Free-wheeling lever handle lock mechanism

A free-wheeling lock mechanism comprising:

• a latch retractor;
• a spindle adapted for non-rotatable connection to a handle, the spindle having an axis and a spindle slot, the spindle slot having a longitudinal portion and a circumferential portion, the spindle rotating in a bearing having a locking slot;
• an outer cam having an outer cam ear and an outer cam slot, the outer cam being rotatably held within the spindle and the outer cam ear retracting the latch retractor when the outer cam is rotated;
• and
• a locking plug located within the outer cam having an outwardly projecting finger, the locking plug being axially slidable relative to the outer cam and the spindle from an unlocked position to a locked position, in the unlocked position the finger projecting outwardly through the outer cam slot into the longitudinal portion of the spindle slot and in the locked position the finger projecting outwardly through the outer cam slot into the circumferential portion of the spindle slot, the finger projecting outwardly through the circumferential portion of the spindle slot into the bearing locking slot when the locking plug is in the locked position, and wherein:
• the bearing includes an arcuate rabbet;
• and
• the finger projects outwardly through the longitudinal portion of the spindle slot into the rabbet when the locking plug is in the unlocked position, the finger rotating in the rabbet when the spindle is rotated.

A free-wheeling lock mechanism comprising:

• an inner lever handle;
• an outer lever handle;
• a generally cylindrical lock body housing having an inner bearing and an outer bearing;
• a latch retractor adapted to retract a latchbolt, the latch retractor being mounted in the lock body housing;
• an inner spindle journaled in the inner bearing and non-rotatably connected to the inner lever handle;
• an outer spindle journaled in the outer bearing and non-rotatably connected to the outer lever handle, the outer spindle having a spindle slot with a longitudinal portion and a circumferential portion;
• an outer cam having an outer cam ear and an outer cam slot, the outer cam being rotatably held within the spindle and the outer cam ear retracting the latch retractor when the outer cam is rotated;
• an inner cam having an inner cam ear, the inner cam being rotatably held within the outer cam, the inner cam ear retracting the latch retractor when the inner cam is rotated;
• and
• a locking plug slidably held within the inner cam, the locking plug having an outwardly projecting finger and sliding axially relative to the outer cam and the outer spindle from an unlocked position to a locked position, in the unlocked position the finger projecting outwardly through the outer cam slot into the longitudinal portion of the spindle slot and in the locked position the finger projecting outwardly through the outer cam slot into the circumferential portion of the spindle slot.

A free-wheeling lock mechanism comprising:

• an inner lever handle;
• an outer lever handle;
• a generally cylindrical lock body housing having an inner bearing and an outer bearing, the outer bearing having a locking slot;
• a latch retractor adapted to retract a latchbolt, the latch retractor being mounted in the lock body housing;
• an inner spindle journaled in the inner bearing and non-rotatably connected to the inner lever handle;
• an outer spindle journaled in the outer bearing and non-rotatably connected to the outer lever handle, the outer spindle having a spindle slot with a longitudinal portion and a circumferential portion;
• an outer cam having an outer cam ear, an outer cam slot and an inwardly projecting pin, the outer cam being rotatably held within the outer spindle and the outer cam ear retracting the latch retractor when the outer cam is rotated;
• a locking plug slidably held within the outer cam, the locking plug having an outwardly projecting finger and a spiral groove engaged by the pin of the outer cam, the locking plug sliding axially relative to the outer cam and the outer spindle from an unlocked position to a locked position, in the unlocked position the finger projecting outwardly through the outer cam slot into the longitudinal portion of the spindle slot and in the locked position the finger projecting outwardly through the outer cam slot into the circumferential portion of the spindle slot, the finger projecting outwardly through the circumferential portion of the spindle slot into the outer bearing locking slot when the locking plug is in the locked position;
• a lock cylinder assembly having a projecting tail, the locking plug including an opening for receiving the lock cylinder tail, and the lock cylinder assembly rotating the locking plug with the lock cylinder tail to move the locking plug between the locked and unlocked positions, and wherein:
• the outer bearing includes an arcuate rabbet;
• and
• the finger projects outwardly through the longitudinal portion of the spindle slot into the rabbet when the locking plug is in the unlocked position, the finger rotating in the rabbet when the outer spindle is rotated.