Lock with override mechanism

A lock apparatus, comprising:

• a housing;
• a latch spindle mounted for rotation relative to the housing, wherein the latch spindle is operable to actuate a latch mechanism;
• a drive spindle mounted for rotation relative to the housing about a longitudinal axis;
• and
• a clutch mechanism disposed in the drive spindle, the clutch mechanism comprising:
• a driver mounted for rotation relative to the drive spindle between a locking position and an unlocking position;
• and
• a follower rotationally coupled with the drive spindle and slidable relative to the drive spindle between a decoupling position and a coupling position;
• wherein rotation of the driver from the locking position to the unlocking position longitudinally drives the follower from the decoupling position to the coupling position;
• wherein the follower in the coupling position rotationally couples the drive spindle with the latch spindle;
• and
• wherein the follower in the decoupling position does not rotationally couple the drive spindle with the latch spindle.

An inline clutch mechanism operable to selectively couple a drive spindle of a lockset with a latch spindle of the lockset, the inline clutch mechanism comprising:

• a shell configured for rotational coupling with the drive spindle;
• a driver rotatably seated in the shell, wherein the driver is rotatable relative to the shell about a longitudinal axis between a home position and a rotated position;
• and
• a follower rotationally coupled with the shell and slidable relative to the shell between a decoupling position in which the follower is configured to disengage from the latch spindle and a coupling position in which the follower is configured to engage the latch spindle to thereby rotationally couple the latch spindle with the drive spindle;
• and
• wherein the driver is engaged with the follower such that rotation of the driver from the home position to the rotated position drives the follower from the locking position to the unlocking position.