Reference taken from:
Toronto "called Back", from 1886-1850, Its Wonderful Growth and Grogress Especially as an Importing Centre, with the Development of Its Manufacturing Industries and Reminiscences ... 1864 to 1886 ...
Conyngham Crawford Taylor


J. & J. TAYLOR, TORONTO SAFE WORKS. This is one of Toronto's representative institutions, whether as it regards the enterprise of the firm or the growth and progress of the city in substantial wealth. The demand for safes as security against fire or burglary has kept pace with the accumulation of gold, silver, bank notes, bonds, mortgages, and jewellery and watches, all of which are now protected from all harm and danger. It was indeed a sight worth seeing, to be permitted to inspect the nineteen safes at present being exhibited at the Indian and Colonial Exhibition in London. For beauty of finish, both internally and externally, these specimens of Toronto work manship need fear no competition at such an exhibition ; and even if England were admitted to the friendly rivalry, it is a question whether anything finer could be produced.It is now over thirty years since the firm of J. & J. Taylor commenced the manufacture of safes in Toronto. During that period over forty thousand have been distributed throughout the Dominion, from British Columbia, Manitoba, and the North-West Territories, to Newfoundland and the Maritime Provinces.

It has been their constant aim from the first to keep pace with the times by adopting every improvement that would make security, if possible, doubly secure in all the work that might pass through their hands. That they have succeeded beyond their most sanguine expectations is evidenced by the fact that for many years they have done by far the largest portion of the bank safe work and the Government work of the Dominion ; and in offering their safes to the general public, this is, perhaps, the best guarantee that their safes stand unri valled in the Canadian market.The burglar-proof bank safes shown by J. & J. Taylor in London are of the quality used by all the best monetary insti tutions of Canada, and embody all the best-known materials and points of construction in general use, as well as several additional improvements that are peculiar to themselves, and patented by them. In brief, these safes are made without seam or joint of any kind on the outside corners, the frames and body being welded continuously around the entire safe. They are also fitted in all corners with J. & J. Taylor's improved solid triple corners of five-ply welded steel and iron. The safes are locked with revolving bolts on all sides of door, secured with back shaft combination locks capable of some forty-one million (41,000,000) changes. The spindles and arbors are of J. & J. Taylor's patent enlarged centres. Door jambs are stepped and rabbetted, also tongued and grooved, and fitted with im proved rubber tube packing. Doors operate on J. & J. Taylor's improved Crane hinges and Cam lever bars. Also, after careful and expensive actual tests with dynamite, this firm have adopted the new Holmes' electric time lock with Newbury's dynamite safety devices.The fire-proof safes also present special features. They are all made with J. & J. Taylor's patent non-conducting steel flange doors and fronts, solid round corners, and continuous angle iron frames. They are fitted with combination locks, and hardened steel plates for protecting the locks. The filling is of the best fire-proof resisting qualities. The firm devote their attention exclusively to the making of burglar-proof and fire-proof securities, combination locks and bank locks. They employ about two hundred hands, and have capacity for making about fifty safes per week. The factory has a working floor of about 68,000 square feet, and faces on Front and Frederick Streets. The locks on the vaults of Dominion Finance Department, Ottawa, St. John, Winnipeg, P. E. I., and Toronto, are all made by them, also the vault doors, etc. The safes of the firm are a credit to themselves, to the city of Toronto, and to the Dominion.