Eagle Supr Security IRS Padlock

[Adrian Weber]

This is an Eagle Supr Security IRS Padlock that I wanted to share with you. In my opinion an interesting piece and my first IRS padlock. I would also like to have an IRS pancake padlock but these obviously sell for a lot of money.

I have also attached the Patent and the mentioning in the Padlock Handbook.

Adrian

[Dean Nickel]

I have the rim cylinder of that lock cylinder type. I will find the pictures and post them so you can see the plug.

[Pschiffe]

This is an Eagle Supr Security IRS Padlock that I wanted to share with you. In my opinion an interesting piece and my first IRS padlock. I would also like to have an IRS pancake padlock but these obviously sell for a lot of money.

I have also attached the Patent and the mentioning in the Padlock Handbook.

Adrian

From Locks and Lockmakers of America, Rev. Third Edition by Thomas F. Hennessy, pg. 12:
In 1961, the Eagle Lock Co. came out with a new line of locks called "Supr-Security". These were one of the first line of high-security locks which were virtually pick-proof and the keys could not be duplicated on standard key duplicating machines. These locks were invented by Frank Testa, an engineer at Eagle Lock Co. (Patent #3,035,433, May 22, 1962). These new "Supr-Security" locks included padlocks, jimmy-proof locks, cam locks and rim and mortise cylinders. These locks were quite successful, but they could not be masterkeyed.

Pete Schifferli

[timof5stars]

Funny you should mention...I just dropped out of the bidding on this one over at eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190940324736...84.m1431.l2649

Currently at $45 - I was amazed when I saw this a few days ago. Aren't these called "Bell" keys?

I wish I was a little more flush with cash but I've been saving up for the big tomato:

http://tinyurl.com/gotlockyep

[Pschiffe]

Aren't these called "Bell" keys?

The Supr-Security key is indeed a derivation of the old "Bell Lock" design which used wiggle-cut sidewinder type keys although the mechanism is different. The Supr-Security added wafer tumblers and a side bar to the Bell-type tumblers for increased pick resistance.

Interestingly the same Eagle Lock Co. had acquired the rights to manufacture the Bell Lock line in 1949. Originally patented nearly a century ago in 1920, one of their most famous uses was on the old Mills Novelty Co. slot machines.*

Although little known, the Bell Lock is still manufactured today by Login Parking who I suspect purchased the tooling from Lori Corporation. The current application is primarily for parking meters and gaming applications. See link:
http://www.loginparking.com/securityproducts.html

*adapted from Historical Research Series #15, May 1985 by Thomas F. Hennessy.

Pete Schifferli

[Adrian Weber]

I have the rim cylinder of that lock cylinder type. I will find the pictures and post them so you can see the plug.

Would be very interesting to see that Dean

From Locks and Lockmakers of America, Rev. Third Edition by Thomas F. Hennessy, pg. 12:
In 1961, the Eagle Lock Co. came out with a new line of locks called "Supr-Security". These were one of the first line of high-security locks which were virtually pick-proof and the keys could not be duplicated on standard key duplicating machines. These locks were invented by Frank Testa, an engineer at Eagle Lock Co. (Patent #3,035,433, May 22, 1962). These new "Supr-Security" locks included padlocks, jimmy-proof locks, cam locks and rim and mortise cylinders. These locks were quite successful, but they could not be masterkeyed.

I still have to get this book Pete thanks for posting this info!
I was yet not able to find a patent number on this padlock design but the padlock handbook handbook describes it pretty well I would say.

You are really bidding on this timo? Nice

The Supr-Security key is indeed a derivation of the old "Bell Lock" design which used wiggle-cut sidewinder type keys although the mechanism is different. The Supr-Security added wafer tumblers and a side bar to the Bell-type tumblers for increased pick resistance.

I once heard that the inventor from EVVA 3KS was inspired by this Eagle Lock. Not sure if that is true or just a rumor though...
Pete, I asked already but where can I get this Historical Research papers?

Adrian

[Pschiffe]

Pete, I asked already but where can I get this Historical Research papers?
Adrian

Adrain,
The Historical Research Series numbers about one hundred and were published periodically by Lock Museum of America, Inc. I have been a charter and life member since it opened in 1972 and one of the benefits was receipt of those documents. Thus I have most, but not all of them. I have heard that founder Tom Hennessy, Sr., who is probably in his late eighties, is presently in a nursing home; thus there will likely be no future editions. Tom Hennessy, Jr. is curator of Lock Museum of America and I suspect they should be able to provide a listing of the various Historical Research Series together with their charge for copies. The museum has a part-time staff and limited resources and thus may be slow on responding to inquiries, but you could try. Here is a link to their website which is sadly, quite out-of-date:
http://www.lockmuseumofamerica.org/home.aspx

Pete Schifferli

[Adrian Weber]

Thank you very much for pointing me in the right direction! I was not even born in the 70's yet and my hobby started in my early ages as a young boy at the beginning of the 90's. I am a bit too young for these series I believe. I will try to contact them :)

[timof5stars]

Pete,Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post. As I've posted in previous threads I'm very interested in the history of padlocks and their production. In most topics I become interested in, the Internet provides a huge treasure trove of information. Not so much with padlocks. There is a little here, a little there and many small snippets from people like yourself that appear on forums like this. In the 10-12 months since I first became interested in old padlocks, I have not found the wealth of information I would have expected to find. I only recently became aware of Hennessy's book ("Early Locks and Lockmakers of America"). Since it is long out of print, I located a used copy published in 1976 by Nickerson & Collins (by something they identify as their "Locksmith Ledger Division" - I assume they published documents highly specific to locksmiths. I'm also assuming the author of this more lay-person oriented book was Hennessy, SR not JR.) Until your comment, I had not made the connection between Hennessy and the Lock Museum. I am slowly learning who the players were but I have come to the conclusion that a fair amount of historical information is being lost - i.e. people such as Hennessy believe preservation of this information is important but we need a couple thousand Hennessys. For example, I believe there have to be former employees of Eagle Lock out there who could tell their stories but I haven't seen any. I personally would love to be able to have a resource for most model of Eagle locks. What were their dates of manufacture. Who were the target markets for these models and when and why were they discontinued. When I come across a "new to me" Eagle lock such as the subject of this thread, I'm not just interested in its immediate physical appearance. Each lock contains a story (or more likely a set of stories)... why it came to be, what problem(s) it solved, etc. but t these stories are very elusive.

[Arcade Al]

By coincidence I was looking at this modern Euro lock on Ebay earlier
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fab-Dynami...-/261320076531
And it struck me that the keys look remarkably similar...