Old 4 sided key and lock

[a_gunslinger]

Trying to find info on these and how god awful difficult to pick they might be. Is off an old bus farebox I purchased:

Type of key (I think). I ordered this off ebay and off course it seems to go in, but not engage/work



Goes in this type of lock:



Thanks!

[bitbuster]

pick the lock one side at a time.

[Squelchtone]

I tried to pick one of these at an outdoor antique swap meet once and after an hour I gave up. I went home and looked up just how the 4 sided mechanism works, and then realized it was not a wafer or pin tumbler lock in the traditional sense. I also didnt know which way to apply tension in order to unlock it, for all I know I could have been turning the wrong way for an hour, although I tried picking it in both directions.

take a look at this patent drawing.. http://i.imgur.com/wclIAT5.png you'll see some pivoting elements that the key presses up against and if your wavey key cuts match the depth of the internal pivoting pieces then they pivot as you insert the key and esentially unhook from the lock body so that the plug and key can turn. an even earlier patent for similar mechanism by same inventor: http://i.imgur.com/nCqV5cJ.png

The reason your ebay key isnt working is because it is probably cut to work in another Cleveland lock, and the wavy pattern on the key doesn't match the shape/size of the bits inside your lock.

good luck with your project!
Squelchtone

[GWiens2001]

Those Cleveland 4-Way locks are very tricky to pick. Had to send one to FarmerFreak to pick for me.

The locking mechanism, to my way of looking at it, is a lever lock. There are two levers per side (eight total levers), but each lever is parallel to the keyway, instead of perpendicular as is usual in lever locks.

Gordon

[a_gunslinger]

Thanks for the replies. In short - it aint happening? ;^)

[GWiens2001]

Buying a key off ebay. Unless you can see the code on the lock, and on the key, then you are just as likely to find a key for a Yale padlock by randomly buying a key on eBay. It may work, but most likely, it won't.

Gordon

[GWiens2001]

Buying a key off ebay. Unless you can see the code on the lock, and on the key, then you are just as likely to find a key for a Yale padlock by randomly buying a key on eBay. It may work, but most likely, it won't.

Any chance of a picture of the fare box?

Gordon

[kwoswalt99-]

Wow, and for so long I thought all these were was a standard cruciform pin tumbler lock. I'll be on the lookout for them now.