Tumbler Alignment

I approached a weathered brass combination padlock suspended from an iron eyelet along the alley wall. Mechanical pause. The cylindrical tumblers were offset along the central axis. Bracing both boots against a protruding mortar ridge, I gripped the lowest serrated dial with both hands and applied steady rotary torque. The ring clicked into a distinct internal detent. I adjusted my arm elevation three degrees to manipulate the remaining wheels, aligning their milled grooves into a single plane. Internal spring tension released with a sharp metallic pop. The curved steel shackle slid free of the casing. Rotary linkage decoded.