Bates Diamond Safe with Patent Expanding Door

[Huw Eastwood]

Wondering if anyone has ever encountered or seen one of these?

[00247]

I have one of the Martin C. Briggs expanding door safes which also was patented here in the US. I wonder how the mechanisms differed? The Briggs was ~1870. Maybe Doug can dig up some patents and enlighten us.

[wylk]

Probably US patent 149,193 (http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=00149193&idkey=NONE), filed 2/17/1874 and granted 3/31 1874 (notice the short time between filing and granting!).



It could be viewed as a fairly simple 4-bolt mechanism except each bolt is rectangular and sized to match the door.

[Chubby]

I have never come across one, but would be interested so to do!

I love the claims made in those early adverts.

[00247]

I believe that patent is for the 4 sliding bolt system was used on the larger model Briggs safe. One turned up on Ebay several years ago in, I think, New Jersey.
This is a picture of it.
Attachment 16319

My Brigs is smaller and has 2 sliding bolts. The Briggs expanding bolts are on the back of the door where the Bates looks to be mounted in the center. Probably a more secure design. On this Briggs, the expanding framework slides into a grove in the door jamb and that in of it's self is probably quite strong. The weak link in my opinion is the size of the bolts that secure the sliding bolts. At about 1/4" (they are of an odd size and thread) and the fact that the head is not much larger than the slot it fits in, I think pressure would cause them to fail either from severe prying or explosives. Although a very tight fitting door would make that difficult.

Attachment 16320

[00247]

Now that I compare the patent and the door of the larger Briggs, I see the are some differences. His designs must have evolved. I'm not sure why 2 of my attachments don't show. Here they are full size.

[Huw Eastwood]

Slightly crossed lines here- this is British makers Joseph & Edward Bates although established around 1820, this (extremely rare?) safe is much later welded twelve corner bend supposedly from around 1913. The cross-sectional sketch on the advert clearly shows the difference being with the central expanding layer of the actual doorplate.

[Oliver]

Smilar mechanism on a german antique safe.
Interesting with the sliding edges.

[00247]

Great pictures, Oliver. Interesting are the different applications of the same concept. Hopefully someone out there has a Bates to show.

[Huw Eastwood]

Oliver what sort of age is that old German safe and is it by one of the mainstream German makers? Interesting they are similar with the actual doorplates expanding to lock.