When Were Doorknobs Invented?

Although it is difficult to provide an exact date of when door knobs first came into use, the first documentation of the invention of a door knob was in 1878. The U.S. Patent Office received a submission made for improvements on a door-closing device by an African American inventor named Osbourn Dorsey.

What was used before doorknobs?

Before door knobs and handles were invented, people used a bolt or a lock to keep a door shut. Only the wealthy could afford a lock and key. Most people used a latch-string - making a small hole in a door and threading a leather thong or string through, which could then be looped around a wooden bar.

When were lever door handles invented?

China or ceramic knobs were mainly imported from France and England until the first U.S. patent was granted for making door knobs out of potter's clay, and cast-metal knobs were introduced around 1846.