. Furthermore, he has helped organizations of various sizes build and
implement their cloud strategy and solve the many challenges that arise when “designs on
paper” meet reality.
Acknowledgments
A tremendous thank you to my wonderful wife, Tomoko, and my playful son, Nikko. You
both gave me incredible support and motivation during the writing process. There were
many early morning, long weekend, and late night writing sessions that I could not have
done without you both. Your smiles move mountains I could not on my own. You are my
true north stars and my guiding light in the storm.
I’d also like to extend special thanks to all my colleagues and friends at Cloud Technology
Partners, many of whom provided encouragement and support throughout the process. I’d
especially like to thank Mike Kavis, David Linthicum, Alan Zall, Lisa Noon, and Charles
Radi, who helped me make the book so much better with their efforts. I’d also like to
thank the amazing CTP marketing team (Brad Young, Shannon Croy, and Nicole Givin)
for making my work look great on the Web and in front of the camera.
About the Reviewer
Giragadurai Vallirajan is a seasoned technologist and entrepreneur. Currently, he is the
CTO of Bluemeric Technologies Pvt Ltd, Bangalore. He has more than 12 years of
experience in the IT industry and has worked for Fortune 100 companies, including
Lehman Brothers (Tokyo) and Hewlett-Packard (Bangalore). Giragadurai has considerable
expertise in big data analytics, predictive analytics, complex event processing, and
performance tuning in distributed and cloud environments. He is an entrepreneur at heart;
he started an analytics start-up, Vorthy Softwares (Singapore/India), before joining
Bluemeric.
www.PacktPub.com
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Preface
This book is a guide to getting started with Kubernetes and overall container management.
We will walk you through the features and functions of Kubernetes and show how it fits
into an overall operations strategy. You’ll learn what hurdles lurk in moving container off
the developer’s laptop and managing them at a larger scale. You’ll also see how
Kubernetes is the perfect tool to help you face these challenges with confidence.
What this book covers
Chapter 1, Kubernetes and Container Operations, provides a brief overview of containers
and the how, what, and why of Kubernetes orchestration. It explores how it impacts your
business goals and everyday operations.
Chapter 2, Kubernetes – Core Concepts and Constructs, will explore core Kubernetes
constructs, such as pods, services, replication controllers, and labels using a few simple
examples. Basic operations, including health checks and scheduling, will also be covered.
Chapter 3, Core Concepts – Networking, Storage, and Advanced Services, covers cluster
networking for Kubernetes and the Kubernetes proxy, a deeper dive into services, storage
concerns, persistent data across pods, and the container lifecycles. Finishing up, we will
see a brief overview of some higher level isolation features for mutlitenancy.
Chapter 4, Updates and Gradual Rollouts, takes a quick look at how to roll out updates
and new features with minimal disruption to uptime. We will also look at scaling the
Kubernetes cluster.
Chapter 5, Continuous Delivery, will cover integration of Kubernetes into your continuous
delivery pipeline. We will see how to use a K8s cluster with Gulp.js and Jenkins as well.
Chapter 6, Monitoring and Logging, teaches you how to use and customize built-in and
third-party monitoring tools on your Kubernetes cluster. We will look at built-in logging
and monitoring, the Google Cloud Logging service, and Sysdig.
Chapter 7, OCI, CNCF, CoreOS, and Tectonic, discovers how open standards benefit the
entire container ecosystem. We’ll look at a few of the prominent standards organizations
and cover CoreOS and Tectonic. Also, we will explore their advantages as a host OS and
enterprise platform.
Chapter 8, Towards Production-Ready, shows some of the helpful tools and third-party
projects available and where you can go to get more help.
What you need for this book
This book will cover downloading and running the Kubernetes project. You’ll need access
to a Linux system (VirtualBox will work if you are on windows) and some familiarity with
the command shell.
In addition, you should have at least a Google Cloud Platform account. You can sign up
for a free trial here:
https://cloud.google.com/
Also, an AWS account is necessary for a few sections of the book. You can also sign up
for a free trial here:
https://aws.amazon.com/
Who this book is for
Although you’re in heads down in development, neck deep in operations, or looking
forward as an executive, Kubernetes and this book are for you. Getting Started with
Kubernetes will help you understand how to move your container applications into
production with best practices and step-by-step walk-throughs tied to a real-world
operational strategy. You’ll learn how Kubernetes fits into your everyday operations and
can help you prepare for production-ready container application stacks.
It will be helpful to have some familiarity with Docker containers, general software
developments, and operations at a high level.
Conventions
In this book, you will find a number of text styles that distinguish between different kinds
of information. Here are some examples of these styles and an explanation of their
meaning.
Code words in text, folder names, filenames, file extensions, and pathnames are shown as
follows: “You can also use the scale command to reduce the number of replicas.”
URLs are shown as follows:
https://docs.docker.com/installation/

If we wish you to use a URL after replacing a portion of it with your own values, it will be
shown like this:
https://<your master ip>/swagger-ui/

Resource definition files and other code blocks are set as follows:
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
name: node-js-pod
spec:
containers:
- name: node-js-pod
image: bitnami/apache:latest
ports:
- containerPort: 80

When we wish you to replace a portion of the listing with your own value, the relevant
lines or items are set in bold between less than and greater than symbols:
subsets:
- addresses:
- IP: <X.X.X.X>
ports:
- name: http
port: 80
protocol: TCP

Any command-line input or output is written as follows:

$ kubectl get pods

New terms and important words are shown in bold. Words that you see on the screen,
for example, in menus or dialog boxes, appear in the text like this: “We can modify this
group by clicking the Edit group button at the top of the page.”
Note
Warnings or important notes appear in a box like this.
Tip
Tips and tricks appear like this.
Reader feedback
Feedback from our readers is always welcome. Let us know what you think about this
book—what you liked or disliked. Reader feedback is important for us as it helps us
develop titles that you will really get the most out of.
To send us general feedback, simply e-mail <[email protected]>, and mention the
book’s title in the subject of your message.
If there is a topic that you have expertise in and you are interested in either writing or
contributing to a book, see our author guide at www.packtpub.com/authors.
Customer support
Now that you are the proud owner of a Packt book, we have a number of things to help
you to get the most from your purchase.
Downloading the example code
You can download the example code files from your account at http://www.packtpub.com
for all the Packt Publishing books you have purchased. If you purchased this book
elsewhere, you can visit http://www.packtpub.com/support and register to have the files e-
mailed directly to you.
Errata
Although we have taken every care to ensure the accuracy of our content, mistakes do
happen. If you find a mistake in one of our books—maybe a mistake in the text or the
code—we would be grateful if you could report this to us. By doing so, you can save other
readers from frustration and help us improve subsequent versions of this book. If you find
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selecting your book, clicking on the Errata Submission Form link, and entering the
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To view the previously submitted errata, go to
https://www.packtpub.com/books/content/support and enter the name of the book in the
search field. The required information will appear under the Errata section.
Piracy
Piracy of copyrighted material on the Internet is an ongoing problem across all media. At
Packt, we take the protection of our copyright and licenses very seriously. If you come
across any illegal copies of our works in any form on the Internet, please provide us with
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We appreciate your help in protecting our authors and our ability to bring you valuable
content.
Questions
If you have a problem with any aspect of this book, you can contact us at
<[email protected]>, and we will do our best to address the problem.
Chapter 1. Kubernetes and Container
Operations
This chapter will give a brief overview of containers and how they work as well as why
management and orchestration is important to your business and/or project team. The
chapter will also give a brief overview of how Kubernetes orchestration can enhance our
container management strategy and how we can get a basic Kubernetes cluster up,
running, and ready for container deployments.
This chapter will include the following topics:
Introducing container operations and management
Why container management is important
Advantages of Kubernetes
Downloading the latest Kubernetes
Installing and starting up a new Kubernetes cluster
A brief overview of containers
Over the past two years, containers have grown in popularity like wildfire. You would be
hard-pressed to attend an IT conference without finding popular sessions on Docker or
containers in general.
Docker lies at the heart of the mass adoption and the excitement in the container space. As
Malcom Mclean revolutionized the physical shipping world in 1957 by creating a
standardized shipping container, which is used today for everything from ice cube trays to
automobiles1, Linux containers are revolutionizing the software development world by
making application environments portable and consistent across the infrastructure
landscape. As an organization, Docker has taken the existing container technology to a
new level by making it easy to implement and replicate across environments and
providers.
What is a container?
At the core of container technology are cGroups and namespaces. Additionally, Docker
uses union file systems for added benefits to the container development process.
Control groups (cGroups) work by allowing the host to share and also limit the resources
each process or container can consume. This is important for both, resource utilization and
security, as it prevents denial-of-service attacks on the host’s hardware resources. Several
containers can share CPU and memory while staying within the predefined constraints.
Namespaces offer another form of isolation in the way of processes. Processes are limited
to see only the process ID in the same namespace. Namespaces from other system
processes would not be accessible from a container process. For example, a network
namespace would isolate access to the network interfaces and configuration, which allows
the separation of network interfaces, routes, and firewall rules.

Figure 1.1. Composition of a container

Union file systems are also a key advantage to using Docker containers. The easiest way
to understand union file systems is to think of them like a layer cake with each layer baked
independently. The Linux kernel is our base layer; then, we might add an OS like Red Hat
Linux or Ubuntu. Next, we might add an application like Nginx or Apache. Every
change creates a new layer. Finally, as you make changes and new layers are added, you’ll
always have a top layer (think frosting) that is a writable layer.
 Figure 1.2. Layered file system

What makes this truly efficient is that Docker caches the layers the first time we build
them. So, let’s say that we have an image with Ubuntu and then add Apache and build the
image. Next, we build MySQL with Ubuntu as the base. The second build will be much
faster because the Ubuntu layer is already cached. Essentially, our chocolate and vanilla
layers, from Figure 1.2, are already baked. We simply need to bake the pistachio (MySQL)
layer, assemble, and add the icing (writable layer).
 Another Random Document on
Scribd Without Any Related Topics
spring into its original position. It results from this arrangement that
the bolt cannot be unlocked until the primary tumbler has been
raised to the same height as before, so as to receive the tongue of
the secondary tumbler. And as this is the case in respect to any one
primary and its accompanying secondary tumblers, so is it the case
whether each set comprises four, five, or any other number. The key
may be altered at pleasure, and will in any form equally well shoot
the bolt; but the lock can only be unfastened by that arrangement of
key which fastened it.
It is, however, desirable to trace the course of improvements more
in detail, because every successive change illustrates one or other of
the several properties required in a good lock. Messrs. Day and
Newell’s lock was not finally brought to an efficient form without
many attempts more or less abortive. Mr. Newell conceived the idea
of applying a second series of tumblers, so placed as to be acted on
by the first series. Each of these secondary tumblers had an
elongated slot, such that a screw could pass through all of them; the
screw having a clamp to overlap the tumblers on the inside of the
lock. The head of the screw rested in a small round hole on the back
of the lock, so placed as to form a secondary key-hole, to which a
small key was fitted. There was thus a double system of locking,
effected in the following way: when the large key had been applied,
and had begun to act on the primary tumblers, the small key was
used to operate on the clamp-screw, and thus bind all of the
secondary tumblers together, ensuring their position at the exact
heights or distances to which the primary key had caused them to
be lifted. The bolt was then free to be shot, and the first series of
tumblers reverted to their original position.
But such an arrangement has obvious inconveniences. Few
persons would incur the trouble of using two keys; and besides this,
there were not wanting certain defects in the action and reaction of
the several parts; for if the clamp-screw were to be left unreleased,
the first series of tumblers would be upheld by the second series in
such a way that the exact impression of the lengths of the several
bits of the key could be obtained through the key-hole while the lock
was unlocked or the bolt unshot. To remedy one or both of these
evils was the next object of Mr. Newell’s attention. He made a series
of notches or teeth in each of the secondary tumblers,
corresponding in mutual distance with the steps or bits of the key;
and opposite these notched edges he placed a dog or lever, with a
projecting tooth suitable to fall into the notches when adjusted
properly in relation to each other. When the key was used, the
primary tumblers were raised in the usual way, and acted on the
secondary tumblers; these latter were so thrown that the dog-tooth
caught in the notches and held them fast, thereby rendering the
same service as the clamp-screw and the small key in the former
arrangement. No other relative position of the bits of the key could
now unlock the lock.
Still, improvement as it was, this change was not enough; Mr.
Newell found that his lock, like all the locks that had preceded it,
was capable of being picked by a clever practitioner; and candidly
admitting the fact, he sought to obtain some new means of security.
He tried what a series of complicated wards would do, in aid of the
former mechanism; but the result proved unsatisfactory. His next
principle was to provide a number of false notches on the abutting
parts of the primary and secondary tumblers, with alterations in
other parts of the apparatus. The theory now depended upon was
this, that if the bolt were subjected to pressure, the tumblers would
be held fast by false notches, and could not be raised by any lock-
picking instrument. To increase the security, a steel-curtain was so
adjusted as to cover, or at least protect, the key-hole. Great
anticipations were entertained of this lock, but they were destined to
be negatived. A clever American machinist, Mr. Pettit, accepted
Messrs. Day and Newell’s challenge (500 dollars to any one who
could pick this lock); he succeeded in picking the lock, and thus won
the prize.
Once again disappointed, Mr. Newell re-examined the whole affair,
and sought for some new principle of security that had not before
occurred to him. He had found that, modify his lock how he might,
the sharp-eyed and neat-fingered mechanician could still explore the
interior of the lock in such a way as to find out the relative positions
of the tumblers, and thus adapt their means to the desired end.
How, therefore, to shut out this exploration altogether became the
problem; how to make a lock, the works of which should be
parautoptic—to coin a word from the Greek, which should signify
concealed from view. The result of his labours was the production of
the American bank-lock now known by that name. The details of this
lock may now conveniently be given.

fig. 40. The American Parautoptic lock; bolt unshot.

 fig. 41. The same with the bolt shot.

In fig. 40 the lock is represented in its unlocked state, with the

cover or top-plate removed; the auxiliary tumbler and the detector-
plate are also removed. In fig. 41 it is represented as locked, with
the cover and the detector-plate also removed, and the auxiliary
tumbler in its place. In these two figures, the same letters of
reference apply to the same parts, unless otherwise stated. b b is the
bolt; t1 are the first series of movable slides or tumblers; s shews
the tumbler-springs; t2 the secondary series of tumblers; and t3 the
third or intermediate series—these latter coming between the first
and secondary series; p p are the separating plates between the
several members of the first series of tumblers; s1 are the springs for
lifting the intermediate tumblers. On each of the secondary tumblers
2
t is a series of notches, corresponding in mutual distance with the
difference in the lengths of the movable bits of the key. It thence
happens that, when the key is turned in the lock to lock it, each bit
raises its proper tumbler, so that some one of these notches shall
present itself in front of the tooth t in the dog or lever l l. When the
bolt b is projected by the action of the key, it carries with it the
secondary tumblers t2, and presses the tooth t into the notches; in
so doing, it withdraws the tongues d from between the jaws j j of
the intermediate tumblers t3, and allows the first and intermediate
tumblers to fall to their original position. By the same movement, the
secondary tumblers t2 become held in the position given to them by
the key, by means of the tooth t being pressed into the several
notches, as shewn in the closed state of the lock (fig. 41). Now let
us see what results if any attempt be made to open the lock with
any arrangement of key but that by which it has been locked. In
such case, the tongues d will abut against the jaws j j, preventing
the bolt from being withdrawn; and should an attempt be made to
ascertain which tumbler binds and requires to be moved, the
intermediate tumbler t3 (which receives the pressure), being behind
the iron wall i i, which is fixed completely across the lock, prevents
the possibility of its being reached through the key-hole; and the
first tumblers t are quite detached at the time, thereby making it
impossible to ascertain the position of the parts in the inner chamber
behind the wall i i. k is the drill-pin, on which the key fits; and c is a
revolving ring or curtain, which turns round with the key, and
prevents the possibility of inspecting the interior of the lock through
the key-hole. Should, however, this ring be turned to bring the
opening upwards, a detector-plate d, fig. 42, is immediately carried
over the key-hole by the motion of a pin p1 upon the auxiliary
tumbler t4, which is lifted by the revolution of the ring c, thereby
effectually closing the key-hole. As an additional protection, the bolt
is held from being unlocked by the stud or stump s bearing against
the detector-plate; and, moreover, the lever l l holds the bolt, when
locked, until it is released by the tail of the detector-plate pressing
the pin p1; l1 is a lever which holds the bolt on the upper side, when
locked, until it is lifted by the tumblers acting on the pin p1; x are
separating-plates between the intermediate tumblers t3; u u1 are the
studs for preserving the parallel motion of the different tumblers.

fig. 42. The detector plate of the Parautoptic lock.

Fig. 43 represents the key in two different forms, or with the bits
differently arranged. Either form will lock the lock, but the other will
not then unlock it. The end of the key is represented in fig. 44,
shewing the screw which fixes the bits in their places. The bits for a
six-bitted key are shewn separately in fig. 45.
 fig. 43. Key of the Parautoptic lock.

fig. 44. End view of the key.

fig. 45. Separate bits of the key.

In 1847 the parautoptic lock was exhibited at Vienna before the

National Mechanics’ Institute of Lower Austria; and towards the
close of the year Mr. Belmont, consul-general of Austria at New York,
placed in the hands of Messrs. Day and Newell a letter, a diploma,
and a gold medal, forwarded by the Institute. The letter was from
the president of the Institute to Mr. Newell, and was couched in the
following terms:
“The Institute of Lower Austria, at its last monthly session, has
passed the unanimous resolution to award to you its gold medal, as
an acknowledgment of the uncommon superiority of the
combination-lock of your invention; and this resolution was ratified in
its general convention held on the 10th instant.
“Whilst I, as president of this Institute, rejoice in seeing the
services which by this invention you have rendered to the locksmith’s
art thus appreciated and recognised, I transmit to you, enclosed, the
said medal, together with the documents relating to it; at the same
time availing myself of this opportunity to assure you of my esteem.
“Colloredo Mannsfeld.
“Vienna, May 31st, 1847.”
The diploma and the medal were similar to other honorary
distinctions of the same class, and need not be described here; but
the report of the special committee may be given, as it expresses
the opinions of the Viennese machinists on the relative principles by
which safety is sought to be obtained in different kinds of locks.
REPORT
Of a Special Committee on the new Parautoptic Permutation Lock of the American
Newell, made known to the Lower Austrian Institute by the Councillor, Professor
Reuter, and on the motions relating to it made by the same and accepted by the
Institute. Presented at the monthly meeting, April 6th, 1847, by Mr. Paul
Sprenger, Aulic Councillor on Public Works, &c. &c.
Gentlemen:—At our last monthly meeting, Mr. Reuter, Aulic Councillor and
Secretary of the Institute, directed your attention to a newly invented lock of Mr.
Newell, of North America, which was represented as excelling all other changeable
combination-locks hitherto known, and as being without a rival.
The Special Committee which was intrusted with the examination of this lock,
and of the motions made by the said Secretary, and accepted by the Institute, has
conferred on me the honour of making you acquainted with the results of its
investigations.
The attention of your committee was chiefly occupied with the three questions
proposed by the said Aulic Councillor in relation to the lock in question:
First: Whether the idea of Mr. Newell was of any practical value for already
existing and still-to-be-invented combination-locks;
Secondly: Whether the idea was of sufficient importance to be published and
minutely described in the transactions of the said Institute; and
Thirdly: Whether the merits of the inventor were of sufficient importance to
entitle him to a distinction from the said Institute.
The deliberations on the first question, viz. the newness of the idea, and of its
practical value, would of necessity enlist the particular attention of your
committee, especially since by far the greater number of its members are by their
avocation called upon to be interested in the execution of all kinds of locks.
It is therefore the unanimous opinion of your committee, that the idea of the
American Parautoptic Combination-Lock is entirely new and without example.
The combination-locks with keys have, with few exceptions, such an
arrangement that a determinate number of movable parts (the so-called
combination-parts) must by the turning of the key be raised or lifted into a certain
position, if it is desired to project the bolt, or, what is the same thing, to lock it
out; consequently these parts, or, as they are technically termed, tumblers, could
not be transposed or changed, from the circumstance that the key-bit was one
solid piece, with various steps or notches adapted to the several tumblers, and
one impression from it destroyed the security of the lock.
In order, however, to add more security to such a combination-lock, and to
make the key, in case it should be lost, or any counterfeit made from a wax
impression, useless for an unlawful opening of the lock, another step was taken:
the key-bit was made to consist of several bits or movable parts, in such a manner
that the owner of the lock was enabled to change the bits, and to form, as it were,
new keys different from the former. But since the bolt of the lock can only be
projected whilst the combination parts or tumblers are in a certain position, which
position depends upon the order of the bits in the key, it is evident that the owner,
when changing the key, must at the same time make a corresponding change in
the position of the tumblers in the lock itself, before the lock can be of any use for
the newly changed shape of the key, which rendered it troublesome, and
impracticable for the purpose designed, from the fact that no positive change
could be made in the lock, without taking it from the door, and then taking the
tumblers out of the case, to change them in a suitable form for the key.
This principle of changing the lock is rarely adhered to, as few men understand
the machinery of a lock sufficiently to undertake the task; and this circumstance
rendered the lock quite as insecure as the former one described.
Another step toward the perfection of combination-locks consisted in this, that
the key remains unaltered whilst the combination parts of the lock can, before it is
locked, be brought into different positions by means of movable plates on the
frame of the lock. These plates were arranged by hand to certain figures, and
depended on the memory for adjustment at each time the bolt was to be locked
out or in, the key operating only on the bolt, to move it back and forth when the
plates were set in proper positions for the purpose; and should the owner forget
the arrangement of the plates, after projecting the bolt, his key is of no use to
him, and he must resort to the skill of the locksmith to gain access.
The same case may occur in the far less perfect ring-lock of Reynier, which is
operated without keys, and is opened by means of the rings being turned in a
particular position; on these rings are usually stamped letters, which, by
introducing some word readily suggested to the memory, thus point out the
relative position of the rings.
 But although in case of these ring-locks the owner is enabled to produce a
change in the rings in such a manner that the opening of the lock can, as it were,
only become possible by rightly arranging the altered position of the letters, still
this lock of Reynier’s does not possess that safety and perfection which could have
insured it universal application.
M. Crivelli, formerly professor at Milan, has given a minute description of the
imperfection of ring-locks generally, in the annals of the Imperial Royal Polytechnic
Institute.
It is the unanimous conviction of your committee that the American Lock of
Newell surpasses, in the ingenuity displayed in its construction, all other locks
heretofore known, and more especially in this, that the owner can, with the
greatest facility, change at pleasure the interior arrangement of his lock to a new
and more complex one, at every moment of his life, simply by altering the
arrangement of the bits in the key, and this is accomplished without removing the
lock or any part of it from its position on the door.
Its operation is as follows:—At the closing or locking of the lock, whilst the bolt
is projecting, the movable combination parts assume precisely the position
prescribed to them by the key, according to the particular arrangement of its bits
at the time the key is turned.
The combination parts do not consist in one set of tumblers only, such as are
found in all other locks, but there are three distinct sets or component parts fitting
into each other. When the bolt is projected, it dissolves the mutual connexion of
the constituent pieces, and carries along with it such as are designedly attached to
it, and which assume the particular positions given them by the key in its
revolution. These parts are rendered permanent in their given form by means of a
lever adapted for the purpose, while the parts not united with the bolt are pressed
down by their springs to their original places.
If now the bolt is to be returned again, i. e. if the lock is to be unlocked, then
the constituent pieces or tumblers which are in the original state must, by means
of the key, be again raised into that position in which they were when the lock was
closed, as otherwise the constituent parts attached to the bolt would not lock in
with the former, and the bolt could not be returned. Nothing, therefore, but the
precise key which had locked the lock can effect the object.
This idea in itself, considered by your committee, is as ingenious as it is new,
and is accompanied by a perfection in its execution which reflects the highest
honour on Mr. Newell, the inventor and manufacturer of the lock.
The lock is built strong and solid, and the several parts are admirably adapted to
the functions which they are designed to perform. The walls of steel or iron which
separate the security parts from the tumblers, and the cylinder which revolves
with the key, present formidable barriers to all descriptions of pick-locks, and
render the lock a most positive and reliable security. The tumblers consist of rolled
very smooth steel plates, in which the fire-crust has not been filed away, partly in
order that the lock might not need oiling, as all these parts are very smooth, and
partly that the combination pieces might not easily rust, a thing to which the
adhering fire-crust is not favourable. The springs, which by the turning of the key
must be raised together with the tumblers, are attached to levers, and press upon
the latter at their centre of gravity, in consequence of which all crowding towards
either side is prevented, and the key can be turned with facility, in spite of the
many combination parts which it has to raise; and the springs themselves are by
their positions so little called into action, that their strength can never be impaired
by use.
The lock has also another very complete arrangement in the detector-tumbler,
which is attached to the cap or covering of the lock. This tumbler, on turning the
key either way, closes the key-hole, and not only prevents the use of false
instruments in the lock, but detects all attempts at mutilating its interior parts.
This lock is especially useful for locking bank-vaults, magazines, counting-
houses, and iron-safes, in which valuable effects, money, or goods are to be
deposited for safe keeping. When it is considered that the bits of the key
belonging to this lock can be transferred into every possible form within its limits,
and since the construction of the lock admits of every combination of the slides
resulting from the changes of the key, therefore the lock in question is, in every
respect, deserving of the appellation given to it by the Secretary of the Institute,
namely, the Universal Combination Lock; and justly so, when we consider that the
ten bits attached to the key admit of three millions of permutations, and upward;
consequently forming that number of different kinds of keys and locks.
If we consider further, that we need not be limited to the given bit, but that
others can be applied, differing in their dimensions from the former; and again, if
we consider that from every system arising from a difference in their relative
dimensions, a large number of new keys differing from each other will result, and
that this can be effected in a space scarcely occupying a square inch,—then we
cannot refrain from confessing that the human mind, within this small space, has
shewn itself to be infinitely great.
After this preliminary and general exposition, your committee can answer the
three questions propounded to them the more briefly, as the locks heretofore
known have all been noticed.
To question first.—On the practical value of the invention of Mr. Newell, your
committee were unanimous and positive that the principle on which it is based
should be preserved.
To question second.—For this reason the committee deemed it desirable that a
drawing and description of the American lock in question should be published in
the Transactions of the Institute of Lower Austria.
To question third.—With regard to the claims of the inventor, Mr. Newell, to an
honorary distinction from the Institute of Lower Austria, the committee
recommend that he be presented with a Diploma of honourable mention and a
Gold Medal.
 The members of your committee, consisting mostly of fellow-tradesmen of Mr.
Newell, experience great satisfaction in the fact that it has fallen to their lot to
vote to their colleague on the other side of the ocean an acknowledgment of his
successful ingenuity, and they close the Report with the request that the Institute
will transmit to Mr. Newell of New York, in North America, the Diploma and Gold
Medal, together with a copy of this Report, according to the motion of the Aulic
Councillor and Professor Reuter.
[An exact copy of the original Report as preserved in the archives of the National
Mechanics’ Institute of Lower Austria.]
DR. SCHWARTZ,
Assistant Secretary of the Institute.
There are other circumstances connected with the American bank-
lock, in relation to events both in the United States and in England,
to which attention will be directed in a subsequent chapter.
The English patent for Messrs. Day and Newell’s lock, dated April
15, 1851, runs as follows: “The object of the present improvements
is the constructing of locks in such manner that the interior
arrangements, or the combination of the internal movable parts,
may be changed at pleasure according to the form given to, or
change made in, the key, without the necessity of arranging the
movable parts of the lock by hand, or removing the lock or any part
thereof from the door. In locks constructed on this plan the key may
be altered at pleasure; and the act of locking, or throwing out the
bolt of the lock, produces the particular arrangement of the internal
parts which corresponds to that of the key for the time being. While
the same is locked, this form is retained until the lock is unlocked or
the bolt withdrawn, upon which the internal movable parts return to
their original position with reference to each other; but these parts
cannot be made to assume or be brought back to their original
position, except by a key of the precise form and dimensions as the
key by which they were made to assume such arrangement in the
act of locking. The key is changeable at pleasure, and the lock
receives a special form in the act of locking according to the key
employed, and retains that form until in the act of unlocking by the
same key it resumes its original or unlocked state. The lock is again
changeable at pleasure, simply by altering the arrangement of the
movable bits of the key; and the key may be changed to any one of
the forms within the number of permutations of which the parts are
susceptible.”
The “claims” put forth under this patent are the following:—
“1. The constructing, by means of a first and secondary series of
slides or tumblers, of a changeable lock, in which the particular form
or arrangement of parts of the lock, imparted by the key to the first
and secondary series of slides or tumblers, is retained by a cramp-
plate.
“2. The constructing, by means of a first and secondary series of
slides or tumblers, of a changeable lock, in which the peculiar form
or arrangement of parts of the lock, imparted by the key, is retained
by means of a tooth or teeth, and notches on the secondary series
of slides or tumblers.
“3. The application to locks of a third or intermediate series of
slides or tumblers.
“4. The application of a dog with a pin over-lapping the slide or
tumblers, for the purpose of holding-in the bolt when the lock is
locked or unlocked.
“5. The application of a dog operated on by the cap or detector-
tumbler for holding the bolt.
“6. The application of a dog for the purpose of holding the internal
slide or tumbler.
“7. The application to locks of curtains or rings, turning and
working eccentrically to the motion of the key, for preventing access
to the internal parts of the lock.
“8. The application to locks of a safety-plug or yielding-plate, at
the back of the chamber formed by such eccentric revolving curtain
or ring.
“9. The application to locks of a strong metallic wall or plate, for
the purpose of separating the safety and other parts of the lock from
each other, and preventing access to such parts by means of the
key-hole.
“10. The application to locks of a cap or detective tumbler, for the
purpose of closing the key-hole as the key is turned.
 “11. The constructing a key by a combination of bits or movable
pieces, with tongues fitted into a groove and held by a screw.
“12. The constructing a key having a groove in its shank to receive
the detector tumbler.”
When the American locks became known
in England, Mr. Hobbs undertook the
superintendence of their manufacture, and
their introduction into the commercial world.
Such a lock as that just described must
necessarily be a complex piece of
mechanism; it is intended for use in the
fig. 46. Movable stump.
doors of receptacles containing property of
great value; and the aim has been to baffle
all the methods at present known of picking locks, by a combination
of mechanism necessarily elaborate. Such a lock must of necessity
be costly; but in order to supply the demand for a small lock at
moderate price, Mr. Hobbs has introduced what he calls a protector
lock. This is a modification of the ordinary six-tumbler lock. It bears
an affinity to the lock of Messrs. Day and Newell, inasmuch as it is
an attempt to introduce the same principle of security against
picking, while avoiding the complexity of the changeable lock. The
distinction which Mr. Hobbs has made between secure and insecure
locks will be understood from the following proposition, viz. “that
whenever the parts of a lock which come in contact with the key are
so affected by any pressure applied to the bolt, or to that portion of
the lock by which the bolt is withdrawn, as to indicate the points of
resistance to the withdrawal of the bolt, such a lock can be picked.”
Fig. 47 exhibits the internal mechanism of this new patent lock. It
contains the usual contrivances of tumblers and springs, with a key
cut into steps to suit the different heights to which the tumblers
must be raised. The key is shewn separately in fig. 48. But there is a
small additional piece of mechanism, in which the tumbler stump
shewn at s in figs. 46 and 47 is attached; which piece is intended to
work under or behind the bolt of the lock. In fig. 47, b is the bolt; t t
is the front or foremost of the range of six tumblers, each of which
has the usual slot and notches. In other tumbler-locks the stump or
stud which moves along these slots is riveted to the bolt, in such
manner that, if any pressure be applied in an attempt to withdraw
the bolt, the stump becomes pressed against the edges of the
tumblers, and bites or binds against them. How far their biting
facilitates the picking of a lock will be shewn further on; but it will
suffice here to say, that the movable action given to the stump in the
Hobbs lock transfers the pressure to another quarter. The stump s is
riveted to a peculiarly-shaped piece of metal h h (fig. 46), the hole in
the centre of which fits upon a centre or pin in a recess formed at
the back of the bolt; the piece moves easily on its centre, but is
prevented from so doing spontaneously by a small binding spring.
The mode in which this small movable piece takes part in the action
of the lock is as follows: when the proper key is applied in the usual
way, the tumblers are all raised to the proper heights for allowing
the stump to pass horizontally through the gating; but should there
be an attempt made, either by a false key or by any other
instrument, to withdraw the bolt before the tumblers are properly
raised, the stump becomes an obstacle. Meeting with an obstruction
to its passage, the stump turns the piece to which it is attached on
its centre, and moves the arm of the piece p so that it shall come
into contact with a stud riveted into the case of the lock; and in this
position there is a firm resistance against the withdrawal of the bolt.
The tumblers are at the same moment released from the pressure of
the stump. There is a dog or lever d, which catches into the top of
the bolt, and thereby serves as an additional security against its
being forced back. At k is the drill-pin on which the pipe of the key
works; and r is a metal piece on which the tumblers rest when the
key is not operating upon them.
 fig. 47. Hobbs’s Protector Lock.

Another lock, patented by Mr. Hobbs in 1852,

has for its object the absolute closing of the key-
hole during the process of locking. The key does
not work or turn on its own centre, but occupies
a small cell or chamber in a revolving cylinder,
which is turned by a fixed handle. The bit of the
movable key is entirely separable from the shaft
or stem, into which it is screwed, and may be
detached by turning round a small milled headed
thumb-screw. The key is placed in the key-hole
in the usual way, but it cannot turn; its circular
movement round the stem as an axis is
prevented by the internal mechanism of the lock;
it is left in the key-hole, and the stem is
detached from it by unscrewing. By turning the
handle, the key-bit, which is left in the chamber fig. 48. The key.
of the cylinder, is brought into contact with the
works of the lock, so as to shoot and withdraw
the bolt. This revolution may take place whether the bit of the
movable key occupy its little cell in the plate or not; only with this
difference—that if the bit be not in the lock, the plate revolves
without acting upon any of the tumblers; but if the bit be in its
place, it raises the tumblers in the proper way for shooting or
withdrawing the bolt. It will be understood that there is only one
key-hole, namely, that through which the divisible key is inserted;
the other handle or fixed key working through a hole in the cover of
the lock only just large enough to receive it, and not being
removable from the lock. As soon as the plate turns round so far as
to enable the key-bit to act upon the tumblers, the key-hole
becomes entirely closed by the plate itself, so that the actual locking
is effected at the very time when all access to the interior through
the key-hole is cut off. When the bolt has been shot, the plate comes
round to its original position, it uncovers the key-hole, and exhibits
the key-bit occupying the little cell into which it had been dropped;
the stem is then to be screwed into the bit, and the latter
withdrawn. It is one consequence of this arrangement, that the key
has to be screwed and unscrewed when used; but through this
arrangement the key-hole becomes a sealed book to one who has
not the right key. Nothing can be moved, provided the bit and stem
of the key be both left in; but by leaving in the lock the former
without the latter, the plate can rotate, the tumblers can be lifted,
and the bolt can be shot.
 CHAPTER VIII.
THE LOCK CONTROVERSY: PREVIOUS TO THE DATE OF THE GREAT
EXHIBITION.

It must be evident, even on a cursory glance at the past history of

the lock-manufacture, that the prime motive for the introduction of
novelties and improvements in construction is the desirability of
producing a lock which no one can open without the proper key.
From the earliest and simplest lock, down to the latest and most
complex, this object has been constantly held in view; and every
clear proof or evidence that this object has not been attained has led
to the invention of some new contrivance. It has been a succession
of struggles—to attain security—to shew that this security has not
been attained—to make a further and more ingenious attempt—to
detect the weak point in this renewed attempt—and so on. We need
not repeat here, what was stated in an early chapter, that benefit
must ultimately result from a candid discussion of this question.
When M. Réaumur proposed to explain how the locks of his day
could be picked or opened without the true key, his object was to
shew to persons who were not locksmiths how far they could
depend upon the principle of security offered by locks. But before
proceeding on his inquiry, the illustrious naturalist asks, “Ne
craindra-t-on pas que nous ne donnions en même tems des leçons
aux voleurs?” And he replies, “Il n’y a pas grande apparence qu’ils
viennent les chercher ici, et qu’ils en aient besoin; ils sont plus
grands maîtres que nous dans l’art d’ouvrir les portes. Apprenons
donc l’art d’ouvrir les portes fermées, afin d’apprendre celui de les
fermer d’une manière qui ne laisse rien ou qui laisse peu à
craindre.”[5]
[5] “But is there not this danger, that at the same time we shall be giving
lessons to the thieves? It is not very probable that they will seek instruction
of us, or that they have any need of it; they are greater masters in the art
of opening doors than we can pretend to be. Let us then learn the art of
opening locked doors, in order that we may acquire that of securing them in
such a way as to leave little or nothing to be feared on account of their
security.”
Before treating of lock controversies and lock violability in
England, it will be desirable first to refer to America, where this
subject attracted much attention some years earlier than the Great
Exhibition—an Exhibition which will always be associated in a
remarkable manner with the history of locks.
Soon after the inventions by Dr. Andrews and Mr. Newell, in 1841
(described in a former chapter), the rivalry between the two locks
ran high; each lock being ‘unpickable,’ according to the estimate of
its inventor. Mr. Newell thought the best mode of shewing the
superiority of his own lock would be by picking that of his
competitor; and after several trials, he succeeded in bringing into
practical application that system of picking which we may designate
the mechanical, as contra-distinguished from the arithmetical. Mr.
Newell not only picked Dr. Andrews’ lock, but he wound up the
enterprise by picking his own! He was probably the first person who
honestly confessed to having picked his own unpickable lock. This
discovery led Mr. Newell, as has been noticed in a former page, to
the invention of the triple-action or parautoptic lock.
The mechanical principle, as applied to the picking of a tumbler
lock, is nearly the same whatever form of construction be made the
medium of experiment. When a pressure is applied to the bolt
sufficient to unlock it if the tumbler-obstructions were removed, the
edges of the tumbler bite or bind against the stump of the bolt, so
as not to move up and down with such facility as under ordinary
circumstances. By carefully trying with a small instrument each
tumbler, and moving it until the bite ceases, the gating of that
particular tumbler may be brought to the exact position for allowing
the stump of the bolt to pass through it. (See page 118.)
 This violability is observable in the tumbler-locks under very varied
forms of construction. Mr. Newell, after he had picked his own lock,
devised a series of complicated wards, to add to the difficulty of
reaching the tumblers; but he could not thereby get rid of the
importance of this fact, that wherever a key can go, instruments of a
suitable size and form could follow: his wards did not render his lock
inviolable. His next contrivance was to notch the abutting parts of
the primary and secondary tumblers, or the face of the stump and
the ends of the tumblers; but this failed also. Mr. H. C. Jones, of
Newark, N. J., added to all this a revolving pipe and curtain, to close
as much of the key-hole as possible. But so far were all these
precautions from being successful, that a lock provided with all these
appendages, and affixed to the door of the United States Treasury at
Washington, was picked. The makers of locks have, each one for
himself, contended against such difficulties as were known to them
at the time of inventing their locks; and, mortifying as failure may
be, it would be cowardly to yield up the enterprise whenever any
new difficulty presented itself. Difficulties, in locks as in other
matters, are made to be conquered.
To shew how numerous are the sources of insecurity which have
to be guarded against, to meet the skill often brought to bear upon
this lock, we may adduce the reasons which led Mr. Newell to apply
a curtain to the key-hole of his lock. Supposing the interior
arrangement of the triple set of tumblers, and the metallic shielding
wall, to be perfect, still, if the first set of tumblers can be seen
through the key-hole, the following plan may be put in operation.
The under-side of the tumblers may be smoked, by inserting a flame
through the key-hole; and the key will then leave a distinct mark
upon each tumbler the next time it is used, shewing where it began
to touch each tumbler in lifting it. This may be seen by inserting a
small mirror hinged into the lock through the key-hole. There may
even be an electric light used from a small portable battery, to
illumine the interior of the lock. By these and other means the exact
length of each bit of the key may be determined; and from these
data a false key may be made. It is to prevent this inspection of the
works, or any other examination of an analogous kind, that the
revolving curtain was applied; but, as stated in the last paragraph,
even this did not suffice: ingenuity devised a mode of baffling the
contrivance of curtains as well as that of the wards and false notches
in the tumblers.
When the parautoptic lock was completed, it was keenly criticised
in America, owing to the long discussions respecting the merits of
previous locks. In a matter of this kind, where a commercial motive
would lead bankers and companies to apply a very severe test to the
security of locks and similar fastenings to strong-rooms and
receptacles, any experiments made with their sanction became
important. Mere letters or certificates emanating from individuals,
expressive of opinions concerning a particular lock, would be out of
place in a volume relating to locks generally; but it is quite within the
limits of the subject, and has indeed become part of the history of
locks, to notice experiments and attempts of a more public
character. We may therefore introduce a few paragraphs of this
description, relating to the career of the American lock in America
itself.
The principal bankers at Boston (U.S.) held a meeting to take into
consideration measures for testing the security of bank locks.
Consequent on this meeting, Messrs. Day and Newell deposited five
hundred dollars with the cashier of the State Bank at Boston, to be
by him paid to any one who could pick the parautoptic lock: the trial
was to be conducted under the auspices of the bank. One of the
locks was brought to the bank, and was minutely examined by two
machinists on two afternoons, after which it was secured to an iron
chest, and locked by a committee appointed by the bank. The key
was to remain in the hands of the committee during the trial; and it
was to be used at their discretion, in unlocking and locking the door,
without the knowledge of either of the other parties—provided that
in so doing no alteration was made in the combination-parts of the
key. Ten days were allowed to the operators for the examination and
the trial; if they succeeded they were to have five hundred dollars;
but if they injured the lock they agreed to forfeit two hundred, as a
purchase price. At the end of the period the lock remained unopened
and uninjured; and the two deposited sums were accordingly
returned to the respective parties.
Messrs. Page and Bacon, of St. Louis, had a strong-room lock
made by one of the chief locksmiths of that city. To test its security,
the proprietors requested Mr. Hobbs to attempt to pick it; he did so,
and succeeded. Whereupon the proprietors, having purchased one
of the parautoptic locks, deemed it no more than fair play to subject
this lock to a similar ordeal, an additional zest being given by a
reward of five hundred dollars offered by Day and Newell to the
successful picker. The maker of the former lock accepted the
challenge; he was allowed to examine the new lock piecemeal, and
was then allowed thirty days for his operations in picking. He failed
in the enterprise. Of course, in this, as in all similar cases, the
operator had not access to the true key.
It follows from the nature of this lock, as noticed in a former
chapter, that when the bolt has been shot, if the bits of the key be
re-arranged in any other form, the lock becomes to all intents and
purposes a new lock, so far as that key is concerned, and cannot be
unlocked unless the key revert to its original arrangement. To test
this principle, a box with a parautoptic lock was placed in the room
of the American Institute in 1845; it was locked; the bits of the key
(12 in number) were then re-arranged, and the key was placed in
the hands of any one who chose to try to open the lock—with the
offer of a reward of five hundred dollars in the event of the lock
being opened. Here, instead of the operator being called upon to
devise new pick-lock implements, he had the actual key placed in his
hands, modified however in such a way that, though the modifier
could restore the original arrangement (provided he had kept some
kind of record), the operator had numerous chances against his
success. The lock remained unopened notwithstanding this
challenge.
We shall have occasion to shew presently, that if the number of
tumblers (and consequently the number of bits in the key) be small
—not exceeding six, for instance—the possession of the true key
gives any one the power of opening the lock, provided he has time
and patience to go through a few hundred changes of the bits of the
key; for, as some one arrangement must have been that by which
the lock was locked, it must again occur if the user takes care to
make all the arrangements in turn, and tries the lock after each.
Whether this constitutes picking a lock, each lock-owner will decide
for himself. All that it is at present meant to state is, that without
access to the true key, the parautoptic lock has not hitherto been
opened; and that with the true but altered key the process of
opening is possible, but is slow and tedious.
In 1846 the American Institute appointed a committee to examine
into the merits of the parautoptic lock. On the 18th of September in
that year the Committee made their report, signed by Professor
Renwick and Mr. T. W. Harvey, as follows:—
“The Committee of the American Institute, to whom was referred
the examination of Newell’s Parautoptic Bank Lock, report that they
have given the subject referred to them a careful and attentive
examination, and have received full and complete explanations from
the inventor. They have remarked in the lock a number of important
advantages, and, in particular, very great improvements upon the
permutation-lock formerly submitted by him to the American
Institute. Thus, while it retains the advantages of the permutation
principle, combined with the property that the act of locking sets the
slides to the particular arrangement of the bits in the skeleton key,
the parts thus set are completely screened from observation, from
being reached by false instruments, or from being injured by any
violence not sufficient to break the lock to pieces.
“Having in the course of their inquiries examined the different
existing modes in which locks may be picked, forced, or opened by
false keys, the Committee have come to the conclusion that the
parautoptic lock cannot be opened by any of the methods now
practised, unless by a person in possession of the key by which it
was locked, in the exact form of combination in which it was used
for the purpose, or in the almost impossible case of the bits being
adjusted to the skeleton key by accident in that very form. As the
chances of such accidental combination range according to the
number of movable bits, from several thousands to several millions
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