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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
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    Country: United States

    Default Corbin "SP" CO. Padlock....

    I'm sure all have seen this padlock. I has is for a long time trying to impression this padlock. Also was hard to pick because these are ball bearing pins. I just got to point by looking at other padlock on eBay that look like my until I found one key that has key cut stamp. Thinking about it and went a head to cut the key by 0-9-0-9-0-9. Surprise me that key work. Now got a working key to open this padlock. I think that most of Rail Road padlock that look like my ma come in key code 0-9-0-9-0-9. I have see three or more of it on eBay same cut.....Tmothy....
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Corbin SP CO. RR Padlock B.jpg   Corbin SP CO. RR Padlock A.jpg   Corbin SP CO. RR Padlock C.jpg   Corbin SP CO. RR Padlock D.jpg   Corbin SP CO. RR Padlock E.jpg  


  2. #2
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    Country: Wales

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    Good job, looks a nice lock. What are the ball bearing pins that made it harder to pick?

  3. #3
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    Oct 2013
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    Country: Australia

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    Corbin sometimes used ball bearings in the pin stacks, as a means of minimising wear and tear on both keys and key pins in locks subjected to heavy usage. In my experience, it is often limited to the first few pin stacks in a lock, closest to the front of the keyway.

    Where a standard pin stack would have a spring, a driver pin & a key pin, Corbin would have a spring, a driver pin, a key pin and then a ball bearing.

    I've not found that the ball bearings make picking more difficult, however the Corbin locks I found them in were made to very fine tolerances, which obviously does make picking more challenging.

    I suspect it is more the high-low-high-low bitting pattern in the padlock above that made it hard to pick, than the ball bearings.

    I've never tried to impression a lock with ball bearings in the pin stacks. On one hand their shape might make them leave more subtle marks than a pointy key pin, but on the other hand ball bearings are very hard & should impress well upon the softer blank. I'd be interested to hear if they marked well or not!

    ...Mark

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
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    Country: Australia

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    Just after pressing send, I remembered that these padlocks use the Corbin master ring system, and thus have two independent shear lines - this would certainly add to difficulty when picking or impressioning!

  5. #5
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    Jan 2013
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    Country: United States

    Default Corbin "SP" CO. Padlock....

    Mercury
    You gave good information about ball bearing. As talking about impression it was hard as don't show to much mark to see. The only reason this one so hard because of the way it set the pins up. I have done a few padlock that does have ball bearing in it was not too bad to do it but take time. I'm just glad I finally got this padlock with working key....Timothy.....

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2016
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    90
    Country: Canada

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    Nice job Timothy!

    I have two of these locks, one is three pin with a key and the other seems to be a 5 pin lock without a key.
    Yours looks like it has 6 pins.
    Is there that much of a variation to these locks?
    I am not that good at picking yet and have not been able to open the 5 pin lock.

    I find it difficult to make out the number on the key blank. Is it ILCO 1001DA?

  7. #7
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    Country: Wales

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    Thanks for that mercury, nicely explained it's an interesting concept with the ball bearings and have never heard of it before, cheers,

  8. #8
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    Jan 2013
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    Country: United States

    Default Corbin "SP" CO. Padlock....

    Candado 3
    Yes is it 1001DA for six pins The first time was thinking as five pins by using five pins key blank but found out the first one was a no cut "0" with five cut 9-0-9-0-9. Need to feel your pins by using the pick tool to be sure using six pins key blank.

    HUW
    They do have them in Corbin cylinder lock, Russwin lock also have it. Don't know of any other lock manufactured use it ..Timothy.....

  9. #9
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    Thanks Timothy, can't recall seeing them over here or mention of the ball bearings combined between the pins before, it's an interesting one, cheers.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
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    Tonawanda, NY, USA
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    Quote Originally Posted by Huw Eastwood View Post
    Thanks Timothy, can't recall seeing them over here or mention of the ball bearings combined between the pins before, it's an interesting one, cheers.
    From Corbin Russwin Cylinder/Keying Parts & Service Manual, earlier versions originally edited by the late Anthony "A.J." Hoffman, pg. 55:
    You will find a ball bearing at the bottom of pin stacks in some or all chambers of Corbin and Russwin cylinders manufactured from about 1902 until the mid 1960s. The oldest cylinders have a ball in every chamber. The number of balls was gradually reduced until only the front two chambers had them. The purpose of the balls was to reduce wear on the pins. As harder brass became available, wear became less of a factor, so usage of the balls was eventually phased out.

    In my personal experience, I have found that after heavy usage over a period of many years; that the balls often developed a "flat" at the point where they met the top pin. This slight amount of wear could make the key more difficult to turn since the pin was then a tad below the shear line due to the slightly reduced diameter of the ball.

    Pete Schifferli

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