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Von Duprin was started in 1908, when, according to Ingersoll Rand, it introduced the first “panic release bar” in response to a need for protecting life safety while providing security. Indianapolis hardware salesman Carl Prinzler missed a scheduled visit to Chicago’s Iroquois Theatre in 1903, escaping the disaster where 594 people perished when the “fireproof” theater burned.
Obsessed with the needless loss of lives, Prinzler was determined to solve the problem of public buildings that often turned into death traps when doors were locked to keep gate crashers out. Prinzler teamed up with Henry DuPont, an architectural engineer, who invented the first working device.
The initial model was marketed by Vonnegut Hardware Company under the name Von Duprin, a contraction of the words Vonnegut, DuPont and Prinzler.
For more than 100 years, Von Duprin has been manufacturing exit devices. The 88 Series crossbar exit devices still manufactured by Von Duprin have similar appearance characteristics to the original design, although there have been significant engineering advancements.
Jumping ahead to the 1970s, almost 40 years ago, Von Duprin introduced electric latch (EL) retraction for specific models of their pushbar exit devices. The electric latch retraction provides remote access control using a power supply and switch mechanism. When power is provided, the solenoid retracts, pulling the latching mechanism to the unlocked position, while at the same time, retracting the pushbar. Mechanical egress is always available by pressing the pushbar when the latching mechanism is engaged.
