Thread: Unusual Chubb ( Is it a Chubb?) safe lock.

This illustration is from a paper read by Harry W. Chubb, A.M.Inst.C.E entitled ‘The Construction of Locks and Keys’ and published in the ‘Journal of the Society of Arts’, April 14 1893. It clearly shows a pair of locks the same shape. So there surely can be no doubt that this is a Chubb lock.

Here is a 6 lever Gibbons Detent drawer lock, serial number 801. Originally, the size would have been 3.5" by 3", but it has been cut down, possibly to be fitted to a safe? Only the 'D' of Detent Lock is now remaining. The 3 original case screws are missing, as is the larger case screw, which looks like a later addition, maybe to fix it to the pan of a safe door, as the original 2 right hand holes are no longer there. The 2 original left hand holes have scour marks (from screw heads) on the 'inside' face, which would support the idea of attachment to a safe pan. If it was a drawer lock, it would have scour marks or countersunk holes on the 'outside' face. It has neither.
The finger of the comb spring that acts on the fourth lever has broken off, and an individual spring has been fitted to this lever at some point. Two of the levers have false notches, and a simple case ward is present.