Linus Yale double curb combination lock.

Paul Prescott

A superb example, photographed at the Harry Miller collection.

Doug MacQueen

I have been trying to research this lock for a while now. It appears that it was not the same lock that actually won the Paris award but is rather a revision of Yale Jr.s 1868 patented double dial lock I have seen a few of the earlier patent locks and are easily ID by the rack and pinion used. This later lock is shown in Yales 1872? catalog and has been seen in both single and split bolt models. I believe the single bolt version to be the earlier. It also may have been changed from a push pull dial to a fixed dial. I have seen Yale’s No 3 single dial lock went from a push pull to a fixed dial. Anybody out there with one these help fill in some blanks I have??? It is a very interesting look mechanically although a bit more complex than Sargent’s competing “Automatic” of the same period.

jacobrules

I have the Diebold Kinzle safe at the shop that has the double dials and bolt like the one in the picture. What would you like to know about it. I can tell you that it is not a push pull. The dials are made so that the banker could pull them off and take them home with him at the end of the day.

Doug MacQueen

Several years ago i took some pictures of the lock in your safe prior to it being sold to the guy you got it from. Some of the pictures didn’t come out very good and I barely had time to tear it down, take a picture and get it back together. My interest is in understanding the functions of each part so if you are willing I do have several questions. The first is concerning the little hook lever that is mounted directly under the wheel pack surround. It appears the bolt, as it is being retracted, forces the hook out into the path of the drive cam and acts to stop dial rotation at full bolt retraction. Does this sound correct? I will post a picture of it later. Doug

Doug MacQueen

here are the pictures

jacobrules

Here are pics of the bolt retracted

jacobrules

Here are pics of the bolt halfway extended.

jacobrules

Here are pics of the bolt fully extended

jacobrules

Doug sorry it took so long to get back to you. It took awhile to get the time to go down to the shop and find my camera, and the featherlock keys, and go down and look at it. So anyway after unlocking and locking the thing a few times my expert opinion is I don’t have a clue. There is so much going on at once and the levers you are asking about are so obscured by other portions of the lock I just can’t tell without taking the thing apart. It is so complex and an indirect drive as well. I can’t tell which part is pushing which other part out of the way. I may play with it some more but maybe you can tell something from the pics I took. If you have other questions shoot and I’ll try to help. Otherwise if you happen to be out my way I’d be happy to let you take it apart again and figure it out.

Doug MacQueen

Thanks for those pictures. Here are a few more of mine. One shows the location of the connector switch to tie the two locking bolts together making the lock a single bolt lock. The other shows the backside of the pivoting blocking bolt. The two little steel blocks to the right of the connector switch are mounted to the lock bolts and are blocked by the pivoting blocking lever. I will post some more later. Doug

Doug MacQueen

Notice how the driver forces the fence back out of the wheel pack at full retraction. Which allows the central pivoting blocking bolt to realign itself. I just realized that this must occur when the lock is set up for dual control (split bolt operation) to allow the other lock to function and retract its bolt.