Fichet 787 Breakdown photos!

[n2oah]

I got a Fichet 787 and a Pollux lock. Below are some photos of the 787. I didn't break this lock down all the way yet, but I will probably do that later tonight. I now understand how it works.



The back of the cylinder after it is taken out of it's fixture:

Now we take off the two back parts:

As you can see, there are 10 toothy gears in the lock. Every other gear is controlled by a different side of the key.
A close up:

With the key in:


Basically, what happens is that the deep notches in the gears align. Then, the pushing force exerted on the key causes the inner cylinder to push into a groove (much like a sidebar) on the tail piece. The connection allows the tail piece to be turned, and the lock can be opened. Neat lock, eh?
Here is a diagram of the lock:

More detailed photos will be edited in later.

[workstation]

This is really interesting, and aesthetically beautiful. Can we have more photos?

Can you show us how the gears come to be set? I personally am amazed that there are gears! I thought these French push-locks were some sort of variation on a Bramah or maybe pin-tumbler mechanism.

In fact, I don't really get how you use the key. Do you just insert, push, then turn, or is it more complicated?

[n2oah]

You just push it in and turn. I'm setting up the diffusion box for more photos right now

[LostGunner]

Seems kind of similar to a tubular lock in the sense that you're pushing the key into the lock affecting a change. The only difference is that there is a mechanism that transforms the forward motion into circular movement. Seems like defeating it would be somewhat similar to manipulating a safe (if I understand it correctly).

[zeke79]

Very nice high security lock!! Near impossible to pick too.

[ThE_MasteR]

Wow, are those gears ? That lock looks like it has a lot of thinking gone thru it.

[n2oah]

Basically, the "gears" are levers. The levers, which are shaped like an "L", have the gates on the bottom of the L, and the top of the L interacts with the key. I'm still trying to get this thing open, and I might have to e-mail the guy who I got it from to figure it out.
Falle makes a decoder tool for this lock, but it only decodes the lock. After it's decoded, you must construct a key to open the lock. I image picking this lock would be very difficult, as you must push and turn to apply tension. Then, you would need to manipulate each lever.

[zeke79]

I am not sure that lock is to be lockie or user serviceable. I am not sure on that fact though noah. If I am correct then bittings, etc are a factory deal to obtain future keyed alike locks. I am not that familiar with the fichet line so this may not be true.

Once again, VERY nice lock .

[devildog]

The mechanism sounds EXACTLY like an Abloy--key rotates discs to line gates up with a fence, allowing the cylinder to turn which, in turn, rotates the cam.

[digital_blue]

Beautiful lock. Just beautiful.

db

[skold]

I...wow


That lock is amazing.

[workstation]

What's holding the cylinder onto the lockcase in the top photo? Is it just those two screws?

[greyman]

Nice photos n2oah. Just for info, I have a write-up of Fichet 787 (base model) in my book on locks. I am still trying to get a publishing contract, and it's pretty frustrating not being able to get into print when you're ready to go for it

As to how it works, there's a system of levers on a pivot at the front of the lock that receive the steps in the key. The back ends of the levers are toothed to mesh with the cog wheels. Each cog has a gate at one point. Clearly all 10 gates have to line up. The levers turn the cogs in alternate directions. The idea is not really very different from the changeable lever lock invented in the late 19th century, it's just a lot more compact.

What is really neat is the mechanism at the rear that operates the tail piece.

Have a look at the breakdown diagram on protections-vol.com
http://protections-vol.com/fichet787.html

BTW, I don't agree with the idea that one is "picking" the lock with the Falle tool. It's more like decoding the lock while holding all the correctly set levers at just the right height with the tool. You could not do this with manual picks. Plus there is a gateway at the front of the lock that restricts the keyway (look at the narrow part of the key bit). Not taking away from the skill needed to build or use such a tool, but I would say the same thing about any mechanical device that churns through the possible key codes - it ain't picking.

[greyman]

The mechanism sounds EXACTLY like an Abloy--key rotates discs to line gates up with a fence, allowing the cylinder to turn which, in turn, rotates the cam.

Not sure I agree with you on this devildog. In Abloy the key steps are at different angles and work directly on the discs. The Fichet 787 is more like a chanegable lever lock except the gears are always in mesh with the levers.

There's also a subtle but important difference in the way the fence operates. In Abloy the lock won't open until the fence drops into the disc pack. This is not what happens with a Fichet 787, which is driven by the movement of the inner core of the lock. If you try shoving the core forward before the gates are lined up, it just blocks and the tail piece won't pop out.

By the way n2oah, when you do get it dismantled, take care not to let the levers get out of mesh with the cogs or you will find out that the combination is all too easy to change! Send me a PM if you get stuck reassembling it.

[workstation]

It's a shame it's not changable.

I love changable locks.