One King West, Toronto

[VaultDoors]

I was wondering, assuming someone is accidentally locked in the vault. How does one open it from the inside? I can see how one can disable the time lock by pushing the actuator connected the lock, but then how are the bolts retracted? I see no mechanism to do this from the inside.

Here's a better close-up of the time lock actuating device:



It is spring loaded and has a collar similar to its opposite end where it penetrates the time lock housing:



This time lock requires 70+ Lbs of pull/throw so perhaps this device is used to engage the actuator (long bar) as they line up when the door is closed.

[Adrian Weber]

The Vault Door anatomy document you did is magnificent thanks!

[VaultDoors]

Can anyone help identify the devices mounted on the One King West vault door frame in these old pics?

Update - The 'devices' are not part of the vault door frame, they are attached to the grill work. Notice the device on the right moves to the left when the grill door is closed. They may be part of a track system for the grill door to slide open and closed.

[VaultDoors]

From these 1KW videos, it appears all the boxes have been removed from the (upper) Safe Deposit Vault and the only ones remaining are in the Coupon Room. I have not been able to find any pics of the (lower) Treasury Vault.

Update - The Dominion Bank Building, Toronto article published in Construction magazine, 1914 has the most complete history of the One King West Hotel and Vaults discovered to date. The article details the construction of the building, vaults, and vault doors and confirms the vault doors and vault walls were electrically protected. The walls are described as being fire proof, drill proof, shock proof, water proof, and acid proof, and the doors are described as being 'steam tight'.

Here is the One King West rectangular Treasury Vault located in the sub-basement which has a combo viewer or 'illuminated dial-case':





Here is a pic of the Safe Deposit Vault located in the basement with lowered vault door and entrance platforms, glass panel, and all time lock movements sans the long actuator bar and flag:



Here is a pic of the interior of the Safe Deposit Vault which had over 1,000 safe deposit boxes:

[VaultDoors]

It has been years since I looked down the comb peekhole and just can't remember much about it. But regarding alarms and electrical contacts, just about anything is possible here. Holmes worked with Hollar on electrical locking devices earlier in his career and electric bank alarms go back as early as the Civil War days. And in the early 1900's, it was not unheard of to utilize booby traps, thermal contacts against burning attacks and such. There was a hidden gun turret in one of the statues outside the building that was recently removed. Doug

A machine gun emplacement under an exterior statue is shown in this article from Popular Mechanics, March 1931. I'm not sure which Fed Reserve the article depicts since the NY Fed does not have exterior statues and the Cleveland Fed has exterior statues but I don't think it has a revolving vault. Perhaps this is just an example of various elements employed at Federal Reserves during this period.





VaultDoors

[Tom Gordon]

The machine gun in the picture had no defensive protection nor suitability for shooting in the direction drawn.
It does seem somewhat fanciful to have moving statues and the artist clearly didnt quite know what he was meant to be drawing, so I think it must have just been a very fun idea.

[VaultDoors]

The machine gun in the picture had no defensive protection nor suitability for shooting in the direction drawn.
It does seem somewhat fanciful to have moving statues and the artist clearly didnt quite know what he was meant to be drawing, so I think it must have just been a very fun idea.

Here are three unofficial sites describing the statues defense features, albeit anecdotal evidence:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=6998.0

http://clevelandhistorical.org/items...0#.UwWT0fldWSo

http://rustwire.com/2009/11/02/the-m...-of-cleveland/

[VaultDoors]

Here are three unofficial sites describing the statues defense features, albeit anecdotal evidence:

Here is another unofficial account of the statue defenses posted by wylk in another thread: https://web.archive.org/web/20080313...cle.asp?ID=265

[Tom Gordon]

Here is another unofficial account of the statue defenses posted by wylk in another thread: https://web.archive.org/web/20080313...cle.asp?ID=265

Yup, it makes a lot more practical sense that gun turrets would be in the base of the statues and pointing towards an approaching raging mob, (or Sat night revellers as they call them in Cork) which is very different to the picture above.

[Adrian Weber]

Very interesting pictures Vault Doory!