Unknown Sidebar Door lock

Dean Nickel

Found this lock online as a salesman sample. I do not know who made it or even what part of the world. The key will work in the cylinder from eather side if you turn the key over. The key will go in eather direction. The key pattern is reversed as you can see in the picture. The pins and lock body are such that I think that this might be a prototype but I can’t be sure. Have you seen this lock? When the key is put in the lock the sidebar is allowed to be pushed into the cylinder and the bar on the mortice deck can move out to unlock the knob.

Dean Nickel

It has been posed to me that this might be one of the first Medeco protypes. Any thought on this?

LocksNPhones

From the pins, I’d agree it could be a Medeco prototype. That’s a pretty cool lock!

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

Halflock wrote
It has been posed to me that this might be one of the first Medeco protypes. Any thought on this?

While the pin chambers are similar to the original Medeco door lock cylinders I’m afraid the similarity ends there. You can note that there isn’t any way for the key to turn. I have seen this cylinder before via an email a couple of years ago but was not able to find a patent.

There was an Asutralian (IIRC) lock within the last 20 years that had much the same method of operating in that the key was just inserted and the moving of the knob or lever would then operate the lock.

We also have to remember that the first prototypes of the Medeco mechanism were very different from door lock cylinders as they were designed primarily for an automotive application. The larger zinc diecast plug had a steel insert that controlled the rotating of the pin tumblers.

The first Medeco prototype door lock cylinders, 8 of them, were all marked with the squared letters logo and the image of a micrometer. On the third page of the cut away and advertising page of my museum site you can see the type of logo on item 3D.

http://www.1st-net-lock-museum.com/ca3.htm

It may be possible that the medeco patent cites could lead back to the patent for this cylinder but i didn’t get that far back when I was searching as I got sidetracked.
BBE.

[unknown]

Dean Nickel

I am good with this not being a Medeco prototype. I just hate not knowing.

You are right in that the cylinder doesn’t turn or move as it has no plug. Also the key has no angle cuts.

Thank you for that lead.:8):