VingCards

These
cards are used primarily by hotels, and our quite unique. The lock is a ma
trix ofof32like
[sort
pinsa vax...].
which haveTwotwoofpossible
these arepositions
special and
eacharen't really used in the
keying.
and
driver
Theparts,
remaining
except
30 that
are constructed
all the drivers
out ofarestandard
the samepinlength and all the pi
ns are theupward
pointing
same [the
length.
springs
The pin-driver
are underneath]
combinations
in a sort
sitof matrix about 1.5 inche
s on aball.
steel
side.The
Above
entire
eachmatrix
pin-driver
is enclosed
combination
in a *plastic*
sits a
assembly, part of which
may
canbeslide
familiar
"forward"
with the
[i.e.keys:
awaywhite
from plastic
the user].
cards
Someabout
of you
3 inches long with a bu
nch"clicks"
it
The
of holes
lock
combination
forward
in one opens
end.
is set
Pushing
thebylocking
inserting
this mechanism.
intoa similar
the slotcard,
untilonly half as long, into
the
theopening
*back* card
of theandlock.
has part
This of
cardtheishole
the matrix
same thickness
cut out.asA juxtaposition of thi
s combination
the
front closes
cardthefrom
matrix:
the back
i.e.and
if you
the overlay
key cardthe
fromcombination and key cards i
n their*exclusively*:
left,
opening configuration,
i.e. wherethere
thereare
is anohole
openonholes
the combination card there is
complement
solid on the
of the
key proper
card, and
keyvice
cardversa.
is theThus
combination
the
card. This is enforced by t
he placement
the
sliders and
of top
the plate,
ballbearings
so a workaround
and pins inlike
relation
a cardtowith all holes cut out or
The
a solid
combination
card does
cardnotslides
open in
thebetween
thing. the conical pin ends and the steel ballbe
arings
The
key[and
cardiscomes
thusinharder
over the
to push
balls,
in and
thanits
thethickness
key card].pushes the balls under i
ts soliddown,
pushed
regions
whendownward.
the lock is
So open,
each pin
theassembly
same amount,
is be it by the key card hitti
ng the
the
actual
ballbearing
pin downward.
or theClarification:
combination card
Letwedging
us define a "1" pin as a hole in the
the
opening
opening
card.
cardThus
andaa"0"
holepininsits
the combination
under a solidcard.
portion
A 0 pin
of opens as follows: S
incesteel
the
the combination
ball, the keycard
card lets
pushes
the the
pin ball
rise [and
up against
its pin] down to the bottom of
the keycard
Simple.
Here's
slot.
theThis
magicbrings
-- a 1that
pinpin
opens
to in
itsthe
shear
following
line. fashion: Since the co
mbinationoncard
directly
theiscombination
solid there,
card,
theand
steel
theball
pin underneath
is sitting is *already* at its she
ar line.
the
ball is
If pushed
a soliddown
keycard
against
portion
the combination
arrives overcard
thisand
ball,
*pushes the entire area
not
of only
the combination
that pin's shear
card down
lineunder
but probably
it*, lousing
a fewuparound it. Although a clever m
echanism, this
combination
carddepends
to work.
on Note
the elasticity
that as theofkey
thecard is inserted and removed, the
randomly
combination
untilcard
thewill
keycard
be flexed
comes to
up rest
and down
at its opening position. [Correction to
All
Hmm.]
above:
thiseach
happens
pin within
really the
has confines
*three* possible
of the sliding
positions.
*plastic* frame; this part c
arriesThe
pins.
thestationary
two cards,part
the underneath
balls, and this
the top
contains
halvesthe
of drivers
the
and springs. A me
atalgapplate
justbolts
big enough
down onfortoptheofkey
thecard.
sliding
If the
piece,
screws
leaving
holding this plate were to
sit
become
too high
loose,up,theandplate
the lock
wouldwould
rise not
up, open.
the keyAllcard
thewould
positioning is done by the
ofthickness
their slots.
of theTherefore
keys while
a piece
they of
restthin
against
cardboard
the surfaces
will not serve as a duplicat
e key.cut
sign,
We identically
found that two
andpieces
used together,
of plasticwere
"dothick
not disturb"
enough to position things co
Arrectly
It
o@rough
isoFront
oBack
hoped
ando that
otop
open
oview:
o@ the||
<Q#OHdiagram
[]
>lock.
=_=housing
=balls
keycard
comb.
slider
pins
driver/
spring
stationary
toponcard
plate
asm
HHHHHHHHHHHHH
the
Pin
-right,
>mechanism:
Front
QQ#
QQ###[]####[]####[]#################
QQQQQ||QQQQ||QQQQ||QQQQQQQQQQQQQ
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
________________________________
QQ
with
OOOOOOOO
[]< its
> HHHHHHHHHH
[]three
< > []
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
example
< > HHHHHH
##Back
pins,
QQwill
## QQsho
w sufficiently
too
far, and ifthat
two solid
if twoplaces
holes coincide,
coincide the
thepin
entire
willcombination
rise
card would be
pushed downthe
underneath
by combination
the ballbearings.
card for
There
it to
is sag
sufficient
down andspace
foul the shear line; it i
s normally
against
theheld
underside.
upward This
by thediagram
pins' may
spring
be misleading
tension
if it is not understood th
at the of
height
balls
approximately
are actuallythree
larger
cards
thanstacked
shown;upi.e.
equals
the the diameter of the ballbe
aring. There
keycard
and the
is combination
a thin layercard,
of slider
whichplastic
separates
between
them and
the retains the ballbeari
The @'s in the top view are the two magic pins. These prevent the lock from work
ngs.
ing aatbit
are
allthicker
unless than
a combination
the othercard
pinsisandinserted.
do not have
Theyballbearing parts. The sli
der above
pins
have nothing
the combination
to do with
cardtheslot
keycard.
here isThey
solid,
simply
so hold
thesethe lock shut if no c
ombination
with
a keycard.
card Therefore
is installed,
if one
regardless
were to make
of what
a combination
is done
card that only pushe
d down
if
one inserts
these pins,
a solid
a solid
combination
keycard card,
would the
work.lock
Andis already open before you ins
ertopen
to
anything.
the door
[This
withisjust
a useful
abouthack
any tool,
that will
in case
allowyouanyone
are crashing lots of peop
le in amore.
making
room,Naturally
don't haveyour
enough
security
keys,isandcompromised,
don't feel but
likeonly those who know wha
t's slider
The
going onhaswill
a bracket
be ablebolted
to getonin.]
to it, which reaches down toward the doorknob
through
and pushes
it. This
a moveable
joins two
sleeve
sections
with aofsquare
a three-section
hole
split shaft together, whi
ch allows
knob
is "hardwired"
the outsidetoknob
the bolt
to retract
actionthe
andbolt.
alwaysTheopens
inside
the door. The extra spli
t in still
will
the shaft
behave
is like
so that
a regular
with thesplit-shaft
card in place,
knobset
the[and
lockdisable opening if the
There
deadbolt
is aishinged
shot].plastic door on the back [inside] of the lock, which is held s
hut with a screwdriver
combination
card goes, although
tab insidethis
a slot.
door exposes
This is enough
where the
to see the entire slide
r mechanism
must
Now,
be taken
the
security
[except
off evaluation:
tofor
getits
theinner
slider
I seeworks;
out].
no
clear
the way
entire
to "pick"
back it. The rear pins are
However,
hard to this
get atlock
without
wouldtouching
be *very*theeasy
frontmost
to defeat,
ones.in the following fashion: A t
hin tool
inch
wideabout
can cover
the thickness
one columnofofa ballbearings.
keycard and about
If this
.2 tool is slowly slid stra
ight into theasslot
encountered
it contacts
along each
eachcolumn
ball indicates
in turn, the
whether
resistance
there is a hole or not un
derneath
card
presses
it inupward
the combination
against thecard.
ball more
The combination
strongly than the pin's spring does, s
o thisconstruct
then
would allow
the keycard
one to map
complement.
the combination
This process
card and
wouldn't take very long. I t
herefore
less
thanrecommend
high-security.
that these
Furthermore,
locks become
considered
to think of it, a small hole drilled
in easy
it
the front
to frob
plate
the[which
sliderIordoubt
splitisshaft.
hardened] would make