Articles | Volume 13, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/ms-13-791-2022
https://doi.org/10.5194/ms-13-791-2022
Research article
 | 
06 Oct 2022
Research article |  | 06 Oct 2022

Structural analysis of traditional Chinese blocked-keyhole padlocks

Yang Zhang, Hsin-Te Wang, Jian-Liang Lin, Chin-Fei Huang, and Kuo-Hung Hsiao

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Cited articles

Hommel, R. P.: China at Work: An Illustrated Record of the Primitive Industries of China's Masses, Whose Life is Toil, and thus an Account of Chinese Civilization, 1st Edn., John Day Company, New York, USA, https://doi.org/10.2307/3102661, 1937. 
Hsiao, K. H.: On the Structural Analysis of Open-keyhole Puzzle Locks in Ancient China, Mech. Mach. Theory, 118, 168–179, 2017. 
Hsiao, K. H.: Structural analysis of traditional Chinese hidden-keyhole padlocks, Mech. Sci., 9, 189–199, https://doi.org/10.5194/ms-9-189-2018, 2018. 
Hsiao, K. H., Zhang, Y., Lin, J. L., Huang, J. F., and An, H.: A Study on Ancient Chinese Shanxi Locks, Advances in Mechanism and Machine Science, 1st Edn., edited by: Tadeusz, U., Springer, Switzerland, 1179–1186, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20131-9_116, 2019. 
Kuo, C. H.: Structural characteristics of mechanisms with variable topologies, Verlag Dr. Muller, Berlin, Germany, ISBN 9783836488907, 2008. 
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Short summary
Barbed-spring padlocks are the typical locks used in ancient China, and can be divided into three main types, namely open-keyhole, hidden-keyhole, and blocked-keyhole padlocks. With the combinations and changes of springs, keys, and keyholes, the padlocks have a variety of different unlocking methods which provide higher security. Six examples are provided to demonstrate the opening processes of blocked-keyhole padlocks.
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