Holmes Electric Time Lock Company, New York, NY

A             

B

 A. (Edwin) Holms Electric, c. 1879. This is an example of a rare subset of time locks. So called 'transitional' time locks. These were produced for a brief period of time during the early development of the time lock when the reliability of the mechanical watch movements were not fully trusted. So a secondary way of unlocking the vault door was devised in case of their failure. This lock had an electrical system fed by low voltage batteries which would, in case of failure of both time lock movements, unlock the mechanism. Soon it was realized that this was not necessary as the movements rarely failed and with the fact that they were devised with at least one or two (later sometimes three) additional redundant movements the chances of complete failure becomes very remote. The very fact that a way to override the time lock existed in these transitional models, violated the basic purpose of the time lock concept - that the door could not be opened under any circumstances before the appointed time. For another example of such a transitional lock see the Consolidated time lock combined with an emergency secret combination lock here. The lock could be set for day or night operation. This lock is a very early example as there are no patent dates found on the movement (see below). 7 7/8"w x 5"h x 3 1/4"d. Case #150, movement #199. file 142

B. Holms New Electric, a.k.a. version #2[3], c. 1884. The Holms company made three styles of the second version. This example being the third. In 1882, Henry F. Newbury, a Holms employee, found that the Yale and Sargent locks were vulnerable to a small charge of dynamite detonated against the door. Such an explosion could release or disable those time locks. Soon after Newbury was granted a series of nine anti-concussion patents. This version included those technologies, see spring loaded bolts around case, and the decorative flange (photo #1 and clasp #4) illustrate these patent dates. (2) The movement also has patent dates for Holms on the front movement plate in addition to the maker's logo - E. Howard & Co.; making this one of the more engraved locks. Case #21, movement #350. file 63

This was such a highly regarded time lock that both E. Howard, the company that made the movements for most of the time lock industry, and the U.S. Treasury Department used it. Unfortunately for Holms this corporate snub brought down the ire of the much more powerful Yale company, resulting in a patent infringement lawsuit and the end of the Holms Electric Time Lock Company. Of the 350 or so Holms time locks produced only ten are known today. (1) Of those three are of the first version, with the remaining of the second version.

(1) American Genius Nineteenth Century Bank Locks and Time Locks, David Erroll & John Erroll, pp 210.