A typical lever can be seen below. Each lever is lifted to a different height by the key which allows the notch in the lever to align with the post of the bolt. The key continues to turn and therefore moves the locking bolt through the notch where it finally comes to rest in the second gate, the key having rotated 360 degrees. This type of lock comes in mainly two forms. Each is operated with a different type of key.
Many door locks used in the UK for instance use a bit type key.
Whereas lever locks found on lockers, suitcases, and desks use a flat type key, however, the principle behind each type is the same. These two types of keys can be seen at the top of this page. Combination Locks Combination locks appear in a number of forms and are mainly found on padlocks and brief cases. The lock may be of a dial design similar to the type of lock on a safe, or may consist of a number of small disks each with numbers on them, and having to be placed in a certain order for the lock to open. The combination lock may also be of the push button variety as found on a number of padlocks.