Bank Time Lock Service and Repair in Philadelphia

How a bank time lock works

A time lock is a set of clock movements mounted on the inside of a vault door or safe door. Before closing, the staff wind the movements and set how many hours the door should stay locked. Until that time runs down, the time lock holds the bolt work in place. Dialing the right combination does nothing.

That's the point of it. A time lock protects the vault overnight and over weekends, including against someone who has learned the combination or forces an employee to open it.

Most bank time locks carry more than one movement, commonly three or four. They run side by side, and any one of them reaching zero is enough to release the lock. If one movement stops overnight, the others still let the bank open on time.

Signs a time lock needs service

Things that point to a time lock needing attention:

• A movement that has stopped, or stops partway through its run
• Movements that disagree with each other by more than they used to
• Stiff or uneven winding
• A cracked or missing glass cover, which lets dust in
• The vault releasing late, or staff having to try the door more than once

Service while the vault is opening normally is far simpler than dealing with a vault that stayed locked. The work covers cleanings, repairs and replacements if needed.

When a vault won't release

If the time has passed, the combination is right, and the door still won't open, the cause may be the time lock, the combination lock or the bolt work. A vault lockout like this calls for a safe and vault specialist, not a general locksmith. Mike's background is in exactly this equipment.

When you call, it helps to have:

1. The make of the vault door or safe, from the plate on the door or frame.
2. The number of time lock movements and what hours were set the night before.
3. What happened: the door never released, released late, or the combination won't turn the bolts.
4. A photo of the door and the time lock, if anyone can see it. Text it to (661) 927-7473 or email it to info@aspiresafeandlock.com.

Old time locks and old vault doors

Plenty of time locks in the area are decades old and still working. Mike has worked on brass time lock and bolt mechanisms with "PHILA, PA" on the maker plates, and he's ready for anything up to "the mechanical marvels of round bank vault doors dated 1915." More about vault doors on the bank and vault services page.

Time locks and time delay locks are different

A time lock keeps a door shut until a set time. A time delay lock is different: the code is accepted, but the lock waits a set number of minutes before it opens. Time delay is common on store safes, ATMs and teller equipment, where it discourages robbery. If your problem is with an electronic lock on a safe or ATM, see ATM and teller safe service or electronic safe locks.

Who Mike works with

Time lock work comes from branch managers, operations officers and vault custodians at banks and credit unions. Mike is based in Mayfair in Northeast Philadelphia, and he answers his own phone, so the person you talk to is the person who services the lock. He also handles safe deposit boxes, vault doors and teller cash equipment, so one visit can cover more than the time lock.