Bus door locks

[hyperlogos]

I am looking for a double cylinder deadbolt lock for an unusual application, an aluminum plug door on a bus. It currently has a simple tubular latch assembly with a plastic tube through a flange held into the edge of the door by two screws. It has a round sliding pin latchbolt of about 10mm in diameter. The bolt is actuated by a cam lock mounted to the outside face of the door, with a large aluminum cam that pushes a boss on the bolt when turned in one direction, and pulls it when pushed in the other.

The lock holes are arranged co-axially like a typical bored lock with a backset of 70mm, or 2 and 3/4 inches. The outer hole is a 17mm slot in a 21mm hole, and the inner hole is 37mm.

The really difficult part to match is the width of the lock front, which can only be a maximum of about 16mm, or about 5/8 inch because it has to fit in a groove in the outside of the door which holds the rubber seal. If a mortise lock is used, the case can only be this wide. The lock armor/front could be a little bit larger if it were removable, maybe up to 19mm. However, there is very little space for a lock case, only about 74mm assuming that the cylinder location is correct. I have been looking for mortise locks for security reasons, but the only ones I can find which are around the correct size are vintage.

The other complication is the space available for the outside cylinder housing. There is plenty of room for a typical mortise lock cylinder, but there is not enough space for the housing on the average bored hole deadbolt lock. They all seem to be about 2.25" in diameter or larger, and there is no more than 2.2" of room. A little massaging is acceptable if the housing can afford it.

The door is 37mm thick, or 1.45 inches. The width of the interior space is about 31mm.

Can anyone suggest a lock that will work, or can be modified to work? It has to survive full weather exposure on top of everything else, and hey, I'm also trying not to go broke in the bargain.

[Squelchtone]

as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Would you mind posting some photos of the current lock setup with a ruler in the photo please?

This way we can know what you have there, its really hard to imagine otherwise.

You can upload photos to imgur, photobucket, flickr or tinypic and Copy/Paste the link into your reply here.

Looking forward to helping you,
Squelchtone

ps. so far it sounds like a Lori double sided mortise cylinder deadbolt may be your best best if the collars are not too big for that groove.

[hyperlogos]

Okay, I got some nice photos. I also drew dimensioned diagrams. (There might be some dimensions missing given the photos I posted, let me know if anything important is missing.) The figures are as close as I could get them with a caliper, some of my measurement tools are in storage.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GvXNcp4UiA9kh8T99

In the process of getting these photos, which required removing the rubber trim, I also went ahead and fiddled around a bit and found that I can actually unscrew and remove the extrusion at the edge.

[Squelchtone]

thank you for posting the photos and drawings, Im sure we will look them over and try to come up with some useful ideas.

if I were to walk up to the bus and the door was unlocked does it pull towards me like a closet door, does it fold like a phone booth door or does it slide open to the left?

I bet an adams rite hook bolt with mortise cylinders could be fitted inside the door cavity...

I need some time to look over the photos.

Squchtone

[hyperlogos]

if I were to walk up to the bus and the door was unlocked does it pull towards me like a closet door, does it fold like a phone booth door or does it slide open to the left?

It's a Bode Masats aluminum double plug pneumatic door. The doors pop out and then away from the center. The door we're looking at slides open to the right after popping out. When it's closed on air it also slides upwards somewhat after it closes, which is why there's a round bolt in a slotted strike. Then some other pieces in the edge of the door engage in order to keep it "latched" for times when the vehicle is in motion. When parked you open an air valve and the doors are operated manually, and don't rise at the end. Then the lock holds the door closed.

I'm open to fabricating a new strike with a taller slot, but a much wider bolt would be problematic. I've seen some mortise locks with pin bolts, though they usually have multiple bolts. I could grind off any unnecessary bolts if I found a lock which would fit into the space, which as previously discussed is very small. The only measurements of the entire system which seem "standard" are the backspace, and the throw (2.75" and 1" respectively). As mentioned I can also remove the extrusion from the outside of the door, and then cut out access to insert a wide bodied lock in the cavity. It's also conceivable I could use this strategy to install a narrow mortise deadbolt (perhaps with an upward facing hook bolt?). I've also seen some dead bolts with holes drilled in them with a pin in them, here is an example on vintage trailer supply: https://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/Cu ... s-343c.htm

I'd really just love to buy something that would work with a little drilling or cutting around the bolt, but the fact that the lock cylinder sticks out of the door some 12-13mm looks like another exciting complication.

About the only thing I didn't draw/measure out in detail was the relationship of the bolt hole to the hole the lock comes through, it comes through the edge of the door about in between the top of the interior hole, and the top of the exterior hole.

Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it.