Old Junkunc Bros. American Lock Co. padlock

Adrian Weber

I just got an old Junkunc Bros. padlock which I like very much. I only found a few pictures and one video on a padlock like this. I already started cleaning it and with cleaning I just mean removing old dirt and grease. I will leave them like they are and not polish anything! (Would never do that). This might be one of the first mass produced padlocks with ball bearing locking mechanism or am I’m wrong with that guess?

I would like to know how old this padlock might be, the locking mechanism is very interesting (ball bearings with craters in shackle like on my Anchor Las) seems to be a wafer if I am not wrong. There is also a number stamped in at the top. Does anyone know what it means?

Las thing would be the screw on the opening side of the shackle, any idea what this might be for? Can you maybe disassemble the padlock? I do not want to break anything therefore I am careful on this one.

Thanks for your help!

Adrian Weber

Riyame from keypicking.com already helped me on this one. He uploaded a pdf file from the locksmith ledger with explanation. The padlock is old but not as old as I thought.

So I was wrong with that part 🙂

But here is the pdf. Still a very interesting padlock for me and one of my old favourites now!

Adrian Weber

Sorry I was not able to upload the pdf file 🙁
It is from the locksmith ledger 1970 I think the padlock handbook.
Detailed description with explosion picture.

Adrian Weber

Disassembled now here are the pictures. I will clean it within the next days then.

🙂

Riyame

Glad I could help. The information is from “The Padlock Handbook” published by the locksmith ledger. Mine is the 1967 version.

Dean Nickel

Well from the look of the lock it had to be made after 1926 as this was when several of the components of the design was patented. But as you can see the body shape is different. If I was to guess it was made in the 1950-60s. As you have already figured this is a serviceable padlock. BBE will know more I am sure.

us1607758.pdf

176kB

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

You are probably close on the date., could be a old as the 1940’s as that body syle was probably made to save brass and there was a lot of that going on during the WWII years.
BBE.

Halflock wrote
Well from the look of the lock it had to be made after 1926 as this was when several of the components of the design was patented. But as you can see the body shape is different. If I was to guess it was made in the 1950-60s. As you have already figured this is a serviceable padlock. BBE will know more I am sure.

[unknown]

Adrian Weber

I also now disassembled the core of it. The key has a profile and there are two sliders each in every slot. I think the slider facing to the back (the one on the right at the pics) is the one for the lower cut on the key because it’s cut is also lower. The slider facing to the front therefor for the higher cut on the key (with higher and lower I mean the two cuts on the key) You can also see the V springs which make sure the wafers are spring loaded and stay in place.

The disk on the far right is the last disk the disk on the far left therefor the first disk. I have cleaned two of the pairs already the others are not cleaned yet. The padlock parts are cleaned so far but I need to clean the body again and the spring for the shackle also needs a last finish. There was a lot a grease in it which contained the parts pretty well. The two disks at the front are slightly damaged and deformed.

Awsome padlock!

peerless

I believe the “U.S.” stamping denotes it as being a military or government use padlock.

“U.S.” means it is keyed differently, all by it’s lonesome.
(“U.S.SET” means it is of a keyed alike group or one of a ‘set’)

Is it key-retaining? Most of the “US” padlocks I’ve seen are key-retaining. Also the government use padlocks hadto’ve met a certain “Pull resistance test”, the ball bearing locking dogs would help to achieve this.

–Vince

Adrian Weber

I think it is not key reataining. I will check as soon as I have it back together again!

Thanks for the information 🙂

Adrian Weber

The first video is also up now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hdkusZKHgY

gatsovandel

Nice to see an old ball bearing padlock, was surprised to see wafers? picking that takes less then a Minuit!! but because ball bearing, mean the shackle is crow bar proof. nice example.

Riyame

American still makes these locks as the model L50. Here is the link to the PDF for anybody that wants it. When it opens, right click and select “rotate clockwise” 😉 http://db.tt/bxaHwiHG

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

Riyame wrote
American still makes these locks as the model L50. Here is the link to the PDF for anybody that wants it. When it opens, right click and select “rotate clockwise” 😉 http://db.tt/bxaHwiHG

They also make a model H10. The H10 is similar in shape to the standard 700, just a little smaller.
BBE.

[unknown]

Adrian Weber

Very cool thanks for the info guys!

Oh the wafers… I originally meant it the other way around and got mixed up with the translation sorry.. So the low cuts on the wafers should be the cuts for the high cuts on the key and also the other way around. If I am correct.

Adrian Weber

Okay here are the last pictures after cleaning everything up now. The wafers are clean now and I also cleaned the core of them and the spring + body a second time. I have already taken the core back together and will reassemble the padlock soon (After putting some new synthetic grease on oil on it). After taking another look at the Actuator I think Alex was right you can probably manipulate it with a bypass tool but no one will try it on this one 🙂

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

dicey wrote
Okay here are the last pictures after cleaning everything up now. The wafers are clean now and I also cleaned the core of them and the spring + body a second time. I have already taken the core back together and will reassemble the padlock soon (After putting some new synthetic grease on oil on it). After taking another look at the Actuator I think Alex was right you can probably manipulate it with a bypass tool but no one will try it on this one 🙂

That ‘blade’ tumbler cylinder, (that’s what they call it in the factory), was invented and patented in 1926. You can see it at patent number 1,607,758. That patent also shows the shape of the current H10 model. It is interesting that your lock had two tumbler springs as current product only has one. Were the springs both inserted with the coil end first? If so, maybe it was a mistake during assembly.

If you examine that cylinder carefully you can note that it is actually an assembly of three components. The plug is made in two halves and the cap is swadged in place to make the assembly permanent.
BBE.

[unknown]

Adrian Weber

Thanks BBE you really seem to know a lot about these old padlocks 🙂

The springs were inserted as pictured one with the coil and first the other with the coil and last and reaching just a little a bit out of the core.

Do you know if this was one of the first padlocks being mass produced with ball bearings or were there others before Junkunc?

Adrian Weber

What about that nail that stuck in the spring, I can not find that at the drawing in the locksmith ledger just recognised :^):
As you can see in the pictures it was stuck in the spring but I can not remember if it was facing downwards into the body or into the hole of the shackle.

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

dicey wrote
What about that nail that stuck in the spring, I can not find that at the drawing in the locksmith ledger just recognised :^):
As you can see in the pictures it was stuck in the spring but I can not remember if it was facing downwards into the body or into the hole of the shackle.

The part that appears to be a nail was in the lock with the point aimed at the shackle. Its purpose is to prevent the shackle spring from twisting as it compresses. It is not present in current production locks.

It is interesting about the coil tumbler springs. The way they were loaded would make operation of the key more efficient. Current production only uses one spring loaded coil first and with some combinations if the lock is held a certain way the spring will let some tumblers fall outward keeping the plug locked.

Junkunc Brothers American Lock Co. is credited with inventing the ball bearing locking shackle. In fact at one point in the 1980’s at an ALOA convention they gave away T-shirts that bore the phrase “We’ve Got Balls”.
BBE.

[unknown]