Interchangeable core
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An interchangeable core is a small, self-contained lock cylinder, usually “figure-eight” in shape, that can be extracted from its housing via a special “control key” and is designed to fit into a variety of cylinder housings that comply with its size specifications through standardization, and produced by a variety of lock manufacturers. William M. Lynk, CRL, a leading expert on interchangeable cores, with four books published on the topic, says: “Interchangeable cores are becoming increasingly popular within commercial, institutional, industrial and government facilities. They range from standard usage to high security and are being offered by nearly all lock manufacturers.”
Interchangeable cores can be removed from one type of lock (bored cylindrical lock, mortise lock, padlock, etc.) and placed into another lock without need of dismantling or removal of the lock cylinder or lock. Interchangeable core lock systems were designed to permit the owner of the system to change the locks without need of special locksmithing skills and tools, or the need to summon a locksmith in an emergency. Most interchangeable lock systems come with spare cores to allow instant replacement in an emergency (such as a stolen key or personnel change) and maintain security. The old cores are then sent to a locksmith to be rekeyed for later use. Interchangeable core locks are readily adapted for master keying systems. A key retainer is often used to support visual key control within interchangeable core systems.
The interchangeable core was invented by Frank Best in 1912. Frank Best went on to found Best Universal Lock Company which eventually came to be Best Access Systems, Inc. The Best style of interchangeable core has become the most well known type of interchangeable core cylinder, and is easily recognizable by the 'figure-8' shape of the core's face. This type of cylinder is also offered by many other commercial lock manufacturers such as Arrow, Falcon, Schlage, Ultra Security, Medeco, Lori, Yale, Kaba-Ilco, Scorpion and KSP, and is often referred to as a small format interchangeable core (SFIC).
Additionally, large format interchangeable core cylinders (LFIC) are also available from various other manufacturers, including Schlage, Medeco, Sargent, CorbinRusswin, Yale, ASSA, BiLock, Mul-T-Lock and Abloy. In most cases, they are larger in size than the SFIC, are designed to integrate with the manufacturers own keying system and differ in mechanical structure and operation between brands.
