Diebold Safe & Lock Co., Canton, Ohio - 3 movements, Type 1
A possibly unique example of a Diebold case finish done in nickel plate. The early locks featured the company rosette logo on the snubber plate as well as cases that had custom floral designs. Later versions lost the rosette logo on the snubber plate and the case design was supplanted by a standard geometrical deco design. Look closely at the upper horizontal case edge, there are the numbers 1, 2, and 3 stamped above where each movement is mounted below. Other examples of specialty finished time lock cases for Hall, Consolidated, Dalton and Sargent & Greenleaf.
The photo above shows the ordinate nature of the movements. The pins are staggered to match the mating holes on the rear movement plate so as to keep them in a particular order. Sargent and Greenleaf first introduced modular movements on a production-scale in 1889 and they too had their movements uniquely pinned and arranged in a non-interchangeable fashion as in this Diebold example, however they introduced interchangeability between movements by 1895, the year Diebold introduced this model. To drive this point home the upper case lip also had numbers 1, 2, and 3 above each movement's location, see second photo. In other words, these time locks did not yet have truly interchangeable movements. Later in the production run, movements became interchangeable, see last example below, and the pins were removed, however Diebold did not remove the now unnecessary numbering on the upper lip for the production life of all of their decorated cases. Only after the introduction of their plain satin bronze case after WWI were these markings removed. The type of font the company used for their name on the acid-etched glass changed over time. Compare this to the other examples on this page.
Model - Type 1, 1895. This was the style first type of lock introduced by Diebold. As with many of their other locks this company took case design to a high level. Diebold used an acid-etching method instead of the conventional milling technique to make their intricate case designs, which otherwise would be cost prohibitive. These cases were also gold plated. (see other two, three and four movement Diebold cases). However this lock has a nickel finish and is the only one known to this author. Unlike many other time lock makers, Diebold was an established safe and vault maker. Their time locks were made to coordinate with the rest of the design theme that would be found on the inside vault door surfaces of Diebold designed products. Imagine how beautiful this must have looked, industrial form morphing into art! These early models had no internal bolt dogging mechanism, but used a bottom release lever. Usually this configuration would be used with an automatic bolt motor, where the time lock would simply trip this motor. However, in the case of Diebold it could also be used to simply move a lever that released the bolt works. This was possible for the firm as their locks were used with their safes and vaults so they could design the strength needed to move the bolt precisely to the time lock. This example has the very early 'rosette' logo on the snubber mounting plate and earlier style floral design on the case.Equipped with signed E. Howard movements. In 1902, when E. Howard exited the time lock business, Diebold switched to identical looking,unsigned movements made by Seth Thomas. The low case and movement numbers indicate this example to be very early in production. Case #14, E. Howard movements #51, #127, #161. file 194
Model - Type 1, c. 1895. This was the style first type of lock introduced by Diebold and features their gold plated floral case finish along with the company rosette logo on the snubber mounting plate. While the movements in this lockare not consecutively numbered, these are likely the original installed from Diebold sinceeach movement is exactly 13 numbers apart from each other. Case #180, E. Howard movements #610, #623,#636. file 5
Trademark registration by DIEBOLD SAFE & LOCK COMPANY for the trademark DIEBOLD. Serial Number: 71459652: Registration Number: 0404085: Mark Drawing Code: 3000: Illustration: Drawing or design which also includes word(s)/ letter(s)/number(s) Law Office Assigned: 000: Timeline. 1922-10-05: Date of First Use: 1943-04-06: Application Filed. For maximum security, do not use numbers ending in 0 or 5 and do not use numbers in a rising or falling sequence (for example, 35-50-75-90). A sample combination that conforms to these guidelines is 37-19-53-46. These instructions pertain to dial safes that have a 4 digit combination. 1) Start by turning the dial to the right a minimum of 4 turns and stop on the first number. First number:. 2) Turn the dial to the left passing the second number twice, stopping on the third time. DieboldDirect is proud to bring you our expert vault repair and service program. With 150 years in the business and GSA certified technicians across the country and some with the ability to go international, our certified master locksmiths can open locked vaults, adjust doors, repair hinges, and more. They can also service Mosler, Hamilton, Compusafe, GSA certified safes, and Bank Lock safes.
The purpose of this section is to assist you in identifying what type of safe and/or lock you have, or at least tell you what to look for — before you call. This will allow us to help you with both residential and commercial safe lock issues. It will also help you to determine the procedure for changing electronic safe lock codes or determine the correct dialing procedure for your mechanical combination lock.
If you are in West Michigan or Central Michigan call Hoogerhyde Safe. But first — please do your best to identify the type of lock you have or the type of problem you are experiencing by reading the information below! If you call us without first attempting to identify the lock or problem, we will direct you to this page anyway. There are too many questions to ask for a brief phone call. If you are still having trouble after that, call us while you are standing next to your safe and we will help you.
Mechanical Combination Safe Locks
What Kind of Combination Lock Do I Have?
The following points will help to identify which type of mechanical combination lock you have:
- Look for identifying marks on the lock dial
- Look for a safe manufacturer’s name and/or model number on the safe door
- Is the safe relatively new or does it seem to be 40 or more years old? More than 100?
- If it is 40 years old or less, a safe serial number might help — look for one
- How many numbers are shown on the dial?
- Can you tell whether the lock system is direct entry? (See below)
- Do you know the proper dialing procedure?
- Are there dialing indicator marks at 12:00 and 11:00 positions, or only at 12:00?
- Is the dial plastic or metal?
- Where did you get the safe?
- Remove the back panel of the safe door. If you can see the lock, you can usually find information either embossed on the lock cover or on a paper label. Warning: Do not remove the lock or the lock cover!
Group 2 Locks: Over the last 40 or so years, the most common type of combination lock on good quality safes is a Group 2, or a lock that mimics a Group 2. This is a security certification, a rating for burglary deterrence which is awarded by Underwriters Laboratory based on extensive testing. The largest manufacturers of Group 2 locks are Sargent & Greenleaf (S&G), LaGard (LG), Diebold, and Mosler. These manufacturers sometimes put their names on the dials of their locks; other manufacturers rarely do.
Group 2M, Group 1, and Group 1M Locks: U.L. awards these certifications for locks that achieve even higher security levels, again based on extensive testing. Group 2M, Group 1 and Group 1M locks are uncommon but sometimes used by banks, credit unions, jewelers, etc. It is unlikely that you have one of these.
Direct Entry Lock Systems: Many cheap safes and old safes use what is called a direct entry lock system. These are all less secure than Group 2 locks. There are several ways to identify one of these:
- Put some pressure on the safe’s opening handle and then turn the lock dial. If, through the handle, you can feel the lock turning, then it is a direct entry lock.
- Some direct entry units use a key or thumb-turn along with the dial; the key or thumb-turn, rather than an opening handle, throws the safe bolts. You can usually feel the dial turning when you put turning pressure on the key or thumb-turn.
- If the safe has only a dial and not a separate handle, then it is also a direct entry lock.
Old Safe Model Locks: Old safes (before Group 2 locks became the standard for good security) had numerous types of combination locks. Likewise there were many different dialing procedures. Most modern lock dials have 100 numbers; older locks may have only 60, 50 30 or 25.
The above information should help you determine what type of combination lock you have, or at least narrow down your search. If you are still unsure, call us while you are standing next to your safe.
For typical dialing sequences, go to Mechanical Combination Lock Dialing Procedures.
Precisely Identify the Problem with the Combination Lock
Answering these questions will allow a locksmith or safe tech to give you the best assistance when you call. Here are the most common problems with combination safe locks:
- Lost combination?
- Lost operating instructions?
- Are you certain you are using the proper dialing procedure?
- Damage from break-in or vandalism?
- Did it just suddenly stop working, or was there a minor problem that gradually kept getting worse?
- Is the dial hard to turn, does it feel normal, or does it feel like it is “free-wheeling”?
- Is the dial stuck and not moving at all?
- Does it feel like the lock is working properly but the door still will not open?
Electronic Safe Locks
There are more types of electronic locks than dial types. Even though they have only been around for about 20 years, a number of them are obsolete with no exact replacements available. Some models do nothing more than unlock with just one user code. Some have multiple user codes, time delays, alarm capabilities, etc. Electronic locks are more delicate than dial locks: Keypads can wear out, liquids can short out the electronics, battery wires get pinched or broken, they are easily damaged when bumped, etc.
Diebold Safe Serial Number
What Kind of Electronic Lock Do I Have?
The following points will help to identify which type of electronic safe lock you have:
- Look at the face of the keypad for some kind of brand identification. Sargent & Greenleaf (S&G), LaGard (LG or Basic), Secure Ram, Kaba, Mas Hamilton, and American Security (Amsec) locks are usually identified on the keypads. Some keypads show model numbers but most do not. Many have no identification at all, which makes the safe model critical.
- What is the code entry procedure? Lock manufacturers typically have their own unique unlocking pattern. For example: If you start by pushing C, then 6 digits, and finish with #, it is probably an Amsec ESL 5, 10 or 20; six digits followed by # could be a number of locks but the most likely is S&G; hitting nothing except six digits is probably Lagard; if you start by turning an outside ring back & forth before entering the code it is a Kaba; if you turn an outer ring after putting in the code, that narrows it down.
- What brand and model safe is it? Typically modern safe manufacturers will only use specific brands of locks on their safes, so knowing the safe model will help narrow your search.
- If the safe brand and model are not known, where did the safe come from?
- What shapes are the keypad and buttons? Is the keypad round, square or rectangular? Are there three rows of four buttons or four rows of three buttons, or something else? Are the buttons round or square? Are they smooth membrane-type buttons, or do they stick out?
- Does the keypad have any other differentiating factors? Is there a key hole near or under the keypad? Is there an LED screen on the keypad? Are there two silver battery contacts on the left side of the keypad? How many LED Dots are on the keypad, if any? Are the buttons on top of the keypad rather than on the face? Is there a fingerprint reader?
- Can you tell where the batteries go?
- Does it use 9-volt batteries or AA?
The information above should help determine what brand of electronic safe lock you have, or at least narrow down the possibilities. If you are still unsure, give us a call us.
What Is Wrong With My Electronic Safe Lock?
The number one most common reason for problems with electronic locks is battery issues. Try new batteries before calling! The only two types of batteries to use in safe locks are Duracell and Energizer alkaline. Store brand batteries, lithium, rechargeable and other types or brands do not work consistently, and can possibly damage the lock.
The number two biggest problem is that the lock does not work at all after changing batteries. This is caused by either putting the batteries in backwards, or by breaking the battery connections. Be careful when changing batteries!
After you’ve ruled out battery related problems, answering the following questions will allow a locksmith to assist you efficiently when you call. Here are the most common problems with electronic safe locks:
Diebold Safe Model Numbers
- Did the lock stop working all at once or gradually?
- Are there just one or two buttons that don’t work, or are they all dead?
- Was it damaged by break-in or vandalism?
- When entering the code do you get “normal signals” in the form of beeps or lights?
- Do you get lights, beeps and maybe a “click” but it won’t open?
- Can you hear a motor run?
- Is the lock completely dead?
- Do you get multiple beeps after entering the code?
- Do multiple beeps interrupt you in the middle entering the code?
- After entering the code does a light flash every few seconds?
Call Us if You Still Need Help.
Diebold Safe Serial Numbers
When you have answered these questions you are ready to get help. If you are in West or Central Michigan, call Hoogerhyde Safe. We are in the business of helping people with safe and lock issues. We appreciate your business and look forward to hearing from you!