1933 – 1972 Likely Unused Old 3-Slot Payphone Door - With Dimple

Description

1933 – 1972
Likely Unused
Old 3-Slot Payphone Door - With Dimple.
It has been unwrapped to photograph. (The last two photos are
only
to show how they were stored. These are all being sold separately).
Automatic Electric, like those made starting in 1922 by Gray and Western Electric and used in Gray Western Electric payphones until the 1930s when Western Electric then made their own style – a heavier cast iron – looking door without the “picture frame groove” around / on all 4 sides but rather just curved smooth edges.
It can be assumed that the earlier A.E. - looking but likely Gray doors did not have a dimple around the key hole but rather were flat surrounding the key hole. The dimple style may have been made after A.E., bought Gray out in 1948. From 1948 dimple style, I have had little interest in finding clues which would nail down exact dates according to small changes on the inside of the door assuming that small changes exist. Common knowledge is that Automatic Electric quit making 3-slotters in 1972 and thus same with doors.
The common lock and key used in them beginning in 1922 was the 10L. “L” standing for Long who was quite an inventor. 10L locks with original working keys are in short supply and therefore expensive. We have had these modified so that a non-appointed key will work the lock. With / to me, payphone locks, except for the 30C and Northern Electrics likewise (220C or such), are frivolous and not always dependable.
To me, doors were easy to ignore until about 17 years ago. Levi Sullivan 1940 – 2018 was our payphone tech from about 1992 until he passed away in 2018. He contended with payphones. During the 1990s, we feared that we'd run out, so had some “cheapies” made. Jeff made them for us and the last that he made in around 2008 or 2010 were 1/8” thick.
How long I've had these and where they came from is a guess. I've bought stuff like this since mostly the late 1970s or / and 1980s from numerous sources including GET/AE, R&S Refubishers, CTRS, Klingle, Goreki, A&M and CEAC. While moving stuff out of the Phoneco building back to the farm, these were “uncovered / discovered”. The chrome payphones in one of our storage places sweat occasionally due to changes in the atmosphere. I'm rather confident that in the process, corrosion can begin. This has happened to N.O.S. parts also even though they are wrapped up. I opened one or two of these old door wrapping and saw a spot of what appeared to be a beginning of corrosion. It looked like the type that can be easily rubbed out with old dutch cleaner or rubbing compound.
This old brown wrapping paper has been used for decades. But we usually don't wrap doors that have been polished nor do we slam them around to offer scuffing. So they were probably wrapped after having been made or polished by a refurbisher or A.E., and the purchase date from where I bought them would likely have been 1980 and 1997. I believe I'm secure in belief that they are not replicas. My repros are plain and simple; made out of aluminum. I heard that Paul V. had them made once, but I don't recall having seen any. Under Paul's direction, they would've been exact, but not like these few that are wrapped up. These are as exact as any old old used door you will ever see. Although we still have a few original equipment 10L locks and keys, the price has been raised uncomfortably so as to extend the supply. Mary on 5-1-21 says that we sill have some 10L locks non-working, and keys to modify (remove the tumblers). This subject involves much discussion, so call me afternoons, evenings. I did look into a single lock-shop cam lock that we can offer for but you have to drill a hole in the front in order to enter the key.  Diamond bit?  Machine shop?
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