It's not a safe!

It seems it's called a "money chest".  I consulted an expert and collector, http://theantiquesafecollector.com/ and he was very helpful.
Money chests were designed to be burglar proof. This one has a stepped key around the door to prevent nitroglycerine from being inserted to blow the door off. It's other attribute making it burglar proof is that it weighs somewhere around 900lbs. or more. It was probably made in the 1880's by Joseph Hall and was a high grade, or top of the line.
I still have to get it off of the cart somehow and on a platform against the wall.  Then I can try the combination and see if it works. I sure hope after all this work that it does! If not, then I guess I'll have to try & fix it.

The safe is home!

Well, Budde took another day off from farming and helped me move this solid chunk of steel from my father's estate in Portland.  It took all day and was not easy.
It was in the house when he bought it back in the early 60's from E. Frank, of the Meyer & Frank department store. His partner Meyer lived across the street.
It has never been locked since we moved in and had the combination printed on a tag and taped to the door. I think my father was afraid that had it been locked, someone would try to break into it, fail, and result in one of three things:
(1) the safe would be ruined but un-opened & anything inside would cost money to recover
(2) If the safe were blown open, the office would be a mess if not consumed by fire.
(3) If left empty but locked,it would be ruined &would cost money to move the thing to the scrap yard.
At best, there would be a mess.

All of this would have been a moot point as the safe was in a secret compartment that needed only some repairs to the latch and hinges to be functional. While I repaired the secret door for him some years ago, the safe remained unlocked and unused.
The lock is a 5 wheel Yale  and I have of course the combination although I haven't tried it yet as the safe is currently on it's side meaning the door has to lift up instead of swinging to the side. It's Heavy!

I lowered it down the ramp into my basement with a cable tied to the hitch of my 42 Willys MB. The emergency brake doesn't work. It was in four wheel drive 1st gear low. The jeep was rolliing backward turning the engine over backward. I chalked the wheels. The safe was getting heavier in my estimation by the hour.
If anybody can tell me the maker of this thing I would appreciate it. The latest patent date on the dial is Nov. 1880 so it is no older than that.
Now I need to borrow Budde's engine hoist to get it off the cart. I hope I don't break the hoist..
I will remove the combination paper from the door. I hope I don't lose it.
I think I will keep it locked with only a note inside that says:
Congratulations! All that work for nothing! Get a real job.