Rim lock

{{Short description|Type of door lock}}

{{About|a locking device for a door|a clamping device for a tire|beadlock|a magazine issue|Firearm malfunction}}

File:Lock.jpg

A rim lock is a locking device that attaches to the surface of a door.{{cite book |last1=Phillips |first1=Bill |title=The Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing |date=2005 |publisher=McGraw Hill Professional |isbn=9780071588966 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hkjvMXfIGQEC&q=five%20lever%20rim%20lock&pg=PA39 |language=en}}

It is the oldest type of lock used in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is of a basic design using (usually) a single lever and a sliding bolt. Wards can be used for additional security. They are not used where high security is required. Most older locks were large, some as big as {{convert|40|by|25|cm}}.

Most rimlocks used today on exterior doors in the British Isles are night latches.

In the United States, rim locks and rim latches are often used on wooden screen doors. A rim lock may also be seen on an antique pantry, pie safe, and other cabinets. Some rim lock and latch sets have a shallower backset than does a modern bored cylindrical lock or mortise lock, allowing their use on doors with narrow rails.