What type of security device was inventor Ken B. Smith developing in 1971?
Answer
A U-bar lock design
Around 1971, Ken B. Smith was independently working on a U-bar lock design, which coincided with the efforts of the students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This simultaneous development illustrates a period where rising urban theft rates were creating shared environmental pressures, leading different innovators to independently arrive at the same solution of using a robust, non-cuttable loop to secure bicycles.

Related Questions
Where did the concept for the modern U-lock originate in 1971?What type of security device was inventor Ken B. Smith developing in 1971?Why was the name Kryptonite chosen for the bike lock company?In what year was the Kryptonite Lock Company formally established?What was the primary purpose of the Kryptonite New York Disc Lock?Who is credited with designing the chemical deterrent known as the SkunkLock?How does the SkunkLock deter bicycle theft when it is attacked?During which years did the SkunkLock receive significant public attention?How does the philosophy of the SkunkLock differ from the Kryptonite U-lock?What was the main engineering goal of the original U-lock prototype?