Unusual Fatman Steering spider. Can you ID the maker?

[JTT3]

The following pictures are of a fatman steering wheel spider. I’ve never seen this one before and I’m trying to identify the maker or any literature. It is a locking style & flip over style. I do not have a key, currently it is in the locked for steering but I suppose with the lock turned it would free wheel. From tab to tab across is 15 1/4 inch. Your help would definitely be appreciated.
Thanks in advance forum. Best John

[JTT3]

Bump this up again

[Wayne Sheldon]

Certainly a very interesting one! I cannot recall ever seeing one quite like it. Between all the ones I have seen on cars (lots of speedsters!), for sale at swap meets, discussed on forums like this, other people's personal collections? I would guess I have seen close to a hundred and fifty fatman steering wheels over the years. There was a fellow years ago that had a bunch of them, and bought and sold them at swap meets. He would often have about twenty of them at swap meets.
I myself have had about eight or nine of them. About half required major restoration, I still have two that are missing major pieces, and two nice ones waiting for cars to want them. One of the nice ones was missing a major piece when I got it, and I made the missing pieces for it.
Yours looks like with a nice wooden rim and a little work it could be very nice, and certainly unusual.

[JTT3]

Wayne i don’t need it but like you have a bunch however this one was so unusual that i decided i wanted it not needed it. I think im going to try and have it keyed if i can find a real locksmith, the gentleman i use to go to had retired & recently passed. Boy he was really someone that could do magic. So sad we are losing and not replacing those very skilled friends.
Still looking for info please! Best John

[Wayne Sheldon]

Locksmiths, like a lot of other craftsmen, are a disappearing bread. Looking at your photo of the lock, it appears quite unusual. May be a double cut key like the common Chicago locks of the1920s. Instead of single spring loaded tumblers working on one side of the key, they had free-floating double sided tumblers that slid across the side of the key and worked on both edges of the key. They were similar to the model T keys of the 1920s. Maybe a model T key might work in that lock? Do you know anyone that has one of the model T master key sets? It might help to identify the cut pattern? Also possible that an era Chicago key might work. The blank's side slot is somewhat different judging from the look of your lock, but again, some of these were simple locks and the key cuts may be similar enough work a similar style lock.
If, by chance, an available key was found that can work the lock? A proper fitting blank could probably be found or made and properly cut to fit the lock better.
I have actually gotten lucky that way a few times myself.