Road Trip Lock Sightings

[MacGnG1]

Well... Coulda been worse if the key was broken in the off position!

[MrScruff]

Maybe someone "accidentally" broke their key in the lock.

[MacGyver101]

I passed by this shop in Hong Kong earlier this evening:

I think this has to be the largest set of padlocks holding a single door shut that I've ever seen. (And it didn't appear to be configured to allow any one of them to open the door individually: it looks like you need to take all four of them off!)

[Evan]

I passed by this shop in Hong Kong earlier this evening:

I think this has to be the largest set of padlocks holding a single door shut that I've ever seen. (And it didn't appear to be configured to allow any one of them to open the door individually: it looks like you need to take all four of them off!)

Looks like its a shop run by five guys...

Need all five to open and close...

They can all work together as a group but they don't trust each other enough to only allow one lock on the door so everyone can share copies of the same key...

~~ Evan

[femurat]

Maybe these padlocks are just sitting there. they may be used on different doors or windows when needed.

just a thought

[MacGyver101]

Maybe these padlocks are just sitting there. they may be used on different doors or windows when needed

It's probably not so clear from the photo -- but each padlock is attached to a set of plates that are sandwiched on either side of the glass door, preventing it from opening.

I'm giving 50:50 odds that it's either a really paranoid shop-keeper, or (given the combination of keyways) a member of this site.

[Anavaree]

Just thought I would post my own little discovery. Not so much a road trip as I found these locks in my companies electrical sub-station, but I don't usually go in there. These panels are brand new and the old ones didn't have locks.





I can't mess with the keys since it will likely shut down part of my building. Just thought they were interesting.

~Jesse

[mcsteve]

Nice find. That's a Kirk-key interlock setup. The top row of three locks side by side likely do nothing by themselves, they just hold the keys. Typically those setups would be used to keep two sources of power from being connected at the same time. For instance, you might have to turn off a breaker to remove a key from it, and then place that key in one of the grouped locks. Turning the key will allow you to remove a different key from the group, which would then be used to turn on a different circuit breaker. Sometimes they can also be set up to ensure that an electrical or mechanical room only has power when the door is closed and locked. There are many uses, and unlike various types of electronic interlock, they're pretty failsafe and easy to use with anything that can have a key lock installed.

[Anavaree]

That's essentially what was explained to me. We have 6 switches in that substation. I guesse we can tie them together any which way we want.

[Anavaree]

Found another odd lock, well nothing special, at work. on the control pedestals for some of our machines.

All brass, was very easy to pick, riffle pick and 5 seconds and done. 4 pins.
~Jesse

[Dpruente]

MacGyver, I don't think that would ever go down in a u.s. airport, and if it did, I'd be in stern protest of the molestation I get because of stuff like that lol

[Evan]

Nice find. That's a Kirk-key interlock setup. The top row of three locks side by side likely do nothing by themselves, they just hold the keys. Typically those setups would be used to keep two sources of power from being connected at the same time. For instance, you might have to turn off a breaker to remove a key from it, and then place that key in one of the grouped locks. Turning the key will allow you to remove a different key from the group, which would then be used to turn on a different circuit breaker. Sometimes they can also be set up to ensure that an electrical or mechanical room only has power when the door is closed and locked. There are many uses, and unlike various types of electronic interlock, they're pretty failsafe and easy to use with anything that can have a key lock installed.

For anyone who is interested in more information about the Kirk interlocks here are some useful links:

<< External Link to Kirk SD series interlock device webpage >>

<< External Link to Kirk interlocks scheme book .PDF file kirkschemebook_09.pdf >>

The above links will show you the types of locking devices used in the interlock schemes as well as schematic diagrams of how and why interlocks would be useful to control electrical energy in an industrial environment for worker safety to service/repair the machines or prevent two sources of energy being connected to the same load at the same time...

~~ Evan

[Wizer]

There is one or two of these on every block of flats. They are key safes for emergencies. I bet that atleast firemen and paramedics have keys for these. There are Protec, two different High Profiles, and a Sento. These are found in Vantaa, Finland.

[femurat]

Very interesting Wizer, thanks for sharing

Here in Italy we prefer to put the spare key under the doormat or in the postbox Seriously, usually a friendly neighbour or the caretaker has spare/emergency apartment keys.

Cheers