When were Pad Locks Invented?

Padlocks are such a common object around the world that not many people have ever thought about their history. The term Padlocks (Vorhängeschlösser) can be used to refer to any kind of portable lock that is used to prevent theft and unauthorised entry, and a number of common designs are in use around the world. The first ever padlocks were designed in such a way that they could be transported to various locations with ease, and this is still the primary distinguishing function of a padlock today.

Innovations in Pad Lock Design

The earliest evidence of padlock use comes from the Roman ere between 500 BC to 300 AD, although it is likely that padlocks were in use in Asia even before this time. The use of portable locking devices that were the ancestors of the common padlock were common throughout Asia, and this is where Roman merchants were likely to have learned of these devices while travelling the ancient trade routes to China.

Evidence of padlocks in England have been dated to 850 AD, where padlocks have been found with spring tine mechanisms in the area surrounding the Jorvik settlement around York. In the United States, early padlocks were known as smokehouse locks, and used a simple but effective lever and ward mechanism. These smokehouse locks were not particularly effective against forced entry however, and were superseded by a more advanced design that may have originated in the Slavic areas of Europe. These locks used a screw mechanism, where a key pulled a locking bolt against a strong spring. These designs were superseded again by an even better 'Scandinvaian' design, using a cast iron body which was loaded with a stack of rotating disks. The McWilliams company received a patent for this design in 1871, and these locks were made until the 1950s around the world.

The early 20th century saw the advances associated with machining, bringing stronger and more secure padlocks to the market. Not only were these padlocks stronger and easier to manufacture, by locksmiths could now much more easily fit locks with certain keys. The first ever laminated padlock hit the market in the 1920s, and die-casting became common in the 1930s. While it is impossible to say exactly where the padlock originated from, all of these inventions and technological refinements have had an important impact on the design of the padlocks in common use today.