Padlocks are one of the most simple and familiar of security devices and have been in use for thousands of years, carrying out a simple but effective method for people to secure their property or doorways. The simplicity of their basic design means that they are still easily manufactured and are in widespread use.

There is abundant evidence to show that a form of portable padlock, known as a ‘convenience lock’, was carried by the merchants who traversed the Asian and European trade routes in the days of the Roman Empire, from around 500 BC until 300 AD or so. The Vikings of Jorvik in Yorkshire, England, also used locking devices with spring tine mechanisms, dated by archaeologists to around 850 AD.

Basic designs remained in use until more sophisticated means of machining metal became more widespread in the early years of the 20th Century, as the spread of electrical power simplified many industrial processes.

Although devices have become more sophisticated in their designs since then, the actual components which constitute a padlock have not altered very much. Locks consist of a body which houses the locking mechanism, the locking mechanism itself and a U-shaped piece of metal known as shackle, which secures the lock to the object it is securing.

Some padlock shackles swing out of the lock’s body when being unlocked, though this tends to apply to older versions and most designs nowadays slide out instead. The advent of combination rather than key locks had also added to the effectiveness of a padlock.

The largest of the world’s working padlocks can be found in southern England, at the Kent Police Museum. Padlocks continue to play an important part in the lives of human beings, something which is exemplified by the use of a padlock icon to show when secure transactions are being conducted across the internet.

Bruce McMartin offers helpful guide about security padlock. Check out his website to learn the various types of padlocks to choose from.

Tags: Home Security