Posted 6 years ago
tigerlily7…
(1 item)
Brass key. We have a bet as to what it goes to and I am having no luck finding anything like it in the internet. Does anyone here know? Please help! Thanks!
Help! What does this go to? | ||
| Unsolved mystery items20923 of 96466 |  |  |
As long as you asked, I will give you my words of wisdom gathered over 7 decades. I wouldn't share this with just anyone, but you asked.
It goes to a lock.
Sorry but I couldn't resist. Hehehehe!
fhrjr2,
Hahaha... That is definitely great words of wisdom! I am going to write that down in my journal of "Great Words of Wisdom". Thank you!
Thanks for the giggle!
tigerlily7805, I wasn't putting your post down. I just can't resist making someone smile and get a laugh.
No clue .................Old safety deposit box brass key ????
fhrjr2,
Oh, I know you weren't putting it down... I was serious about making me giggle :)
I remember in the 60's they used to give you a key at supermarkets to go to their locked chest and see if it opened the jackpot fortune !~
PhilDMorris is mostly right. The grocery store keys weren't actually brass or bronze, they were plated.
What an interesting key, with a very unusual shape and 'cut'. I've never seen anything like it, but just to guess I'd think it might have some industrial/security application...? (a watchman's clock, or something in a power plant/machinery control facility, or something like that??) It doesn't really strike me as anything with RxR origin, but maybe??
The type of lock this would operate is a rotating disc lock. The biggest lock manufacturer of this type of lock that comes to mind is Abloy. A lock company that began in Finland and after many corporate mergers is part of the ASSA-Abloy group. An international company. If it is an Abloy key, it's probably pretty old. The shape of the bow (head) is different than their modern keys. But is could also be a key to a lock that was/is a knockoff of Abloy.
Anyway, a rotating disc lock has round discs lined up inside. Each has an opening for the key to pass through. The openings are half round, hence the shape of the key's blade. As the key is rotated it rotates the discs. Each disc is rotated only as far as the angle of its cut in the key. The outside edge of each disc has a notch at a particular position so that all of the notches are lined up with each other when the correct key it turned. Further rotation of the key causes the plug of the lock to rotate and a small rod (sidebar) enters the notches allowing the key to rotate and open the lock. The wrong key will not line up the notches and the sidebar prevents the key from turning any further.
This type of lock cylinder can be found on many different types of locks. From house lock (very common in Finland) to padlocks, lockers, switches, etc.
-- Earth
Very cool, Earthling! That sounds like a more sophisticated version of the innards of an old Scandanavian lock, yes?
Yes, UncleRon. They're similar. Emil Henriksson, an office machinery mechanic from Helsinki, got his idea in 1907 and his design was patented in 1919. That same year he founded his company Ab Lukko Oy, or Abloy as it is now known.
Examples of early Abloy keys can be seen by going to Google Images and searching for "Abloy Classic Key". Their later keys are similar, but no longer half round.
-- Earth
Cool. Tkx!