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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Cleveland, Ohio USA
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    1,433
    Country: United States

    Default What Was He Thinking

    When I ran across this patent a few years ago I just had to laugh. This "over the top" vault door was actually an attempt at solving a problem with big round vault doors. That being the amount of swing space needed in order to open the door. I don't imagine too many of these babies were sold. Doug
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Pillard DD Round Door.jpg  

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Devon UK
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    3,117
    Country: UK

    Default

    It always amazes me that they made round doors at all and that they worked reliably. Considering how over engineered they were, it seems little more effort to have a double door instead of a single. I would love to see one if it ever existed.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Seattle WA
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    Default

    This guy didn't go with the "KISS" concept.

    The round door was a very simple idea that we know worked well for some cases several decades. But as was pointed out took a bit of room for the swing. The other downside was the ease of service.... not. 20+ ton door takes a bit of specialty tools to work on. They are cool to look at.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
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    Cleveland, Ohio USA
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    Country: United States

    Default

    Definitely cool! Maybe I reduced the picture too much because it is fuzzy and looses some of its ridiculously funny visual effect. And I should have added a standard round door for comparison. I am not sure, Tom by what you mean when you say that round doors were over engineered but in this case that statement is certainly true. Doug

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    ohio
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    Country: United States

    Wink

    this thing is sweet...lets build a scaled-down version for fun...you know...in our spare time. Thanks for posting Doug...these things are cool to check out.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
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    Cleveland, Ohio USA
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    Default

    While I have considered making a miniature Matt I don't think I want to deal with that one. I can barely stand to look at the patent drawing. Here is another round door patent to compare. Doug
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_0007.jpg  

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    1,485
    Country: United States

    Default

    The round vault doors were probably easier to make, in that size and at that time, than any other shape. Round is indeed simple and reliable, I am not aware of any successful breakin through such a door. Usually a vault is compromised by tunneling underneath (e.g. Baker Street robbery - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia or Albert Spaggiari - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), or occasionally by extreme cleverness (such as The Untold Story of the World's Biggest Diamond Heist).

    More modern manufacturing allows rectangular openings and floor-level sills, and electric/electronic alarms (actually, the rapid response they enabled) removed the need for such massive doors.

    That patent is interesting because it discusses one way to construct the hinges. One of many patents that describe the door itself is 816,049. I have a small pile of similar patents if anybody really wants to build a model!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    55
    Country: United States

    Default Dottling just did make a miniature...

    You can go to Dttling - Finest German Handcraft - since 1919 and click on Colosimo. Very cool, don't know how much he is asking for one. Anyone know the cost?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Mid Michigan
    Posts
    139
    Country: United States

    Default Very pretty - very pricey

    Think I'll have to pass on this, would be cool to own one though!

    "The safe comes with mounting equipment as well as a luxury finishing, and the quality people have come to trust from Dottling. Price for the Colosimo is $23,800.

    Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com."

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    1,485
    Country: United States

    Default

    Yes, very pricey. I downloaded the PDF and looked closely. Mostly impressive work but I was disappointed with some of the rounded edges on the bolts and gears, and the jeweling on some of the parts. I'd also like to know the purpose of the ring of black screws around the opening. Still, if somebody gave me one, I'd keep it.

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