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Historical Perspective
"Technical Data" is really a pretty far reaching term and can really go on forever. What we present here is information of an historical perspective from the point of view of the lock technician.

Key Charts
It is not the purpose of this site to publish a compilation of Key Charts or Key Codes where this would duplicate currently available information. Where charts are presented it is because they are generally unavailable elsewhere or because we are using them for illustrative or comparative purposes as in the case at right.

Tools and Publications
Some of the early locksmith tools will be shown, and finally a list of publications that we have found useful in our research.


Technical Data for Antique Car Locks and Keys

Information for the Locksmith or Technician

key shapes for baird locks
The drawings above represent 24 shapes of Baird keys and were taken from a Reed Code Book. One of the problems that might be associated with these double-sided keys was that of classification, and their representation as images. This is typical of the information available to the technician.

The technician tasked with making a key from the information given above was faced with other problems. The suggestion was to cut out the picture, affix it to a keyblank and carefully cut the key without cutting beyond the outline. This could be a difficult process, and of course with no copiers in the 1920s, the page had then been defaced as well.

Compare this to the chart below, also from a Reed Code Book, which defines 50 different single-sided keys reduced to numbers. In this case only one image "might" be required - one that shows the specifications for the different depths and spaces. Twice the information in less than half the space.

briggs and stratton code page

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