Antique Safe with Ruxtons Invincible Lock

goldpro

Hi all,

Here’s a few pics of an old keyed safe I need to open.

The nameplate that slides over the keyhole says
“Ruxtons invincible lock” and the circular wording
says “ wrought iron fire resisting safe”

It’s a lever lock with at least 4 levers that I can see
with a scope.

Does anyone have any advise on how to open it?
I don’t have any lever picks but I can make up something.
drill point? which way to turn to open? bolt works pics & measurements?
The customer doesn’t want it drilled.

some google searching turned up English often with a coat of arms
above the lock but no useful opening info.

thanks for any info you can provide.
Tom

Doug MacQueen

Tom, I found some description and drawings of the 1816 patented Ruxton lock, in the 1856 George Price book which can be found online. It may be a rare find. I would up the opening price considerably, with no guarantee if he wants to stick with the no drill option. You might spend an extremely inordinate amount of time in trying to pick it, only to fail. Once I had a combination safe X-rayed after I had spent 8 hours trying to manipulate it open, only because the customer was adamant about no drilling. Hopefully someone on here can post pictures of a Ruxton lock. Doug

goldpro

Thanks for your input Doug.

It’s an estate situation and we don’t hear anything rattling
around in it when we roll it over so we traded the customer
the inside contents for the safe.
So no rush to get it open now.
There’s an auction sticker on it so it might have been
bought years ago by the person who just passed on and
it has just sat around unopened for a long time.

I hope someone who has tackled this type before will
chime in.

From the way the levers are arranged I think the key
turns clockwise, and the bolt moves downward, to open.

I don’t know if the key makes a full rotation to unlock & lock.
If it does, it may mean you could unlock with the key then
close the door and turn the knob to throw the bolts
but the knob & bolts wouldn’t be locked…kinda like a classroom function.
Maybe that was a handy feature back in the day if someone was
opening the door often during the day.

On the other hand you could forget to lock it before you went home.

The lever lock bolt may be spring loaded or only let the key turn
a half turn or so…key retaining.

You’re right about taking a very long time to pick…if ever,
especially if it has lots of levers.

I tried to put an old lockmasters scope down the keyhole to
see how many levers but it’s diameter was too large to fit.
Hmm….maybe I could redrill the keyhole bigger….

I’ll keep trying to come up with a way to open it.
Where is Ant Man when you need him…or that portable
x-ray computer video screen.

Tom

Elliot

Hi Tom
Did you ever get the invincible safe open?

I’ve just had an enquiry to open a safe with an identical key hole escutcheon on

So any info on number of levers direction of unlock etc would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers Elliot.

safeman

goldpro wrote
Hi all,

Does anyone have any advise on how to open it?
I don’t have any lever picks but I can make up something.
drill point? which way to turn to open? bolt works pics & measurements?
The customer doesn’t want it drilled.

some google searching turned up English often with a coat of arms
above the lock but no useful opening info.

thanks for any info you can provide.
Tom

This must be the earliest Chatwood I’ve ever come across. To preserve the lock may I suggest that you simply remove the lock chamber by punching out the four bolts which attach it to the back of the door plate. The ends of these bolts are clearly showing just outside the door trim.
It may be easier to do this if the threads of these bolts are drilled out first.
All that will be left attaching the lockcase will be the spindle from the handle which will most likely be held on by a nut on the inside.

[unknown]

Tom Gordon

safeman wrote
This must be the earliest Chatwood I’ve ever come across. To preserve the lock may I suggest that you simply remove the lock chamber by punching out the four bolts which attach it to the back of the door plate. The ends of these bolts are clearly showing just outside the door trim.
It may be easier to do this if the threads of these bolts are drilled out first.
All that will be left attaching the lockcase will be the spindle from the handle which will most likely be held on by a nut on the inside.

It is not a Chatwood

[unknown]

safeman

Tom Gordon wrote
It is not a Chatwood

Yes Tom, I have just twigged. Past my bedtime.

[unknown]

Huw Eastwood

The escutcheon on the Midland safe that Elliot has posted requesting lock info doesn’t look to be Ruxton’s as in goldpro’s original safe and post- ‘invincible lock’ and ‘invoiable lock’ escutcheons were pretty common.

You should find that Midland will pick pretty easy, whereas a Ruxton’s might not. You said you’ve had an enquiry to open it so presumably you are in the trade- 10 mins onsite with a tension tool and picks will soon determine up/down shoot, direction to unlock, levers etc. I’ll be surprised if it’s anymore than a basic 6 or 7 lever- probably won’t even have false notches.

safeman

Hopefully someone on here can post pictures of a Ruxton lock. Doug[/QUOTE]

With acknowledgement to ‘Lock Collectors Association’ and George Price.
Apparently the first Detector lock with the original purpose being to retain
a false key.

goldpro

Hi all,
I’m no help.
It was taken to our other store across town and drilled open.
The door was turned into swiss cheese with many drill holes
as I recall then welded up and a new lock fitted.

There were 4 bolts holding the inner part of the door to the outer
skin which was about ½″ thick as I recall. So if you can locate
the bolts somehow and drill them, they may unwind themselves
and let you get the door open. I don’t think the lock itself was
fastened to the outer skin.

Best of luck.
Tom