handle =
Description
A lever allows to open or close a door or a valve
Group: man made
Used on these elements
Useful combination
mechanical_driver=manual actuator=manual pipeline=valve turn_to_close=*
Status: approved
handle=lever $1% $1% $1% $1% More details at taginfo
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A lever handle allows to manually change the state of a door, a valve or drive a machine.

It was first intended for pipeline=valve and is often found on domestic quarter-turn valves.
Levers are also found on doors, pumps (see hand pumps), cranes and so on. Used accordingly with mechanical_driver=* or actuator=*

Some levers, like handle=wheel or handle=cross are used to open or close something. It's useful to add turn_to_close=* to state towards which direction the lever should be turned to close what it actuates.

When used as a mechanical_driver=*, levers sound to be 3rd class levers.
Handles sound to have different forms and this is what we get when looking for them 3 for different usages :

• Door handle (actuator=*) : The most common types of door handle are the lever handle and the doorknob.
• Ball valve (actuator=*) : Lever handle (on the first chart)
• Hand pump (mechanical_driver=*, kind of lever is a hand pump) : Piston rod + force rod = lever.

Examples

Valves

Photo	Location	Tagging	Comments
	France	pipeline=valve valve=butterfly actuator=manual handle= turn_to_close=clockwise sensor:position=yes	Such a quarter-turn valve use a movable disk to let or prevent water from passing through it. A lever handle and a sensor allow technician to change the valve state

Pumps

Photo	Location	Tagging	Comments
	Mali	man_made=water_well pump_mechanism=piston mechanical_driver=manual handle=	A manual piston pump installed on a water well head in Mali. Water well, piston pump and manual driver (with handle) are 3 independent objects described on the same OSM node here

Power switches

Photo	Location	Tagging	Comments
	France	power=pole switch=mechanical handle=	A manual actuated power switch on top of a power pole. A lever handle is accessible at the base of the pole to change the switch's state.