Yale & Towne Manufacturing Co., Stamford, Connecticut - Single Pin Dial, prototype

Yale Model No: 2, a.k.a the Single Pin Dial Time lock., prototype c.1883. This lock was used as a test bed to determine the practicality of Yale using a single pin dial arrangement, yet driven by two separate movements in order to achieve the smaller area necessary for the lock to occupy on smaller safe doors as opposed to their Model #1, the Double Pin Dial which needed a larger footprint. At the time Sargent & Greenleaf's Model 4 and Consolidated Time Lock had competing small format time locks. Other examples of one dial controlled by two movements are Holms Electric Time Lock and Edward Stewart and a bit later on Beard & Brothers Type 2 and Mosler's first time lock which was based on Beard's design. While there are some similarities between this and the production model, there are many differences. The position of the week dial is in a different position. the two 60 minute dial indicators are missing well as the hour duration wheels; making it hard to see how the operator could accurately set the time on the lock. All that is provided are the two wheels connected to the winding arbors numbered one through eight shown in the third photo. This being in the area where the production model had the 60 minute indicator. Another clue to the premise that this was a prototype is the fact that all of the manufacturer and patent dates are missing from the pin dial where they would normally appear on the production model, (photo four). Since the time lock industry was very litigious, makers were careful to always include patent information on their wares. The case door also seems designed to hide as much of the working as possible; the opposite of how Yale designed their production models. This may have been necessary to hide any not yet patented designs while in testing. Furthermore, the lock is mounted directly onto the case structure without the benefit of their anti--shock spring suspension system which was well developed by this time. Here are more comparative examples of this lock to the production model. This is probably the only example of its kind. 5.75"w x 4.5"h x 2.5"d. Case unnumbered, Movement #2. file 130

A feature unique to this type of time lock (pin dial) is that as well as being ' off guard ' it can go ' on guard ' in accordance with the settings of the pins. As such it is designed to run continuously, unlike the majority of time locks which go off guard when they run down. However, if the movements are allowed to stop completely they will take the lock off guard, despite the settings of the pins.