Electrolock made armored switches for many Marques in the 20’s and 30’s. One of the patented anti-theft features common to all was the grounding of the ignition system when the switch was locked. The inventor was Wilson Hemmingway, Jr. of Philadelphia, Pa. as assignor to Electrolock Manufacturing Co., Vicksburg, Mississippi. Multiple patents beginning 1924 for ignition switch design appear under his name.
The 30/31 Ford used the model 12A Electrolock, I'm not sure of Electrolock's model numbers for earlier Ford iterations. Some of the Electrolocks made for other marques used three, five, or seven wires to also control other functions. Not all accomplished the grounding feature with a pop-out cylinder design, but many used some form of spring armored wire for a critical run function to enhance anti-theft properties.