Nydia Bank Lock Company

wylk

I’m looking for some information on the Nydia Bank Lock Company. Apparently they incorporated in Cincinnati in 1916, and in 1918 were located in the Lion Building. They made safe/vault locks and time locks, or so it appears. Two of the founders were William T. Benham and Edgar M. Benham whose names appear on many Mosler patents starting around 1918 though earlier ones were assigned to Nydia. So it appears that either Nydia merged with Mosler, or they went out of business with Mosler buying the company from the receiver.

Does anybody have better information on Nydia, their products, and their fate?

Jim

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

I used to have a Nydia bank lock. I presume that it had been a day gate lock for a vault. It had a dial and two buttons visible on the lock face. The buttons were used when dialing the combination. IIRC, the left button when depressed during dialing would cause the dial to ‘click’ every five numbers, the right button caused a click every single number. The lock face was about 3″ by 5″, or maybe 4″ by 6″ and a bright polished brass surface. I traded it to a combination lock collector in Seattle, Washington for a couple of door locks that I didn’t have.

When I got that lock it was ‘New Old Stock’ and still inside the wooden box that was used to ship them. The guy I got it from had a full case of them. I have no idea what happened to the other 5 locks in their wooden boxes.
BBE.

Dean Nickel

The Lock Museum of America
Order the book locks and lockmakers of America. It will help in this and other quesitons. If not then ask the author as he runs the museum.

wylk

BBE wrote
IIRC, the left button when depressed during dialing would cause the dial to ‘click’ every five numbers, the right button caused a click every single number.

This matches my impressions looking at the patents of Edgar and William Benham. In their early years and the Nydia years, there was a fascination with inventing dials that were easier to use by adding movable pointers and clickers. By the time their patents were being assigned to Mosler, this notion seems to have disappeared. Your description sounds like patent 1,156,658 or more likely 1,166,883.

[unknown]

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

The 1,166,883 would be better to describe the lock I had. Although I think the buttons were round and one beside the other.
BBE.

Doug MacQueen

I have run across this company name a couple times. You might try researching old “American Banker” issues from the era.

Jack Sullivan

wylk wrote
This matches my impressions looking at the patents of Edgar and William Benham. In their early years and the Nydia years, there was a fascination with inventing dials that were easier to use by adding movable pointers and clickers. By the time their patents were being assigned to Mosler, this notion seems to have disappeared. Your description sounds like patent 1,156,658 or more likely 1,166,883.

While both of the mentioned 1914 patents were authored by William & Edgar Benham of Norwood, OH, neither was assigned to Nydia. The brothers authored five US patents in 1916 that were assigned to Nydia: 1174011, 1193754, 1195766, 1205147 & 1206803. Both subsequently went to work for Mosler in nearby Hamilton, OH & authored a number of Mosler patents both individually & jointly, Edgar until 1928 & William until 1942. They continued to work on both combination & time locks while at Mosler.

Jack

[unknown]