Installing Rotary Locks
By Allan B. Colombo
Copyright©1989, 1999, 2002
Businesses find the Rotary lock helpful and practical from the standpoint of key control. "What do you mean, key control? After all, there are no keys on a rotary, combination lock." Well, you're right. That's precisely the point. Many businesses like the idea of eliminating cumbersome keys.
For example, company XYZ has a sales force of 23 that come and go from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. six days a week. Mr. Jones is the owner of the company and has just lost one of his managers.
The situation centering around htis particular employee's dismissal worries Mr. Jones. Somewhere out there is an unhappy man with a key to the office building. Mr. Jones is so worried that he has elected to spend the next two nights in the store.
It doesn't take Mr. Jones long to remember the lock his alarm company's representative showed him the other week. There are no keys with this lock. Perhaps the best thing of all is Mr. Jone's ability to change the combination any time he chooses. In very short order, an installer is on the scene, installing a new rotary lock. Now, anytime an employee quits and takes the keys with him, the last person Mr. Jones will have to call is a locksmith to rekey the lock.
A second use for t his lock is in computer rooms, one of the largest applications for the rotary lock today. Controlling access to a single entry door inside an open and uncontrolled environment isn't always easy. An access control system for a single point of entry may prove more of an investment than the company wants to make, whereas the installation of a single mechanical, keyless lock might be just the thing. No muss, no fuss, just by drilling two holes and installing a lock, a rotory lock may be just what the doctor ordered.
Mechanical rotary locks lend themselves well to a rugged and demanding office environment. The author of this story installed on the front door of his home in 1988 and it is still working just fine. These locks can take a beating and continue working for many years.
Let's take a look at how this lock is installed. To illustrate the flexibility of this lock, the author chose an old farm house with a wooden door. Farmers often come from the barn or the fields and keys are often cumbersome and inconvenient. In fact, this mechanical, keyless lock goes well in any application where people wish to eliminate a door key. Under normal conditions, this lock will take you 1/2 to 3/4 of an your to install, once you've done a couple doors.
Step 1: Installation instructions come with a template for your convenience. Remove the template from the instruction sheet and attach it to the door, as shown. Be sure to use tape that will not stick to the surface of the door once it is removed. Instead of electrical tape, use a clear scotch tape of some kind. |
Step 2: With a small 1/8-in. drill bit, drill the three screw mounting holes in preparation for mounting the lock body. I used a battery operated drill, shown in the photograph to the left, to drill the 1/8-in. holes. The pilot holes provide a ready means of inserting the long mounting screws without cracking the wood of the door. |
Step 3 Drilling the two center holes, one 3/4 in. and the other 1 5/8 in., use sharp spade bits if you use an electric drill. I prefer to use an expandable wood bit with a ratchet brace, shown in the picture to the left. They will usually do a much nicer job when installing in a wood door. For another, the use of a brace, whether the ratchet variety or not, allows you to install anywhere. If you must install this lock on a metal door, you'll want to use metal hole saws and an electric drill. |
Step 4 The mounting screws furnished with the lock are of the philip variety. Center the lock mechanism on the inside of the door (as shown in the photo to the left) and insert each screw into the drilled pilot holes and then tighten with the appropriate screw driver. Be careful not to overtighten, which can strip the screw hole. |
Step 5 Holding the strike up to the latch portion of the lock, mark the location of the strike plate on the side trim of the door. With the door open, use a pencil and mark the section of the door that must be chiseled out to make room for the strike. Looking at the photo to the left, you can see the strike mounts flush with the wood of the jamb, providing a much stronger surface to hold to when the three screws are inserted. |
Step 6 Turning your attention the outside of the door, you must mount a small mounting plate, just above the circular buttons. This is illustrated in the photo to the left. Here you see two small philip head screws, used to fasten the plate to the door. Once this has been done, remove the lock mechanism from the inside of the door and fasten the cover plate to the bracket remaining. Now carefully insert the lock mechanism. You may have to maneuver the lever arm attached to the lock body. Once this has occurred, simply reinstall the three screws and lock body to the inside of the door and you're nearly done. Now you have a lock that looks like the one illustrated at the beginning of this article. |
Step 7 To exit the door, simply flip the latch on the inside of the door, pictured to the left. This retracts the mechanical latch, allowing you to open the door. This process is repeated on the outside of the door, but the code number must be inserted prior to turning the lever. The code combination is factory set and must be changed for greater security. We'll take a look at how you change the code in a minute. Using the factory set code combination, check the lock to see that it works. You might want to do this with the door open (making sure the lock will work). If you make a mistake inserting the code numbers, simply turn the lever counter clockwise, resetting the mechanical mechanism. You can now attempt the code insertion again. Once you feel the mechanism snap in, simply turn the lever clock wise, retracting the latch. Now you can open the door. |
Changing the code combination is as simple as riding a bike. A small Allen wrench comes with the lock. Use it to remove a small machine screw on the bottom (or top, depending on whether the door is left or right swinging) of the lock body on the inside of the door.
Once the screw has been removed, take the straight end of the Allen wrench and place it in the hole. Depress the small mechanism at the bottom of the hole and turn the lever to the left and release it. Simply depress the buttons on the face of the mechanism that reflects the exact code combination you wish to use. Now turn the lever to the right and you've finalized the entry of the new code.
To complete the entire process, replace the small Allen screw and try the new code combination. Be sure to write the new combination down on a small piece of paper and store it in a very safe place.