Yale & Townie Manufacturing Co., Stamford,
Connecticut - 2 movements, Type K31 1/2, prototype T pair
A

B
A. Model K31 1/2. (sometimes called a 'bathtub' time lock due to
the shape of the brass case housing the combination lock). This time lock was made early
in the production run and was designed specifically for use in a freestanding bank chest
designed by the Hibbard-Rodman-Ely Safe Co. of New York, NY (later the Manganese Steel
Safe Co.). Each lock contained two Seth Thomas made 72 hour movements along with a four
tumbler combination lock. The safe contained a pair of these so as to encompass two
combination locks and four (two pairs) of time locks. Unlike most time locks, with the
exception of Consolidated, these operated directly on the combination lock rather than the
safe's bolt work. Production runs for this lock ran from 1902 through 1911. Of a total of
1500 to 2000 of these locks made about 100 of these locks are now known to survive; fewer
than 20 in sequentially numbered pairs. Movement #17,257, 17,258 case #821 and #17,289,
17,290 case #824. Single movement version. file
97
B. Model ?., 1907. I suspect this was the prototype for Yale's
introduction of their smallest movement size known as 'T'. The format for this
introduction was similar to that of the K31 1/2, above; that is a pair of movements housed
in a case with two cases used in tandem for a total of four movements. These cases,
however, only contained the time locks and none of the combination lock as does the K31
1/2. The reason it's believed that these are the earliest T sized movements are the serial
numbers. Time lock makers generally started their numbering system at 100 or as in the
Consolidated Time Lock Company, number 1000. Case #11 and #12. Movement #100, #101, #102,
#103. 3" w x 4 7/8" h x 2 1/2" d. file 133