A locking system has a lock cylinder rotatable within a lock housing and a side bar movable relative to channels within the lock cylinder and lock housing between locked and released conditions of the lock cylinder. An idler block within the lock cylinder has a key channel receiving a key therein so that the key and idler block rotate together relative to the lock cylinder. Annular detainer discs are received between the idler block and the lock cylinder, each having an outer gate channel and an inner key bit such that keyed surfaces of the key engage the key bits when rotated to align the gate channels with the side bar and enable the release of the side bar to unlock the cylinder relative to the housing. A stationary shield may be fixed relative to the housing, about which the idler block rotates to restrict access to the detainer discs.

A lock cylinder including a plug, a plurality of key followers, a sensor assembly structured to sense positions of the key followers, and a controller in communication with the sensor assembly. The plug includes a keyway and a plurality of plug tumbler shafts. Each of the key followers is movably seated in a corresponding one of the plug tumbler shafts and includes a sensor interface. The sensor assembly includes a plurality of sensors, each of which includes at least one sensing region. Each of the key followers is associated with one of the sensors via an associative link formed between the sensor interface and the corresponding sensing region. The sensors are structured to generate an output signal indicative of the transverse position of the associated key follower, and the controller is structured to select and perform actions based upon the output signals.

A pin setting key for setting rotational orientations of pins of a lock. The key includes a bow portion and a blade portion for inserting into a keyway. The blade portion has a longitudinal axis and a bow end and a tip end, with a plurality of bitting positions located between the bow and tip ends. Each of the bitting positions corresponds to one of the pins of the plug such that insertion of the blade portion into the keyway aligns the bitting position with one of the pins. Each bitting position includes at least one bitting surface configured to rotate a pin when the contact surface of the pin contacts the bitting surface. Each bitting surface is offset from a central location of the respective bitting position. Each bitting surface has an axis extending generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the blade.

A cylinder lock with a rotating tumbler pin, a sidebar, and a slider has a keyway with a ward projection into the center of the bitting area of a key blade received by the keyway. The tip of each rotating tumbler pin seats on the bitting surfaces remaining to the sides of this center ward of the key, and the tumbler pins that are engaged by the bitting on the side of the key blade do not seat on more than half of the width of the blade. Half the pin width is removed from each tumbler pin near the tip thereof. The key has a bitted section at which one or more bittings are formed and a non-bitted section bitting that is devoid of bitting. The bittings extend at a constant depth to an edge of the key blade.

A cylinder lock comprises a cylinder housing (11) and a cylinder core (13) which is rotatably mounted in the cylinder housing. A plurality of plate tumblers (21) are provided in the cylinder core, wherein each of the plurality of plate tumblers is movable between a locking position and an unlocking position. At least one of the plurality of plate tumblers has a bolt-receiving depression (47). The cylinder lock further comprises at least one bolt element (27) which has a bolt tip (35), wherein the bolt element is movable between a blocking position and a release position. In the release position, the bolt tip engages in the bolt-receiving depression of the plate tumbler. The plate tumbler has, adjacent to the bolt-receiving depression, at least one bolt latch-in depression (45) in which the bolt tip of the bolt element engages in a latching manner when the at least one plate tumbler is moved out of the unlocking position, wherein the bolt latch-in depression is less deep than the bolt-receiving depression.

A padlock with an associated locking mechanism is configured for use in a lock configured to be locked and unlocked by a key. The locking mechanism includes a lock cylinder with a key-receiving end configured to interface with the key and further includes a cam positioned at an axial end of the lock cylinder opposite the key-receiving end thereof. The cam is integrally connected thereto thereby restricting axial and rotational motion of the cam with respect to the lock cylinder and can be used to retain components of the locking mechanism (such as tumblers and springs) in the lock cylinder.

A padlock configured to be locked and unlocked by a key can an internal biasing element that establishes a position of the locking mechanism within an internal cavity of the lock body of the padlock. The locking mechanism can be a linear lock configured to receive the key along an axial direction from the key-receiving axial end of the locking mechanism and internal cavity. The locking mechanism can include at least a lock cylinder (and sometimes other components) and having an axial length that is less than an axial distance between a pair of axial ends of the internal cavity. Notably, the padlock includes a biasing element received in the internal cavity of the lock body that biases the lock cylinder along the axial direction to maintain a key stop distance from a key stop on the lock cylinder to the key-receiving axial end of internal cavity.

A rekeyable lock cylinder with a cylinder body and a plug assembly. The lock cylinder includes a plurality of key followers and a corresponding plurality of racks disposed in the plug assembly. Disengaging the racks from the key followers allows rekeying of the lock cylinder.

A rekeyable lock cylinder with a cylinder body and a plug assembly. The lock cylinder includes a plurality of key followers and a corresponding plurality of racks disposed in the plug assembly. Disengaging the racks from the key followers allows rekeying of the lock cylinder.

A lock assembly includes a plug with a keyway, primary pins aligned with the keyway for controlling rotation of the plug, a sidebar for controlling rotation of the plug, secondary pins adjacent the keyway for controlling movement of the sidebar, and at least one supplemental sidebar control element for controlling movement of the sidebar. The lock assembly is operated by simultaneously manipulating the primary pins, the secondary pins, and the supplemental sidebar control element to place each in a respective position and/or orientation to permit rotation of the plug and to permit sufficient movement of the sidebar to permit rotation of the plug and then applying torque to the plug.