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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Chalfont, PA
    Posts
    8
    Country: United States

    Default Norman Lock cylinder

    Hello Fellow Lock Collectors,

    Does anyone have the Patent Number of the Norman Lock Cylinder?

    Thanks,
    Maurice

  2. #2

    Default Re: Norman Lock cylinder

    The patent, 3,968,668 was issued on June 13, 1976.
    BBE.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Devon UK
    Posts
    3,117
    Country: UK

    Default Re: Norman Lock cylinder

    and what is the Norman lock cylinder please?

  4. #4

    Default Re: Norman Lock cylinder

    The Norman cylinder was invented by Norman Epstein and produced by his Pragmatic Lock Co. It was a High Security and environmentally friendly lock cylinder. High Security because it couldn't be picked and key blanks were not available. The mechanism consisted of a number of rotary discs inside the cylinder and each disc had embeded in it a ball bearing. Once all of the ball bearings were aligned end to end the mechanism was effectively longer and could then cause another ball to engage and ultimately the cam/tailpiece could be turned. It had a cast, curved blade key that was double bitted. Norman typically demonstrated the lock at conventions by having it buried in a fish bowl of sand. He would pull the lock out of the sand and give it to you with the keys and they would work smoothly after you poured the remaining sand from the lock.

    Norman was a very interesting and intelligent guy who passed on a few years ago. I think the cylinder has been out of production for around 10-15 years.
    BBE.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Chalfont, PA
    Posts
    8
    Country: United States

    Default Re: Norman Lock cylinder

    Hello BBE,

    Thank you very much for posting the patent number.

    Sincerely,
    Maurice

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Seattle WA
    Posts
    1,327
    Country: United States

    Default Re: Norman Lock cylinder

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Gordon
    and what is the Norman lock cylinder please?
    I am looking for one of these with a key. I have one without a key but blanks were only made at the factory.... :cry:
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Norman High security9.JPG   Norman High security2A.jpg  

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Posts
    29
    Country: United States

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Halflock View Post
    I am looking for one of these with a key. I have one without a key but blanks were only made at the factory.... :cry:

    What is the patent number on this version pictured of the Norman cylinder. The patent number a few posts up doesn't match this one. I have this same exact one looking for a pdf of the patent on this version.

    Or any other info in this one.

    Thanks Richard

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Seattle WA
    Posts
    1,327
    Country: United States

    Default

    It would appear that the lock was upgraded later in 1987. The first patent doesn't look anything like what the lock latter appeared as.
    Attached Files Attached Files

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Posts
    29
    Country: United States

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Halflock View Post
    It would appear that the lock was upgraded later in 1987. The first patent doesn't look anything like what the lock latter appeared as.
    Thanks the for patent looks real close except the key isn't double sided.
    Lucky you had that magazine article that seems to be the only exact view of this lock to be found. :)

    Richard

  10. #10

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MrWizard View Post
    Thanks the for patent looks real close except the key isn't double sided.
    Lucky you had that magazine article that seems to be the only exact view of this lock to be found. :)

    Richard
    As happens as often as not, the production model of a lock only implements the overal mechanism features of a particular kind of lock. In the case of the Norman cylinder the overriding feature was the alignment of the ball bearings. It is very likely that making the key with two separate bitted blades that were parallel added a cost factor that the market would not bear. Consequently the key and mechanism to align the ball bearings was changed to produce a better production cost. That change was then documented in the later patent for the overhead door lock. Norman is probably one of the few that ever had one of the cylinders that match the patent drawings.

    I have an example of the cylinder shown in the above photo, an example of the overhead door lock and one blank key in my collection. The overehad door lock was actually being produced by the Waterbury Lock and Specialty company just before they decided to close the doors and the key for those locks was brass with a curve to match the cast nickle plated zinc keys used in the cylinder. It's my understanding that Waterbury only made a dozen or so of the overhead door locks before closing their doors. The one I have was used in testing and shows signs of that, but it is still a very rare lock. I will attempt to find it and take a picture in a few weeks.
    BBE.

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