Rekeyable lock cylinder having rotatable key followers

A rekeyable lock cylinder, comprising:

• a lock cylinder body including a cylinder wall having an interior surface defining an interior void having a longitudinal axis;
• and
• a plug assembly rotatably disposed in said lock cylinder body, said plug assembly including:
• a plug body having a plug face and a keyway extending into said plug body from said plug face, said keyway being configured to receive a key;
• a plurality of racks movably disposed relative to said plug body;
• a plurality of key followers positioned across said keyway and being moveably disposed relative to said plug body, each key follower of said plurality of key followers being rotatable relative to said plurality of racks, each key follower of said plurality of key followers having a rotation lever, and each key follower of said plurality of key followers having a rack engagement protrusion;
• and
• a key follower rotation member drivably engaged with each rotation lever of each key follower of said plurality of key followers, said key follower rotation member being movable in a first direction to rotate each key follower of said plurality of key followers to thereby disengage each rack engagement protrusion of said plurality of key followers from said respective rack of said plurality of racks, said key follower rotation member being movable in a second direction to rotate each key follower of said plurality of key followers to thereby engage each rack engagement protrusion of said plurality of key followers with said respective rack of said plurality of racks.

A method for keying a lock cylinder, said lock cylinder having a lock cylinder body including a cylinder wall having an interior surface defining an interior void having a longitudinal axis and having a plug assembly rotatably disposed in said lock cylinder body, said plug assembly including a plug body having a plug face and a keyway extending into said plug body from said plug face, said keyway being configured to receive a key, a locking bar, a plurality of racks movably disposed relative to said plug body, and a plurality of key followers positioned across said keyway and being moveably disposed relative to said plug body, the method comprising:

• inserting a valid key in said keyway;
• rotating said plug assembly relative to said lock cylinder body from a home position to a rekeying position wherein a position of each rack of said plurality of racks is maintained by said locking bar;
• rotating said plurality of key followers to disengage said plurality of key followers from said plurality of racks;
• removing said valid key from said keyway;
• inserting a second key into said keyway;
• rotating said plurality of key followers to reengage said plurality of key followers with said plurality of racks;
• and
• rotating said plug assembly relative to said lock cylinder body from said rekeying position to said home position to complete rekeying of said lock cylinder to said second key.