TOWER Cuffs

I bought a pair of Tower's recently, black iron. They were 'frozen' but with penetrating fluid I got both moving a tad. With Ian's help and some filing I got one opened. The other has about 3/16" play but key stops cold at 7 o'clock position. Should I risk filing the key a bit more? Or any other suggestions would be gretaly appreciated.

Which Model of Tower Cuffs are you working on? Im guessing a Tower Double Lock Handcuff?
-Richard Knip-

To be honest, I am not sure.

It doesn’t seem to do anything when turning the key clockwise.

If you can upload a picture on here, that may help, help you out. Please include the key so we can see how the key is cut.
-Richard Knip-

Did my 2 pictures make it? 

No, the pictures did not load correctly. So here is a quick tutorial on how to add pics to a post on this forum.
1. In the comments section on the post, hit the button at the bottom that says "Full Editor and Preview." That will open you up to a screen where you can enter your comments and signature. At the bottom of that page there is a section that says "Drop Files Here or Add Files."
2. Click on add files or just drag and drop you files (or in this case, pictures), and you will see a bar under "File Name",at the bottom to show them as loading. Once they are loaded, you have to add them to your comments.
3. Go up to the comments you just typed out and signed and put your cursor where you want your photo to be in the comment. It could be in the middle of the comment, in between the comment and your signature or after the signature. Wherever you leave the cursor, your pic will end up there.
4. Go back down to the add files (photos) section. I  included a pic to show you the button to push to add the photo to your comments. The button with the red "X" on it. Click that and the picture will be added into the comments you typed out. If you are adding more than 1 photo to your comments, you will have to click that button for each photo you want to add. When finished, Click "Submit."

Let me know if you have any questions or have any issues after trying this.

-Richard Knip

Here are my TOWER cuffs. I got one to open. The other one will not although I have about 3/16” movement. Any hints are appreciated as I would like to get the both of them working.      Phil Bianchi. 

Ok. So you have a Tower Double Lock Handcuff. Your key looks to be an uncut "blank". Your key starts at the 6 o'clock position. Turning the key counter clockwise to about the 11 O'clock position opens the cuffs from a single locked state. Applying the double lock on these, requires turning the key one full rotation going clockwise. Once the cuff is double locked, the swing arm is frozen into place. It wont tighten and it will not loosen. To undo the double lock you have to give the key 1 complete rotation going counter clockwise. That puts the cuff into its single lock state, again. Then another turn counter clockwise to the 11 o'clock position will unlock and open the cuff. You may have already known this, but I wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page here.

In the cuff you can open, does your key turn both counter clockwise and clockwise? Can you use that key to set the double lock on the working cuff and unlock the double lock, as well? Its possible that the key is not the right cut to use to open the set of cuffs. But, it may work on one cuff, because the internals of the locking mechanism may be too worn down on that cuff to stop the key from turning. The other cuff may have less worn internals and may have a gate (thats not the proper term, but it cannot remember what it is called), that has to have a notch filed into the key to allow the key to pass over the gate when being turned, for the key flag to reach the unlocking 11 o'clock position. Let me know how your key does in trying to set and unlock the double lock in the cuff the key works in. The key stopping at the 7'o'clock position when turning clockwise on the cuff that doesnt open, tells me that the either cut may be wrong or the cut may not be filed deep enough for that cuff, yet.
-Richard Knip-

Which one do you use to describe the 11 o’clock position?

Maybe this will be of some help of what is going on inside.

Very interesting. Thanks.

Thank you for the cut away, Mark! May I ask what the correct term is for what I referred to as a "gate?" The piece that the cut on the key, fits around to allow the key to be turned? I would like to know the correct words to use next time i try to describe it.

Pb123pb, When referring to the 11'oclock position, i was meaning if you are looking at the cuff like this:
The key starts at the 6 o'clock position and would be turned to the 11 o'clock position in a counter clockwise direct to unlock the cuff.
-Richard Knip-

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT LOCK GATES, BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK!

Richard, I will look back to see what your use of the word "gate" is in reference to.
As a locksmith, the only use that I know is mainly used for resetting or opening safes.
The gate is a notch in the wheels (normally 3 wheels) that allows the fence to drop in when the right combination is dialed.
The fence is attached to the lever and once engaged into the gates, the bolt will retract and the safe will open.
When opening a safe with a lost combo, one can drill just above the gates to align them so the fence will drop in.  Optical equipment is usually used.

OOPS, the yellow and green pointers are revered.  I goofed.  Yellow should be green and vice versa.

The only other use for a "gate" is rarely used in the industry but on a high security lock such as Medeco, there are notches along the length of the pin tumbler and when each pin is rotated to their proper angle, the fence or side bar's fingers can drop into each of the gates, allowing he lock plug to rotate.  Note: the picture below does not show the sidebar/fence but it fits into the oblong hole at the bottom of the plug.

Both the safe lock and the Medeco cylinder work on the same principal.

I think that you mean a ward?

Thank you Mark! I have been chatting quite a bit with Mark L., lately. I know the term "gate" had come up in some of our conversation. I see now, i was using the wrong term when I was answering this post. My apologies. I think Glenn has it correct. I think the word I was looking for is a "ward." That sounds really familiar to me. The part name I was searching for is the part that sticks out and requires the notch to be filed into the key's flag. It would slip into the notch that was filed into the key when the key is being turned. Thank you for the assist, Glenn.

-Richard-

Actually, a ward is NOT the right word either.


A ward is a non functioning element of the key.  A ward is a not moving part.  Its purpose is to block the key from turning.  Unless the correct key has a notch or notches cut out along the side that is aligned with the ward, it will not be allowed to turn.  The ward is actually in the lock and not on the key.  A bypass, masterkey or skeleton key has all of the surface in the warded area cut away so that they could be used as a pick to open all locks in a series of locks.  The tip of the key spreads the spring away from the shackle.  Very similar to a Marlin cuff.
Not just padlocks but some vintage door locks use the ward system too.
Because in the case of the Tower key, the notch that you pointed out IS a functioning part of the key, it can't be called a ward.  If cut to deep or not deep enough, the lock will not open.
The "ward" you are talking about is just known as a "cut".  There are 3 cuts to a Tower key because there are 3 levers in it.  My cut-a-way picture shows the top lever.



This safe deposit key has 6 cuts in it  The top and bottom (which stick out the most) are not cuts.  The uppermost part fits in the key hole and the lower part turns a cam which pulled the bolt back once all 6 levers are in the right position.

Hi, i'm looking for a key to fit the towers handcuffs does anybody have one i can buy ?

If you need help with a Tower key you want to contact Ian McColl at Imccoll@dsci.net.au and he can help you.

Spencer

Adding some handcuff tie-backs, in the second picture in the post above where reference is made to the Medeco Cylinder, this is one of the two types of cylinder commonly seen on BOA handcuffs. The pins need to be lifted to the right height as with any pin tumbler cylinder, but then each pin needs to be rotated into the gates. In this respect even though a medeco key looks like a regular key, a closer look shows that the cuts also have an angle to the which rotates the pin into the correct position. The other cylinder type used on BOA's is the ASSA Desmo cylinder, it too has gates. It is uses a slider mechanism rather than a pin tumbler however and once all the sliders are in the right position, the gates line up , the locking sidebar can fall into the gates, and the cylinder is free to rotate.

Ian McColl is no long in business of making keys. If anyone knows of a place to get a key that will work in the Tower double lock place let me know.
Thank you

ironhorsecavalry.in wrote: ↑

Mar 15, 2022

Ian McColl is no long in business of making keys. If anyone knows of a place to get a key that will work in the Tower double lock place let me know.
Thank you

I may be able to help you if you are still looking for a Tower key. I’ve made a few now for myself. Email at rejones68@yahoo.com and put TOWERS KEY in the subject line if you’re still looking. Ron J