Part 7

=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.

=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=.

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.

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.

=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.

=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.

=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.

=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.

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_.

=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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

=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.

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.

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.

=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.

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.

1. The =hand= of a door is always determined from the outside.

2. The =outside= is the street side of an entrance door, the corridor side of a room door, and the room side of a closet door. The outside of a communicating door, from room to room, is the side from which, when the door is closed, the butts are not visible. The outside of a pair of twin doors is the space between them. This rule applies to sliding-doors as well as hinged doors.

3. If, on standing outside of a door, the butts are on the right, it is a _right-hand door_; if on the left, it is a _left-hand door_.

4. If, on standing outside, the door opens from you, or inwards, it takes a lock with _regular_ bevel bolt; if it opens outwards, it takes a lock with _reverse_ bevel bolt.

5. A door is =beveled= when its edge is not at a right angle with its surface, and in this case the front of a mortise lock must be beveled to correspond. This bevel is expressed by stating the thickness of door and the distance that one edge drops back of the other. The standard bevel is ⅛ inch in 2¼ inches, as shown in Fig. 136.

6. The =bevel of a lock= is a term used both with mortise and rim locks to indicate the direction in which the bevel of the latch bolt is inclined. If inclined outwards, as for doors opening inwards, it is a _regular bevel bolt_; if inclined inwards, as for doors opening outwards, it is a _reverse bevel bolt_ (except as to cabinet locks, which, being commonly used on doors opening outwards, are regularly made with reverse bevel bolts, unless otherwise specified).

Mortise locks used with double doors having either rabbeted or astragal joints, must have fronts of corresponding sectional form. To avoid the extra cost of special patterns, the edges, or joints, of such doors should conform to established lock standards. The standard rabbet, or step, in the edge of doors is ½ inch, and the standard astragal joint has a ¾-inch bead.

The proper bevel of a door, if any is needed, is determined by the size of butt and the width of the door, as shown in Fig. 137. The inner corner of the door travels on a radius with the center at the center of the pin of the butt, and must have a clearance to swing free of the jamb casing. This may be obtained by beveling the edge of the door, or, if its edge is left square, by leaving sufficient clearance between the door and its jamb. If the door is of fair width and the butt does not need to be very wide to clear the trim, it will be found that a square edge may be used without resorting to an unduly open joint, thus permitting the use of locks with regular front; that is, not beveled.

SHUTTER HARDWARE

=97. Shutter Fasteners, or Adjusters.=—The most convenient fastener for shutters, or blinds, is the _Zimmerman_, or _Walling, type_, as shown in Fig. 138. These fasteners or adjusters secure the shutter in the closed, the open, and several intermediate positions, and are made both japanned and galvanized. They can be used with all styles of hinges, although they are generally combined with regular butts or with the New York blind hinge.