Spindle and method of orienting a spindle into a dial

A lock assembly comprising:

• a dial having a first side, a second side, and a coupling bushing having a bushing aperture on the first side of the dial;
• a lock device having a first side, a second side, and a cam exposed through an aperture in the first side of the lock device;
• and
• a spindle having a spindle base and an elongate spindle shaft extending from the spindle base, the spindle shaft comprising a plurality of spindle segments having four sides and separated by a plurality of spaced apart grooves, wherein each of the four sides of the spindle segments has a substantially equal width such that the spindle segments are generally square in cross-section, and wherein each of the four sides of the spindle segments includes a chamfered leading edge;
• the spindle base being insertable into the bushing aperture in the coupling bushing and the spindle shaft being insertable into a cam aperture in the cam, wherein the chamfered leading edges are structured to guide the spindle shaft into the cam aperture.

A method of mounting a lock assembly on a mounting surface comprising:

• positioning a dial on a first side of a mounting surface;
• positioning a lock device on a second side of the mounting surface, the lock device having a rotatable driving cam;
• determining a distance between the first and second sides of the mounting surface;
• providing a spindle including a plurality of spindle segments having four sides and separated by a plurality of spaced apart grooves wherein each of the spindle segments is generally square in cross-section, and wherein each of the four sides of the spindle segments includes a chamfered leading edge;
• cutting the spindle at a selected one of the spaced apart grooves based upon the determined distance between the first and second sides of the mounting surface such that the chamfered leading edges of one of the spindle segments are disposed at a distal end of the spindle;
• and
• inserting the distal end of the spindle into an aperture in the driving cam, wherein the chamfered leading edges at the distal end of the spindle are structured to guide the spindle into the aperture.

A method of mounting a lock assembly on a mounting surface comprising:

• positioning a dial on a first side of a mounting surface;
• positioning a lock device on a second side of the mounting surface;
• determining a distance between the first and second sides of the mounting surface;
• providing a spindle including a plurality of spindle segments having four sides and separated by a plurality of spaced apart grooves, wherein each of the spindle segments is generally square in cross-section, and wherein each of the four sides of the spindle segments includes a chamfered leading edge;
• cutting the spindle at a selected one of the spaced apart grooves based upon the determined distance between the first and second sides of the mounting surface such that the chamfered leading edges of one of the spindle segments are disposed at a distal end of the spindle, wherein upon cutting the spindle the chamfered leading edges at the distal end of the spindle are substantially smooth and no deburring of the chamfered leading edges is required.