Chicago Time Lock Co., Chicago, Illinois - 2 movements, Marsh model 1

The nickel plate on the case is thick and of a very high quality. Note that the bolt dogging lever is also highly polished and plated even though this would never be seen. 

The first photo shows the lock case with one movement removed. The serial number 67 is cast into the rear wall and the same number appears on the case door. Next is a photo showing a Chicago movement from the company's Marsh Model 2 which was the product introduced shortly after this time lock.

Patent drawings associated with the Ernest Marsh model 1. The style of lock illustrated is for use with an automatic bolt motor and so has a bottom release whereas the example illustrated is for use with manual bolt works and so has a hole in the side of the case where the the time lock's dogging device is located.

These two photos shows all three of the Marsh style time lock movements. From left, the Model 1, v.1, middle Model 1 v.2, right Model 2 with v.3 movements.

The three versions of Chicago Time Locks Co's., Marsh movements. From left, v.1, v.2 in the marsh Model 1 and the movement , v.3 introduced in their Marsh Model 2, the last design before the take over by Diebold in 1908. The design changes from v.1 to v.2 are described in the Marsh Model 1 v.2 time lock. The v.3 follows conventional time lock designs seen in other makers, and the movement maker was changed from Seth Thomas to the Deuber Watch Co.

Marsh Model 1, v.1. Around 1903, the Chicago Time Lock Co. debuted the first production time lock that offered a ninety-six hour power reserve. Based on a design for which Ernest Marsh would be awarded a patent, the earliest style of this time lock had a nickel plated case housing two or three movements with both larger twenty four hour primary dial and a smaller secondary dial above, numbered with only 0, 24, 48, 72, and 96.(1) The company was in business for only four years before their sale to Diebold in 1908 so any examples from this firm are rather rare. The movements do not have a makers attribution, but are probably made by the Seth Thomas company. The balance wheel and escapement wheel cocks are identical to those made by that company. These movements feature a platform escapement that is fully interchangeable between movements. This is based on a similar design used by Diebold where the balance wheel, lever and escape wheels are all mounted to the platform. Parts within any platform, however, are not interchangeable between platforms. Tolerances at this time were still too tight to allow for interchangeability between the lever and escape wheel. The top mounted platforms used by Hall were not interchangeable due to the added complication of their transverse mounting. By the time that company was reincorporated into the Consolidated company in 1880 these still were not interchangeable until about the late 1890's.

Marsh model 1, c. 1903. 4 1/2"w x 4 1/2"h x 2 3/4"d, case # 67, movements #96 and #97. file 224

Below is the only other example this author has seen of the Marsh model 1, v.1 (although there surely are others) and is from the Mossman Museum, Nicholasville, Kentucky.