Improvements in Chain Padlocks and other Padlocks.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July. 1896
1302
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chain Padlocks and other Padlocks.
We, HENRY HARRISON, FREDERICK HENRY HARRISON, and ARTHUR ELAM
HARRISON, trading together in copartnership as Henry Harrison and Sons, of
47 Stafford Street, Willenhall in the County of Stafford, Lock Manufacturers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to this invention, the inner end of the chain shackle, or locking link
of a chain padlock, or the spoon end of a pivoted shackle of the ordinary type, is
formed with a shoulder, with which a bolt or catch head or heads formed, or each
formed, respectively, on the onter end of a pivoted and gated lever, engages or
engage to lock the shackle. To unlock the shackle, the lever, or each lever, is
moved back by a key against the pressure of a spring, as in operating a lever of
ordinary lock mechanism. One side of the gating of the lever, or each lever, is
formed by means of an extension between which and the bolt head the inner end
of the chain shackle or locking link, or the spoon end of a pivoted shackle, is passed
in putting the chain shackle or spoon end into position for locking. When the
inner end of the shackle has been put into position for locking, the lever, or each
lever, is automatically moved to bring its head over the shoulder aforesaid of the
shackle, by the spring against the pressure of which such lever or each lever is moved
back by the key. If the wrong key is used for moving back the lever or levers, and
does not move it or one of them back sufficiently, the head of the lever thus insufficiently
moved back will not become disengaged from the shoulder of the shackle, and the
shackle will consequently not be unlocked; and the extension aforesaid of the lever,
or each lever, is (if a projection therefrom as hereinafter described is not used) in such
position in relation to the other parts of the lever that, if a key is used which is capable
of moving such lever or one of the levers, when the lock is unlocked, further back than
it can be moved by the proper key, the turning of the key to unlock the lock will cause
the extension of the lever, or one of the levers, to jam against the side of the shackle.
It is preferred, in order to increase the difficulty of picking the lock (and in lieu
of making the extension of the lever or each lever so that it will necessarily jam
against the side of the shackle, if moved unduly back) to form the extension, or
each extension, aforesaid, of the lever, or levers, with a projection from its upper end
on the side thereof which is towards the inner end of the chain shackle or the spoon
end of the pivoted shackle, and to form a corresponding shoulder on the opposing side
of the inner end of the chain shackle or of the spoon end of the pivoted shackle, and
this projection acts as a detent, in case the lever with which it is formed is moved
back beyond its proper distance, by passing over the shoulder last mentioned of the
shackle, and thus prevents the shackle from being drawn out from the case,
notwithstanding that the head of the lever or of each lever has been drawn clear of the
shackle. If two or more levers are used, they have a common pivot axis. The lever
or each lever is arranged vertically within the lock case, or at right angles to the
side of the case through which the shackle passes, and the upper or outer end of
the head or each head of the lever or levers comes, when the shackle is locked,
immediately against the inside of the rim of the case which thus supports it
against any outward pull of the shackle and relieves the pin, by which the lever
or levers is or are pivoted, from strain. The lock is thus very strong and secure.

page_text: It is preferred, for additional security, to use two or more levers, and each lever is of
the general form of those used with the bolt of a night latch, and the inner end of the
shackle terminates in a widened out portion which operates in combination with the
levers in the manner in which the stump of the bolt tail of a night latch operates in
combination with the levers of such latch. Each bolt, therefore, is a combined bolt
and gated lever.
It is preferred to make the padlock self-latching by forming the head, or each head,
of the lever, or lovers, and the inner end of the shackle, bevelled or correspondingly-
shaped, so that as the shackle is pushed in the lever, or each lever, is thereby pushed
back until the shackle is home, when the lever or each lever springs back again and
the head thereof engages with and locks the shackle.
Dated this 30th day of June 1896.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chain Padlocks and other Padlocks.
We, HENRY HARRISON, FREDERICK HENRY HARRISON, and ARTHUR ELAM
HARRISON, trading together in copartnership as Henry Harrison and Sons, of
47 Stafford Street, Willenhall in the County of Stafford, Lock Manufacturers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and, ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
According to this invention, a bolt or catch head or heads formed, or each formed
respectively, on the outer end of a pivoted and gated lever, engages or engage with a
shoulder of the inner end of the chain shackle, or locking link, of a chain padlock, or
of the locking end of a shackle of the Scandinavian type, or the spoon end of a pivoted
shackle of the ordinary type, to lock the shackle or link. To unlock the shackle, or
link, the lever, or each lever, is moved back by a key against the pressure of a spring
as in operating a lever of ordinary lock mechanism. One side of the gating of the
lever, or each lever, is formed by means of an extension between which and the bolt
head the inner end of the shackle (or link) is passed in putting the shackle into
position for locking. When the inner end of the shackle (or link) has been put into
position for locking, the lever, or each lever, is automatically moved to bring its head
over the shoulder aforesaid of the shackle, (or over the shoulder of the link) by the
spring against the pressure of which such lever or each lever is moved back by the key.
If the wrong key is used in moving back the lever or levers, and does not move it or
one of them back sufficiently, the head of the lever thus insufficiently moved back
will not become disengaged from the shoulder of the shackle (or link), and the shackle
(or link) will consequently not be unlocked; and the extension aforesaid of the lever,
or each lever, is (if a projection therefrom, as hereinafter described, is not used)
preferably in such position in relation to the other parts of the lever that, if a key is
used which is capable of moving such lever or one of the levers, when the lock is
unlocked, further back than it can be moved by the proper key, the turning of the key
to unlock the lock will cause the extension of the lover, or one of the levers, to jam
against the side of the shackle (or link). It is preferred, in order to increase the
difficulty of picking the lock (and in lieu of making the extension of the lever or
each lever so that it will necessarily jam against the side of the shackle, if moved
unduly back) to form the extension, or each extension, aforesaid, of the lever or levers,
with a projection from its upper end on the side thereof which is towards the inner end of
the shackle, and to form a corresponding shoulder on the opposing side of the inner end
of the shackle, and this projection acts as a detent, in case the lever with which it

page_text: is formed is moved back beyond its proper distance, by passing over the shoulder last
mentioned of the shackle, and thus preventing the shackle from being drawn out from
the case, notwithstanding that the head of the lever or of each lever has been drawn
clear of the shackle. A similar arrangement may be adopted in the case of a locking
link, in which case the shoulder for the detent results from the usual construction of
the link. If two or more levers are used, they have a common pivot axis. The lever
or each lever is arranged vertically within the lock case, or at right angles to the side
of the case through which the shackle (or link) passes, and the upper or outer end of
the head or each head of the lever or levers comes, when the shackle or link is locked,
immediately against the inside of. the rim of the case, which thus supports it against
any outward pull of the shackle (or link) and relieves the pin by which the lever or
levers is or are pivoted, from strain. The lock is thus very strong and secure.
It is preferred to make the padlock self-locking by forming the head, or each head,
of the lever or levers, and the inner end of the shackle (or link), bevelled or corre-
spondingly-shaped, so that as the shackle is pushed in the lever or each lever is thereby
pushed back until the shackle is home, when the lever or each lever springs back again
and the head thereof engages with and locks the shackle.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, we will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying drawings, an application of the same, by way of
example, in the case of a self-locking chain padlock.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the padlock, with the cap-plate removed, and shews
the parts in their locked position.
Figure 2 is a corresponding view to Figure 1, but shews the parts in their unlocked
position, and Figure 3 is a section on line x x of Figure 1.
Levers A are pivoted at a witbin the case B. Each lever is formed with a head b
which projects inwards from the outer end of a part e which forms one side of the
gating. The other side of the gating is formed by a part d. A stump or stud e,
which is formed with or fixed to the lock case, passes through slots of which one
is formed through each lever. The levers are normally pressed, by springs g, into
position each with one end of its slot against the stump e, and they are moved back-
wards against the pressure of the springs by means of a key turning about the axis h.
The chain shackle C is formed with a part i which enters a corresponding recess
formed in the upper portion of the lock case B, with a narrow part which projects
inwards therefrom, and with a sideway projection from the inner end of such part k
which forms therewith a shoulder, as shewn. When the parts are in the position
shewn by Figure 1, the heads 6 of the levers are over the shoulder formed by the
projection of the shackle, and securely prevent the shackle from being drawn out;
but the levers may be moved back by the proper key to bring the heads 6 clear of
such shoulder, as shewn by Figure 2, and then the shackle may be drawn out from
the case.
On releasing the key, the levers are moved back again by their springs
into the position shewn by Figure 1. The heads b and the lower inner corner of the
projection are rounded or bevelled, as shown, so that when the shackle is pushed
into the case with some little force it becomes automatically locked. The part of the
shackle is a fairly good fit within the recess which is formed to receive it in the top
of the case,
and the shackle is thus kept in proper position sideways; and it is
prevented, by the bottom of the recess, from being pushed unduly into the case. For
additional security, a shoulder m is formed out from the inner end of the part k of the
shackle, on the opposite side to the projection l, and a short projection n is formed
from the inner face of the outer end of the part d of each lever. If, therefore, the
wrong key is used to unlock the lock, and such key moves the levers sufficiently to
clear the heads b from the projection 1, the projections n of the levers, or the pro-
jection n of one of them, will be brought over the shoulder m and thus prevent the
shackle from being drawn out. If the projection n is not employed, the part d of
each lever may be at such distance sideways from the corresponding head b that when
the head is moved back further than is necessary to clear it from the projection 1, the
part d will be jammed against the side of the shackle and thus tend to hold the
shackle.

page_text: It is preferred to so form the levers A, and pivot them in such position, that, when
they are in the position shewn by Figure 1, the top of each head 6 will be immediately
in contact with the inside of the upper portion of the rim of the case, so as to relieve
the strain which would otherwise come upon the pivot a by any pull of the shackle
tending to draw it out of the case.
It will be seen that, in the lock illustrated, each lever A is of the general, form of
those used with the bolt of a night latch, and that the inner end of the shackle
terminates in a widened-out or shouldered portion which operates in combination
with the levers in the manner in which the stump of the bolt-tail of a night latch
operates in combination with the levers of such latch.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A chain padlock, or other padlock, having a shackle formed with a shouldered
inner end, or a locking link, and a gated lever or levers pivoted within the case, the
parts being so constructed, and operating, that when the shackle or link is properly
within the lock case, and the lever or levers not held back by the key, the shouldered
inner end of the shackle, or the inner end of the link, is within the gating or gatings
of the lever or levers and is securely locked thereby, substantially as described.
2. A chain padlock, or other padlock, having a shackle formed with shoulders at the
inner end, or a locking link, in combination with a gated lever or levers pivoted
within the case and having or each having a head which passes over a shoulder of the
shackle or link to lock the same and a projection which passes over a shoulder of the
shackle or link in case the lever is moved back beyond the necessary distance for
disengaging its head from the shackle or link, substantially as described.
3. A chain padlock, or other padlock, having a shackle formed with a widened-out
inner end, and a gated lever or levers pivoted within the case and having or each
having an opening through the top of the gating to receive the widened-out end of the
shackle, the shackle being locked by a head, or heads, which closes, or each of which
closes, in a portion of the gating or each gating, coming over a shoulder formed by
the widened-out end of the shackle, substantially as described.
4. A chain padlock constructed substantially as described and shewn by the
drawings herewith.
Dated this 31st day of March 1897.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.