chubb mortice locks and parts

Gary Stephenson

sorting through some old lock stuff and parts, and have a couple of questions;
never heard of a chubb 3r36 before, anyone have any info or pictures of one?
also, what where the chubb detainer range called that used the security keys and curtains, and are curtains still available to buy anywhere?

Tom Gordon

Gary Stephenson wrote
what where the chubb detainer range called that used the security keys and curtains, and are curtains still available to buy anywhere?

3G135 blanks are available at Aldridges but the bolt throwers may be less easy to find.
They were either left or right hand cranks, although almost always only one of the hands in the UK.

[unknown]

Huw Eastwood

3G135 AKA the “Fortress”

Gary Stephenson

thanks for the answers and ids, I have both hands of the blanks but no curtains, and wondered if they were still available anywhere, cheers.

Tom Gordon

Gary Stephenson wrote
thanks for the answers and ids, I have both hands of the blanks but no curtains, and wondered if they were still available anywhere, cheers.

They are probably orderable as a special from union via aldridge -but only one hand I am guessing

[unknown]

Gary Stephenson

Cheers Tom, have emailed Aldridge and Union to ask the question.

Tom Gordon

Gary Stephenson wrote
Cheers Tom, have emailed Aldridge and Union to ask the question.

John Walsh at Aldridge is the man to speak to
John.walsh@aldridgesecurity.co.uk

[unknown]

Gary Stephenson

No luck from Aldridges and no reply from Union, was playing about today adapting a 6 guage thrower and by the look of it you cannot just change the throwers, as the case and hardplate needs filing as well, also these must be single sided use unless you use a keys from one side and b keys from the other.
has anyone ever seen one of these locks in real life?

Tom Gordon

Gary Stephenson wrote
No luck from Aldridges and no reply from Union, was playing about today adapting a 6 guage thrower and by the look of it you cannot just change the throwers, as the case and hardplate needs filing as well, also these must be single sided use unless you use a keys from one side and b keys from the other.
has anyone ever seen one of these locks in real life?

Your lock is marked 5G110 (that could either be mislabelled or perhaps a single sided bolt thrower version of the 3G135 or equally likely, an earlier single sided version of the 3G135).
This is a 3g135 bolt thrower and you can see that the cranked key will enter from both sides. I have sold a few in my time. I suspect that the other hand was for foreign use or perhaps for the M.O.D.

[unknown]

Gary Stephenson

That writing on the lock was from me 5g for 5 gauge and 110 for the lock, I adapted a 110 and 6 gauge curtain to suit the fortress keys, but never having seen one couldn’t figure out how it would work from both sides unless you used a and b section keys, didn’t realise that the curtain is profiled to allow entry from both blank profiles unless it is the 3g135 case itself that stops the wrong key profile from entering.
Thanks for putting that picture up Tom.

Tom Gordon

Gary Stephenson wrote
That writing on the lock was from me 5g for 5 gauge and 110 for the lock, I adapted a 110 and 6 gauge curtain to suit the fortress keys, but never having seen one couldn’t figure out how it would work from both sides unless you used a and b section keys, didn’t realise that the curtain is profiled to allow entry from both blank profiles unless it is the 3g135 case itself that stops the wrong key profile from entering.
Thanks for putting that picture up Tom.

The case had a spike that restricted key entry to one hand or the other.
The lock may have been made available for single sided entry though with a different follower

[unknown]

Gary Stephenson

Cheers Tom, that is a lot easier way to do it than the way I went about it if I want to make some up.

Huw Eastwood

I’ve got at least two Fortress knocking around somewhere, one is probably very early eighties at a guess, with dark blue box with the black lock silhouette on the cover, other one is the later light blue open ended boxes from the 90s.

Tom its interesting what you said about the hands on the key profiles, I had never noticed they were always cranked the one way.

We supplied a few over the years (considering the price of them!) although not many compared to the basic castle 110s.
Can remember back then you could get the Fortress off the shelf with 3, 6 or 9 keys as they were classed as “restricted”, so we usually ordered them with 6 as sod’s law the customer would always ask you for a couple more a month or so later.

Never noticed which hand the keys were though, so when I get a chance I’ll dig out the ones I have and have a look.

Huw Eastwood

Well this morning was our annual half dry day of sunshine here in Wales, so it was time to empty the shed and find that long forgotten crate of old Chubb locks.

Disappointed to find only the one Fortress, but did find a 3M51 clutch bolt and a big 3J60 hiding with it. The rest are all the more recent packaging 5 lever, 7 lever domestic range and a few more 5 detainers.

Having moved everything from BMX bikes, outboard motors and wheelchairs as well as the countless crates and boxes of stuff I’ll never use in a million years, I now realise why our friends across the pond are always having ‘yard sales’..

Huw Eastwood

Gary Stephenson

please let me know when you have your yard sale!
Am I right in thinking that the hardplate on the fortess would take either section key, the ward is on the mild steel case part?

Huw Eastwood

Gary Stephenson wrote
please let me know when you have your yard sale!
Am I right in thinking that the hardplate on the fortess would take either section key, the ward is on the mild steel case part?

Apologies Gary, didn’t see this when I added the photos. Yes you are right, it’s actually quite intricate where they’ve formed the ward, not only the shape cut but its also counterbored to form the recess/bearing for the bolt thrower to pivot, and the hardplate then spot welded on top like on the later pattern 110’s.

[unknown]

Gary Stephenson

Cheers Huw.