Chubb Mystery Safe on Wheels

[Huw Eastwood]

Here's one I'd love to throw some light on-

Being thrown in the deep end at a very young age and sent out on site opening all types of safes, I went out to open this old 128 Queen Vic St Chubb with key lost when I was about 18 or 19. Thinking it was going to be another like all the others I'd seen and knew about, I got a shock when I saw it.

Unfortunately no photos as back then it often took longer to set up a manual SLR camera in dark offices than it did to do the job, so we always made detailed drawings with measurements but rarely took pictures. This rough sketch is all I have, but hopefully it's enough for Brian, Safeman or someone else who may have encountered one and know the story behind it.

It was 26 inches high by 20 inches wide and early square cornered construction typical of the era, but unlike any other British safe I've ever seen- even to this day- it had a cast integrated base with castors in true USA style. Even more baffling was the fact that the cast base obviously wasn't a random later addition or an after thought- it had raised lettering 'Chubb' and 'Patent' cast into it and was securely riveted to the body and the safe not just dropped onto it.



The lock was a typical Chubb Pipe used around that time- 4 inches by 3 and 3/8, 5-lever with razor sharp false notches, Pipe key with brass barrel and curtain tightly shrouded against powder attack with shield. Marked on the bolt head Chubb's patent, 128 Queen Vic St, st Pauls London and with the Chubb fish logo. Door plate was 1/2 inch thick with 1/2 inch laminated hard plate- and god was it hard! Plus the outer door was peppered with Chubb's hard dowels on approx 3/4 inch centres typical of the period. They nearly always managed to get one directly over the drill point for the lock...

Other features which may not be obvious from the basic sketch are the handle- a cast round brass fluted knob, the Chubb plate was the typical rounded diamond pattern and escutcheon was again the typical pear-shape vertical sliding brass.

I think everyone at our place still thinks I dreamed this one up to this day! Even at that young age I had an interest in the American safes, cannonballs and round door money chests etc. A good friend, the late John Hucklebridge had left me boxes of Locksmith Ledgers so I was familiar with a lot of the stuff from across the pond. But here it was, a typical non-descript Chubb from the 1800s with a real touch of the USA. Would be great if anyone knows how and why they came up with this, as it's the only British safe we've ever seen with a wheeled base.

[Syd Waterman]

Hi .
Details attached from Chubb's 1901 catalogue . Hope this assists.
Regards.
Patent

[Huw Eastwood]

Thanks Patent- proof at last! wasn't expecting a catalogue listing for this oddball that's great.

The dates got me more curious now- the one I opened back then was square cornered- presumed to be 1880s or 90s. The catalogue examples from 1901 look to be 4 or even 8 bend. The mystery seems to deepen as Chubb presumably offered those wheeled bases over a much longer period than first thought, which makes the rarity of them more puzzling.

Thanks again- much appreciated

[Syd Waterman]

Though you would like an illustration of the New Patent Safe on Wheel-Mounts from Chubb's 1883 catalogue.
Note the Keyless Combination lock instead of the usual Key-Lock on the safe door.
The Wheel -Mount option is not available in their 1906 catalogue.
Thanks. Patent

[Huw Eastwood]

Wow thanks very much Patent. Overall that's quite a long time span they offered the wheel mounts.

The whole concept of any safe being provided with wheels seems to contradict it's purpose once installed, and has raised many smiles and sniggers during conversations over the years. I guess it was an option which us Brits simply didn't go for as there can't be many out there. I've just realized that between myself and my Dad we have 85 years combined experience of on site opening and repairing safes, and he still laughs about this Chubb on wheels to this day- they must be seriously rare here in the UK!

Thanks again & regards

[Tom Gordon]

Surely these would essentially have been made for the export market. I don't think that they ever sold many in America but I reckon that they would have periodically had a damn good try.

[wylk]

The whole concept of any safe being provided with wheels seems to contradict it's purpose once installed...

In the US, for a while (late 1800s to early 1900s?), banks would build a vault and buy wheeled safes too. Each morning they would open the vault and wheel the safes out, and reverse the process at closing time.

[Huw Eastwood]

In the US, for a while (late 1800s to early 1900s?), banks would build a vault and buy wheeled safes too. Each morning they would open the vault and wheel the safes out, and reverse the process at closing time.

Thanks wylk- now that's a sight worth going back in time for- bank manager and cashiers, all togged out in the clothes and hats of the era, wrestling with a 1000 kilo safe with it's front wheels stuck on the threshold sill of the door frame...

Bet they felt they'd done a days work before they'd started at the counter!

[Doug MacQueen]

LOL Imagine moving this bad boy in and out of the vault every day. Actually this was the vault at this bank until a large round door vault was installed in the 1920's. Unfortunately the cannonball is no longer there and was probably removed when the new vault was installed.

[wylk]

It's also possible that wheels on a safe might be a requirement simply to get the safe into the building and parked in its place. Otherwise the movers might refuse to attempt it. Once in place, the wheels could be removed but in many cases, why bother? They would also allow the owner to move it around the office if they wish to re-arrange the space.

The 33,000-pound Corliss underscores a need to consult with an architect/engineer before purchase!