subject: Types Of Lock [print this page] When you think of a lock you tend to think of a front door lock (which as we will learn is usually a cylinder lock). By extension then, that is normally what we think of when we think of a locksmith and what we think of their role as solely involving. However the reality is that a locksmith can work with a vast number of different types of locks and that there are many varied locks available for different purposes. These include both mechanical locks and digital locks, and both combination locks and those that use keys. Here we'll look at a few of the different locks often used by locksmiths.
First of all are the main front doors which most of us recognise. These are usually 'cylinder locks' meaning that they use a cylinder for the mechanism. This cylinder contains a barrel which is normally held in place by an array of tiny pins. When the key is inserted the grooves on the blade will push the pine out the way so that the barrel can be turned by applying torque to the inserted key. Other locks in your home might be the lever lock, which utilises a longer key, and the church lock that has far fewer pins and is thus easier to bypass. The latter is only usually used on cupboards and the like these days. Here though is an example of something a locksmith can help with - opening a cupboard or drawer - that you might not have considered using them for previously.
Locks come in more interesting shapes and sizes than just those around the home though. For instance the padlock is also often encountered by locksmiths. These are found on gates and other items separate from the house itself and use a similar system of pins. Except those that don't; some padlocks instead use a code system or what's known as a combination lock. This works similarly with pins and with barrels that twist, only here the pins fit into the barrels when they are on the correct settings. A locksmith can open a combination lock by listening to the sounds of these pins, or by using machines that can run through the combinations at a rapid pace to eventually find the right one. Combinations locks also exist on other things and locksmiths can use these too for example they might be able to break into a combination lock on a suitcase, briefcase or on a safe.
As well as combination locks, some lock systems also use a PIN code. This is particularly true of digital locks which operate using usually an electromagnetic, or an electrically operated mechanism. This can be operated using a code, or alternatively using biometric data (including data such as retinal scans or finger prints) or magnetic strips on access cards. Some locks meanwhile can be operated remotely and for all of these a locksmith needs to understand some of the basic electronics behind the systems and to be able to reprogramme them etc to change the codes if necessary.
