Luggage locks

A lock bypass is a technique in lockpicking, of defeating a lock through unlatching the underlying locking mechanism without operating the lock at all. It is commonly used on devices such as combination locks, where there is no natural access (such as a keyhole) for a tool to reach the locking mechanism. Because the mechanism itself is not being manipulated, this could technically not be considered lockpicking at all. However, it does fall under the repertoire of techniques used to open locks.

Lock bypass is one of the most important parts of locksmithing, especially with respect to public buildings which must be able to be opened from inside in case of fire, thus allowing the use of “letter box tools” among other techniques. Locks may be bypassed by a variety of other techniques including the “credit card” technique against self closing “latch systems.”

Padlocks may be bypassed by shimming, where one inserts a sprung steel device to retract the spring loaded catch that restrains the shackle.
Locked cars may be bypassed by introducing a stiff wire between the door and the cars structure to operate internal unlocking catches. The previous method may be assisted by gently prying the door from the frame with an air wedge or lever. To avoid bypass, a door should be secured using a “deadbolt” a system, in which the locking mechanism and bolt are operated by the key. This prevents the device from being opened without the locking mechanism itself being properly operated.

A tubular lock pick is a specialized lockpicking tool used for opening a tubular pin tumbler lock. Tubular lock picks are all very similar in design and come in sizes to fit all major tubular locks, including 6, 7, and 8-pin locks.

The tool is simply inserted into the lock and turned clockwise with medium tension. As the tool is pushed into the lock, each of the picks is slowly forced down until they stop, thus binding the driver pins behind the shear line of the lock. When the final pick is pushed down, the shear plane is clear and the lock opens. This can usually be accomplished in a matter of seconds.

Most tubular lock picks come with a “decoder” which lets the locksmith know at what depths the pins broke the shear plane. By using the decoding key after the lock has been picked, the locksmith can cut a tubular key to the correct pin depths and thus avoid having to replace the lock.

In 2004 it was widely publicized that the barrel of a cheap ballpoint pen would act as an effective lock pick for many brands of tubular lock.

Cookham Lock is a lock and weir situated on the River Thames near Cookham, Berkshire. It is owned and managed by the Environment Agency. The lock is set in a lock cut which creates Formosa Island and it is surrounded by woods.

Access to the lock

There is a road from Cookham to Formosa Island and the lock.

Reach above the lock

The river is picturesque and described as Wind in the Willows country. Kenneth Graham based much of his book on this part of the Thames.

Literature and the Media

Cookham was home to the artist Stanley Spencer’s whose works include Swan Upping at Cookham.

The balance lock was a type of lock to transport boats up and down a hillside on a canal.

Boats were to ride in caissons, essentially bathtubs, of water which were to be hauled up and down the hillside by chain, being balanced by another tub of water. It was patented by James Fussell during his work on the Dorset and Somerset Canal.

Chicago Lock Co. is a lock manufacturer. Since 1933, it has sold a tubular lock marketed under the registered trademark “Ace.” Millions of Ace locks have been sold; for instance, these locks are used in Northwestern Corporation’s Triple Play bulk vending machine.

Chicago Lock was acquired in November 1999 by CompX.

A tubular pin tumbler lock, also known as Ace lock or “axial pin tumbler lock” or “radial lock”, is a variety of pin tumbler lock in which 6-8 pins are arranged in a circular pattern, and the corresponding key is tubular or cylindrical in shape.

J.A. Blake is credited with patenting the first tubular lock in 1833. Walter R. Schlage continued the development of the tubular lock. He was awarded 11 patents, and his improvements made the tubular lock what it is today.

Tubular locks are commonly seen on bicycle locks, computer locks, and a variety of coin-operated devices such as vending machines and coin-operated washing machines.

Security

Tubular pin tumbler locks are generally considered to be safer and more resistant to picking than standard locks, though there are several ways to open them without a key. Even though the pins are exposed, making them superficially easier to pick, they are designed such that after all pins are manipulated to their shear line, once the plug is rotated 1/6 to 1/8 around, the pins will fall into the next pin’s hole, requiring re-picking to continue. As such, picking the lock without using a device to hold its pins in place once they reach their shear line requires over a dozen complete picks to unlock and relock.

Such locks can be picked by a special tubular lock pick with a minimum of effort in very little time; it is also possible to defeat them by drilling with a special “hole saw” drill bit. Standard tubular lock drill bit sizes are .375″ (9.53 mm) diameter and .394″ (10 mm) diameter.[1] To prevent drilling, many tubular locks have a middle pin made of hardened steel, or contain a ball bearing in the middle pin.

In 2004, videos circulating on the Internet demonstrated that some tubular pin tumbler locks could be easily opened with the shaft of an inexpensive ballpoint pen (e.g. BIC brand) of matching diameter. Trade website BikeBiz.com revealed that the weaknesses of the tubular pin tumbler mechanism had first been described in 1992 by UK journalist John Stuart Clark (see Kryptonite lock).

Created by Eli Whitney’s ( creator of the cotton gin ) nephews, Eli Whitney and Philos Blake, a mortise lock (also mortice lock in British English) is one that requires a pocket - the mortise - to be cut into the door or piece of furniture into which the lock is to be fitted. In most parts of the world, mortise locks are generally found on older buildings constructed before the advent of bored cylindrical locks, but they have recently become more common in commercial and upmarket residential construction in the United States.

The parts included in the typical mortise lock installation are the lock body (the part installed inside the mortise cut-out in the door); the lock trim (which may be selected from any number of designs of doorknobs, levers, handle sets and pulls); a strike plate, or a box keep, which lines the hole in the frame into which the bolt fits; and the keyed mortise cylinder which operates the locking/unlocking function of the lock body. However, in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries, most mortise locks on dwellings do not use cylinders, but have lever tumbler mechanisms.

The installation of a mortise lock cannot generally be undertaken by the average homeowner since it is labor intensive and requires a working knowledge of basic woodworking tools and methods. Many installation specialists use a mortising jig which makes precise cutting of the pocket a simple operation, but the subsequent installation of the external trim can still prove problematic if the installer is inexperienced.

Although the installation of a mortise lock actually weakens the structure of the typical timber door, a mortise lock does offer more versatility than a bored cylindrical lock, both in external trim, and functionality. Whereas the latter mechanism lacks the architecture required for ornate and solid-cast knobs and levers, the mortise lock can accommodate a heavier return spring and a more solid internal mechanism, making their use possible. Furthermore, a mortise lock will typically accept a wide range of other manufacturers’ cylinders and accessories, allowing architectural conformity with lock hardware already on site.

Some of the most common manufacturers of mortise locks in the United States are Baldwin, Best, Corbin Russwin, Emtek, Falcon, Schlage, and Sargent. Also, many European manufacturers whose products had been restricted to “designer” installations have recently gained wider acceptance and use.

A warded lock (also called a ward lock) is a type of lock that uses a set of obstructions, or wards, to prevent the lock from opening unless the correct key is inserted. The correct key has notches or slots corresponding to the obstructions in the lock, allowing it to rotate freely inside the lock. Warded locks are commonly used in inexpensive padlocks, cabinet locks, and other low-security applications, since they are among the most easily circumvented by lock picking. A well-designed skeleton key can successfully open a wide variety of warded locks.

History

The warded lock is one of the most ancient lock designs still in modern use. It is thought to have been developed in ancient Rome.

Design

In the most basic warded lock, a set of obstructions, often consisting of concentric plates protruding outwards, blocks the rotation of a key not designed for that lock. Warded locks may have one simple ward, or many intricate wards with bends and complex protrusions; the principle remains the same. Unless the notches or slots in the key correspond to the wards in the lock, the key will strike an obstruction and will not turn.

A cylindrical post is typically located in the center of the lock. Its purpose is to provide a point of leverage for rotating the key, and to help correctly align the key with the wards. The key has a corresponding hole which fits over the post.

When the correct key is inserted, it will clear the wards and rotate about the center post. The key may then strike a lever, activating a latch or sliding bolt, or it may itself push against the latch or bolt. In a double action lever lock, the key may additionally push against a spring-loaded lever which holds the sliding bolt in place.

Fobney Lock is a lock on the River Kennet in the Small Mead area of Reading in the English county of Berkshire.

Fobney Lock was built between 1718 and 1723 under the supervision of the engineer John Hore of Newbury, and this stretch of the river is now administered by British Waterways and known as the Kennet Navigation. It has a rise/fall of 7 ft 8 in (2.24 m).

There have been ongoing plans to turn Fobney Island, adjacent to the lock, into a wetlands nature reserve.

A tubular lock pick is a specialized lockpicking tool used for opening a tubular pin tumbler lock. Tubular lock picks are all very similar in design and come in sizes to fit all major tubular locks, including 6, 7, and 8-pin locks.

The tool is simply inserted into the lock and turned clockwise with medium tension. As the tool is pushed into the lock, each of the picks is slowly forced down until they stop, thus binding the driver pins behind the shear line of the lock. When the final pick is pushed down, the shear plane is clear and the lock opens. This can usually be accomplished in a matter of seconds.

Most tubular lock picks come with a “decoder” which lets the locksmith know at what depths the pins broke the shear plane. By using the decoding key after the lock has been picked, the locksmith can cut a tubular key to the correct pin depths and thus avoid having to replace the lock.

In 2004 it was widely publicized that the barrel of a cheap ballpoint pen would act as an effective lock pick for many brands of tubular lock.