Doug MacQueen wroteI have already spent way too much time trying to visualize the missing parts and action of this lock, made more difficult without seeing the lower plate exposed. It doesn’t ring any U.S. made bells, but it also may not even be Chubb, Ratner or Tann. Some sort of prep key was used I suppose. Even if it used the center pivoted lever a al Milner Ratner, isn’t the possible lever pivot pin awfully close to the stump? At first I was thinking it was possibly pre-powder proof era but now I am thinking it is more likely much later. Max, what are your thoughts? Doug
Doug I’m afraid I’m no use whatsoever on this, although I am intrigued by the lock and have to say I’m flattered that you’ve asked 🙁nod):
Like you, I’ve also spent way too long looking, in fact Ant sent me the pictures just before he posted here.
I agree about the time scale for it, I’d also say this was well after the powder-proof era, the thing that ties me up in knots is that my familiarity with many other safe locks means i see similarities or potential likenesses in there with all of them, which doesn’t help at all!
Anyway, I can’t help anymore than pick out the features of it that everyone else can see for themselves, but for what it’s worth I’ll point out what stands out to me.
Here goes, and in no particular order-
1- the hole for the pivot point (pin) of the key is big- really big. I mentioned this to Ant as I assume a very large brass curtain or bolt thrower of some sort is missing- but is it?
2- the double talons have rather odd angles and radii on them. When you project the possible arc of the key (or curtain/thrower) it doesn’t really match up to what you’d expect the shapes of the talon cut-outs to be.
3- the bolt appears to have quite a long travel/throw compared to most safe locks, making the whole brass curtain, key arcs and talon shapes mystery even stranger.
anyone still awake might want to stop reading here, unless you really like considering the internal parts of very unusual locks. Don’t blame me if you’ve now lost the will to live.
4- perhaps losing steam a bit now, but the actual 4 fixing/mounting holes look very small for what was presumably a high security lock. They appear only a little bigger than the cap screws that hold the cover on!
5- all brass construction seems a bit unusual even for that era to me. Even in the golden days most used a cast iron case with brass or bronze bolt like Chatwood etc. Tann used all brass on their bankers locks much later, and some Stephen Cox had all brass locks, but I would think a minority and they’re all I can think of right now.
So, after a lot of thinking and pondering and checking of notes, basically come up with nothing really-
Ratner in addition to the Milner patterns made an odd 10-lever Chatwood impregnable look-alike, which was single bitted and a bit unusual, and regards more obscure possibilities I considered makers like John Port of Manchester, but came up with nothing even remotely similar to this.
Im glad it was the 7th of April when Ant originally posted this and not the 1st…
Like I mentioned I thought there’d be a few on here who’d recognise it and also a few who actually have a lock for reference, but perhaps it just needs more time for more to see it.
@Doug, I hope you get to see this at some time or other as I can’t imagine many others wanting to read it. Plus I did warn you I was going to be no use at all !
@chubby I apologise, and there was me saying you have a fixation for shear handles…
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