JCinPA
Member
I don't know why safes are so fascinating, but ever since coming here for help with my lock, I've been reading your posts and looking at web sites. It's probably a guy tool fascination, I suppose, we like tools, cars, anything mechanical.
Anyway, I've become very curious about this clutch drive thing for safe door handles. I don't want to make this brand specific, it's a feature question. Most manufacturers of RSCs anyway (don't know about real safes) tout a clutch drive mechanism so burglars cannot break the lock by forcing the handle. They also tout cam-drive linkage so banging on the bolts won't transfer force to the lock.
One manufacturer touts their cam-drive linkage, but then says they don't use the clutch drive because it could cause a lockout if you carelessly slam the door with an obstruction in it and quickly and forcefully throw the bolts home. You'll jam the bolts against the door jamb and the clutch drive won't let you retract them.
Questions:
Well doesn't banging on the handle with a hammer then transfer that force directly to the lock? The cam-drive prevents that with the bolt banging on the lock, but don't you then kind of nullify that advantage by allowing one to bang on the lock via the handle? Maybe I don't understand the issue.
What do the real burglar safe manufacturers do? Clutch or no clutch?
Finally, as a safe tech, how many lockouts do you see caused by this clutch issue? I would think you'd have to be very careless indeed to slam your safe door on and obstruction and jam your boltwork. I would think not having the clutch drive is a solution in search of a problem. But what do I know?
Thanks, it's fun having a real safe technician around for this stuff. Complete waste of time on my part, but these are fascinating to me.
Anyway, I've become very curious about this clutch drive thing for safe door handles. I don't want to make this brand specific, it's a feature question. Most manufacturers of RSCs anyway (don't know about real safes) tout a clutch drive mechanism so burglars cannot break the lock by forcing the handle. They also tout cam-drive linkage so banging on the bolts won't transfer force to the lock.
One manufacturer touts their cam-drive linkage, but then says they don't use the clutch drive because it could cause a lockout if you carelessly slam the door with an obstruction in it and quickly and forcefully throw the bolts home. You'll jam the bolts against the door jamb and the clutch drive won't let you retract them.
Questions:
Well doesn't banging on the handle with a hammer then transfer that force directly to the lock? The cam-drive prevents that with the bolt banging on the lock, but don't you then kind of nullify that advantage by allowing one to bang on the lock via the handle? Maybe I don't understand the issue.
What do the real burglar safe manufacturers do? Clutch or no clutch?
Finally, as a safe tech, how many lockouts do you see caused by this clutch issue? I would think you'd have to be very careless indeed to slam your safe door on and obstruction and jam your boltwork. I would think not having the clutch drive is a solution in search of a problem. But what do I know?
Thanks, it's fun having a real safe technician around for this stuff. Complete waste of time on my part, but these are fascinating to me.