Kwikset Ultramax: Round Pocket Door Lock

June 15, 2003

Pocket doors can be prone to problems, which may include difficulty opening and closing, as well as remaining on track. It appears that part of the problem could be the result of modifying the door to accommodate many of the pocket lock/handle mechanisms. Most pocket door lock/handle mechanisms require a section cut out of the door edge. Since most pocket doors are interior (hollow core) doors, cutting out the section can weaken the door. This can sometimes result in a warped front edge, which causes all sorts of closing and opening problems.

Kwikset has solved this problem by introducing the Round Pocket Door Lock, Model 335, for sliding doors that are based on standard bored lock door preparation. The Round Pocket Door Locks are modified cylindrical deadbolt-style locks. The deadbolt has been modified with a spring-loaded thumb pull. Depressing on the face of the deadbolt releases the thumb pull. The thumb pull acts as a handle to pull the door out from the wall pocket. When the door has been pulled part way out, depress the thumb pull it to the closed position. To close off the doorway, use the recessed plate to grasp and slide the door.

The Kwikset Round Pocket Door Lock is available as a passage function or a privacy function. The passage function has two recessed plates. The interior plate contains two screw holes, and the exterior plate has two welded threaded rods. Two screws mount from the interior plate through the modified deadbolt and secure into the exterior plate.

The privacy version of the Round Pocket Door Lock has a turn knob built into the interior side of the recessed plate and a screw slot on the exterior plate. The screw slot and the turn knob are each connected to a split blade. The blades are slid into the slots within the deadbolt hub. The privacy lock has an active bolt directly behind the thumb pull. Once the door has been closed, rotating the turn knob extends the bolt. Once the bolt is fully extended into the strike plate, a bar extends perpendicular from the side of the bolt, behind the strike plate. This bar traps the deadbolt, keeping the door from opening. To unlock, rotate the turn knob or use a coin or straight-slot screwdriver to retract the bar within the deadbolt, and then the deadbolt within the door edge.

The privacy version of the Round Pocket Door Locks is equipped with a modified strike plate with a reinforcing curved lip on each side of the strike opening.
The Kwikset Round Pocket Door Lock, privacy function, requires a slightly modified installation to accommodate the modified deadbolt. A paper template is provided for the door prep, as well as the strike plate. The backset is available only in 2-3/8". For this article, we will install the privacy function Kwikset Round Pocket Door Lock. To prepare the door, we will be using the A1 Security Manufacturing Corp. Bulls Eye Installation Tool for Cylindrical Locksets.

To install the lock:

Step 1. Cut the paper template from the instruction sheet and attach to the door.
Step 2. Drill a 2-1/8" diameter cross bore opening.
Step 3. Drill a 1" diameter edge bore opening.
One interesting portion of the instructions is to determine the location for the strike plate.
Step 4. Drill a 1/8" diameter edge bore at the center of the door edge.
Step 5. Slide a 2" nail into the 1/8" hole with the point facing towards the jamb until the nail is completely within the door.
Step 6. Close the door.
Step 7. With the door closed, press the head of the nail against the jamb to locate the center point for the strike opening.
Step 8. Locate the strike template by centering the cross at the point made by the nail.
Step 9. Drill the four 1/2" openings approximately 1-1/4" deep.
Step 10. Chisel away any remaining excess material.
Step 11. Mortise the front of the strike opening to accommodate the dust box and the strike.
Step 12. Install the dust box and the strike plate using the supplied Phillips head screws.
Step 13. Enlarge the opening drilled into the door edge to 1" diameter.
Step 14. Insert the deadbolt into the door edge and secure with the supplied Phillips head screws.
Step 15. Install the outside recessed plate with the blade vertical.
Step 16. Install the inside recessed plate with the blade horizontal.
Step 17. Secure the lock using the two mounting screws.
Test the operation of the Round Pocket Door Lock.

The Kwikset Round Pocket Door Lock is available in a variety of finishes. These locks come with a lifetime mechanical warranty and a 10-year finish warranty.

For more information, contact your local locksmith wholesaler or Kwikset at 800-327-5625. Website: www.kwikset.com.

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