How to Identify Yale Mortise Locksets

Identifying Mortise Locks

• 1

  Inspect the lock body, if it is not yet installed on the door. A Yale mortise lock consists of a thin rectangular body, while a cylindrical lock is round and fits within the knob or handle.

• 2

  Examine the lock cylinder and determine where it is placed in relation to the handle or knob. On a mortise set, the cylinder is always installed above the handle. If the cylinder, or keyhole is located inside the handle itself, the lock is cylindrical, not mortise.

• 3

  Open the door and inspect the cover plate along the side of the door. On a mortise lock, this plate is much longer than the strike plate. If the plate is relatively short, or roughly the same size as the strike plate, the lock is likely cylindrical.

Identifying Yale Mortise Locks

• 4

  Stand on the exterior side of the door and look for the lock's keyhole. This keyhole is located on the cylinder, which serves as the main locking mechanism for the lock. Look for engraved lettering that spells out "Yale" just above the keyhole. Modern Yale mortise locks typically include this engraving.

• 5

  Open the door and inspect the lock cover plate along the side of the door. Look for the word "Yale" spelled out somewhere on this cover plate. It will typically be found engraved on the center of the plate.

• 6

  Remove all visible screws holding the lockset in place, then slide the body of the lock out of the edge of the door. Examine the lock body to check for labels bearing the Yale name. If no name is present, remove the cylinder from the lock and check for labels or engraving on the side of the cylinder.

• 7

  Examine the keys that operate the lock. Yale mortise locks use special key blanks, which feature a rounded, clover-shaped head (where you hold the key). If the key blank has a different shape, you may not have a Yale lock. The key may also include the Yale name for easy identification.

• 8

  Compare the design of the lock handle to those found in the Yale mortise lock catalog Each lock manufacturer produces its own distinct line of handles, which can be used to identify the lock in some cases.