Banker's Electric Protective Co., Minneapolis, Minnesota

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           The Bankers Electric Protective Association was a successful alarm system maker at the end of the nineteenth century, operating from 1896 through 1901. The name was changed from Bankers Electric Protective Association to Bankers Electric Protective Company in 1898. This photo shows the company's mascot / insignia on the side of the factory building where the company was located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It shows a serious-looking bulldog guarding a sack of money as illustrated by the Dollar sign on the front of the sack and reads "ALWAYS ON THE JOB". A good advert for an alarm company.

Among the most successful makers of bank alarm systems was Bankers Electric Protective Association, and between 1896 and 1901 Bankers Electric produced at least five distinct styles of alarm timer in both single and double movement styles.

The style thought to have been the earliest was made between 1896 and 1897, and was based on a seventy-two hour movement made by E, Howard. This movement was substantially similar to the L-movement then in production by Howard for use in Yale's time locks but with a few natable differences: the main dial is marked with Bankers Electric name, the front plate has the E. Howard attribution in engraved script rather than Gothic script found on contemporary Yale movements, and the gold-plated parts of the escapement are unengraved. The case is nickel-plated bronze and a vertical armature extending through the case bottom is pushed left to right by the dial pin, breaking the circiut and disabling the alarm.

 

c. 1898. This was the first alarm timer design case, c. 1896 by this company but using a bit later Howard movement from 1898-1900. Three examples of this single movement alarm timer and one example of of a double movement version are known to survive today. file 302

 

 

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c. 1898. The movement as well as the case suggest that this timer was licensed by the Consolidated company for The Bankers Electric Protective Company. The case design, with it's large window over the escapement looks back to the original Hall's Safe & Lock Company design before it became the Consolidated Time Lock Company in 1880. Movement and case are marked #4 making this the earliest example known of this lock. This is a rare variety of timer made for the Banker's company and it has an unusually long duration of 80 hours. This author has only seen this long duration in a single movement when combined with a dual Consolidated movement to create a three movement time lock. Three of these alarm timers are known; only this example has the original wood base and electrical components. Time lock 3 5/8" w x 3 1/8" h x 2 5/8" d. file 84

 

 

  

The video above shows a demonstration of a Bankers Electric Protective Association alarm timer. This company used E. Howard movements for their timers and often had their own logo on the dial. This one has the original E. Howard dial logo and the company script on the front movement plate indicates that this dates from about 1896 or 1897.

c. 1897. This timer has all of the electrical gear within the rear of the case rather than external to the timer case as was the usual design. The type of movement used here is not a Yale L-movement as was often associated with this company but a rectangular movement like those found in Diebold movements. However, Diebold did not enter the alarm timer business until after 1902, when E. Howard exited the business. The case , knob and window all are in keeping with the Bankers Electric design. 4 3/4" h x 3 1/2" w x 3" d. file 277

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