PADLOCK

An incomplete copper-alloy inner part of a Medieval barrel padlock. This component part (the bolt) weighs 6.68g. It is formed of a circular loop (internal diameter 4.9mm, external diameter 7.5mm, minimum length 3.5mm at edge expanding to 6.9mm on the interior side) connected to a solid cylindrical side the end-plate of the bolt) by a rectangular cross-sectioned trapezoidal mid section (the arm). The arm has a thickness of 2.3mm and gains length from the 6.9mm as it leaves the loop to a length of 9.9mm adjacent to the solid side. Within the arm, slightly off-centre, is a circular aperture of 2.5mm diameter. The solid cylindrical end-plate has a diameter of 8.1mm and maximum length of 11.1mm. From the external edge of the loop to the external edge of the end-plate is a measurement of 24.4mm.

The end-plate of the bolt has one flat transverse surface. From the opposing surface, two integral square-sectioned pins (spines) project on the same axis as the cylinder. One of the spines has broken off c.2.1mm away from its base. The surviving spine has a length of c.19.8mm, giving a maximum length including the solid cylinder of 30.5mm. This spine has a base measurement of 2.7mm x 2.8mm tapering to 1.5mm x 0.6mm at the tip. There is a gap of 1.6mm between the base of each spine. The spines would originally have had springs attached to them.

See NMS-9B2F40, PUBLIC-57B88B & PUBLIC-EE86D3. Also see Egan (1998).