Back to school—all about door locks and door knobs

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Back to school—all about door locks and door knobs

By admin

09/06/2011

Around 1920, the founder of The Schlage Manufacturing Company, Walter Reinhold Schlage, created the bored cylindrical door lock, the basis of all interior door locks today with a push-button lock centered in the door knob. This revolutionary invention was designed to fit into two simple round holes bored in the door, eliminating the need for expensive mortising. It could be installed in minutes using ordinary hand tools.

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Around 1920, the founder of The Schlage Manufacturing Company, Walter Reinhold Schlage, created the bored cylindrical door lock, the basis of all interior door locks today with a push-button lock centered in the door knob. This revolutionary invention was designed to fit into two simple round holes bored in the door, eliminating the need for expensive mortising. It could be installed in minutes using ordinary hand tools.

On April 12, 1920, Schlage applied for his first cylindrical door lock patent, which described a lock made out of assembling the knob, spindle, and latch retractor into one unit within a circular housing. He received his patent on May 22, 1923.

Schlage continued to improve his door lock design, and in October 1920, filed a second patent for locking push-button door locks. The patent described a cylindrical lock design with a locking mechanism operated by pushing a button in the center of the door knob to lock and turning the interior door knob to unlock. He received his patent for the locking push-button door lock on April 8, 1924.

Four basic kinds of door knobs and door levers feature the bored cylinder design.
 

  • Entrance Door Knob—Generally used for exterior applications with a keyed locking cylinder.
  • Privacy Door Knobs—Generally used in bathrooms and bedrooms. Privacy knobs can be locked with a push button and come with a slotted tool that can be used to unlock from the outside.
  • Passage Door Knobs—Also referred to as hall and closet knobs. These door knobs are not lockable.
  • Dummy Door Knobs—These knobs are mounted on the front of the door and do not have a latch mechanism. These are most often used for bifold doors or decorative interior hardware applications that do not require a latch mechanism.
     

Schlage is proud to give our customers the value that comes from our 90-year heritage of door lock manufacturing. Continuing Walter Schlage’s legacy of continuous improvement, we have created keyless entry locks (electronic door knobs) and are now developing biometric locks. You can count on Schlage for quality, durability, and easy installation.


Our next post will continue this series with a look at the history of door knobs.