Lockwood have been producing the nightlatch for the last 92 years. In fact they have a varied number of locks that they refer to as nightlatches, as do many other big lock brands such as Yale, Schlage, and Kaba. The Lockwood 3572 range of mortise locks even have a nightlatch function that can be used for many applications.
Lockwood 201 Night Latches being rekeyed
We see Lockwood Night Latches on doors throughout Brisbane, especially on older houses. At Access Locksmiths we generally only use Lockwood Nightlatches on utility cupboards and outdoor sheds as they are not intended for use as a primary security device these days.
The Lockwood 100 nightlatch and the Lockwood 201 night latch are what is commonly refered to as a Lockwood nightlatch. Both these types of locks are rim locks. That is that they are screwed to the inside of the door and are not mortised into the door. They have a round cylinder that goes through the door to unlock the lock.
The 100 Nightlatch by Lockwood is a diecast lock that is always brown colour. It has a diecast latch, diecast casing and a diecast cylinder which I believe is the only diecast cylinder made by Lockwood? The 100 night latch can be held open by turning the inside knob fully around which holds back the latch so it will not lock. In contrast the Lockwood 201 nightlatch is available in different finishes. The standard finishes being bright chrome and Satin chrome. The 201 has a brass bolt, a brass cylinder and it also has a locking knob on the inside of the case. The 201 can be held open by turning the knob to withdraw the bolt and then pushing the locking knob. The locking knob when pushed will disable the outside cylinder making it impossible to enter from the outside.
The biggest difference in function between the 100 and 201 nightlatch is that the 201 has the locking knob that will disable the outside cylinder and will also deadlock the latch. This makes it impossible to push the latch back when the locking knob is engaged.
Being a latch with no deadlatching ability both the 100 and 201 nightlatches vulnerable to attack where the latch can be pushed back from the outside of the door. The nightlatch was a lock made for an earlier time, before the advent of the deadlatch. The nightlatch still has a place in modern times though. It is useful for many applications that do not require a high degree of security. It can also be used on a door in conjunction with a deadlock to make it more secure.
The 201 night latch uses a standard 5 pin Lockwood cylinder. It can be keyed alike to all other standard Lockwood products. The 100 nightlatch uses a C4R key that is not compatiable with other Lockwood locks. Both locks can have the cylinders replaced to match any key and security locking system.
For more information on the Lockwood nightlatch range of locks please contact us any time.
Access Locksmiths
122 Crosby Rd, Ascot 4007
Ph 0404 159 369
https://www.accesslocksmiths.com.au
