Could it be a M. Briggs and son?

[00247]

I have this unique safe which appears to be a Martin Briggs and son safe. It has an expanding framework lock on the backside of the door which slides into a groove in the door framework. All I have found is a drawing from an advertisement on officemuseum.com. Any ideas? Thanks

[Doug MacQueen]

I would say you have supplied the answer to your question. The only Briggs fire safe I have seen is a earlier one and quite different but I know Briggs did patent a similar boltwork for burglar chests. Your safe looks like its 1870's or so. Can you post pictures of the insides of the lock? thanks Doug

[00247]

Am I correct to asume that with the patent, Briggs was the only one to use this style boltwork on a safe? Do you have more information about the burglar chest and patent? Here are the lock pictures. Thank you for helping.

[Doug MacQueen]

The combination lock is an early Sargent & Greenleaf roller or revolving bolt. S&G and Briggs both out of Rochester at that time. There were a few other companies that used a 4 way flat bar boltwork both earlier and later but there is no doubt that yours is a Briggs. I also found a second Briggs patent regarding boltwork. 1870 no. 99,828 and 1874 no. 149,193. Doug

[Dean Nickel]

Here are the Patent documents.

[00247]

Hey, thanks for the additional information. I notice that both patents involve twin mechanisms which spread the the four flat bars. My safe has just a single gear on the handle shaft which moves the upper flat bar. When the upper bar moves it causes the lower bar to also move by the way that they are coupled. I wonder if this simpler system is an earlier design, or if Briggs had multiple models available at the same time? Can you expand on the topic of other companies that used this system? Did Briggs use other style boltworks? And finally, is this a rare safe that is worth preserving? Thanks again. Ray

[Doug MacQueen]

Here is beautiful Briggs chest that would be from the mid 1860's or early 1870's. It is sporting the Briggs Covert combination lock. The Briggs ad is from 1872. As to other boltworks there was a Betteley patent around 1853 and a Williams patent in 1869. As far as actual safes seen with 4 way flat bars there is the Corliss 4 vault door from the 1890's and the National Seal Joint safe from the early 1900's.

[Ryan Krakowsky]

here’s another briggs…