Yale Triple M timelock with an identity crisis.

mercury

I recently acquired a time lock that has a bit of an identity crisis!

It was sold as a Mosler time lock. The seller must have little or no experience with time locks, because despite the presence of a Mosler sticker on the outside of the case, it is undoubtably a Yale Triple M.

I know that in general, Yale timelocks feature the name “Yale” very clearly on the case & on the dials of the movements, but this one does not bear the name Yale anywhere.

It still has the original glass in the door, and it is etched with “Remington and Sherman Co. New York & Philadelpia”, all in capital letters.

The dials of the movements are only marked “Patented July 19th 1892”. The movements are sequential, #4251, #4252 & #4253.

The only explanation that I can come up with for this is that Yale made it for Remington & Sherman, and allowed them to put their name on it.

Is this likely to be the case, or are there other possible explanations?

Also, I’m interested in dating this lock, is that possible to do, based upon the movement numbers?

Finally, I have the door key, but no winding key, is there a standard clock winding key that fits Yale M type movements, and if so, what size it it?

Was the Triple M only used on vaults, or were there safes that used them too?

Any information about this lock & it’s possible history would be appreciated.

I will post pictures in the next few days, the lighting at present is terrible, I need to wait until daylight.

…Mark

Riyame

Here are some other examples of triple M’s for you to compare against.

http://www.my-time-machines.net/yale_3c.htm

mercury

Thankyou for that link, I’d forgotten about that site!

There is another Triple M very similar to mine there - no Yale marking, only patent date on the dial & the same etching on the glass!

…Mark

Paul Prescott

Found within Australia ?

mercury

It was on eBay, from America.

…Mark

Paul Prescott

mercury wrote
It was on eBay, from America.

…Mark

Makes sense, I would have been staggered if you found it here.

[unknown]

mercury

oldlock wrote
Makes sense, I would have been staggered if you found it here.

Indeed! Whilst I’d assume that the Triple M is relatively common in the USA, there surely can’t be many in Australia.

The Remington & Sherman badged Triple M might not be so common, even in America. The site Riyame linked to above states that the movements bearing only the patent date are very unusual, it seems as if the only example of these dials that the site’s author knows of are the ones he owns in his R&S badged Triple M.

It will be interesting to see what light members from the USA can shed on this.

Would the lack of dial markings & Remington and Sherman etching have an effect on any value this lock might have?

…Mark

[unknown]