=79. Door Pulls.=—In Fig. 98 are illustrated two well-known types
of =door pulls.= The pull shown at (_a_) consists of a handle that
is usually mounted on a plate and attached to either storm or
single-acting doors, although, occasionally, this type is used on
double-acting doors with the word “push” or “pull” inscribed on the
plate. When used on double-acting doors, the door pull has a tendency
to obviate the habit of persons placing their hands on the moldings
near the glass when operating the door, but is subject to the objection
of inviting a pull to open the door even with the word “push” inscribed
on the plate.
[Illustration: FIG. 98]
Door pulls are made in various metals, both in plain and ornamental
design, some of the latter being very elaborate, as will be observed
from Fig. 99.
=80. Kick Plates.=—A =kick plate= is a modern device that may be
applied to the bottom of doors to protect the woodwork from injury and
wear, being used chiefly for double-acting doors and doors of public
buildings. These plates are frequently made of sheet metal, but are
much handsomer when made of cast metal and ornamented to harmonize with
other metal work of the door.
[Illustration: FIG. 99]
Kick plates should completely cover the bottom rail of the door, but if
cost is the controlling factor, they may be cut down in height so that
a margin of wood the same width as the side, or lock, stile shows above
the plate. For instance, if the bottom rail is 12 inches in height and
the stile is 5 inches wide, the kick plate should be 7 inches high.
In all cases, kick plates should extend the full width of the door,
allowing enough margin, when used on double-acting-doors, for the
rounding of the edges. When used on single-acting doors having rabbeted
jambs, the rabbet of both jambs should be deducted from the length of
the kick plate. A typical kick plate of plain pattern is shown in Fig.
100. Such plates are generally sold at a square-inch price.
[Illustration: FIG. 100]
[Illustration: FIG. 101]
=81. Push Plates.=—On double-acting or single-acting doors, such as
storm and duplex doors, =push plates= are used to protect the woodwork
against soiling and wear from handling. These plates are made in
various sizes, and are either plain or ornamented to harmonize with
the other hardware. To obtain good results, push plates should be as
wide as the lock stile, where possible, and from 12 to 30 inches long,
according to conditions and use. Plates 20 inches or less in length
should be placed on the door so that the distance from the floor to
the center of the plate is about 4 feet 6 inches; for larger plates
the distance from the floor to the top of the plate should be 5 feet.
If used in connection with a cylinder dead lock, the plate should be
cut or drilled, preferably near the bottom, to allow the cylinder of
the lock to pass through the plate. The plain type of push plate is
illustrated in Fig. 101 (_a_), while one of more ornamental design is
shown at (_b_).
=82. Sign Plates.=—Although metallic plates with lettering are not
usually included in the hardware specifications, they find extensive
use in hotels, banks, and other public buildings. The inscriptions
available cover every possible demand, including titles of officers,
names of rooms, etc. Sign plates of various sizes can be procured in
the following finishes: Bronze, brass, or nickel with either sunken
or raised black letters; bronze or brass with black background or
matte; white porcelain plate with blue, red, or gilt letters; and blue
porcelain with white letters. Two typical sign plates are shown in Fig.
102.
[Illustration: FIG. 102]
=83. Door Stops and Holders.=—Since door checks and double-acting
doors have come into more extensive use, the necessity of holding doors
open has created a demand for _door stops_ and _holders_. The =door
stop= is a device for limiting the backward swing of a door. This
device may also be constructed so as to perform the additional function
of holding the door in an open position; it is then known as a =door
holder=.
[Illustration: FIG. 103]
The ordinary door stop is simply a wooden knob with rubber tip, or
ring, that may be fastened to the floor or a baseboard, and is usually
made up in the forms shown in Fig. 103. Better grades made of iron or
bronze are also available. These come in various shapes, as shown in
Fig. 104. Frequently, as shown at _a_, a hook for fastening the door in
an open position is combined with the door stop.
[Illustration: FIG. 104]
[Illustration: FIG. 105]
The door stop with the hook holdback is not always convenient to use,
so that the _automatic holdback_, or _door holder_ shown in Fig. 105
is sometimes employed. This holder can be disengaged by a pull on the
handle of the door and automatically catches the door in an entire open
position.
Where it is desired to hold a door in any position or to release it
quickly, the rubber-tipped holder shown in Fig. 106 should be used;
this device is easily operated and controlled by the foot.
[Illustration: FIG. 106]
[Illustration: FIG. 107]
=84. Chain Door Fastener.=—The type of =chain fastener= illustrated in
Fig. 107 is generally used on exterior residence doors. This device
allows the occupants to open the door partly without permitting
entrance. It consists of a heavy chain, one end of which is attached to
a plate, which in turn is fastened to the jamb with screws. The other
end of the chain carries a ball or a hook that may be inserted in the
slot of the long plate, which is attached to the door. By this means,
the door may be opened only slightly, until the ball of the chain is
released from the slot.
[Illustration: FIG. 108]
[Illustration: FIG. 109]
=85. Door Bolts.=—A large variety of =door bolts= is now on the market.
These bolts are made in all sizes, in wrought steel, cast iron, brass,
and bronze, and may be procured in any finish desired. The several
types of bolts used in common practice are illustrated in Figs. 108 and
109. In Fig. 108 (_a_) is shown a type of _barrel bolt_; at (_b_) is
shown what is known as a _cased bolt_; and at (_c_) is shown a _necked
bolt_. Fig. 109 (_a_) shows a _spring bolt_, (_b_) a _spring-necked
bolt_, and (_c_) a type of _shutter bolt_. Various types of _mortise
bolts_ are illustrated in Fig. 110.
[Illustration: FIG. 110]
[Illustration: FIG. 111]
[Illustration: FIG. 112]
[Illustration: FIG. 113]
[Illustration: FIG. 114]
=86. Chain Bolts and Foot-Bolts.=—A type of rim bolt used chiefly to
secure the standing leaf of double doors is shown in Fig. 111. These
bolts are made in various sizes, finishes, and grades, and in both
plain and ornamental design. In the figure, the =chain bolt= is shown
at (_a_), while the =foot-bolt= is illustrated at (_b_).
=87. Flush Bolts.=—Bolts that are intended to perform the same function
as chain bolts and foot-bolts, but are sunk into the stile of the door
flush with its surface or edge, are known as =flush bolts=. These
bolts, which are illustrated in Figs. 112 and 113, are made in various
styles, grades, and finishes, from the smaller kinds for cabinet
purposes to the large, double-mortise extension bolt. A flush bolt with
a knob is shown in Fig. 114, while a _heavy_, =T=-_handle extension
bolt_ is shown in Fig. 115.
[Illustration: FIG. 115]
=88. Door Springs and Checks.=—During recent years considerable
improvement has been noticeable in the construction of the devices
known as =door springs= and =checks=. Formerly, the common =torsion
rod= and =coil springs=, which are illustrated in Fig. 116, at
(_a_) and (_b_), respectively, were the only articles of this kind
available. These devices have been in extensive use for many years,
and have performed the work of closing the door, but not without the
unnecessary bang and slam made by the door when striking the jambs.
This was overcome to some extent, however, by the introduction of the
=air-check=, which depends on the use of an air cushion to resist the
force of the spring. In effect, each check is a small air pump.
Prominent among the older type of air-checks is the _Eclipse_ made
by Sargent & Co. This check is clearly illustrated in Fig. 117. At
(_a_) and (_b_) are shown two methods of applying the _Eclipse_
air-checks. In (_a_), the spring-check that closes the door is shown
at _a_ attached to the door, while its lever-arm is fastened to the
door casing. The cylinder _b_ is also secured to the door, and the
piston _c_, operating in the cylinder, is applied to the door casing.
At (_b_), the parts are differently arranged. The spring-check occupies
the same relative position as shown in (_a_), its lever-arm being
shown at _a_, while the piston _c_ is fastened to the door and the
cylinder _b_ affixed to the head-jamb of the door frame. Either method
is adapted for inside doors, but that shown at (_b_) is preferable for
doors opening outwards, on account of fewer parts being exposed; the
spring-check and its lever-arms, in this case, being the only parts
exposed to the weather. In construction these checks consist of a
cylinder _b_ with a polished interior, in which works the piston _c_.
On the end of the piston there is provided a cup made of leather that
has previously been soaked in oil. By the insertion of the piston into
the cylinder as the door closes, there is a tendency to compress the
air in the cylinder, thus forming an air cushion with air outlet at the
caps. These outlets can be regulated by turning, or screwing, the cap
to the right or the left, as the case may require.
[Illustration: FIG. 116]
[Illustration: FIG. 117]
Devices of this kind, however, did not prove satisfactory until the
introduction of the _Yale-Blount_, or _hydraulic, combined_ _spring and
check_, which is shown in Fig. 118. In this device, the coil spring
_a_, shown in (_b_), is enclosed in the vertical portion of the check,
the regulating of the tension being accomplished by turning the ratchet
sleeve _b_ with a wrench made for that purpose. The check enclosed
in the horizontal part consists of a metallic piston _c_, without
packing, that moves in a tightly sealed metallic cylinder containing
a lubricating and non-freezing liquid. The movement of the door in
closing depends on the escape of the liquid through a by-pass from one
end of the cylinder to the center, this by-pass being controlled by a
small valve that may be readily adjusted to produce any desired action
of the door and thus permit the door to be closed silently, with a
smooth, steady motion, and without rebound. Since the introduction of
the Yale-Blount type of check and spring combined, other manufacturers
are making similar styles, the most prominent being the _Bardsley_, the
_Corbin_, the _Sargent_, and the _Ogden_.
[Illustration: FIG. 118]
=89. Sliding-Door Hangers and Track.=—The first sliding-doors were
usually carried on sheaves, or rollers, located at the bottom of a
door, these rollers traveling on a metal track, which was either
inserted in the floor or placed on its surface. This system, however,
has been displaced by the more modern =sliding-door hanger=, which
suspends the door from the top. The carriers containing the rollers,
or wheels, run on an overhead track placed in a recess formed for that
purpose above the soffit of the doorway.
The use of the overhead hanger requires a special construction of the
head-jamb, not only to provide space for the overhead track, but also
to furnish proper support for the brackets securing the same. It is
therefore a good plan to determine in advance the type of hanger to be
used, in order that the framing and other details of the doorway may be
made to conform to it. The most important features to be considered in
the selection of sliding-door hangers are the strength and stiffness of
track, the provision for adjusting and reducing friction and noise, the
strength and quality of the several parts, and the facility with which
these parts can be fitted in place and adjusted when in use.
In order to overcome noise, the original overhead hanger was made with
wooden track, which was placed on each side of the recess. On this
track rolled the wheels in pairs, being generally riveted to an axle
and having a space between them. The frame of the hanger traveled on
the axle from end to end, to overcome friction, the adjustment being
only in the hanger frame. Of this type of door hanger, the _Prindle_,
the _Stearns_, the _Warner_, the _Ives_, and the _Richards_ were the
most widely used. The Ives improved wooden-track, house-door hanger is
illustrated in Fig. 119.
[Illustration: FIG. 119]
Another form of sliding-door hanger, which is considered an improvement
over the type just described, consists of the single or side
steel-track hanger of the Lane or the Richards make. These sliding-door
hangers are constructed entirely of steel, and the hanger proper has
frictionless bearings, on the principle of the wooden-track hangers,
but with one wheel to each hanger, running on a steel track fastened to
one side of the recess. This combination is quite an improvement over
the old-style hanger, and can be placed in position more readily. The
wheels of these hangers, as shown in Fig. 120, are constructed of two
plates of steel, between which is placed a fiber wheel that is held
in position by through rivets. The fiber portion of the wheel comes
in contact with the track, while the plates act only as flanges, thus
tending to reduce the noise caused by the operation of the door.
[Illustration: FIG. 120]
[Illustration: FIG. 121]
The hangers most extensively used at present are the =trolley type=, of
which the _Coburn_ is the original and the best of the various kinds.
The track, a typical section of which is shown in Fig. 121, is made
of sheet steel, which is bent or folded into various forms, depending
on the particular make. The carrier is contained in the interior of
the track. The several features of this type of track and hanger are
illustrated in Figs. 122, 123, and 124, which likewise show the method
of attachment and the detail construction of the door head, or soffit,
necessary to receive these tracks and hangers.
This type of sliding-door trolley track is also sometimes lined with
wood placed in the steel trough, or track, as shown in Fig. 125. This
makes the device absolutely noiseless, although the regular types
operate with very little noise. Besides the Coburn trolley and track,
there are the _Richard_ and the _McCabe_. Both of these makes possess
merit. The trolleys, or carriers, are constructed with both fiber and
iron wheels, with ball bearings, running on a wooden or metal track,
according to the type.
[Illustration: FIG. 122]
[Illustration: FIG. 123]
[Illustration: FIG. 124]
[Illustration: FIG. 125]
[Illustration: FIG. 126]
This type of hanger and track is made in all sizes, from the smallest,
for hanging small bookcase doors, up to the very largest, for warehouse
doors. As shown in Fig. 126, trolley hangers are made for doors of
special design, such as accordion and parallel doors used to close up
large openings. They are also made for elevator doors, freight-car
doors, barn doors, and automatic fire-doors, with special construction
to suit the various purposes.
[Illustration: FIG. 127]
In factory and similar buildings, it frequently happens that one
portion must be separated from another by brick fire-walls and that
the openings in these walls have to be closed with tin-covered doors
as required by the National Board of Fire Underwriters, the object
being to reduce the fire hazard. Wherever possible, these doors are
made sliding and arranged so as to close automatically, being hung
on a slanting track with an incline of ¾ inch to the foot, and also
counterbalanced with weights so that the door will stand at any point,
as shown in Fig. 127. The cord or rope attached to the weights passes
over a pulley and is attached to the door with a fusible link, as at
_a_, which, in case of fire gives way and allows the door to close
automatically.
The doors are usually constructed of seasoned white pine or similar
non-resinous wood, using three thicknesses of ⅞-inch matched boards,
the outside layers to be vertical and inner layers horizontal and
thoroughly fastened together with wrought-iron clinch nails, driven in
flush and well clinched. The doors are then covered with 14" × 20" IC
bright charcoal tin plates of not less than 107 pounds to a box of 112
sheets. All joints are locked ½ inch, without soldering, and nailed
under the seams.
The track for these doors is best made of round-edge bar iron or tire
steel, ⅜ in. × 3½ in., being bolted to the wall with through bolts
having nut and flanged washer on the opposite side, and held from the
wall by cast-iron track brackets. The hangers are of wrought iron, ⅜
in. × 3½ in., provided with roller-bearing wheels and are attached to
the door with at least two bolts. The binders are of wrought metal, ⅜
in. × 3½ in., with angle flange at back end to notch in the wall and so
arranged as to grip and force the door against the wall when closed. In
connection with this, a wedge is placed at the end of the lower chafing
strip, and, when the door is closed, engages with the stay roll so
that the door will be held close to the wall on the opposite side. Two
chafing strips of ¾-inch, half-oval metal are placed on back of door
with 1" × ⅛" flat strips of same length in front and bolted through the
door. Bumper shoes are also used to prevent the binders from mutilating
or damaging the tin covering at the points that strike the binders.
=90. Door Knockers.=—Although the medieval =door knockers= have
been replaced by the modern door and electric bell, they are still
used occasionally for decorative purposes, and, when required, they
should be selected and specified with the finishing hardware. Door
knockers are made in various styles, sizes, and finishes—in iron,
brass, or bronze—to match the several designs expressed in hardware.
The elaborateness of the designs of this somewhat ornamental piece of
hardware is shown in Fig. 128.
[Illustration: FIG. 128]
[Illustration: FIG. 129]
=91. Water-Closet Door Trim.=—The construction of water closets in
public buildings has brought forth special hardware to meet the various
conditions of convenience, simplicity, and hard usage. In ordinary
work, the doors of water-closet compartments are secured with a hook
or a barrel bolt, while in the better class of work, as in hotels and
public places of this character, mortised thumb or knob bolts or,
better, indicator bolts are used.
=Indicator bolts=, as shown in Fig. 129, made both mortise and rim,
are available for water-closet doors. In either case, the bolts are
mortised into or placed on the inside of the door with the indicator
case on the outside. The indicator dial has a spindle on the back, and
this engages with the knob that operates the bolt. When the bolt is
thrown, the indicator shows the word “Engaged,” and when turned back,
the word “Open” appears.
[Illustration: FIG. 130]
A simple form of fastening for water-closet doors is shown in Fig.
130, which illustrates the flush, or half-mortise, knob bolt at (_a_),
and the water-closet rim latch at (_b_). The rim slide bolt is also
used for securing water-closet doors. All of these bolts are available
for wooden partitions, and may be had for marble or slate work, when
special strikes and bolts for fastening will be required.
Jamb door stops are seldom required for water-closet doors hung to
wooden partitions, but when needed there is to be had a simple stop
with a rubber tip that will answer all purposes. Where stops are
required for doors hung to marble partitions the type shown in Fig.
131 may be used. This stop has a clamp device that is attached to the
marble slab by bolts and it will be observed forms a combination stop
and strike for the latch or bolt.
[Illustration: FIG. 131]
[Illustration: FIG. 132]
Other water-closet specialties, which are not illustrated here but
which are sometimes specified under hardware, are: Coat-and-hat hooks,
cigar holders, cigar and paper holders combined, and toilet-paper
holders. Each can be procured to secure to either wood or marble, as
required.
=92. Screen-Door Latches.=—There is a light latch manufactured, either
rim or mortise, for use on screen doors. It consists of a knob latch
similar to a mortise latch or cupboard turn, but in addition to a hub,
as in the former, it is furnished with a spindle and a pair of knobs,
or lever handles. Latches for screen doors are also constructed with
“stop-work,” so that they cannot be operated from the outside except by
the means of a key. This latter latch is generally of the mortise type,
having escutcheons on both sides.
=93. Elevator Latches.=—Locks or latches for use on doors of elevator
shafts are usually operated by a key from the outside and by a flush
lever handle from the inside. The latch illustrated in Fig. 132
consists of a pivoted arm with a hook at its end to engage with a
strike on the jamb. This type of latch is the one generally employed.
[Illustration: FIG. 133]
=94. Secret Gate Latch.=—In Fig. 133 is shown a =secret gate latch=,
which is used for office gates. Latches of this kind may be had in
either the rim or the mortise type. They usually consist of a spring
bolt that cannot be operated except by a concealed button or similar
device. In the type of latch shown in the figure, the concealed button
that controls the latch is located on the lower edge. The knob shown is
fixed and does not operate the latch.
=95. Ornamental Nails and Studs.=—Although the constructive necessity
for =ornamental studs= and =nail heads= has disappeared under modern
methods of wooden construction, they are still used for purposes of
decoration, and a great variety may be had. Several stock designs are
illustrated in Fig. 134. These nails and studs are made of various
metals and in many finishes, having a projecting spur on the back
that, when driven into the wood, firmly attaches the ornamental head
in place. They contribute effectively to the decoration of important
doors, especially extension doors of churches and public buildings.
=96. Hand and Bevel of Doors.=—Many locks and butts used at the present
time are made _reversible_; that is, they can be used for either right-
or left-hand doors. Others are not, and must therefore be specified
as _right-hand_ or _left-hand_. In this latter class are included
loose-joint butts and most locks, the operation of which is different
on one side than on the other. All locks with beveled fronts are not
reversible, and their use should be avoided where no real need of them
exists.
A =reversible lock= is one having a beveled latch bolt that can be
turned over, or reversed, at will, to make its bevel face the opposite
direction. This is usually accomplished by removing the cap of the lock
and turning over the latch bolt.
[Illustration: FIG. 134]
In order that hardware may be ordered intelligently, the _hand_
and _bevel_ of the door should be given where the hardware is not
interchangeable, or reversible. Rules to determine the hand of doors
have, therefore, been established by the manufacturers of hardware, so
that the information may be founded on a uniform basis. Reference to
Fig. 135 will materially assist in the interpretation of these rules.
[Illustration: CUPBOARD AND CELL LOCKS FIG. 135]