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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Posts
    3
    Country: England

    Default New member needing help determining type of Hobbs lock please

    Hi everyone, I volunteer at a local history museum in Worcestershire and have recently found a bag of various brass locks and accessories to accession into our collection. I have attached photos - they are stamped 'Patent Protector 1879 Hobbs & Co' along with a royal crest. Two have an extra stamp on their reverse of the letter L and one has the number 77. Dimensions of all three are 8cm x 3cm x 1.5cm deep. I wondered if anyone could confirm the type of locks they are, if they are incomplete, or where they would have been used for example a bank? No one at the museum knows where they came from or who donated them as they seem to have been lounging around in old boxes waiting to be looked at for some time now.
    I suspect they were common locks at one time but would really appreciate any further information you all could give me.
    Thanks in advance.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_0062.JPG   IMG_0065.JPG   IMG_0066.JPG   IMG_0058.JPG  

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1,754
    Country: Wales

    Default

    Hello and welcome, your locks are what are called Box Locks, and were used on various types of containers like deed boxes and chests etc that had hinged vertically opening lids- the Hobb's Protector bit you already know!
    Banks would indeed have been among the many varied users of such locks although not exclusively so- many businesses and private owners also used them.

    The receiver or strike plate as it is known was fitted to the lid and has two hook-like projections which enter the apertures in the top edge of the lock(called the salvage). That might be the flat rectangular plate in the centre of your pic, the projections will be on the other side thats not showing, if it is.

    If you can carefully remove the lock covers and post clear pictures of the insides we can determine for you if they are intact or not. They are nice looking locks and there's a few Hobb's fans on here !

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Posts
    3
    Country: England

    Default

    Huw, thank you so much for that info, it's very interesting and helpful for the accession record. I will endeavour to open them up and let you all know what's inside.

    Cheers

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Cyberspace
    Posts
    1,318
    Country: Australia

    Default

    Not really box locks as they are not flush fitting. My guess would be a display case or link plate lock of some kind.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Edinburgh
    Posts
    259
    Country: UK

    Default Hobbs locks

    Concur. Many Hobbs locks were used on museum display cases. Though it is a little surprising these are straight not cut; maybe for a thin case.

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

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by chubbbramah View Post
    Concur. Many Hobbs locks were used on museum display cases. Though it is a little surprising these are straight not cut; maybe for a thin case.
    Or perhaps for fitting on a metal one

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Edinburgh
    Posts
    259
    Country: UK

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Gordon View Post
    Or perhaps for fitting on a metal one
    That was my first thought too; solicitors eg used many tinplate boxes of various patterns. But all I have seen had locks soldered on, not fixed with c/s screws. And many were block locks. These seem to have been used, but not soldered.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Posts
    3
    Country: England

    Default

    Hi folks I have managed to open one of the locks and have taken four more photos for you to look at to see if this gives you any more info. My next question is would it be worth trying to obtain a key? Is this even possible?

    Thanks again for all the help you've offered so far.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_0255.JPG   IMG_0258.JPG   IMG_0256.JPG   IMG_0257.JPG  

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Edinburgh
    Posts
    259
    Country: UK

    Default

    Does look as though it could have been fixed to a metal case, though it's unusual.
    Fitting a key so these is a straightforward matter, if you wish to have them in working order. And you are willing to pay for the time of someone willing to do this.

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