Improvements in Padlocks.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 5th May, 1899-Accepted, 15th July, 1899
Improvements in Padlocks.
We, THE WORMALD PATENT LOCKS COMPANY LIMITED, of 139, Norfolk Street,
Sheffield, in the County of York, and ABRAHAM HENRY WORMALD, of 163, Gibraltar
Street, Sheffield, aforesaid, Out of Business, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our said invention relates to improvements in padlocks.
As is well known such padlocks are provided with a hinged shackle or bow which
confines the hasp of the door or other moving part to a staple secured to a fixed
part of the door framing or the like. These hinged shackles besides adding to the
cost of the lock are a source of weakness, the shackle being easily broken.
The object of our invention is to dispense with such shackles in padlocks and.
thus, besides cheapening the cost of the lock, render it practically impossible to
break.
In carrying our invention into effect we provide a suitable casing containing a
spring bolt and the back of the casing is formed as a perfectly plain surface. A
slot is cut in the back for the passage of a staple by means of which the door or the
like is to be secured. The door framing is formed also with a plain surface upon
which the padlock is to bed. The padlock is simply snapped upon the staple the
spring bolt readily permitting this. The padlock thus beds closely against the door
or other object and is protected against wilful damage or liability to be wrenched off
by unscrupulous persons. A key hole is provided in the front plate of the casing and
the spring lock is turned back by means of a special key inade according to the
Specification of Letters Patent No. 23418 of 1892 obtained by one of us the said.
Abraham Henry Wormald the padlock being thus readily unlocked and removed from
the staple.
It must be understood however that the gist of our invention consists in dispensing
with the hinged shackle or bow, and that any suitable locking bolt and key may be
used, the foregoing being given by way of a suitable example.
The improved padlock is suitable for use in all cases where padlocks are at present
used, and, in addition to economy in production, is devised for use in cases where
the locks are liable to be tampered with such as with coin freed gas meters and the
like.

page_text: Improvements in Padlocks.
We, THE WORMALD PATENT LOCKS COMPANY LIMITED, of 139, Norfolk Street,
Sheffield, in the County of York, and ABRAHAM HENRY WORMALD, of 163, Gibralter
Street, Sheffield, aforesaid, Out of Business, 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 and accompanying
drawings:-
Our said invention relates to improvements in padlocks.
As is well known, such padlocks are provided with a hinged shackle or bow, which
confines the hasp of the door or other moving part, to a staple or eye secured to a
fixed part of the door framing or the like.
These hinged shackles, besides adding to the cost of the lock, are a source of
weakness, the shackle being easily broken or filed through.
The object of our invention is to dispense with such shackles in padlocks and
thus, besides cheapening the cost of the lock, render it practically impossible to
break.
In carrying our invention into effect we provide a suitable casing containing a
spring or other suitable bolt, the back of the casing being formed as a perfectly plain
surface. A slot is cut in the back of the casing for the passage of a staple or hasp
by means of which the door or the like is secured.
The door framing or the like is provided with a plain surface upon which the
padlock is to bed, this plain surface carrying the staple or hasp. To secure the parts,
the padlock is simply snapped upon the staple, the spring readily permitting this. A
key-way is provided in the front plate of the casing, and the lock is turned back to
release the parts by means of a suitable key.
Our invention will be clearly understood from the following description when read
in conjunction with the accompanying sheet of drawings.
In the said drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved padlock together with the staple or hasp
plate, the parts being shown in engagement.
Fig. 2 shows, in side elevation and plan, the staple or hasp.
Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of the cover plate of the padlock carrying the spring
bolt.
Fig. 4 is a front view of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrow.
Fig. 5 shows a side view of the padlock cover or casing.
Fig. 6 is a front view of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a sectional view of one form of key which might be used for operating.
the spring bolt.
Figs. 8 and 9 are further views of such key.
According to our invention I provide a suitable padlock cover or casing a, which is
shown circular in the drawings, but may of course be of any other suitable
configuration. This cover or casing is formed with, or has secured thereto, an
extension or pap a¹ in which a circular key-way 2 is cut for the passage of the key
employed to move back the confining bolt. Within the cover or casing a the spring
bolt is confined, the bolt being carried upon the inner face of a circular cover
plate c, this circular plate c being immovably secured to the casing a by means of
studs or rivets a³ so as to make up the padlock. The spring bolt is free to slide
back in a straight path against the action of a suitable spring d which is retained by
studs d¹, the movements of the bolt being guided and limited by the studs 6. In
the face of the cover plate c, which forms the back of the padlock proper, we cut a

page_text: uitable gap or slot c¹ designed to allow admittance of the staple or hasp e carried on
he plate el which forms a meeting face with the cover plate c of the padlock.
It will be seen that the cover plate c presents a perfectly plain and flat surface
to the similar plain face of the plate e', so that when the parts come together no
free space exists at all and thus the hasp el cannot be interfered with.
Owing to the closeness of approach of the flat faces e', c the hasp e is effectually
safeguarded and shut off, and an exceedingly safe padlock produced, whilst we are
at the same time enabled to dispense with the usual hinged shackle.
A padlock constructed in accordance with our invention cannot be wrenched off as
is possible with the ordinary form of padlock having a shackle.
The hasp plate e¹ may move to the padlock, or the padlock to the hasp plate e¹,
or each to the other, according to the purpose for which the lock is employed.
As the chief feature of our invention lies in the production of a shackleless
padlock having flat meeting faces it will be obvious that the form of locking block
or bolt may be varied without departing from the spirit of our invention.
In some cases the padlock may be sunk in the material of the part carrying the
same so that only the face of the padlock and key-way would be exposed as is
indicated in dotted lines Fig. 1.
To operate the spring bolt we may employ the special form of g shown in
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 which forms the subject matter of Letters Patent No. 23418 of
1892 granted to one of us, the said Abraham Henry Wormald. This key consists
of a tubular shank within which slides a spindle i carrying a hinged wing i¹.
The tubular shank is pressed down the spindle i so as to maintain the wing i¹ in
the position shown in Fig. 7, by the action of a spring j housed in a small
cylinder k forming part of or attached to the handle g¹. With the wing in
this position the key may be readily thrust through the restricted key-way a²,
having passed which, by pressing on the key the spindle i is thrust down the
tube h, against the pressure of the spring j and the wing ¹ forced out as shown in
Figs. 8 and 9. By revolving the key with the wing so projecting the bolt bis
We may
forced back against the action of the spring d and the parts released.
use a key of other formation than that herein indicated in which case the key-way
would be so fashioned as to accomodate such modified form of key.
The improved padlock is suitable for use in all cases where padlocks are at
present used, and is particularly applicable for locking the drawers or parts of coiu-
freed machines, which are at present so liable to be tampered with.
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 shackleless padlock having a key way and a flat meeting face, through
which passes a hasp or the like with which engages a suitable bolt when the parts
are together, the bolt being operated by means of a key passing through said key-
way substantially as described and shown.
2, A shackleless padlock a having a restricted key-way a³, and a flat meeting face c
through which passes a hasp e engaging a spring bolt b, when the parts are snapped
together, substantially as set forth.