Walter Schlage

His first patent was in 1909, inventing a door lock that turned lights on and off. At the time, Schlage was a citizen of Germany residing in Berkeley, California.

In 1919, Schlage patented a door knob which, when pushed up, locked the door. This was succeeded by a door knob incorporating a push-button lock, patented in 1924. By then, Schlage had moved to San Francisco.

Leaving employment with Western Electric Company in 1920, Schlage opened a shop in San Francisco in the present-day financial district. The Schlage Lock Company was incorporated with a starting capital of $30. In the same year, he applied for a patent for a lock that could be drilled into a door with only two holes. This new cylindrical lock had a single plate, serving as both escutcheon and striker plate, wrapping around the door's edge. It was mostly used on interior doors, where it replaced the older Mortise lock.

Schlage's new company grew quickly and into larger facilities throughout the 1920s. The company was manufacturing 20,000 locks per month in 1925. In 1927, Schlage partnered with a San Francisco businessman and financier, Charles H. Kendrick.

In 1940, Schlage was awarded the Modern Pioneer award given to outstanding American inventors.

Schlage died in 1946.