On the Spring Configurations of Ancient Chinese Locks

Abstract

The majority of ancient Chinese locks are key-operated bronze padlocks with splitting-springs. Chinese splitting-spring locks can be characterized based on the types, the materials, the engraving, the shapes, the mechanisms, the configurations of the splitting springs, the shapes of keyholes, the shapes of key-heads, the number of keys, and the insertion of keys. A splitting-spring lock consists of a lock-body, a lock-peg, and a key. A splitting-spring is a thin piece of rectangular metal. One end of the spring is fixed to the tip of the lock-peg, and the other end is open for trapping the inner wall of the keyhole. This paper concludes that the spring configurations of ancient Chinese locks includes the numbers, the types, the sizes, the shapes, the arrangements, and special functions. And, the characteristics of spring configurations determine the design of the keys.