Mosler Lock Co., Covington, Kentucky &   Mosler Safe Co., Hamilton, Ohio - 2 movements, page 2

  A

  B

  C

D  E

A. c. later 1930's. Around 1902 with the sale of E. Howard & Co. to the Keystone Watch Case Company, E. Howard exited the time lock business. Therefor, unlike most time lock companies that used either E. Howard or Seth Thomas movements, this company used 18-size Model #4 pocket watch movements supplied by the Illinois Watch Company. The movements had a separate crystal covering the watch movements much like on a conventional pocket watch providing exceptional protection from contamination compared to other time lock movements. Bankers Dustproof Time Lock Co. was another company that used movements supplied by Illinois Watch Company and Yale's Model E, their only time lock to use watch movements with an integral crystal cover, had intricately engraved American Waltham movements. This was probably not coincidental since Banker's disappeared as a brand in 1915 and Mosler Safe Co. appeared in 1916 based on designs very similar to that of Bankers. After 1932 Mosler switched to American Waltham Co. 16-size pocket watch movements which is used in this example and also with rarer optional 120 hour duration. file 42

B. Model 'Do-All'. c. 1940. A hybrid lock that combines a key lock and time lock. Delayed period may be set 20, 40 or 60 minutes. The re-lock feature may be set or left off as desired (note lever on lock right hand side). If the locking lever is set at "on" and the door is not opened within 10 minutes after the delay period expires, the lock will re-lock until another delay period is set up and expires. A time lock containing a combination (instead of or in addition to a key lock) and time lock is called a timebination lock (see below) and a Sargent & Greenleaf model here. Earlier Mosler locks used a modified Illinois Watch Co. 18-size, Model #4 pocket watch movements. After 1932 Mosler switched to the American Waltham Watch Co. 16-size pocket watch movement (used in this example). All of these movements were covered with an attractive domed crystal which kept the movements protected from the dust and elements. A far better system than movements in other time locks that were exposed to the elements every time the time lock door was opened.

C. Model KCDC. c. 1940. Is a timebination lock. This unit features a fixed 20 minute delay that is automatically set when the the bolt is engaged and the combination knob turned clockwise one turn. This lock, in contrast to the 'Do-All' model, requires no winding. The action of cranking the combination knob will wind and set the time locks in motion for the twenty minute period. Contains two modified American Waltham Co. 16-size pocket watch movements. file 52

D. Manufactured in the 1950's. By this time Mosler had switched to Swiss made movements, but they still had the same body configuration as well as the glass watch-type crystal over the movements. This was a short lived transitional design.

E. Manufactured in the 1960's after the acquisition of Mosler Safe Co. by Chubb. Uses Swiss made movements which now mirror the same body design as those used in the contemporary Yale time locks. file 36

The first two photos below show a Mosler safe door from the 1880's with a later retro-fitted Mosler 2 movement time lock made in the 1920's; similar to 'A'. You can see an identical Mosler safe door fitted with its original time lock, a three movement Sargent and Greenleaf. At the time the safe was made, Mosler was strictly a safe and vault manufacturer and did not make their own time locks.

The second set shows a Mosler vault door with a Mosler 3 movement time lock dating from the 1940's.