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How Does a Lock Work ?

How Does a Lock Work ?

Adriana Rueda |

There is a lot when it comes to the mechanism of a lock. Each lock you encounter is unique and has its own personal system to keep your home or business protected. Here at Locksmith Keyless, our team is here to make sure you know exactly how these locks work, Located in Miami, we specialize in security door locks and locksmith supplies near me. 

 

They Are A Part of History

Locks have been around for thousands of years. Probably as long as there have been valuables that people wanted to protect, locks — in some form — have been there to keep things secure.

 

You probably encounter all sorts of locks every day. From combination locks on school lockers to deadbolt locks on front doors, locks are all around us.

 

Today there are many different kinds of locks. Some are very simple locks that open with a key or a combination of numbers. Others are extremely complicated locks that open with fingerprints or special electronic keycards. Today's locks feature many different types of mechanical and technological systems to increase security.

 

How Do Security Door Locks Work?

To get a basic understanding of how locks work, let's take a look at two common types of locks: combination locks and pin-and-tumbler locks. These common locks are the ones you're most likely to see on a day-to-day basis.

 

Combination locks can be found in all sorts of places. From gym lockers to shed doors to secret diaries, combination locks allow their contents to be accessed only by those who know the secret combination of numbers that will open the lock.

 

A typical combination padlock, for example, contains a wheel pack. The wheel pack contains one wheel for each number in the combination. Each wheel in the wheel pack has a small tab — called a wheel fly — on each of its sides.

 

As you turn the combination dial, a spindle that extends through the wheel pack turns a drive cam. As the drive cam turns, an attached drive pin makes contact with the wheel fly on the next nearest wheel.

 

As you continue to dial in the correct combination, the wheel flies on each subsequent wheel and make contact until all the wheels are spinning. When you get to the last digit of the combination, all wheels will be lined up perfectly.

 

Notches cut into each wheel will also be aligned. These notches form a gap that will allow the lock to release and open.

 

Pin-and-tumbler locks are different, because they require a key to unlock them. Basic pin-and-tumbler locks have several spring-loaded pins inside a series of small cylinders.

 

When the right key slides into a pin-and-tumbler lock, the pointed teeth, and notches on the blade of the key allow the spring-loaded pins to move up and down until they line up with a track called the shear line. When the pins align with the shear line, the cylinder can turn, and the lock will open.

 

If you don't have the right key, one or more of the pins will remain in the way of the shear line. This will prevent the cylinder from turning, and the lock will remain closed.

 

Contact Us For Locksmith Supplies Near Me

We are here to help you understand exactly how security door locks work. Locksmith Keyless has a simple mission: we help locksmith businesses stay competitive! We have most of the products that the "big guys" have, and we offer every single one of them at an everyday low price. There are no complex discount structures to understand. Every customer pays the same, low price for an item, whether you want to buy one or one thousand! Like you, we believe that the key to success is always to put our customers first. We stand 100% behind every product we sell! Your feedback is appreciated. We want to make sure you are taken care of. We are always trying to improve and speaking with people like you helps us to continue providing outstanding products and services. Call us for locksmith supplies near me.

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