Wells Cathedral -
Keylex 500, a Reverential Choice

Often called the “most poetic of English cathedrals,” Wells cathedral was the first in the country to be built in the Gothic style. Construction commenced in 1175 with constant development and refurbishment ever since. 

Wells Cathedral volunteers carry out various roles, but primarily volunteers are needed to greet, welcome and offer help to visitors. Following the latest phase in the implementation of the current masterplan for the cathedral, it was decided to make a small store room available to the volunteers so that they could have personal lockers and somewhere to store their equipment. This room opens directly onto the cloisters and is accessed via a large medieval door.

It was impractical to issue keys to all the volunteers but some of the doors in the recent new development already used digital door locks to grant access to those in possession of the relevant door code and these were all working very well. So Jez Fry, the cathedral’s Clerk of Works, referred back to the specification for these locks and found them to be Keylex K500 models in dark bronze and lever operated both sides.

Jez readily found the Keylex e-commerce site at www.keylex.co.uk which clearly lays out all the options available regarding finishes, door thicknesses and accessories. “The information on the web site was very useful” said Jez, “It re-assured me that I was ordering the right lock and that it would come with everything needed for the installation, which proved to be very straightforward.”

Keylex 500 Series w. Adjustable
Tubular Deadlocking Latch

Use the Keylex 500 series on all standard duty, low security internal door installations. Always choose the K2100K option for military, police and fire service installations. The narrow stile Keylex 500 design, with its built-in clutch mechanism protecting the lock furniture, will suit all clear stile widths down to 80mm and is particularly suited for use on timber and composite doors. The Keylex 500 can be expected to give many years’ service if specified and maintained correctly.

Standard Features & Benefits

• Standard duty mechanism - Allows many hundreds of operations per day
• Entirely mechanical operation - No electronics or electrical wiring involved
• Allows code combinations of up to 12 buttons - Over 4,000 selectable code permutations (recommended 3 to 6 digit codes)
• Code scramble - Allows all codes to be entered in any order
• Slipping clutch mechanism - Nullifies forced attack or vandalism from the outside
• Brushed stainless steel buttons - Will not indicate usage
• Free exit - Provides escape from the inside, without code entry, regardless of the lock status
• Passage Function - Allows free passage from both sides at code users’ discretion (excludes rim version - but see function description)

Optional Features & Benefits

• Extended door kits - Factory fitted modifications including extended fixings,
  spindles and free passage turns to suit doors up to 75mm thick

The current masterplan for the cathedral and its precincts was developed by architects Purcell Miller Tritton. A number of the new rooms have access controlled by Keylex Mechanical Digital Locks including the choir rehearsal room where the lock is helping to safeguard the young choristers by restricting access to approved persons only. The dark bronze finish harmonises well with the medieval doors as does the entirely mechanical operation that requires no electrics or wiring.

Adjustable Tubular Deadlocking Latch 

This lock utilizes an adjustable tubular deadlocking latch (adjustable backset length between 60mm and 70mm) that locks the door every time the door closes. An authorized code is required to override the lock unless the passage function is set to ‘free’. The door is always ‘free from fixings’ for immediate egress from the inside. All standard Keylex 500 models are supplied with outside lock body and inside lever furniture on back plate with free passage turn. The adjustable tubular deadlocking latch provides backset lengths of 60mm or 70mm.

Suitability

The Keylex 500 lock body and internal mechanism construction is cast zinc and solid brass with stainless steel code buttons and is suitable for use on all internal doors -

• Timber
• Aluminium
• Steel
• PVCu (See K700M for Multi-Point Version)
• Composite

The Keylex 500 suits door thicknesses between 30mm and 50mm standard. Please advise all door thicknesses in excess of 50mm.

The Keylex 500 suits minimum clear stile widths of 80mm when used with the standard tubular deadlocking latch - (adjustable backset length between 60mm and 70mm).

NB - Stop depths may restrict suitability.

Adjustable Tubular Deadlocking Latch Function

This lock utilizes an adjustable tubular deadlocking latch (adjustable backset length between 60mm and 70mm) that locks the door every time the door closes.

An authorized code is required to override the lock from the outside unless the passage function is set to ‘free’. The door is always ‘free from fixings’ for immediate egress from the inside.

Application Restriction

Do not use this product on military, police, fire service and other installations where heavy handed use/abuse can be expected.
Specify K2100 series.

Rim Slide Bolt Function

Use this option where the door and frame design dictates that a mortice latch becomes impractical - e.g. where glazed doors will not allow a mortice.

This lock utilizes a solid rim mounted slide bolt - necessarily operated by a round knob outside with a turn snib on the inside. An authorized code is required to override the lock from the outside - passage function is achieved via the inside turn snib allowing the door to be left unlocked if required.

The door is always ‘free from fixings’ for immediate egress from the inside.

The backset length of the Rim Slide Bolt lock is not fixed but is adjustable. This dimension is dictated by the door and frame detail. Doors and frames do not need to be flush on the bolt side since the standard strike will accommodate jamb reveals when turned through 90 degrees.

How to Specify or Order

K500 Keylex Mechanical Digital Lock (Levers) - 60/70mm Backset (Adjustable)

K500.RIM Keylex Mechanical Digital Lock (Knobs) - Slide Bolt

Finishes

SC - Silver (Satin Chrome effect) with Stainless Steel Buttons
AB - Antique Brass with Stainless Steel Buttons