Yale & Towne Manufacturing Co., Stamford, Connecticut - 3 movements, Type C

In 1887, Yale patented a time lock design that would mark a new direction for Yale and, eventually, the entire time lock industry: its Type B and Type C time locks, which went into production in 1888. Based on pocket watch movements rather than on the larger clock movements of the Pin Dials, these smaller-format movements were inherently suited to be individually replaceable or "modular" movements. These were also the smallest format three movement time locks made to that time. Yale would not have a smaller three movement design for bolt dog release until the model T321 introduced about 1900 and would never surpass the compact Yale C and E designs for the automatic release function. No other time lock manufacturer made a smaller three movement lock.

Until a recent discovery, it was thought that Yale was the first to introduce the concept of using modified "off the shelf" pocket watch movements to control a time lock. However a pair of inventors, Overmyer & Huston, (O&H) did this over ten years earlier in 1876 and employed in their patent models 1 and 2. These were never commercially produced. It is unknown if Yale had access to their designs, but it seems likely that a large and well financed company as was Yale would have combed the patents issued in the subject of time locks. But there is nothing that O&H featured in their time lock design that was used in Yale's design other than the idea of using a pocket watch.

Here the introduction of standard pocket watch movements was illustrated. It was known right away that the power supply contained in a regular pocket watch would be insufficient for use in a time lock. The first issue being duration, whereas a pocket watch was meant to be wound daily, a time lock needed to have typically seventy-two hours. The second being that of the power needed to operate the time lock release mechanism. A quote from the patent abstract addresses this issue as well as the economics involved. "We take an ordinary one day watch movement and remove its mainspring...and is provided a pinion which gears with a wheel upon a spring arbor within a spring barrel containing a strong spring which will cause the time movement to run a much longer period - for example seventy-two hours with one turn of the mainspring arbor. ...and with force enough to operate a time lock." And now for the economics. "By this modification of an ordinary one-day watch movement we are able to quickly and satisfactorily produce a time lock movement at a materially-reduced cost, and time lock manufacturers are enabled to buy their time lock movements in the open market, and alter them, as described, for use, which is a great practical convenience and economy." The movement chosen was a size #14, model 84 by American Waltham Watch Co. The damascene design indicates that these were the "Hillside" grade. It turns out that the Waltham movements used in the series B through C were not completely "off the shelf" movements that just had their mainsprings substituted for a larger one. Each movement had to be retrofitted with a special wheel that substituted for the regular one in the movement that was adjacent to the original spring barrel. This wheel had a longer arbor that went past the lower movement plate with a pinion at the lower end that connected to the new spring winding gear, and which was held with a specially made cock at that end secured to the lower movement plate.

The economics of servicing is not mentioned and this may be because at this point interchangeability was not yet achievable and this is evidenced by the fact that the individual movements and base plate locations are numbered. In the end, Yale abandoned the use of pocket watch movements for their time locks after the Type B through EE series. But others, a few years later did, notably, the Consolidated Time Lock Co. began this practice around 1904 until their bankruptcy in 1927 and the Victor Safe and Lock Co.'s Banker's Dustproof line, in 1906 and the Ohio Time Lock Company in 1914 both of which were later acquired in 1916 by the Mosler Safe Co. which continued this method throughout their production life until their bankruptcy on 2001. The design of those time lock models allowed the use of pocket watch movements with true interchangeability.

The line of Yale Type B through EE time locks pictured, upper row from left to right. The lower row shows A and G.

Only the Type B through EE series went into production.

The A was a unique patent prototype piece and was never slated for production. The G was only made as salesman's samples. At the present time only one Type C, two EE and two complete G has been found. Yale did make one or two BB, and three DD locks, none of which are known to survive. There were no records of a CC being made. These facts makes this collection unique in that it contains the most complete set of all the examples extant. No records for or examples of a Type F are known.

The movements used in Yale's B-EE models were American Waltham Watch Co, size 14, Model 84, Hillside grade. The spring and its barrel are removed and replaced with a wheel and longer arbor that passes through the rear plate and having a pinion mounted to that portion past the plate; held by an added cock, see second photo above. Meshing with that pinion is a large spring barrel increasing the standard twenty four hour duration of the movement to the requisite seventy two hours needed in a time lock.

The large spring barrel has as its base a large geared wheel. That large wheel driving the small pinion results in an efficient power drive, needing a large amount of torque from the spring to deliver the needed power to run the watch movement. However, this also allows for a longer duration for each spring. This inefficient power drive was a significant reason for the failure of Yale's design.

The reason for multiple movements in a time lock is to ensure that the lock will dependently run down to the point of going off guard with any one of the movements functioning. The movements ability to do this was marginal, so if one of the three movements failed, the other two could do the job, but with two of three out of commission the reliability for the lock to do its job became seriously compromised.

Front elevation of the Yale Type C with glass bezel. Unlike the screw-down bezel of the Type A this bezel is a bayonet style.

Front elevation of the Yale type C with the glass bezel removed. The outer dial ring is engraved into the rotating movement table can just be seen around the perimeter edge.

Three quarter elevation with bezel on, left and off, right. The perimeter hand grip knurl is located just below the thin, engraved dial ring round the beveled perimeter of the rotating movement plate.

The glass cover shown on a dark background to better reveal the etched glass lettering, "YALE LOCK MANUFACTURING CO. TRIPLE MOVEMENT TIME LOCK, PATENTED MAY 31, 87." The cover, which is not easily slipped off the base case collar due to the tight machining tolerance and depth of the cylinder, must be fully removed to set the time lock. This risks damage to to the bezel piece from mishandling, mainly being dropped from pulling it off. It is remarkable that the original glass is still intact. The second photo shows the rear side of the rotating movement plate. As with the Type B, the center gear which is held stationary to the case through a pin inserted into a hole at the 6 o'clock position of the gear, simultaneously winds the three satellite gears; one for each watch mainspring. A pin on the surface of the movement plate, near the perimeter, also located at the 6 o'clock position and also at the zero hour dial location engages with the release shown in the lower case.

A demonstration of the Yale Type C, 1888 winding and setting demonstration. Next a comparison of the release levers between the Type C and Type E locks.

Yale Type C, 1888. The Yale Type C was designed with a release to be used with an automatic bolt motor. The company of E. Howard & Co. and later, after 1902, Seth Thomas supplied nearly all of the movements for Yale time locks (until the 1950's when movements from Switzerland were used). An exception are the Yale Type B through G models which used a modified version of a pocket watch; size #14, model 84 movements by American Waltham Watch Co. A smaller Waltham movement was also later extensively used in Mosler time locks. The movements were designed with anti-magnetic qualities - cutting edge technology for the day. Yale sold a total of 14 Type C's between May 1888 and March 1889. Serial numbering appears to go up to 40. At the time of the publication of American Genius, John and David Erroll, there were no known examples of the Type C. Since then this one has surfaced and is to date the only known example. 4.5"w X 5"h x 3"d. Case #20, movement plate #94, movements, #4323139, #4527203, #4658581. file 193

An interesting aside is the fact that both Seth Thomas and E. Howard were companies that made a full line of clocks and watches. From large tower clocks (for public buildings) to domestic clocks to watches as well as movements for time locks. Click here to see a medium sized Seth Thomas and Howard tower clock.