Uploaded January 2019 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Demonstration of a Yale & Town DAT (Delayed Action Timer) time lock. These were used where the time lock needed to be put on guard very quickly in the case of an emergency. This would generally be a day time robbery where the cashier would want to lock the safe and put the time lock on guard in one quick action.
Once the DAT time movement has been preset, from a period of 15 minutes to 7 hours, all one needed to do was to throw the bolt work as would be done in closing the door, and then a slight reverse movement of the bolt handle on the closed door to release the DAT timer. This puts the time lock on guard for the pre-determined time that had been previously dialed in and keeps the safe closed long enough to foil a robbery.
When this lock was marketed in the 1940's through 1960's this may have been a good deterrent. But given today's violence, the robber is just as likely to shoot the cashier for foiling his attempted burglary as he is to walk away.
Demonstration of a Yale & Town DAT (Delayed Action Timer) time lock. These were used where the time lock needed to be put on guard very quickly in the case of an emergency. This would generally be a day time robbery where the cashier would want to lock the safe and put the time lock on guard in one quick action.
Once the DAT time movement has been preset, from a period of 15 minutes to 7 hours, all one needed to do was to throw the bolt work as would be done in closing the door, and then a slight reverse movement of the bolt handle on the closed door to release the DAT timer. This puts the time lock on guard for the pre-determined time that had been previously dialed in and keeps the safe closed long enough to foil a robbery.
When this lock was marketed in the 1940's through 1960's this may have been a good deterrent. But given today's violence, the robber is just as likely to shoot the cashier for foiling his attempted burglary as he is to walk away.
