Door lock having removable outside lever handle for the purpose of changing the key cylinder

In a door lock a hub, a spindle shank journaled in the hub, a lever handle having a tubular body surrounding and in nonrotatable relationship with the spindle shank, an outer face portion of the handle having an opening in alignment with the axis of the spindle shank and a key-operated mechanism disposed centrally in the tubular body with its key-receiving end disposed in the opening, the key-operated mechanism comprising a casing having a tumbler-containing bible extending radially out from the casing, the bible being received in a longitudinal slot in the body, a resilient spacer block disposed in the slot in a position between the bible and the hub, the casing containing a key plug having an inwardly extending flat tailpiece, a handle retaining plate disposed transversely in the shank for reciprocation in a radial direction, a latch groove disposed circumferentially in the inside of the tubular body and normally receiving one end of the retaining plate, the other end of the retaining plate being proximate and in line with the resilient spacer block, the body being formed with a radial operating hole intercepting the circumferential groove whereby a tool may be inserted into the hole to move the retaining plate out of the latch groove against the resilience of the spacer block to permit the handle to be removed from the shank for access to the key-operating mechanism.