There are 3 major groups of locks, with several overlaps between these groups. Many variations and a few special or exceptional locks are found within these groups.
To keep it simple and to create a structure, to place things within, we look at the 3 major groups, some overlaps and very briefly at some special or exceptional locks.
The 3 major groups are:
- mortise locks
- cylinder-mortise locks
- rim locks
A very brief description of each lock type is useful, as a first layer, in building up a comprehensive big picture.
MORTISE means or comes from the word cavity. A Mortise lock is mounted within a cavity, hence the descriptor “cavity mounted“. This cavity is usually in the edge of a door.
There are a few variations, of the actual locking part of the lock, that ‘strikes‘ or locks into the strike-box or strike-plate of the lock. The image to left has a normal bolt, in the cylinder-mortise image below, there is a hook lock.
Some forms of Mortise are for all practical purposes being phased out, i.e. sourcing new locks is becoming more difficult, and the price of those found, have increased significantly.
The mortise lock is more common in older installations are those with a lesser security or mana
CYLINDER – MORTISE at first glance, seems to suggest a sub-set of the Mortise group.
Next to each other, the Cylinder-Mortise group is very large and the pure Mortise lock group is relatively small.
There are a few variations in the cylinder profile, name EURO and OVAL. Oval cylinders come in large and small. Small oval cylinders are now used often in security gates and other narrow format locks.
RIM: the rim in the name, comes from the edge or border or specifically round as in a coin. this edge is seem on the surface, that the lock is mounted on, usually the flat surface of a door. It also helps to see this group, as “surface mounted“.
In numbers the night latch has probably been installed the most. People commonly call the night-latch a ‘Yale‘. Most locksmiths do not consider a night-latch a lock, but a convenience, best installed with another lock.
An strong and notable exception to this is the CISA Elettrika 2-Ton Radial Deadbolt latch. As its extended name or descriptor implies, correctly installed, it can withstand a force of 2 tons or 2,000 kgs.
Rim locks are also found on may access controlled security gates.
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