IMPROVE- MENTS IN PADLOCKS, AND KEYS FOR THE SAME
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Spence, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PADLOCKS, AND KEYS FOR THE SAME."-A communication from
abroad by Solomon Andrews, of Perth, Amboy, in the County of
Middlesex, and State of New Jersey, and Thomas Morrell, of the City,
County, and State of New York.
Sealed the 23rd October 1860, and dated the 23rd August 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Spence at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd August 1860.
I, WILLIAM SPENCE, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN PADLOCKS, AND KEYS FOR THE SAME," (being a communication
from abroad by Solomon Andrews, of Perth, Amboy, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, and State of New Jersey, and Thomas Morrell, of the City, County,
and State of New York,) to be as follows:-
The case of the padlock is constructed in one piece of wrought iron. For
this purpose the plate of metal is cut out of the required form, the edges are
turned up, and the plate doubled or folded together, and the construction is
completed by rivetting the required parts together. The snatch or holder for

page_text: the end of the shackle has a spring connected to it, the tail of which acts on
the reverse end of the shackle to throw it out when the lock is unlocked. This
snatch or holder is also formed so as to present its edge to the key, but it has
a flange or enlargement at one side of it, by acting against which alone it is
vibrated, and the bit of the key has a slit formed in it corresponding with the
position of the snatch. By this combination of the snatch and the key tho
lock is closed against all false keys.
In another construction of padlock the shackle is combined with several
hooks or holders, by which it is secured, which hooks are kept from getting
out of position by tumblers. The hooks or holders are notched in different
positions to receive the tumblers. The positions of the notches being different,
allow of variations in the bit of the key, to prevent the lock from being readily
Dicked.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd February 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SPENCE, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of our reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Spence, Her special license that I, the said William Spence, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Spence, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PADLOCKS, AND KEYS FOR THE SAME," a communication from abroad by Solomon
Andrews, of Perth, Amboy, in the State of New Jersey, and Thomas
Morrell, of the City, County, and State of New York, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Spence, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature

page_text: of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Spence, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
"
This Invention of "Improvements in Padlocks, and Keys for the same,"
consists in the construction and combination of the parts herein-after described.
The case of the padlock is constructed in one piece of wrought iron. For this
purpose the plate or piece of sheet metal is cut out of the required form, tho
edges are turned up, and the plate doubled or folded together, and the con-
struction is completed by rivetting the required parts together. The snatch or
holder for the end of the shackle bar has a spring connected to it, the tail of
which acts on the reverse end of the shackle to throw it out when the lock is
unlocked. This snatch or holder is also formed so as to present its edge to
the key, but it has a flange or enlargement at one side of it, by acting against
which alone it is vibrated, and the bit of the key has a slit formed in it
corresponding with the position of the snatch. By this combination of the
snatch and the key the lock is closed against all false keys.
In another construction of padlock the shackle is combined with several
hooks or holders, by which it is secured, which hooks are kept from getting
out of position by tumblers. The hooks or holders are notched in different
positions to receive the tumblers. The positions of the notches being different,
allow of variations in the bit of the key, to prevent the lock from being readily
picked.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe in what manner the same is to be performed, by reference to the
accompanying Drawings, in which are represented the parts above referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a plan of the plate or piece of sheet metal of which the case of the
lock is intended to be made when such piece is merely cut out of the sheet,
but not otherwise formed for the purpose; Fig. 2 shews the same with the
sides turned up; Fig. 3 is a section, showing one-half of the case open after
it has been completed, and also the internal construction of the lock with a
single snatch or holder without tumblers; Fig. 4 is an outside view of the

page_text: lock complete; Fig. 5 represents the spring and snatch or holder of this lock
detached, also the manner in which the snatch or holder is bent, in order to
prevent the use of a false key; Fig. 6 is a section, shewing the internal con-
struction of a lock with tumblers. The shackle is turned up, and the parts
are represented in the positions they would occupy when the lock is unlocked.
Fig. 7 is a detached view of the springs in the lower part of the lock, by which
the tumblers are turned down into their required position. These springs are
represented as seen from the left-hand of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 represents detached
the snatch or holder (in the form of a series of hooks) which holds the shackle,
and also connected with it the talon, acted upon by the key in drawing the
snatch or holder back in the operation of unlocking; Fig. 9 is an edge view
of this snatch or holder, shewing the manner in which it is composed, and
how it is notched in order to receive the tumblers; Fig. 10 is a view of this
lock complete; Fig. 11 represents the key for the single lock; and Fig. 12
the key for the tumbler lock. In all these several Figures the same letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
A is the plate or piece of sheet metal of which the case of the lock is
formed. It is first cut out into the shape represented at Fig. 1, and then the
edges B, B, and C, C, are turned up by stamping, or otherwise, as represented
in Fig. 2, the edges C, C, being those which close the opening at the top of
the lock under the sbackle. The key-holes are then made, and the plato
doubled upon itself, by being bent at its middle part, so that the portion of the
metal which connects the sides shall form the under edge of the lock. But
before closing the case the rivets and the working parts of the lock are
inserted, although in the single lock the working parts can be put in after the
case is closed. D is the snatch or holder for the shackle E. This snatch or
holder, as shown at Fig. 3, has a spring F, the two being so connected as to
form one piece, and the heel of the spring is so continued under the heel of
the shackle as to be capable of throwing it open when unlocked. The spring
F both keeps the snatch or holder in its required position when locked, and
throws out the shackle when unlocked. The snatch or holder D is so formed
as to present its edge towards the key, but it has a flange or projection turned
on one side of it (as shewn at Fig. 5), by means of which it is worked, but the
mode of forming this projection may be varied. The key turns upon the pin G
as an axis, and it is evident that the bit of a key long enough to throw
back the snatch or holder D, and made plain, would only exert an end
pressure on it without causing it to vibrate, so as to release the shackle. But
a narrow slit is formed in the key, as shewn at Fig. 11, in order that it may

page_text: cause the required vibration of the snatch or holder, the position of the slit
being such as to correspond exactly with the position of that part of the snatch
or holder on which it must rest before it can reach the projecting part. -In
this construction of the lock this snatch or holder may be so constructed and
connected to springs as to give to them, and consequently to the slit in the bit
of the key, various positions, thereby preventing the key of one lock from
fitting all the others.
-
In the construction of lock shewn at Fig. 6, the shackle E is held in its
required position by several hooks H, H, which are kept from getting out of
place when the lock is locked by the tumblers I, which are pressed downwards
by the spring K which throws back the shackle. These tumblers are, however,
acted upon individually by the several portions of the spring L, which keeps
them in their respective positions. The spring L is divided by slitting it, as
shown at Fig. 7. The hooks H, H, have notches to receive the ends of the
tumblers I, the different positions of the notches being arranged for the
purpose of requiring variations in the bits of the keys, in order to prevent the
lock from being readily picked. When the key has been turned far enough
to raise the tumblers I into the notches, it takes hold of the talon M connected
to the hooks H, and by continuing the rotation of the key, these hooks are
drawn back and the shackle released, when it is thrown out by the spring K.
The key may be turned in the same direction round to the key-hole and
withdrawn, and the parts will still retain their positions until the shackle
is thrust forcibly into the position for locking, when the end of it will strike
against the part H* of the hooks H, and by continuing the pressure the hooks
will be turned so as to secure the snatch or holder, and the tumblers I will
again fall into position, and prevent the return of the hooks until the lock is
properly unlocked.
•
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim as of the
Invention communicated to me from abroad as aforesaid, is,--
First, the construction of the lock case in one piece of metal, in the manner
herein-before described.
Secondly, the formation of the snatch or holder and its spring in one piece,
and also forming the side spring so that it shall also be capable of throwing
out the shackle when the lock is unlocked.
Thirdly, the construction of the snatch or holder, as shewn, or otherwise
enlarging it at the point where it is acted upon by the key, in combination
with the mode of making the key, by which the suatch will stop a false key,

page_text: and prevent it being turned in the lock, such key being made merely to thrust
the snatch from underneath, instead of causing it to vibrate as required.
And, lastly, the combination of the shackle with the several hooks and
tumblers, in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Spence, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twentieth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
WILLIAM SPENCE. (L.S.)