Ha, ha. One of my Spanish cases has latches like Pete's case, lockable, and the other has latches like Uwe's case, not lockable. I have not counted the ribs nor photographed the inside designs, but could be persuaded to when the weather warms up, if anyone thinks it's important.

Pete E. wrote:

Mt metal latches do lock...if only I had a key.
 

I've had good luck making my own keys for various cases using a Dremel tool on blanks cut from those expansion slot cover plates we used to find on desktop PCs.  Most of these case locks use a simple pattern and are not individually keyed.

Here is what an original Olivetti key looks like:

Hi Uwe,

Would locking the case make it a bit more secure when carrying the case with a machine inside ? 

Maybe having the latch locked in place makes an un-expected opening and dumping of the machine to the ground a bit more remote chance of happening.

Funny...all the machines with a case key that I have picked up had the case key secured with old twine to the case handle.

But since I never carry a full typewriter case one-handed by the handle...having a key is only desirable for me, as a collector, to have a machine complete "with all the trimmings" if possible.

Uwe wrote:

Jim, that's super resourceful, and I assume it was a project in the spirit of challenge and fun rather than a necessity.

The first time was out of necessity, because the typewriter I received was already locked in its case with no key to be found.  Rather than destroy the lock, I made a quick and dirty key to open it.

The second time was because a different case had a tendency to open on its own when moved about and flexed, and a locked latch prevented that - but I had no key to lock it until, again, I made one.