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Thread: Emergency Doors

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  1. #1
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    Timbo,

    This suggests a major protocol violation to me. It was my impression that emergency doors were supposed to be opened each day along with the main door (and closed at end of day) to preclude exactly this sort of problem. Or am I being a bit too idealistic/misinformed?

    ---------- Post added at 10:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:56 PM ----------

    I found a very nice image of an emergency door at 23 Wall Street, NYC. This was constructed by J.P. Morgan. Because of copyright concerns I'll just post the link:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyshilife/5452295475/

    Apparently the hinges were adjusted a tiny bit "high" because of wear marks at the top of the door and receptacle.

    The very impressive main door is shown here:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyshilife/5452905580/

    Any thoughts on who manufactured them?

  2. #2
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    Wylk, My first guess would be York with Remington Sherman as a second guess. IIRC, York bought out Rem-Sherm, but I think that door was before, probably made in the 1920's. It has a lot in common with the Cleve Fed York door. Using the emergency door for ventilation duct was a fairly common practice. If it wasn't used for that reason, I seriously doubt the door would be regularly opened in many banks. But it should have the same combs as the main door. And that other odd round door postcard is one I haven't seen before. That one was probably pre- WW to overcome the current patented ideas. I have a couple pics of emergency doors I will post as soon as I can. Doug

  3. #3
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    Wylk, thanks for the reply. I don't know how often these emergency doors should be opened or even if there are any regular instructions for doing so. This isn't the only one that I have been to with this problem. It's the third one that I have had to sort out and strangley, the same company !!! Obviously to my mind, they don't instruct staff to check these on a regular basis. Stupid really when you can imagine the cost of a full gain entry to one of these vaults.

  4. #4
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    Default emergency doors

    Timbo you quote
    "It's the third one that I have had to sort out and strangley, the same company !!! Obviously to my mind, they don't instruct staff to check these on a regular basis."

    Im aware the drift off topic I hope its not to far off though!

    Don't you think that its the general standard as ever... it doesn't make money standards of staff training in the security area are lax in many areas. We installed main and emergency doors up till the late 60's early 70's and one UK bank had an emergency door in most of its larger branchs in major UK towns and it would not have happened then as there were strict rules and regular banch inspections of staff and protocols to follow. In as much as if the keys had been out of the key holders sight; the locks were altered. But you are probably aware of this as a locksmith this where most of us spent a lot of time changing locks and altering levers.
    Regards to All Ant

  5. #5
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    Hi Ant,
    I think you are right. In the past, all these vault locks would have not only been checked but the combination codes changed on a regular basis. I guess its the same all over now, unless it goes wrong, don't waste time checking it. But in case of vaults, it can be a very costly mistake for just few minutes work.

    Regards
    Tim

  6. #6
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    Of the very few facilities with emergency doors at major banks that I worked upon, none where operational when I first entered the building. In some cases staff were not even aware the door existed or what it was for !

    A few moments talking with a manager after a near-lockout on a Chubb Treasury crane hinge door soon rectified that !

  7. #7
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    Hi Paul,
    The last one I did, I had to open from the inside by manipulation. Once opened the staff did'nt want to know the combination but locked off the dial in the unlocked position When I told them this door was therefore not secure, I was told "thats o.k. theres a grille gate on the inside".
    As if this is as secure as a proper vault door with 2 com locks on !!!! Takes all sorts I suppose.
    Tim

  8. #8
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    Today I found an eBay auction for photographs of a Mosler emergency door, the seller (modernohio) claims 1950, and a model from the RE-200 line. I'm not too interested in buying these but they are relevant to this thread:

    Click image for larger version. 

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  9. #9
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    Here is the last of the jamb-controlled vault door patents I could find:
    1878 - US204814 BURGLAR-PROOF SAFES (Jamb Combination)
    1885 - US315612 LOCK MECHANISM FOR SAFES (Jamb Combination)
    1886 - US342004 BURGLAR PROOF SAFE (Jamb Combination)

  10. #10
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    Click image for larger version. 

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    Earlier we were discussing emergency doors doing double duty for ventilation. I found an image showing an emergency door with a built-in fan. Presumably you open the door, swing the fan over the opening and turn it on. At the end of day, turn off the fan, swing it over, and close the emergency door. It's rare enough to find images of emergency doors and this is the first one I've seen with an integral fan.

    Found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrispo...in/photostream apparently in New Haven, Connecticut. Unknown maker.

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