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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Posts
    90
    Country: Canada

    Default SAFE PTPK Padlock

    I was disassembling an old SAFE brand PTPK padlock the other day to clean it and make a key for it.
    I was surprised to find ball bearings in the lock.
    From further research I think that the lock was made for SAFE Padlock and Hardware by Corbin Cabinet Lock Co. See http://antique-padlocks.com/ptpk_l_p-s.htm
    I am including photos.
    Hope this is some interest to somebody as I have not seen mention of ball bearings in a PTPK padlock before.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Safe PTPK2.jpg   Safe PTPK4.jpg   Safe PTPK5.jpg   Safe PTPK6.jpg  

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Tonawanda, NY, USA
    Posts
    900
    Country: United States

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by candado3 View Post
    I was disassembling an old SAFE brand PTPK padlock the other day to clean it and make a key for it.
    I was surprised to find ball bearings in the lock.
    From further research I think that the lock was made for SAFE Padlock and Hardware by Corbin Cabinet Lock Co. See http://antique-padlocks.com/ptpk_l_p-s.htm
    I am including photos.
    Hope this is some interest to somebody as I have not seen mention of ball bearings in a PTPK padlock before.
    I'm told that back in the day, Corbin Cabinet Lock Co. made all the padlocks for other American Hardware Corp. divisions including P & F Corbin, Russell & Erwin Mfg. Co. (now Corbin Russwin) and Safe Padlock & Hardware Co. (closed in 1981). In 1987 Corbin Cabinet Lock was sold to the Eastern Co. and the successor company, CCL Security Products; is still in business. Ball bearings were used at the bottom of pin stacks in all or some chambers of their pin tumbler products from about 1902 until the mid 1960s to reduce wear on the pins.*

    *Adapted from Locks and Lockmakers of America, rev. 3rd ed. (c) by the late Thomas F. Hennessy and Corbin Russwin Cylinder Manual, 6th ed. by the late A.J. Hoffman.

    Pete Schifferli

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    california
    Posts
    339
    Country: United States

    Default

    corbin did use ball bearings in there pushkeys,i have only found 2 in the ones i have. 1 only had 2 balls left and was hard to shim, this one has all four
    Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	19359and shimmed pretty easy

  4. #4

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by nathanbonstein View Post
    corbin did use ball bearings in there pushkeys,i have only found 2 in the ones i have. 1 only had 2 balls left and was hard to shim, this one has all four
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	0206181200_Film4.jpg 
Views:	12 
Size:	1.81 MB 
ID:	19359and shimmed pretty easy
    Your photo's have me confused. From the order in the layout trays it appears that the ball bearings are between the bottom pins and the drivers. If that is true they would be ineffective for their purpose. For them to be effective they would have to be positioned in the stack so that they would touch the key. The reason they used the ball bearings was to eliminate the wear of the N/S keys on the brass pins.
    BBE.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    california
    Posts
    339
    Country: United States

    Default

    when i make the key they will be in the correct location,i apoligize for the confusion,

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    california
    Posts
    339
    Country: United States

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    Click image for larger version. 

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Size:	1.69 MB 
ID:	19360keeping this lock so very light cuts ,reassembled and the lock works good

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Posts
    714
    Country: United States

    Default SAFE PTPK Padlock

    This is nice information and some idea of what all push key padlock look like. Hoping we get more to come.....Timothy.......

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