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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Victoria B.C.
    Posts
    38
    Country: Canada

    Default Antique Safe with Ruxtons Invincible Lock

    Hi all,

    Here's a few pics of an old keyed safe I need to open.

    The nameplate that slides over the keyhole says
    "Ruxtons invincible lock" and the circular wording
    says " wrought iron fire resisting safe"

    It's a lever lock with at least 4 levers that I can see
    with a scope.

    Does anyone have any advise on how to open it?
    I don't have any lever picks but I can make up something.
    drill point? which way to turn to open? bolt works pics & measurements?
    The customer doesn't want it drilled.

    some google searching turned up English often with a coat of arms
    above the lock but no useful opening info.

    thanks for any info you can provide.
    Tom
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_0259.jpg   IMG_0260.jpg   IMG_0261.jpg   IMG_0262.jpg   IMG_0268.jpg  

    IMG_0269.jpg   IMG_0270.jpg  

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Cleveland, Ohio USA
    Posts
    1,433
    Country: United States

    Default

    Tom, I found some description and drawings of the 1816 patented Ruxton lock, in the 1856 George Price book which can be found online. It may be a rare find. I would up the opening price considerably, with no guarantee if he wants to stick with the no drill option. You might spend an extremely inordinate amount of time in trying to pick it, only to fail. Once I had a combination safe X-rayed after I had spent 8 hours trying to manipulate it open, only because the customer was adamant about no drilling. Hopefully someone on here can post pictures of a Ruxton lock. Doug

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Victoria B.C.
    Posts
    38
    Country: Canada

    Default

    Thanks for your input Doug.

    It's an estate situation and we don't hear anything rattling
    around in it when we roll it over so we traded the customer
    the inside contents for the safe.
    So no rush to get it open now.
    There's an auction sticker on it so it might have been
    bought years ago by the person who just passed on and
    it has just sat around unopened for a long time.

    I hope someone who has tackled this type before will
    chime in.

    From the way the levers are arranged I think the key
    turns clockwise, and the bolt moves downward, to open.

    I don't know if the key makes a full rotation to unlock & lock.
    If it does, it may mean you could unlock with the key then
    close the door and turn the knob to throw the bolts
    but the knob & bolts wouldn't be locked...kinda like a classroom function.
    Maybe that was a handy feature back in the day if someone was
    opening the door often during the day.

    On the other hand you could forget to lock it before you went home.

    The lever lock bolt may be spring loaded or only let the key turn
    a half turn or so...key retaining.

    You're right about taking a very long time to pick...if ever,
    especially if it has lots of levers.

    I tried to put an old lockmasters scope down the keyhole to
    see how many levers but it's diameter was too large to fit.
    Hmm....maybe I could redrill the keyhole bigger....


    I'll keep trying to come up with a way to open it.
    Where is Ant Man when you need him...or that portable
    x-ray computer video screen.

    Tom

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Posts
    1
    Country: Great Britain

    Default invincible safe lock

    Hi Tom
    Did you ever get the invincible safe open?

    I've just had an enquiry to open a safe with an identical key hole escutcheon on
    Click image for larger version. 

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    So any info on number of levers direction of unlock etc would be greatly appreciated.
    Cheers Elliot.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Aberdeenshire
    Posts
    697
    Country: Great Britain

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by goldpro View Post
    Hi all,


    Does anyone have any advise on how to open it?
    I don't have any lever picks but I can make up something.
    drill point? which way to turn to open? bolt works pics & measurements?
    The customer doesn't want it drilled.

    some google searching turned up English often with a coat of arms
    above the lock but no useful opening info.

    thanks for any info you can provide.
    Tom
    This must be the earliest Chatwood I've ever come across. To preserve the lock may I suggest that you simply remove the lock chamber by punching out the four bolts which attach it to the back of the door plate. The ends of these bolts are clearly showing just outside the door trim.
    It may be easier to do this if the threads of these bolts are drilled out first.
    All that will be left attaching the lockcase will be the spindle from the handle which will most likely be held on by a nut on the inside.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Devon UK
    Posts
    3,117
    Country: UK

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by safeman View Post
    This must be the earliest Chatwood I've ever come across. To preserve the lock may I suggest that you simply remove the lock chamber by punching out the four bolts which attach it to the back of the door plate. The ends of these bolts are clearly showing just outside the door trim.
    It may be easier to do this if the threads of these bolts are drilled out first.
    All that will be left attaching the lockcase will be the spindle from the handle which will most likely be held on by a nut on the inside.
    It is not a Chatwood

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Aberdeenshire
    Posts
    697
    Country: Great Britain

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Gordon View Post
    It is not a Chatwood
    Yes Tom, I have just twigged. Past my bedtime.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1,754
    Country: Wales

    Default

    The escutcheon on the Midland safe that Elliot has posted requesting lock info doesn't look to be Ruxton's as in goldpro's original safe and post- 'invincible lock' and 'invoiable lock' escutcheons were pretty common.

    You should find that Midland will pick pretty easy, whereas a Ruxton's might not. You said you've had an enquiry to open it so presumably you are in the trade- 10 mins onsite with a tension tool and picks will soon determine up/down shoot, direction to unlock, levers etc. I'll be surprised if it's anymore than a basic 6 or 7 lever- probably won't even have false notches.
    Last edited by Huw Eastwood; 08-03-19 at 08:41 PM.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Aberdeenshire
    Posts
    697
    Country: Great Britain

    Default

    Hopefully someone on here can post pictures of a Ruxton lock. Doug[/QUOTE]

    Click image for larger version. 

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    With acknowledgement to 'Lock Collectors Association' and George Price.
    Apparently the first Detector lock with the original purpose being to retain
    a false key.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Victoria B.C.
    Posts
    38
    Country: Canada

    Default

    Hi all,
    I'm no help.
    It was taken to our other store across town and drilled open.
    The door was turned into swiss cheese with many drill holes
    as I recall then welded up and a new lock fitted.

    There were 4 bolts holding the inner part of the door to the outer
    skin which was about 1/2" thick as I recall. So if you can locate
    the bolts somehow and drill them, they may unwind themselves
    and let you get the door open. I don't think the lock itself was
    fastened to the outer skin.

    Best of luck.
    Tom

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