What is a lever lock?

[EmCee]

Took a look at the pages that can be viewed from Master Locksmithing by Bill Phillips on Amazon.

"A lever lock has a lever as a handle...."

I thought lever lock referred to the internal mechanism and differentiated these types of locks from pin cylinder and wafer locks.

[Phatphish]

Your right, a lever lock does in fact relate to the type of locking mechanism inside the lock, nothing to do with what type of handle is used to open the door.
Given that glaring error, the book is probably not worth investing in.

[Squelchtone]

In the USA the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has made some good laws and rules in order to make every day life easier for people who may be in a wheelchair, on crutches, missing fingers, etc, and instead of knobs, many offices and school are required to use a Lever Set which is a convenient handle for the user to grasp and press down, just like we would hold and press a tension wrench to turn a plug while picking.

here's a photo of a Lever set:


Notice that the levers are bent at the ends towards the door? That's so people walking by a door don't get their the lever stuck in their jacket pockets, hooked on clothes, etc.

A lever lock as mentioned came first, and uses levers lifted to different positions in order for the locking mechanism to have a free path to retract.


This leads to confusion with mortised lock sets and mortise cylinders. A mortise lock is just a lock where the entire mechanism is in a metal casing, and that whole assembly slides into a mortised out pocked in the door, then from the outside you attack knobs, and screw in a mortise cylinder which has a cam that interacts with the internal locking mechanism.

hope this helps,
Squelchtone

[loki-aka]

To add to Squelchtone's informative response post;

The term lever lock can apply to a type of lock utilizing levers-as in flat sheets of metal with cutouts-as a locking device interacting with the key. One type of lever lock that is more familiar to Americans is the lock commonly found on ones bank safety-deposit box-usually opened with a flat key.

Save for the above, lever locks are not that common in the US. These type of locks are frequently used in parts of Europe, particularly Great Britian. They are common enough that British locksmith supply houses offer dedicated pick tools, identification manuals, even clear plastic cover housings to make ones own training lock.

If your interested in learning about levers, Google; chubb, era, british standard lock, among other terms.

[EmCee]

Many thanks to all for the info.

I posed the original question tongue-in-cheek but it seems it might not be so simple after all. If the book is based on US experience where 'lever' (as in internal locking mechanism) locks are uncommon, then it might well be more relevant to focus on the type of handle, especially if that is relatively new compared with rotating knobs.

In the UK I would say lever handles are as common, if not more so, than turning knobs. I have seen knobs with integral locking - usually a push button or turning flange on one side and used for privacy areas like bathrooms although I have seen a couple with keyways - but I've never a lever handle like the photo posted by Squelchtone. In the UK the lock would have a separate keyhole to operate the deadbolt, below the lever which would operate the latch (not sure of that is the right terminology).

Cheers...