A Safe History of Locks Family Articles | May 4 USWNT Soccer Jerseys For Sale , 2009 Modern day safes have only been around for a couple of hundred of years, but their locks have been around for thousands of years. Lets take a look at the history behind some of these ancient devices.
Though the actual history of safes may not be very long, the main component and perhaps one of the most important parts of a safe has been, and that is the lock. It is hard to say when locks were first invented because there is not always a written history, and because of the materials used when locks were made Cheap USWNT Soccer Jerseys , there are not very many still around today. However, there is evidence that many different civilizations developed locks independently of each other, among them being the Egyptians, Greeks, Chinese and Romans. But one neat thing about old locks Whitney Engen USWNT Jersey , is that they are the building blocks upon which today's technology has been built. The locks have evolved, but many of the principles are the same on a modern day safe.
The oldest known lock is credited to the ancient Egyptians and is about 4000 years old. It was discovered in Persia in 1842. This first lock uses the same pin tumbler system that is still used on many safe models today. The Egyptian lock had a wood crossbeam that was partially hollowed out, and a vertical beam with metal tumblers that locked the two pieces together. It was unlocked using a large wooden spoon shaped key that was about 14" - 24" long with pegs sticking out of one end. There was actually a hole in the door which you had to stick your arm through with the key to access the tumblers. If the key was inserted correctly, the pegs on the key would line up with the tumblers allowing you to move the crossbeam and open the door. These locks were used on full size doors to protect strong rooms which were used for storing valuables, food or whatever needed safe guarding. So the same basic reasons you may have a safe today Tobin Heath USWNT Jersey , just on a much larger scale.
We know that the Greeks had early locks because of a description by Homer in "The Odysseus" from around 800 B.C. It refers to someone getting a brass key to open a store room, it describes the the lock as follows: "She loosed the strap from the handle of the door, put in the key, and drove it straight home to shoot back the bolts that held the doors." Doors is plural because most Greek doors were two doors that opened from the center. These doors were typically tied together with a rope using intricate knots, and then the door was bolted from the inside. This type of lock was not very secure because after removing the rope Sydney Leroux USWNT Jersey , a few attempts with a couple of different key designs often opened the door.
The Romans started with a similar design but improved it by using an iron case around the bolt work, making the bolt spring loaded and the use of wards. A ward lock uses a set of obstructions that stopped the lock from opening without the correct key, which would have corresponding notches to slide past the obstructions - this concept is still used today for many household doors. If you look at a skeleton key, you can tell from the notches the size and number of obstructions inside the lock. The Chinese are also credited with inventing the ward lock, so it is one of those types of things with dual development in two different parts of the world. The ward lock also lent itself well to the first portable safe Sam Mewis USWNT Jersey , often called strong boxes in mediaeval Europe.
Other than more complicated ward locks, there was not a huge development in security until the eighteenth century in England when incentives were offered to anyone who could develop an unpickable lock. We have seen huge improvement in locks, security and the development of the modern safe since then, but even these improvements were founded upon the same basic principles as used in ancient times.
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Pointers for Accounting Practices- Retain Your Clientele Marketing Articles | December 9 Rose Lavelle USWNT Jersey , 2011
Check out how tools like social media, accountant websites, and common courtesy can help your CPA firm retain its client base like a pro.
For retail shops, loyal patrons are earned by selling superior products for attractive prices - but accounting firms and other service professionals must employ different methods to ensure continued client relationships. Cultivating a highly professional image with CPA websites and making sure their work is always impeccable are a couple ways to impress clients - but can finance professionals really stop there? CPAs often realize they have to pick up the pace to ensure their clients don't migrate to competing practices. Otherwise, they'll keep losing clients and will forever be recruiting new ones.
Check out the following pointers for how to better retain accounting clients.
Connect with Clients Through CPA Websites and Other Tricks
When the job is all about numbers Morgan Brian USWNT Jersey , a personal feel is sometimes difficult to establish. Try the following actions to give your firm more of a human face:
- Establish an online presence. Successful CPA websites provide helpful tax tips and financial information for clients, as well as time-saving features like a client portal or a credit card processing service.
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- Use the good old-fashioned phone to check up on clients, making sure they don't have any lingering questions after tax day.