This invention relates generally to locks, and more specifically, to mortise locks.
Mortise locksets are a type of lock that is fitted into a rectangular cavity, called a “mortise,” that is cut into the side of a door. Mortise locksets typically comprise a rectangular lock body that is inserted into the mortise, lock trim (including inside and outside trim plates, doorknobs, and/or door handles), a strike plate or box keep that lines a cavity in the door jamb, and a keyed cylinder that operates the locking/unlocking function. A mortise lockset includes a typically self-latching main bolt or latchbolt, and optionally may also include a deadbolt and/or guardbolt. The lock body typically comprises a case assembly and cover that house the keyed cylinder and several levers, springs, and other moving parts used to bias, extend and/or retract the various bolts.
Mortise locksets come in both door-handle locking and door-handle clutching varieties.
Mortise locksets are also typically (but not always) “handed,” that is, assembled for installation in either a left-hand door or a right-hand door, but not both. Typically, there are at least two handed components of a mortise lock. First, the beveled face of the latchbolt should preferably face the door-closing direction. Second, it is generally preferred that only the outside door handle be access-controlled. The inside door handle should, in most cases, be free at all times to operate the latch-retracting works inside the lock body. Accordingly, the latch-retracting works inside some lock bodies includes two independently spindle-operable hubs, both of which are coupled to a latch-retracting works, but only one of which can be locked or disengaged to prevent access.
To convert a handed mortise lockset assembled for a left-hand installation to one adapted for right-hand installation, or vice-versa, it is often necessary to remove the cover from the case assembly, and then dismount, rotate or reverse, and remount several components (including the latchbolt, guardbolt, and spindle hubs) in the lock body. Often, one or more biasing springs must also be dismounted and remounted—making the conversion process a more difficult and cumbersome process.
b illustrate one example of a conventional left-handed mortise latch and lock body assembly 10. The individual components of the assembly 10 are described in greater detail in the detailed description, below. Converting the left-handed mortise latch and lock body assembly 10 into one adapted for right-hand door installation is a tedious and cumbersome process. First, a locksmith must remove the cover 29 from the case assembly 20. Next, the locksmith must dismount the hub assembly 30 from the case assembly 20 and flip them around, as shown in
Not all mortise locksets require so cumbersome a process to reverse their handing. U.S. Pat. No. 6,619,705 to Dalsing, which is herein incorporated by reference, discloses a clutching mortise lockset that can be converted from a left-handed to a right-handed adaptation, or vice versa, without removing the cover or front plate of the lock body from the case assembly or back plate of the lock body. To convert the internal clutching mechanism from a left-handed to a right-handed outside-door-handle-disabling adaptation, a person can remove a screw 232 from the back plate of the lock body and replace it on the front plate of the lock body (or vice-versa). But with a typical installation, this conversion must be done while the lock body is outside of the door. So if the lock body has already been installed in the mortise of the door, the installer (in most cases) must remove the lock body to gain access to the screw.
There is a need for mortise locks that provide for less cumbersome conversions from a right-handed to a left-handed adaptation, or vice versa. This need is particularly felt for door-handle disabling locksets.
There is also a need for other improvements in mortise locksets. In a typical mortise lockset, the access-controlled operation of the outside door handle is controlled by a finger-operable arrangement (such as a rocker member or two push buttons) mounted through the face plate of the mortise lockset. The finger-operable arrangement typically operates a stop works that locks and unlocks, or a clutch works that engages or disengages, the outside door handle. However, misalignment of the inside and outside door handles can prevent a person from engaging the stop or clutch works.
Accordingly, there is a need for a mortise lock with an improved escapement mechanism that allows a person to activate a stop works or a clutch works even when the inside and outside door handles are misaligned, so that after a person lets go of the handles, and various springs bias the handles back into alignment, the activated stop works or clutch works succeeds in locking or disengaging the outside door handle.
There is also a need for an improved blocker assembly for a mortise lockset. Many high-end mortise locksets include a guardbolt, which is driven into a retracted position when the door is shut, to prevent an intruder from “loiding” the latchbolt open. The retracted guardbolt engages a blocker assembly that blocks the latchbolt assembly from retracting. However, the blocker assembly is disabled if the outside door handle is in a position that is engaged to retract the latchbolt assembly. If the lockset also includes a finger-operable arrangement in the front plate for restoring the outside door handle to an operating condition, there is a danger—particularly with non-deadbolted mortise locks installed in left- or right-handed “reverse” doors (where the door swings out of the access-restricted space)—that an intruder could “card” the finger operable arrangement in order to disable the blocker.
Accordingly, there is also a need for an improved blocker assembly that will prevent an intruder from “loiding” a mortise lock “stop works” or “clutch works” into an outside-door-handle-operating condition.
To meet these needs, several new components are provided for a mortise lock. One new component is a spindle-mounted lock-handing selector. Another new component is a non-handed hub clutching assembly. Yet another new component is a clutch-actuator assembly with an escapement mechanism. Yet another new component is a new guardbolt-actuated blocking assembly. The invention is contemplated to cover mortise locksets that encompass any one of these new components or their equivalents and any combination of fewer than all of these new components. The invention is likewise contemplated to cover mortise locksets that address fewer than all of the disadvantages or needs cited in the Background section.
Several embodiments of some very particular mortise locksets are provided to illustrate various aspects of the invention. The invention, however, should not be deemed to be limited to all of these particulars except to the extent those particulars are recited in the claims.
In one embodiment, a reversible mortise lockset is provided comprising a latchbolt, a latch retractor operable to retract the latchbolt, a clutching hub assembly operable to drive the latch retractor into a latchbolt-retracting position, two handle-operated spindles engaging the hub assembly, and a spindle-mounted lock-handing selector. The spindle-mounted lock-handing selector is operable, depending on which spindle it is mounted, to selectively enable one of the spindles to operate the hub assembly to drive the latch retractor into a latchbolt-retracting position.
The hub assembly comprises an outer, latch-retractor-driving hub subassembly and a spindle hub subassembly operable, via a clutch mechanism, to be selectively coupled with the latch-retractor-driving hub subassembly. The clutch mechanism comprises a locker assembly operable to selectively couple the spindle hub subassembly to the latch-retractor-driver hub subassembly. The locker assembly includes to lockers carried by a lever between a hub-coupling position and a hub-decoupling position.
A clutch actuator assembly—comprising a pair of parallel, interlinked slides geared to reciprocate in opposite directions—is provided that is operable to drive the lever between a hub-coupling position and a hub-decoupling position. The clutch actuator assembly includes an escapement mechanism enabling reciprocating operation of the clutch actuator assembly when the spindle hub subassembly is misaligned with the latch-retractor-driver hub subassembly.
The spindle-mounted lock-handing selector is a type of link or locker, such as a pin, that couples one of the spindle hubs to an outer hub for coordinated rotation. Advantageously, the lock-handing selector is operable to be removed from one spindle and replaced on an opposite spindle without opening the lock body housing the latch retractor and hub assembly, and while the lock body is installed in a door mortise.
In another embodiment, a reversible clutching mortise lock is provided comprising a lock body; a latchbolt operable to be retracted within the lock body; a link assembly coupled to the latchbolt; a first (outer) hub subassembly operable to engage the link assembly to retract the latchbolt; and a spindle hub subassembly comprising a pair of independently rotatable spindle hubs that are each independently interlockable with the first hub subassembly. A pair of independently operable spindles are at least partially inserted into the lock body, each being operable to engage and rotate one of the spindle hubs. An inside door handle is mounted on and operable to rotate one of the spindles. An access-controlled door handle is mounted on and operable to rotate another of the spindles.
A reversible locker is operable to couple together a selected one of the spindle hubs with the first hub subassembly without coupling together the other of the pair of spindle hubs. The reversible locker is adapted for selective installation on either side of the lock body depending on whether the door is a left-handed door or a right-handed door, so that the lock can be installed on either a left-handed or a right-handed door while keeping the inside door handle regularly operable to retract the latchbolt.
A locker assembly is operable to selectively couple at least one of the spindle hubs with the first hub subassembly. The locker assembly, which comprises one or more lockers, is adapted to enable the outside door handle to retract the latchbolt, when the locker assembly is in a hub-coupling position, whether the lock is installed on a left-handed or a right-handed door. When coupled together, the access-controlled door handle is operable to retract the latchbolt. When decoupled, the outside door handle, when rotated, is inoperable to retract the latchbolt.
To accommodate the lockers, each of the spindle hubs includes a slot adapted for engagement with the lockers. The first hub subassembly also includes one or more locker-engaging slots adapted for engagement with the one or more lockers. Each of the one or more lockers is adapted to retract within one of the locker-engaging slots of the first hub subassembly in order to decouple the corresponding spindle hub.
The lockers are carried between hub-coupling and non-hub-coupling positions by a pivotally-mounted lever arm. A pair of interconnected slides are operative to urge the lever arm up or down. A leaf spring mounted on one of the slides is operative, in a spring-enabling position of the slide, to bias the lever arm toward a hub-coupling position. The leaf spring is inoperative, in a spring-disabling position of the slide, to bias the lever arm toward a hub-coupling position.
In yet another embodiment, a mortise lock comprises a door latch; a stem attached to and operable to retract the door latch; a link assembly coupled to the stem; a first hub rotatable about an axis operable to engage the link assembly to retract the door latch; a spindle hub operable to be rotated about said axis either independently from rotation of the first hub or in interlocking rotation with the first hub; an outside door handle; and a spindle associated with the outside door handle and operable to engage and rotate the spindle hub.
The mortise lock also comprises a locker operative between a hub-coupling position in which the locker interlocks the first and second hubs together and a hub-decoupling position in which the locker does not interlock the first and second hubs together. A first spring urges the spindle hub into an aligned position with the first hub. The aligned position enables the locker to move into the hub-coupling position to interlock the first and second hubs together. In the hub-coupling position, the outside door handle or knob is operable to retract the door latch.
An escapement mechanism, comprising a spring mounted on a slide, is provided that is operable to bias the locker toward the hub-coupling position. More particularly, the second spring is operative to bias a pivotally-mounted lever—which is operative to carry the locker between coupled and decoupled positions—toward the hub-coupling position. The slide is operative between a spring-enabling position and a spring-disabling position. In the spring-enabling position, the spring is positioned to bias the lever, and in turn the locker, toward the hub-coupling position. In the spring-disabling position, the spring is not positioned to bias the lever, and in turn the locker, toward the hub-coupling position.
In yet another embodiment, a mortise lockset is provided comprising a lock body; a latchbolt retractable within the lock body; a latch retractor assembly, operable to retract the latchbolt, within the lock body; a hub assembly coupled to two spindles for operating the latch retractor assembly; inside and outside door handles mounted to the spindles; and a guardbolt assembly operable to be triggered by closing a door in which the mortise lockset is mounted.
An outside-door-handle-disabling works, of either the locking or clutching variety, is operative between an outside-door-handle-enabling position and an outside-door-handle-disabling position. In the outside-door-handle-disabling position, the outside-door-handle-disabling works is operable, through interaction with the hub assembly, to selectively disable the outside door handle from operating the latch retractor assembly, without disabling the inside door handle from operating the latch retractor assembly.
A blocker assembly is provided that is operative, when the guardbolt assembly is triggered, to block the outside-door-handle-disabling works from moving from an outside-door-handle-disabling position to an outside-door-handle-enabling position. The blocker assembly, comprising a spring mounted on a blocker, is pivotally mounted on the lock body. The blocker assembly is free to pivot when the outside-door-handle-disabling works is in the outside-door-handle-disabling position, but is not free to pivot when the outside-door-handle-disabling works is in the outside-door-handle-enabling position. The spring of the blocker assembly has an extended arm positioned so that the guardbolt assembly, when triggered, engages the extended arm to either pivot the blocker, if the blocker is free to pivot, or to deform the extended arm, if the blocker is not free to pivot.
a and 2b illustrate a handed locking hub assembly of the prior art mortise lockset of
a and 3b illustrate how the latchbolt must be turned around to reverse the handing of a lock.
a and 4b illustrate a handed guardbolt of the prior art mortise lockset of
a-34f provide different views of the pivoted blocker assembly of
In describing preferred and alternate embodiments of the technology described herein, as illustrated in
I. Conventional Elements
To highlight some of the novel components in the present invention, comparison is made with
The mortise latch and lock body assembly 10 mounts in a door opposite a strike plate on a door jamb (not shown). The assembly 10 includes a steel housing comprising a case assembly 20 and cover 29, a deadbolt assembly 15, a hub assembly 30, a principal latch retractor assembly 40, a secondary, key-operated latch retractor 48, a main bolt or latchbolt assembly 50, a stop works assembly 60, an auxiliary latch or guardbolt assembly 70, a blocker assembly 80, an inside front plate 90, also referred to as an armor plate, and an outside front plate 95, also referred to as a scalp plate or face plate.
The case assembly 20 comprises a case 21 with several parts—including interiorly threaded posts 22-26, pivot shaft or pin 27, and latchbolt stem guide 28—stacked on the case 21. Exteriorly threaded case screws 19 secure the cover 29 to the posts 22-26 of the case 21. A tap hole 11 is provided for a keyed cylinder assembly 98 that is mounted in the case assembly 20. A screw block and cylinder screw assembly 79 mounted in corresponding slots 12 in the case 21 and cover 29 is provided to secure the keyed cylinder assembly 98 within the case assembly 20. The keyed cylinder assembly 98 has a key-operated teardrop cam 97 and ear cams 96 that interact with bistable deadbolt cam or hub 78 and the paddle 94 of the key-operated latch retractor 48 to operate the deadbolt 16 and latchbolt 51. Deadbolt cam 78 is spring-biased in either the fully retracted or fully extended positions by deadbolt cam spring 77.
The hub assembly 30 is coupled by spindles (not shown) to the inside and outer door knobs or handles (also not shown). The hub assembly 30 comprises an outer locking hub 31, an inner, non-locking hub 32, and a hub spacer or bushing 33. The outer hub 31—sometimes referred to as an exterior operating cam—is coupled to the outside door knob or handle. The inner hub 32—sometimes referred to as an interior operating cam—is coupled to the inside door knob or handle. The bushing 33 separates hubs 31 and 32. Hubs 31 and 32, which are independently rotatable, are journaled in circular journal apertures 13 and 14, respectively, in the cover 29 and case 21. Both hubs 31 and 32 have divaricate cam surfaces 34 and 35 that, when rotated, and regardless of the direction they are rotated, drive the principal latch retractor assembly 40 in a counter-clockwise direction (in relation to FIG. 1's perspective), into a retracted position. The principal latch retractor assembly 40, when driven in the counter-clockwise direction, retracts the latchbolt assembly 50 into the case assembly 20.
The principal latch retractor assembly 40 is pivotally mounted on post 23, which doubles as a pivot shaft. The principal latch retractor assembly 40 comprises a lower latch retractor or biasing lever 43, a biasing spring 44 that biases the biasing lever 43 in a clockwise direction (in relation to FIG. 1's perspective), and a latch retractor arm or operating lever 45. The biasing lever 43 has a roof-shaped face 47 that engages the cam surfaces 34 and 35 of the hub assembly 30, biasing the hub assembly into a default orientation and the hubs 31 and 32 into alignment with each other. Turning one of the door knobs or handles (not shown) causes one of the cam surfaces 34 or 35 to drive the biasing lever 43—and the operating lever 45 to which it is mounted—back in a counter-clockwise direction. The operating lever 45, in turn, retracts the latchbolt assembly 50 into the case assembly 20.
A secondary, key-operated latch retractor 48 is also provided.
Turning a key in the keyed cylinder 98 toward the locking position (which would be clockwise on
As illustrated in greater detail in
The purpose of the stop works assembly 60 is to enable a person to lock or unlock the outside door handle or knob by pressing one of two interlinked buttons 63 and 64 that protrude through opening 92 and recess 93 in front plates 90 and 95. The stop works assembly 60 comprises an upper locking slide 62 and an interlinked lower slide 61. When the upper locking slide 62 moves inward, it engages a slot 36 on hub 31, preventing its rotation. This in turn prevents rotation of the outside door handle or knob. The upper locking slide 62 does not, however, interfere with rotational movement of hub 32. Therefore a person is still free to turn the inside door handle or knob to retract the latchbolt 51 and open the door. The slides 61 and 62 are coupled together by gear 99. Therefore, inward movement of the lower slide 61 causes corresponding outward movement of upper locking slide 62, thereby releasing the hub 31.
The stop works 60 is engaged and disengaged by several mechanisms. A person can press on button 64 to force the slide 62 into engagement with slot 36 of hub 31. Also, projection of the deadbolt assembly 15 into the door jamb causes a deadbolt pin 65 to engage the top 67 of a pivotally-mounted deadbolt lever 66, driving the bottom 68 of the lever 66, which is engaged in a side slot 69 of the upper locking slide 62, in the opposite direction. If the slide 62 is already engaged with slot 36, a person can press on button 63 to disengage it. Also, retraction of the deadbolt assembly 15 drives the lever 66 in reverse, freeing a person to push button 63 to disengage the stop works 60.
The purpose of the auxiliary latch or guardbolt assembly 70 and blocker assembly 80 is to prevent a person from “loiding” the latchbolt assembly 50 into a retracted position when the door is shut. The guardbolt assembly 70 comprises a bolt portion 71 with a beveled face 72, a stem 73, and tab ramps 74 and 75. There is no recess in the strike plate (not shown) to receive the guardbolt assembly 70. Consequently, shutting a door having the mortise lock assembly 10 shown in
The blocker assembly 80 comprises a cam arm 81, a bushing 86, a blocker spring 87, and a guardbolt or auxiliary latch spring 88, all of which are mounted on pivot shaft 27 of the case assembly 20. A ramp 83 on the underside of the cam arm 81 exists to the right (in relation to FIG. 1's perspective) of a mounting hole 82. A side arm 84 and hook 85 exists to the left of the mounting hole 82. When the guardbolt assembly 80 moves from a retracted to an extended position, one of the tab ramps 74 or 75 engages the ramp 83 of the cam arm 81, causing the right portion of the cam arm 81 to pivot upward, and the left portion to pivot downward. When the guardbolt assembly 80 moves from an extended to a retracted position—as would occur when a person shut the door—blocker spring 87 biases the cam arm 81 to pivot clockwise. As the left portion of the cam arm 81 is pivoted upward, the hook 85 (see
Two mechanisms are provided to overcome the spring-biased blocking position of the cam arm 81. First, rotation of the latch retractor assembly 40 (a consequence of turning a door handle) causes the blocker engagement arm 46 of the operating lever 45 to engage the side arm 84. Second, turning a key in the keyed cylinder 98 to a fully unlocked position drives the latch retractor 48 clockwise, causing the head portion 49 to engage the side arm 84. Both mechanisms push the left portion of the cam arm 81 downward and the hook 85 outside of the path of the tail plate 56.
Springs 87 and 88 are mounted on bushing 86. The guardbolt spring 88 biases the guardbolt assembly 70 into the extended position. The blocker spring 87 biases the cam arm 81 into a blocking position.
The deadbolt assembly 15 comprises a deadbolt 16, a deadbolt stop 17, and a deadbolt tailpiece 18. A bolt portion 16 moves between a deadbolt retracted position, where it is disposed within the housing, and a deadbolt extended position, where it protrudes through deadbolt openings 91 in the front plates 90 and 95. As the bolt portion 16 moves into its extended position, a deadbolt stop 17 comes into contact with post 25, which functions as a housing stop that restrains further outward movement past the deadbolt extended position.
II. New Easily Reversibly Handed Clutch Mechanism
Each clutch mechanism 105, 205, and 305 comprises a non-handed clutching hub assembly 110 (shown in enlarged detail in
The outer hub subassembly 120 (enlarged in
The inner hub subassembly 130 (enlarged in
The spindle hubs 131 and 132 each have a generally cylindrical exterior comprising a journaled shelf portion 137 sized for rotation in one of journal apertures 13 and 14 and a slightly larger cylindrical portion 138 having a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of an interior cylindrical cavity of one of the hubs 121 or 122. Each spindle hub 131 and 132 has a generally rectangular cavity for receiving the spindle 145 or 146.
In the preferred embodiments, a lock-handing selector 180 is mounted coaxially with one of the spindles 145 or 146 to set the handing of the clutch mechanism 105. The lock-handing selector 180 comprises a spindle-mountable locker that—depending on which side of the lock body the selector 180 is installed in—couples either spindle hub 131 or spindle hub 132, but not both, with one of the hubs 121 or 122 of the outer hub subassembly 120.
As depicted more clearly in
To ensure that the inside door handle is always coupled to the latch retractor assembly 40, the lock-handing selector 180 is mounted on the spindle associated with the inside door handle. Because the lock-handing selector 180 is spindle-mounted, it can—advantageously—be removed from one side of the lock body and replaced on the other side while the lock body is still installed in the mortise. Also, if an installer does not wish to have the inside door handle regularly coupled to the latch retractor assembly 40 (such as might be required for an “asylum lock”), the installer simply chooses not to install the lock-handing selector 180 on either spindle. At the opposite extreme, lock-handing selectors 180 could be mounted on both spindles at the same time, making both door handles regularly coupled to the latch retractor assembly 40.
A non-handed locker assembly 140 (
The pivotally-mounted locking lever 150 moves the locker assembly 140 between a hub-coupling position 101 (
Lockers 141 and 142 are carried by the locking lever 150 to slide vertically within rectilinear upside-down-L-shaped slots 125 and 126 disposed opposite the semicircular grooves 123 and 124 along the inside cylindrical cavities of outer hubs 121 and 122 (
Because the lockers 141 and 142 are recessed in slots 125 and 126, rotation of the outer hub subassembly 120 also rotates the lockers 141 and 142 along an orbit around the spindle axis. To accommodate this orbit, the lockers 141 and 142 are carried within a radial guide or slot 153, between two arcuate prongs 151 and 152, of the locking lever 150 (see
A clutch actuator assembly 160 or 260 (
The lower slide 161 has lateral tabs 261 configured to mount and slide horizontally in slots 112 and 113 (
To disengage the outside door hub, the upper slide 162 is driven forward (that is, to the left, from the perspective of
To re-engage the outside door hub, the lower slide 161 is driven forward, forcing the detent 165 (
Each clutching mortise lockset 100, 200, and 300 preferably includes a guardbolt 170 with a double slanted-face that can be triggered in either direction. Because the guardbolt 170 can be triggered in either direction, there is no need to remove and rotate the guardbolt 170 to adapt the mortise locksets 100, 200, and 300 from a left-handed configuration to a right-handed configuration, or vice-versa.
Each clutching mortise lockset 100, 200, and 300 also preferably includes a reversible handing latchbolt assembly 190. With a reversible handing latchbolt assembly 190, the cover 21 does not have to be removed from the case 21 to reverse the handing of the latchbolt assembly 190. Indeed, in the preferred embodiment, neither of the faceplates 90 or 95 have to be removed either. Rather, the latchbolt 191 is either decoupled from the latchbolt stem 193, or super-extended out of the faceplates 90 and 95, and then rotated 180 degrees and replaced. Examples of reversible handing latchbolts can be found in GB 2150631, which is herein incorporated by reference, and other references.
Advantageously, the clutching mortise locksets 100, 200, and 300 can all be adapted from a left-handed to a right-handed adaptation, or vice versa, without removing the front plates 90, 95, 295, and/or 395 (see
III. New Escapement Mechanism for a Clutching Mortise Lockset
As best illustrated in
As shown in
This leaf-spring-based escapement mechanism allows a person to drive the lower slide 161 forward, for the purpose of coupling the hubs, even when—as illustrated in FIG. 26—the outside-door-handle spindle hub 131 or 132 is not aligned with the outer hub subassembly 120. This may occur, for example, when someone attempts to engage the button 163 (
When the person releases the door handle, various default-positioning devices essentially “snap” the locking lever 150 into place. First, torsion springs 313 and 314 (
IV. New Guardbolt Blocker Assembly for a Clutching or Locking Mortise Lockset
The mortise lockset illustrated in
FIGS. 7 and 34-39 illustrate an improved blocker assembly 380 that prevents an intruder from “loiding” a mortise lock outdoor-handle-disabling works (e.g., a “stop works” or “clutch works”) into an outside-door-handle-operating condition.
a-34f provide enlarged perspective, exploded, and facing views of the pivoted blocker assembly 380. Pivoted blocker assembly 380 comprises a spring 389 mounted, via pin 391, on a blocking dog 381. The blocking dog 381 includes a pivot arm 382 that is pivotally mounted on pivot pin 327 (
The blocking assembly 380 is equally useful in a locking mortise lockset.
It is the inventor's intent that the scope of any of the claims be defined by the language of the claims, and not narrowed by reference to the embodiments described in this summary, the detailed description of the invention, or to any particular need, object, or suggested solution described in this specification.
When the phrase “door handle” is used in this specification and claims, it refers to parts that are designed to be held or operated with the hand, including both traditional door knobs, lever-type door handles, and other types of door handles. When the phrases “inside outdoor handle” and “outside door handle” is used in this specification and claims, they refer to the door handles on the inside and outside, respectively, of any access-controlled space, and are not exclusive of locksets installed on doors that are inside a building.
It will be understood that the particular configurations of many of the new elements could be changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the lock-handing selector 180 does not have to comprise a pin 182 mounted on a washer 181. Likewise, there are potentially innumerable ways to configure the outer hub subassembly 120, the inner hub subassembly 130, the locker assembly 140, the locking lever 150, the clutch actuator assembly 160, the blocker assemblies 80 and 380, all of the other components of the mortise lock, and the manner in which these different components interoperate. Also, mechanical locksets have been described in this specification. But the elements of the invention can also be used in electrical locksets and other kinds of locksets.
Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that the disclosures contained in