This invention relates to apparatus for determining the opening combination of a safe lock and, in particular, to a programmable device capable of automatically dialing an ordered sequence of combinations into the lock and testing the lock after each combination has been set in to determine if the combination will open the lock.
Where the combination of a safe or vault has been forgotten, lost or otherwise unobtainable, it is generally left to the skill of the individual locksmith who is employed to open the safe to determine exactly what digits are embodied in the opening combination. Even under ideal conditions, where the workings of the lock are familiar and one or more numbers in the combination are known, the task of opening the safe can be extremely time consuming and costly. In some procedures, particularly where the workings of the lock mechanism are old and not understood, holes are sometimes drilled into the lock assembly to allow the locksmith to actually see and/or manipulate the tumblers and release mechanism embodied therein. These drilling procedures while effective in opening the safe or vault usually make it necessary to replace the lock. In any event, regardless of the procedures involved, finding the opening combination of a safe or vault has typically proven to be an extremely difficult and sometimes frustrating task.