After the emergence of fireproof safes, both European and American manufacturers at the time were more concerned about the fireproof performance and ignored the burglary performance, but a burglary case made a historic change in the burglary performance of safes.

At the beginning of 1865, the theft of Walker’s jewelers in Cornhill, London (Cornhill Robbery), resulting in a loss of about 850,000 pounds, this case has a profound impact on the modern safe security design. This case had a profound influence on modern safe design. 36 patents were issued for the safe structure, door, locking mechanism, and multi-directional interlocking bolt. And some of the patented technologies are used along to this day.

In 1866, Samuel Whitfield patented his invention of a gearing mechanism that extended the locking bolt behind the door frame of the box by means of gearing. At the same time, James Felton Elwell designed the first four-way locking bolt mechanism operated by a handle, and Samuel Whitfield applied his and James Felton Elwell’s technology to produce what was then known as the Sicker Patent Safe. The Sicker patent safe pioneered a generation of technology that freed safes from the limitations of direct key manipulation of the locking bolt and greatly improved security.

In 1866, Samuel Whitfield patented his invention of a gearing device that extended the locking bolt behind the door frame of the box by means of gearing. At the same time, James Felton Elwell designed the first four-way locking bolt mechanism operated by a handle, and Samuel Whitfield applied his and James Felton Elwell’s technology to produce what was then known as the Sicker Patent Safe. The Sicker patent safe pioneered a generation of technology that freed safes from the limitations of direct key manipulation of the locking bolt and greatly improved security.