What kind of lock...

[UJ]

Okay, I'm going to be flat out honest with everyone so you don't think I'm trying to be shady or do illegal stuff.

I explore abandoned buildings, which yes, is illegal, but disregard that because it has nothing to do with lockpicking (we don't break in), and we don't vandalize the places. That aside.. there's an old psych hospital down the street from me that we frequent. Now, I know a little about picking locks, cause my friend half-taught me with his kit, but I don't know a lot about locks. You guys, on the other hand, do.

I'm thinking you might need a picture (which will be hard to get with crappy lighting, so I figured I'd ask first), but I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the lock/deadbolt system used in psychiatric hospitals. Most all of the doors are unlocked, and there's ways around the ones that aren't, so rest assured I'm not asking how to pick these locks, so again, nothing illegal aside from the whole trespassing issue. But usually in these buildings you can find some sort of key, and when I have a key I can somewhat understand a lock. This building, however, is void of keys, so I look at these locks and have no idea wtf is going on in there. I can't help my curious nature, espcially since I love keys and such so much. So, just wondering if anyone knew anything about these lock systems (they would be from roughly 1950's) and would be willing to clue me in since I can't seem to find anything on-line, and you guys all seem knowledgable.

So. Any questions, just ask. And thanks in advance.

[UWSDWF]

pictures and any words or numbers on the face

[Schuyler]

yeah, locks tend to vary pretty dramatically. Well, brand-wise anyway.

Does the keyway vertical or horizontal? On the off chance it's horizontal, we'll be getting somewhere in figuring it out.

[VashTSPD]

and fill in your profile so we know where you're from, European vary from American locks.

[UJ]

Okay, didn't know to check all that. We should be heading back sometime this week/weekend so I'll check on all of that. I'm pretty sure the keyholes are vertical, though. And I'm in the US, but I'll fill out my profile anyway.

I'll do my best to take a good picture of one, I read some of the tips in one of the topics, so hopefully I can get a good shot.

Thanks for the replies so quick guys.

[n2oah]

Hey, I'm also a fellow urban explorer. Welcome to the site, and I must say that you're lucky to have a asylum down the street from you!

I'm going to take a wild guess here and say the lock is a sargent keso, but there's no way to tell without pictures.

[xxgonzoxx]

Out of curiosity, which psych hospital is it?

[UJ]

Oh yay! I steered clear of the term urban exploration for fear people might not know what I was talking about, but yea that's it. I'm lucky enough to live near Detroit, but the hospital is an older one in Northville.

I see you're in NJ and I'm a little jealous cause the east coast is chock full of amazing hospitals, but I love Detroit immensely.

Anyway, back to locks. I'll take pictures next time we're there and post em. I've been trying to see if I could get one out of one of the doors to open it up and check it out but they're in there well. Granted, it is a psychiatric hospital. There's deadbolts on both sides is all I know. But anyway, pictures soon.

Thanks.

[Schuyler]

Hey, I'm also a fellow urban explorer. Welcome to the site, and I must say that you're lucky to have a asylum down the street from you!

I'm going to take a wild guess here and say the lock is a sargent keso, but there's no way to tell without pictures.

I'd be surprised, but I'd be pretty stoked to see that. I have this fear it'll be something mundane

[xxgonzoxx]

Wayne Counnty Child Asylum????


Keep in mind that what you are doing is trespassing and it is against the law. If you got caught trespassing and they found a set of picks on you, you'd be opening a whole new can of nuts.

The rule of this forum:

Don't pick any lock you rely on, and never pick a lock you don't own unless you are given specific permission to do so, even during urban exploration.

Having said that pics of the locks would be interesting though.

[UJ]

Wayne Counnty Child Asylum????


Keep in mind that what you are doing is trespassing and it is against the law. If you got caught trespassing and they found a set of picks on you, you'd be opening a whole new can of nuts.

The rule of this forum:

Don't pick any lock you rely on, and never pick a lock you don't own unless you are given specific permission to do so, even during urban exploration.

Having said that pics of the locks would be interesting though.

No.

I know not to carry pick sets when I'm exploring. And anyway, most of the locks don't need to be picked, and the doors that are locked can be gotten around other ways. I was just curious as to what kind of locks they are, how they work, etc. I hadn't ever seen any like that except in psychatric hospitals so I was just wondering if someone here was knowledgable in the area of "hospital locks", haha.

Someone told me they were 7pin BestLocks, but I'll still get pictures to show you guys.

[n2oah]

Someone told me they were 7pin BestLocks, but I'll still get pictures to show you guys.

They're probably not. Unless the asylum was from the 21st century, surely, they are not Best brand locks.

[2octops]

Why could they not be Best locks? Best has been around a very long time and considering it was a hospital, they probably have had the locks upgraded since the building was originally built.

It's possible that the locks could be Best, Sargent, Segal, Corbin Russwin, Schlage, Lockwood, Yale or even Weiser.

Carry a camera with a flash and you should be able to get some good pics. Take pics of the locks along with the latches. The mfg usually has their logo or name stamped into the latch area.

By the way, also check to see if they are mortise or cylindrical. Also do they have knobs or lever handles?

[raimundo]

corbin, is my guess, based on the 50s era. also in psych hospitals, the important doors are probably also controlled by a solenoid strike plate, so that the door can be buzzed open or closed from a station. in an abandoned site, this would require some portable electricty. learn to put pieces of metal over the top of the strike hole to keep the snap latches from trapping you. make a cross from the top of a cat food can, wide as your thumb on one cross piece, and long as your finger on the other, the long,(finger) crosspiece can then be bent down on both ends, and the ends pushed into the strike hole, you can even recurve them backward to lock into the strike plate, the bending close to the wide(thumb) cross piece will strenghen the bridge that the thumb cross piece makes over the strike hole, You cut the can lid with a tin snips, or if its aluminum, use an old dull sissors. try it in a strike plate to prove the dimensions,
these strike hole caps can be carried flat in the wallet, and bent when you need to apply them. sometimes you may need to also tape them in place, and you can carry a piece of tape on a stickproof paper (like stamps come on) along with the strikecap. Do not try ducktape accross the door to hold the latch in, just cover the strike hole on the door frame.

[Schuyler]

make a cross from the top of a cat food can

I love when your cat gets a mention