Interchangeable core
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An interchangeable core or IC is an adaptable locking key cylinder, which can be rapidly exchanged in the field via the use of specialized "control keys".
An interchangeable core or IC is an adaptable locking key cylinder, which can be rapidly exchanged in the field via the use of specialized "control keys". ==Description== Unlike a standard key cylinder, which is accessible for combinating only via locking device disassembly, an interchangeable mechanism relies upon a specialized "control" key for insertion and extraction of the essential (or "core") combinating components. "Small format" interchangeable cores (SFIC) are in a figure-eight shape that is standardized among lock manufacturers. "Large format" interchangeable cores (LFIC) are of varying sizes. By use of an appropriate control key, interchangeable cores can be extracted from one lock type (bored cylindrical lock, mortise lock, padlock, and so forth) and then installed into another without requiring the removal or disassembly of any single component. These units are readily adapted for master keying systems, and can be set up with spare cores and keys for quick replacement when security is compromised, such as when a key is lost or stolen or when a personnel change takes place. Extracted cores can then be recombinated at a workshop without urgency and placed back into maintenance storage for future use. ==History== The "modern interchangeable core" —and all other cores, as well—actually has its roots in "a bulkier, pedestal-shaped removable configuration" developed in 1919 by Frank Best, then proprietor of Best Universal Lock Company. File:Best sfic core lengths.jpg|Best branded SFIC core lengths File:Lfic and sfic front.jpg|LFIC and SFIC, front view File:Lfic and sfic side.jpg|LFIC and SFIC, side view File:Corbin russwin large format interchangeable core contol sleve.jpg|Corbin Ruswin LFIC control sleeve ==References==
Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1369066089 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.