Pump vs Lever Locks

[mechanical_nightmare]

Hello everyone,

I have seen some sources divide pump locks and lever locks as separate categories, and some seem to group them together. So my question is, are pump locks a type of lever lock, or are they mechanically different enough that they can be considered a separate category?

For example, a Bramah lock has no levers but sliders with corresponding notches that align at a circular shear line. A Fichet 787 has levers and gears, but is called a pump lock like the Bramah is despite having levers. I am confused...

By the way, the following site is a good source for seeing how the Bramah lock works:

http://www.crypto.com/photos/misc/bramah/

[ARF-GEF]

are pump locks a type of lever lock, or are they mechanically different enough that they can be considered a separate category?

I would say yes.

Pump lock are often called taht because of the pumping liek motion (I.E. pushing hte key inwards) instead of turning the key like in other lever based locks.
As for the 787, that is a good questions since it's really such extraordinary and exquisite lever mechanism (the levers are so complexly built in) that it is on the border of the lever locks. It has very few common things with an average lever lock.
So I would say if it has levers and you "read the key" thorough a pushing in motion that is a good indication of it being a pump lock.

The important thing which I look for in case of push locks is that hte levers are placed parallel to the movement of the key.

Pump locks and push locks are also similar, yet there is a distinction but that is a completely different story.

[mechanical_nightmare]

Thanks for the clarification, ARF. Do you or anyone else here have experience picking the Bramah lock? There is an interesting story about its history, regarding when it was first picked by Alfred C. Hobbs.

[GWiens2001]

The Fichet 787 is a pump lever lock with a bit of disc detainer thrown in for good measure. Quite unusual, and an engineering work of art.

Gordon