L1.1 Hinges PDF

hinges level 1 L1.1  L1.1 hinges Sponsors Sponsored by: ASSA ABLOY Door Solutions Cooke Brothers Ltd Units 3 – 4 Nort...

hinges level 1 L1.1  L1.1 hinges Sponsors Sponsored by: ASSA ABLOY Door Solutions Cooke Brothers Ltd Units 3 – 4 Northgate, Aldridge, Frelan Hardware Limited ZK Park Walsall, West Midlands. WS9 8TL Unit 10, Mitcham Industrial Estate 23 Commerce Way Tel: 01922 740001 Streatham road, Mitcham Croydon CRO 4ZS Fax: 01922 740003 Surrey CR4 2AP Tel: 020 8688 5191 e-mail: [email protected] Tel: 020 8648 1500 Fax: 020 8688 0285 www.cookebrothers.co.uk Fax: 020 8640 1626 Email: [email protected] email [email protected] www.assa.co.uk www.frelan.co.uk Nico Manufacturing Ltd Relcross Limited Royde & Tucker Ltd Oxford Road Hambleton Avenue Bilton Road Clacton-on-Sea Devizes Cadwell Lane Essex. CO15 3TJ Wiltshire Hitchin Tel: 01255 422333 SN10 2RT Fax: 01255 432909 Tel: +44 (0) 1380 729 600 Herts SG4 0SB e-mail: [email protected] Fax: +44 (0) 1380 729 888 Tel: 01462 444 444 www.nico.co.uk email: [email protected] Fax: 01462 444 443 www.relcross.co.uk e-mail: [email protected] www.ratman.co.uk SIMONSWERK UK Ltd. UNION Architectural Hardware Burcot Works, Spring Street Cannock Road Tipton, West Midlands DY4 8TF Wolverhampton Tel: 0121 522 2848 West Midlands Fax: 0121 557 7042 WV10 0RR e-mail: [email protected] Tel: 0845 223 2124 www.simonswerk.co.uk Fax: 0845 223 2125 email: [email protected] www.uniononline.co.uk 2 L1.1 hinges Contents 1 Introduction 4 11 Hinge measurement charts 104 2 The parts of a hinge 9 12 Feedback 106 3 Methods of manufacture 13 4 Finishes 19 5 Knuckles and pins 24 6 Hinge bearings 43 7 Fixing butt hinges 52 8 Specifying the correct hinge 65 9 Other common butt hinges 89 10 Special opening requirements 99 Interactive PDF This PDF is interactive. You can jump to any of the sections above by simply clicking on them. L1.1 hinges 1 Introduction 1 Introduction Goals The aim of this manual is to take you step by step through all the features and types of butt hinges you will need to be aware of in order to start giving advice to clients and specifying correctly. The ultimate goal is that you will be able to select the right products from the most commonly used hinges and explain their features to an architect or customer, covering: Durability Load-bearing capacity Suitability for fire or security door applications Corrosion resistance Overall level of duty Making progress Help from other sources Progressing to this stage involves getting familiar with The manual gives mostly generic information (not brand- aspects such as: dependent), so you will need other sources of information How various hinges are made for specific details. We recommend that you look at The materials and finishes available manufacturers’ catalogues or websites. These will give Use of bearings you real-life examples of hinges in current use. Methods of fixing The sponsors shown on the back page of this manual would be a good starting place. The standards that apply This might seem an awful lot, but it is achievable. We’ve done Your qualified work colleagues and hinge manufacturers’ our best to make it interesting and in a logical sequence, representatives will usually give help with any questions building from one step to the next. you might have. Don’t be afraid to ask! The information has been broken up into small chunks, so you can progress at your own speed through the manual. After each section, there is a Learning Check or Activity which will help you to assess and consolidate your learning. 4 L1.1 hinges 1 Introduction What should a hinge do? Attach the door (or window) to the frame Carry the weight of the door without sagging Allow the door to swing easily and with minimum friction Withstand the forces exerted on it and through it by door closers Do all of the above for a long time Hinges are often under-specified, through ignorance or penny-pinching. Complaints aren’t always made, because many people think that doors are supposed to sag, bind or drag. It’s just another annoying fact of life. Even when hinges fail completely, it’s not uncommon for someone to turn up at a trade counter and order replacements identical to the failed item. If cheap tyres on your car were not standing up to heavy motorway mileage, you’d replace them with higher performance models when they wore out, wouldn’t you? It’s better value for money. 5 L1.1 hinges 1 Introduction How to use this manual The Manual has been divided up into Sections covering specific aspects of hinges. Within most Sections, there are further sub-divisions. It will help you to absorb and remember information if you take one “chunk” of material at a time, and study it thoroughly. Create a timetable for your progress through this and other Level 1 Manuals, to ensure that the work is done before the last minute. The same qualities that make a good business person also make a good student – purpose, planning, and time-management. 6 L1.1 hinges 1 Introduction Learning Check At the end of each topic, there are questions to help you Learning check check your progress. They will help you to find out if you have properly understood the material, and sometimes they Can you remember the important details from this challenge you to apply what you have learned to a real section? situation. Have paper and pencil by your side whilst doing Can you apply the new knowledge to real life in these exercises, so you can practice putting answers in writing. supplying door hardware? The Feedback Section lets you check your answers against Can you explain what you know to others? those that we thought of, or would expect you to provide. Please refer to the Feedback section at the back The learning checks can be helpful in your revision, as they of this manual to compare your answers will test what you have retained from your studies. Application Activity These also come at the end of some topics. They are designed to help you widen your experience beyond the pages of the Application activity manual. Sometimes they challenge you to think of possibilities Can you gather information from the right sources? for yourself, rather than spoon-feeding instant answers. Sometimes they encourage you to do some research which Can you identify products which match the topic will back up what you are learning in the manual. you’re studying? It should also help you to appreciate the diversity of products Can you sift and sort manufacturers’ information? from a variety of manufacturers. Those of you who have internet access will find this an instantly rewarding activity. Those who have to rely on catalogues will get the same benefit, perhaps a little slower, but with hard copy they can mark up. 7 L1.1 hinges 1 Introduction Note box Note These boxes highlight some information which is important We want to draw your attention to to the understanding of the topic. this bit of information. It’s just a way of helping you to remember more easily. You need to be aware of it. Top tip Top tips are extra bits of information that are helpful in Top Tip everyday dealings with ironmongery. This is a bit of information that might come in useful sometime. 8 L1.1 hinges 2 The parts of a hinge 2 The parts of a hinge The most common type of hinge is the recessed or morticed butt hinge. It’s probably the type that you have on the doors in your own home or workplace. In plan view it looks like this. Notice that both the flaps (leaves or blades) of the hinge are recessed or morticed. Spaces (mortices) are cut out of the frame and the door so that hinge flaps lie flush with the surface of the wood. This means that the gap between the door and the frame is kept to a minimum. When the door is closed the flaps of the hinge lie close together. The frame is also rebated. The shape of the frame is designed so that the door fits snugly against the frame stop when it is closed. 9 L1.1 hinges 2 The parts of a hinge Now look more closely at the following drawing. It shows the key parts: two flaps knuckles hinge pin holes for the screw fixings. As well as the names for the various parts, notice that: 1. The width measurement shows the width of the whole hinge when open. 2. The frame flap has more knuckles than the door flap. This is to support the hinge pin in the vertical position. The weight of the door will always pull sideways on the pin, especially at the top hinge. 3. The screw holes are countersunk so that there is no obstruction when the hinge is closed. Countersunk screw- heads lie flush with the surface of the hinge flap. A raised head screw could stop the door from closing fully. 10  L1.1 hinges 2 The parts of a hinge Learning check 2 To check that you have understood everything about this butt hinge, draw or find a picture of a five-knuckle hinge measuring height102 mm width 73 mm Label all of the parts of the hinge. Please refer to the Feedback section at the back of this manual to compare your answers Jump to Feedback Click here to jump to the feedback for this learning check 11 L1.1 hinges 2 The parts of a hinge Hinge width Now look at this diagram of a five-knuckle hinge. This time we’ve included the centre line of the door edge. We’ve also shown typical measurements for the distance between the edge of the hinge and the edge of the door. When you select a hinge, the aim is to spread the fixing holes evenly across the door edge. Choose a hinge that will fill up to 9 mm of the door edge. But notice also that fire doors need a bigger thickness of wood to stop the hinge transferring heat from one side of the door to the other. We’ll look more closely at fire door requirements in Section 7. 12 L1.1 hinges 3 Methods of manufacture 3 Methods of manufacture Each manufacturing method has its own advantages, disadvantages and limitations. Some materials are more suited to one method than another. For instance, iron cannot be roll-formed, so it must be cast. Stainless steel is not suitable for injection moulding. Let’s look at various methods used for making hinges, and the materials which are associated with each method. 13  L1.1 hinges 3 Methods of manufacture Pressed and roll-formed Hinge blanks (outline shapes) are pressed (stamped out) Pressed and roll-formed Double pressed butts from sheet material. Another solution is to make The knuckles are then roll-formed in stages on formers/dies by the flap from a double pressure from a press. thickness wrapped around The two halves of the hinge are then ready for assembly with the pin, so the knuckle the pin. cannot unroll. Hinges for very heavy doors take great strain on the knuckle, which can start to “unwind”. One solution to this potential Note problem is to weld the knuckle return to the hinge flap. Pressed and roll-formed Usual materials Steel Stainless Steel Brass 14  L1.1 hinges 3 Methods of manufacture Extruded Hinge flap and knuckle sections are formed in long lengths by forcing hot billets of metal through a die, forming the required shape. The lengths are then cut to size. Extruded metal Note Extruded Usual materials Brass Aluminium 15  L1.1 hinges 3 Methods of manufacture Injection Moulding Hinge flap and knuckle sections are formed by powder or pellet material being heated to a plastic state (semi-molten) and then injected into a mould of the required shape, ejected and left to cool. moulded plastic Note Injection moulding Usual materials close the mould inject the mould Plastics Nylon open mould and eject piece 16  L1.1 hinges 3 Methods of manufacture Cast Hinge flap and knuckle sections are formed by pouring molten metal into moulds made of sand, metal, or other materials, and allowing it to cool. cast Note Cast Usual materials Iron Brass Pouring molten metal into a mould 17  L1.1 hinges 3 Methods of manufacture Learning check 3 See if you can write down the most likely method used to manufacture the following hinge types. Use your catalogues or the internet to help with seeing what the hinges look like. 102 x 73 mm ball bearing stainless steel butt hinge 76 x 50 mm solid drawn double stainless steel washered brass butt 76 x 50 mm nylon butt hinge with stainless steel pin Which method of manufacture have we not asked about here, and what materials are used in this method? Please refer to the Feedback section at the back of this manual to compare your answers Jump to Feedback Click here to jump to the answers to this learning check 18 L1.1 hinges 4 Finishes 4 Finishes “Finish” means what the surface of the material looks like. Finishes for metal hinges could be The base material of the hinge, with no further treatment. This is called “self colour”. Examples: n solid drawn brass butt n cast iron butt The base material with surface improvement. Examples: n polished brass n satin stainless steel n anodised aluminium The base metal could be covered with a different surface. Examples: n steel butts - bright zinc plated or colour-coated n brass butts - satin chrome plated 19  L1.1 hinges 4 Finishes Learning check 4a There are two main reasons for applying finishes. Write down what you think they might be. Please refer to the Feedback section at the back of this manual to compare your answers Jump to Feedback Click here to jump to the feedback for this learning check 20 L1.1 hinges 4 Finishes Look at the table below. It shows the common metals used for hinge manufacture and the types of finish that are available. Material Finishes Type of finish Cast Iron Mild Steel Stainless Steel Brass Aluminium Self Colour X X X X X Natural metal finish Satin X X Decorative Polished X X Decorative Bronzed X Decorative Colour coated (powder or other) X X X X Decorative & protective Satin chrome plated X X Decorative & protective Polished chrome plated X X Decorative & protective Bright zinc plated X Decorative & protective Brass plated X X Decorative & protective Bronze plated X X Decorative & protective Galvanized, Sheradised X X Protective Japanned (black) X Decorative & protective Primer coat ( painted) X Protective paint Anodised X Decorative & protective Etched X Decorative & protective Colour anodised X Decorative & protective 21  L1.1 hinges 4 Finishes Learning check 4b Select from the table above materials and finishes for hinges to suit the following needs. There might be more than one option to offer: 1. To match coloured nylon door furniture in a new kindergarten project. 2. For a Victorian house where the old front door is to be replaced with a new paneled door, and the existing polished brass door furniture will be re-used. The old hinges are too worn to be re-used. 3. Hinges are needed for office doors in low-cost industrial units. The doors and frames will be painted after installation. Please refer to the Feedback section at the back of this manual to compare your answers Jump to Feedback Click here to jump to the feedback for this learning check 22  L1.1 hinges 4 Finishes Here are some further notes on metal finishes for hinges. Plastics/Nylon Note The choice of material and finish will depend on Plastic or nylon hinges can be supplied in two ways: Other terminology for polished stainless steel finish: - the site location bright or mirror finish. Self colour – natural material finish - the need to match other applied hardware Grade 304 stainless steel is suitable for non-corrosive Integral colours – decorative; the material has external and internal areas. Grade 316 provides even dye added before it is moulded. - likely usage better resistance against corrosion. This is an important factor - regulatory requirements when selecting hinges for marine applications, swimming - the architect’s or designer’s aesthetic decisions. pools with chlorine, or corrosive environments. If in doubt concerning the choice of material or Brass (polished or satin), bronze, or applied bronze finish for hinges, check with your hinge manufacturers’ finishes to hinges are usually finished with a clear catalogues or representatives. lacquer or clear coating to protect the finish from any oxidizing (discolouration of the surface). Sometimes they are specified without lacquer to allow the natural oxidizing to take place. Finishes applied on stainless steel hinges provide a match to other hardware. Additionally, it provides a base material acceptable for use externally, on fire doors and in corrosive areas. Mild steel hinges suitably plated provide an economical alternative, but will not resist corrosion as well as stainless steel when used externally or in aggressive atmospheres. See also your manual on Metals and Finishes. 23 L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins 5 Knuckles and pins Now that you have learned about the manufacturing processes for hinges, we can look at the technicalities of knuckles and pins, and the roll they play in deciding the load-bearing capacity and endurance of a hinge. The flap and knuckle thickness (gauge), and the pin diameter usually increase with the hinge size. This generally increases the inherent strength of the hinge. Manufacturers who want to make a particularly strong hinge will carefully select the gauge and the material from which the hinge is to be manufactured. If their calculations are correct, the hinge will reach the level they aimed for when tested. This in turn means that the specifier can select the right hinge for the weight of the door, and the amount of daily use it will get. 24 L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Let’s look at the diagram showing the forces which affect hinges on doors. LateralThrust orsidepull (Screwspull out,hinge knucklesunroll) Heavy doors will cause light guage roll fromed hinges to unroll Mass (Doorleaf plusHardware) Downforce (Screwsmainlyinshear) 25  L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Forces affecting door hinges The weight of the door presses down, which can shear (snap) screws which are too thin. But the bigger problem is the lateral force exerted on the hinges. The door is always trying to pull away from the frame, especially at the top. You learned earlier that this can cause a pressed and roll formed hinge knuckle to “unwind”, if the gauge of the metal is not strong enough for the weight of the door it has been fixed to. This starts with the top hinge, and if remedial action is not taken, the next hinge down will also start to “unwind”. Another important factor is the amount of contact between Note the pin and the inside wall of the knuckle. The larger the pin A larger pin diameter, and a longer knuckle will diameter and the longer the knuckle, the greater the area of increase the contact area and spread the load. contact between the two. This spreads the load, and helps to prevent “unwind”. It also tends to increase the life expectancy of the hinge. 26 L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins With cast, extruded and injection-moulded hinges, the pin diameter in relation to the knuckle diameter will decide the hinge’s ability to resist wear. Remember, these methods of manufacture create a “full circle” knuckle which cannot unwind. The hinge pin is usually fixed in one flap’s knuckle, so that the pin doesn’t rotate in it. As the door moves, the lateral load created by the door mass (weight) is supported by the inside face of the other flap knuckle bearing on the section of the pin within it. As we have already seen, the greater the pin diameter, the greater the inside area in contact, which reduces the tendency to wear out. Increased pin diameter also increases the area of friction between the two surfaces in contact with each other. To help reduce friction, lubrication should be applied as and when recommended by the manufacturer. Some hinges are supplied without lubrication, so that they don’t stain their packaging. In this case, the first application of oil should be immediately after fixing. 27  L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Learning check 5a We have shown that hinges can wear quickly round the pin, or “unwind”, if they are not sufficiently strong for the weight and use of the door they are fitted on. Both these problems will allow the door to drop forward, till the leading edge drags on the floor. 1 First write down as many knock-on effects as you can think of, which affect the performance and operation of a dropped door. 2 Then think of the following types of doors. What additional problems might occur here? a A domestic front door b A fire door in an office block c A security door to a hospital Drugs Dispensary Please refer to the Feedback section at the back of this manual to compare your answers Jump to Feedback Click here to jump to the feedback for this learning check 28 L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Hinge knuckle types You need to know about knuckle types, because they affect how the hinge is attached to the door the size of the gap between the door and frame. This in turn affects the use of smoke, draft and acoustic seals. Let’s recap on what you have learned about knuckles so far. Knuckle formation varies; the most commonly used consists Another version has three knuckles, which provide only ONE of five knuckles i.e. one flap having three knuckles and the bearing point. Three knuckles are considered aesthetically other two. This arrangement gives TWO bearing points. (Look more pleasing by some architects. at the line drawing. The door flap has two knuckles, so the bottom of each knuckle will press down on the frame flap.) Exampleoffive knucklehinge Exampleofthree knucklehinge Twobearingpoints Onebearingpoints 29  L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Uncranked knuckle Note When the flaps are fitted flush with the timber, there This form of hinge construction provides a flat back to the will be a big gap between the door and frame, as hinge when fully open. It is common in the manufacture of shown on the left. If this is not wanted, the flaps have brass extruded hinges, back flap hinges, Parliament hinges, to be recessed into the timber, which can look a bit odd. and some cabinet hinges. gapiSEquaLTO pinDiaMETEr FLaTbackOruncrankEDHingE FuLLMOrTicE (uncrankEDknuckLE) 30 L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Cranked knuckle The cranked or swaged knuckle is the most common form for butt hinges. It has a slight bend of the hinge flap at the knuckle that permits the flaps to come closer together in the rEDucEDgapbETwEEn closed position, thereby reducing the gap between the door DOOrLEaFanDjaMb and the jamb when the hinge is fitted, without the need for a deeper mortice. crankEDknuckLE(STanDarD) crankEDknuckLE Full crank This is similar to a standard cranked knuckle but with greater swaging of the hinge flaps in order to reduce the gap between them when closed, to a nominal 0.25 mm. This also minimises the gap between the door and jamb when the hinge is fitted. gapnOMinaL0.25mm 31  L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Learning Check 5b Write the hinges down in the order of gap size between the blades. Start with the biggest gap. Please refer to the Feedback section at the back of this manual to compare your answers Jump to Feedback Click here to jump to the feedback for this learning check 32 L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Application activity 1 The usual gap between door and frame on commercial jobs is 3 mm. Using catalogues or actual samples, measure the gap between the flaps of three or four different hinge types, when the flaps are parallel, and see what the gap measures. 2 Find out from catalogues, the internet or colleagues, how much space a blade-type acoustic seal needs between the door and frame. This activity will help you to appreciate the variety of gap measurements, and the importance of selecting the correct crank or swage, where specialist seals are used. 33  L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Hinge pin variations The next thing we’ll look at in the construction of hinges is the pin and the methods of fixing it in the hinge. We’ll also cover the different finishing touches applied to pins. Fixed Pin These are incorporated into most hinges used in the U.K. at the present time. The pin is inserted to join the two hinge flaps together and to provide a suitable bearing surface for the knuckles to rotate around. It is then spun over or otherwise secured into the knuckle of the flap. Fixed pins are intended to be permanent and should not move however much the door is used. Solid drawn brass or aluminium butts, and cast iron butts Top Tip often have the pin forced down the hole in the knuckle, where it is an “interference fit”. This means it is very tight. On doors Hammering a pin back into a hinge knuckle is with little traffic, this is fine, but as the hinge knuckle wears by easier if someone lifts the edge of the door first. rubbing against the pin, the fit eventually becomes less tight, and It brings the hinge knuckle back into vertical there is a tendency for the pin to work its way out of the hinge. alignment. You might have seen this. You might even have hammered a pin back into a hinge knuckle. 34 L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Loose Pin PIN ALWAYS The pin joining the two flaps is always inserted into the top INSERTED of the hinge and can be pulled out to disconnect the flaps AT THE TOP if required. This allows the door leaf to be removed for maintenance, replacement, or moving large objects through the doorway, without the need to unscrew the hinge from either the door or frame. It also allows doors and frames to be delivered to site as a set. The door can then be removed while the frame is fixed, then the door is easily re-hung in its frame. 35  L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Learning Check 5c There are some drawbacks to loose pin hinges, which must be considered. Write down any that you can think of. Please refer to the Feedback section at the back of this manual to compare your answers Jump to Feedback Click here to jump to the feedback for this learning check 36 L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Hinge Bolts (Security Studs) A security stud (metal) is mounted on one hinge flap and a matching aperture is pierced in the other flap. When the door is closed, the stud engages in the hole making removal of the door almost impossible, even if the hinge pin is taken out. Aperture This adds considerably to the general security of the doorway. Security studs are often fitted when loose or removable pin Hinge hinges are used, but are essential as an extra security device security stud for outward opening doors, particularly on commercial properties. Even fixed hinge pins can be drilled out or the hinge knuckle removed with a metal saw or grinder, and the door can then be levered open from the hinge side. The security stud frustrates this form of attack. Non-removable pins Where loose pins are required on doors and security is important, a small grub screw ensures that the pin cannot be removed easily by unauthorized people. The grub screw is only accessible when the door is open, and you have to know that it is there. Hinges used on outward opening external doors should be of such a design that the hinge pin can only be removed when the door is open, and they should incorporate hinge bolts where extra security is needed. 37 L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Some extruded hinges have interlocking profiles as an alternative to security studs 38  L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Learning Check 5d 1. When wear occurs between the hinge knuckle and the pin, what series of events might start? 2. If a hinge pin is removed from the knuckle, the door can be separated from the frame. What solutions would you recommend to prevent unauthorized removal of the door in the following scenarios? - Internal fire door to a physiotherapy room in a clinic - External outward opening door at the back of a light industrial unit. Please refer to the Feedback section at the back of this manual to compare your answers Jump to Feedback Click here to jump to the feedback for this learning check 39 L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Hinge Pin Tips Some manufacturers also offer decorative tips to the hinge pins. These are purely for aesthetic reasons. A hinge knuckle is a necessary but not very pretty requirement on almost all doors, and some architects ask for decorative tips or ends to the hinge pins in order to produce a more pleasing feature from a potential eyesore. On loose pin hinges, the tip provides an easy purchase point when removal is required. For the best effect, select hinges which have decorative tips to the pins on both ends of the knuckle The most commonly used tips are: BUTTON TIP BALL TIP FINIAL TIP 40 L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Institutional or Hospital tips (Anti-ligature) This type of hinge is designed with a radius at the hinge pin tip and knuckle in order to prevent a patient or inmate from attempting self-imposed injury or possible hanging: There is no sharp, square-ended knuckle to hang on. This is often called “anti-ligature”. (“Ligature” means a cord or band.) The ‘prison hinge' is a much larger and more robust version of this type of hinge. 41  L1.1 hinges 5 Knuckles and pins Learning check 5e 1. Why are hinge tips used? 2. What are the most common types? 3. What do anti-ligature (hospital tip) hinges prevent? Please refer to the Feedback section at the back of this manual to compare your answers Jump to Feedback Click here to jump to the feedback for this learning check 42 L1.1 hinges 6 Hinge bearings 6 Hinge Bearings Bearings for hinges is an area which has seen great advances in the last few decades. As more demands are made on hinge performance, manufacturers have developed new ways of improving durability by reducing friction. Let’s now look at the different types. Plain Bearings Plain bearing hinges rely on the metal-to-metal contact between each section of the hinge knuckle. No other material is introduced to reduce friction or to improve wearing qualities. Plain bearing hinges are suitable for door situations where the category of use is light or medium duty. Plain bearing hinges are not recommended for doors with a high frequency of use or with door closing devices, because the bearing’s high friction creates wear. Also the closer would have to be extra-strong to overcome the hinge friction. Regular lubrication is essential with plain bearing hinges. 43 L1.1 hinges 6 Hinge bearings Single Washered Hinges A relatively thin disc of material different to the hinge material is introduced between each section of the knuckle. Materials used are: Nylon (Delrin) which has excellent anti-friction qualities but it melts below 800oC. Unless there is test evidence, it is not acceptable on a fire door. Bronze Both these types of washer, correctly applied, greatly increase the life of a hinge. Steel and stainless steel single washers are sometimes used, but they will tend to wear one or both bearing faces of the knuckle. 44 L1.1 hinges 6 Hinge bearings Double Washered Hinges Where double washers are used, they should be fixed to the knuckle to prevent them sticking to each other. This will ensure that if any wear occurs it will only be between the washer surfaces. If a brass or aluminium hinge knuckle rubs against the hard metal of steel or stainless steel washers, it will quickly wear away. Washers should allow a free rotational movement, Some manufacturers use Teflon-based lubricant on the washers during hinge assembly to ensure easy action and long life. But some are assembled dry, and come out of their boxes so tight that it takes a screwdriver to force the hinge flaps apart. Such metal-washered hinges should be lubricated according to the manufacturers recommendations. Fixing the washers to the knuckle can be achieved in several ways. The pinning method is illustrated here. Enlarged view showing washers pinned to flaps to prevent rotation 45 L1.1 hinges 6 Hinge bearings Ball Bearing Hinges Ball bearings (contained in a ball race) are positioned between the knuckles to reduce wear between the knuckles. Some also support the hinge pin. They can improve the general effectiveness of door closing devices and also the operation of locks and latches, because of reduced friction between the knuckles. The ball bearings are usually made of hardened steel, and can be prone to rusting in damp environments, if not maintained and lubricated with good quality oils or grease. Any rust might leak out of the bearing and cause staining around the hinge knuckle. Ball bearing hinges are usually lubricated during durability tests, and will need lubrication during their life on a door. Their performance depends on the quality of the ball Some of the balls escaped bearing. The full classification code under BS EN 1935, when this race was cut open price, and manufacturer’s guarantee give a guide to the wearing qualities of the various ball bearing hinges available. Load-bearing capacity is not the only criterion. Check the number of cycles and corrosion resistance before specifying. 46 L1.1 hinges 6 Hinge bearings Now look at this picture of a ball race bearing shown right. The bearings are embedded within their respective knuckles, and cannot move horizontally. They will also support the The bearing is fixed in lateral forces acting on the hinge and pin. This reduces wear the lower knuckle and between the pin and the inside of the knuckle. doesn’t rotate in it. Ball bearing hinges with properly ‘housed’ ball races will The upper knuckle greatly extend the life expectancy of the hinge and rides on top of the performance of the door. It is for these reasons they are ball race recommended for use with door controls. High performance Disc or Bushed Bearings In recent years, these hinges have become popular for high quality work, especially where long-term durability or very high load-bearing capacity is called for. Let’s first consider the technology involved. 47 L1.1 hinges 6 Hinge bearings You have just learned that steel or stainless steel washers used in pairs have to be fixed to their knuckles, because they tend to stick together, rather than slide across each other. This is because they are identical metals with identical surfaces. Under a microscope, you will see that the surface of a metal is not flat, but “cobbled”. Identical “cobbled” surfaces will tend to interlock. On the other hand, two different metals have unlike surface structures when viewed through a microscope, and therefore they tend not to interlock, or grip each other. By using two unlike metal discs, one of which is very hard, and the other of which is self-lubricating, a disc bearing is produced with excellent wearing qualities and natural low friction. When you look at these discs, they are two different colours. One is usually silver, and could be stainless steel, super hardened alloy or carbon steel. The other is usually brown and made from porous bronze which has been impregnated with oil. Polymer thrust bearing: concealed fitting. (The hinge As and when the bronze wears, small amounts of lubricant pin has been removed in this Perspex sample) are released. More recently, polymer has been introduced as the self- lubricating bearing. These have performed satisfactorily under fire test. These types of bearings – bronze or polymer Brass butt with high - never need oiling. Also they usually have a very long performance disc bearings working life. There are two forms of high performance bearing used at present. Let’s look at each of them. 48 L1.1 hinges 6 Hinge bearings High performance Disc Bearings They are used as simple discs or washers, each fixed to its respective knuckle. Sometimes they are exposed, so that you can see them when you look at a knuckle. Some have a smaller diameter than the knuckle, and they sit in a groove inside it, so they don’t show from the outside. When used with steel or stainless steel butt hinges, these washers have helped the hinge to successfully pass performance tests on test rig doors weighing up to 100 kg. (The average commercial fire door weighs 40 – 50kg.) High performance Bushed Bearings Some bearings are shaped like a top hat, with the crown punched out. The “rim” of the top hat is the disc bearing, sitting in the usual place. The sides of the “top hat” have the hinge pin running through the middle. This supports the pin, and stops it contacting the sides of the knuckle. Because the bearings are either very hard, and/or self-lubricating, they support the pin with minimal wear and low friction. They have been performance tested on test rig doors up to 160 kg and for much more than 200,000 cycles. The disc parts of the bearings are either visible, or fully concealed inside the knuckle. 49  L1.1 hinges 6 Hinge bearings Journal supported hinges Journal supported hinges look like lift-off hinges (see section 9). Here the load is not taken on the joint between the two knuckles, but on the ends of the pivot pins (also known as “journals”). There is a gap between the knuckles. The pivot pins are permanently fixed within the rolled knuckle section of each flap. The pins are hardened and they touch only at the tips. This provides a low friction movement with a high resistance to wear. They require regular lubrication. Top Tip Lift – off Ball Hinge (Solifer Hinge) Hinge manufacturers are constantly developing new solutions to overcoming friction and wear in Lift-off ball hinges have a ball located in the female half of order to create even better high performance the knuckle to support the inverted pin of the male portion. hinges. Watch the trade press – AI Journal – This gives a low friction bearing, because of the small area also manufacturers’ websites and new literature, of contact. to keep your knowledge up to date. 50  L1.1 hinges 6 Hinge bearings Learning check 6 This has been quite a long, but important, section. Let’s see what you have learned. Write down your answers on a piece of paper. 1. Hinges can wear at the knuckle bearing surfaces. They also wear in another area. Where is it? 2. List the bearings by type that are found in hinge knuckles. (Clue - we’ve covered 9 types.) 3. Which types of bearing are likely to give high friction at the knuckle joint? 4. Which types of bearing are likely to give low or no friction at the knuckle joint? 5. Which bearings support the hinge pin? Please refer to the Feedback section at the back of this manual to compare your answers Jump to Feedback Click here to jump to the feedback for this learning check 51 L1.1 hinges 7 Fixing butt hinges 7 Fixing Butt Hinges Butt hinges have to be securely fixed to doors and windows in order to do their job well. There is a variety of ways of doing this, as different door and frame materials require different approaches to fixing. In this section you’ll learn about Methods of making the screw holes Screw fixing patterns – what they are and what they do How the hinge flaps are applied to the surfaces they have Methods of making the screw holes to link together and why different methods are needed Some screw holes are put into the flaps by hand-operated Fixing heights on the door and frame to suit different machinery. Where this relies on the operator aligning the requirements. hinge flap under the drill(s), there can be slight variations of position from hinge to hinge. For fixing on site, or to other un-predrilled timber or metal, this doesn’t matter, because the joiner or carpenter will mark the holes using each hinge flap as a template before fixing it. But it might be a problem if a door manufacturer took one sample hinge, and prepared all his doors to that one sample. He would find that not all the hinges supplied were drilled exactly the same. In this case, he would need jig drilled hinges. Jig drilled patterns can be standard or special patterns. Manufacturers use jigs to ensure all hinges produced by them to these patterns will have exactly the same drilling positions. However, one manufacturer’s jig drilled hinges might be slightly different to another manufacturer’s. If you want hinges from several manufacturers to be identically drilled, you must first agree dimensions and/or supply a template. Pillar drill 52 L1.1 hinges 7 Fixing butt hinges Screw Fixing Patterns There are three main patterns of arranging screw holes on a hinge flap. Some manufacturers have developed variations to suit particular customers or applications, but if you learn the use of these three main types, you will have no problem recognising and understanding variations when you come across them. CNC (Computer Numeric Controlled) machine jig-drilling hinges Zigzag (Congruent) Drilled Pattern In softwood such as pine, it is advisable to avoid placing screw holes too close together and in the same line as the grain of the timber, as this will encourage the wood to split. If you’ve ever chopped pine for firewood with an axe, you’ll know that once you’ve got the blade of the axe into the end grain (top of the log or branch), the wood easily splits down the length of the grain (wood fibres). The zigzag pattern reduces this problem. Screw holes are staggered in the hinge flap. This is an ideal arrangement for softwood. It also works well with most hardwoods. 53 L1.1 hinges 7 Fixing butt hinges Template Drilled Pattern Template drilled hinges originated because of the need for absolute accuracy of the fixing holes in metal doors and frames. This allows for doors and frames to be pre-prepared Screw hole because hinges produced by different manufacturers will centre have the drillings in exactly the same positions. For template pattern, the hinge manufacturer uses the Flap edge positioning of the screw holes shown in the standard ANSI 156.7 (American National Standards Institute), unless otherwise stated. All template pattern hinges are jig drilled, to ensure absolute Template drilled - Screw hole centres accuracy. The centre of the screw hole to the outside edge measured from the outer edge of the of the flap is the critical dimension (vertically and hinge flap. horizontally).ANSI template drilled hinges can be used on hardwood doors as well as metal doors. The hardwood used in door manufacture tends to have interlocking grain, and is not so likely to split. Straight line pattern This pattern is self-explanatory. The holes are in a straight line. It is usually only found on hinge flaps which are too narrow to stagger the screw holes. The centre hole drilling is sometimes slightly offset. 54  L1.1 hinges 7 Fixing butt hinges Learning check 7a 1. Sketch the three main types of screw fixing pattern, and label them. 2. Which type must ALWAYS be jig drilled? 3. What’s the disadvantage of screw holes being in line and close together? 4. What are the advantages of ANSI pattern template drilled hinges? 5. Why are straight line pattern hinges made, if staggered holes are better? Please refer to the Feedback section at the back of this manual to compare your answers Jump to Feedback Click here to jump to the feedback for this learning check 55 L1.1 hinges 7 Fixing butt hinges Fixing Hinges to Surfaces Butt Hinges Here is a reminder of how butt hinges are fixed into timber. The hinge flap is fixed into a mortice in the wood, so that its Full mortice (uncranked knuckle) surface lies flush with the timber surface. You will remember that the gap between the door and the frame depends on the degree of crank or swage in the knuckle. Full mortice (cranked knuckle) Hinges fixed in other ways are not truly butt hinges, because they are not fully morticed. But a lot of them look like butt hinges, until they are fixed. 56 L1.1 hinges 7 Fixing butt hinges Half Mortice Look at the picture. You will see one flap is fully morticed into the frame, but the other is faced fixed to the door’s hanging stile. This places the door fixing screws under shear load, and restricts the hinges to light weight use. Half mortice hinges have been designed to allow fixing with a reduced amount of preparation at an economical price. Lift-off ball race hinges (Solifer) We looked at these hinges earlier, in connection with their low friction bearing. Now look at how the door flap can fit inside the recess in the frame flap. This makes it a type of half-mortice hinge, because only one flap is morticed. When the frame flap is morticed into the frame, the door flap can be surface fixed on the door, because it will disappear into the frame flap when the door is closed. These hinges are handed. 57 L1.1 hinges 7 Fixing butt hinges Non-mortice hinges These hinges are usually ‘flat-back’ (uncranked) and designed for face fixing to both the door and frame respectively according to the application required: Full surface - usually applied to metal doors/frames with metal thread screws, bolt through on the door, and fixed to the door and frame face. Half surface on door - usually applies to mineral cored doors or similar constructions where the core material is not suitable for screw fixings. They can have timber or metal frames. Part of the hinge is secured to the door face with bolt-through fixings, and the other part is fixed at right angles onto the inside face of the frame. Metal thread screws are used with metal frames. Half surface on frame - this arrangement is usually applied to timber doors in existing metal frames. Part of the hinge is fixed to the inside face of the hanging stile of the door with wood screws, and the other part onto the face of the metal frame. Metal thread screws are used with metal frames. 58 L1.1 hinges 7 Fixing butt hinges This design consists of two surface fixed flaps, one being punched out in the centre of the other. Both flaps are face fixed and when the door is closed they lie within the gap between the door and frame. These are commonly referred to as ‘FLUSH’ or ‘HURLINGE’ hinges. 59 L1.1 hinges 7 Fixing butt hinges Special flap preparation Many timber doors are manufactured on highly automated production lines using routing machines. These leave radiused corners so there is a requirement for hinges to have rounded corners to suit the door preparation. (Fixing on site usually involves using a hammer and chisel, which leaves square corners, so radiused hinge flaps would not be suitable.) Some manufacturers can supply hinges with one flap having square corners whilst the corners on the other flap are rounded. The square flap is for fixing to a metal frame, and the other is for a factory–prepared timber door. In some cases it might be necessary to leave one flap of a hinge undrilled for a weld or brazed fixing to a metal frame. 60 L1.1 hinges 7 Fixing butt hinges Hinge positions relative to door Standard Doors – 2040 x 926 mm size and mass A Bit of History In theory, the best place for the top hinge is right at the top of the door, and the best place for the bottom hinge is right at the bottom. Historically, this was never done, because doors were constructed with mortice and tennon joints in the top and bottom rails. This joint was not suitable for fixing a hinge to, so the hinges were fixed closer to the centre line to avoid the problem area. The tradition survives today, though the reason for it no longer exists in many modern door constructions. Performance Doors Any fire, smoke, acoustic or other performance door will have been tested with its hinges in given positions. The same number and positions of the hinges must always be used in order to maintain the validity of any test evidence or certification. The positions will be detailed on the door’s installation instructions, which are usually packed with the doors. If there is a need to change a hinge position, consult the door manufacturer and take the advice given. Non-performance Doors and Unusual Doors The following details can be helpful if you are asked for advice, or are scheduling ironmongery, for non-performance doors or unusual doors. In these cases, there might not be British Standard BS 4787: Part 1 1980 any recommendations available for hinge fixing position (1995) - for timber doors weighing over from the door manufacturer or joinery specialist. Hinge 20 kg. It specifies three hinges to be fitted manufacturers can often give helpful advice. per door leaf, the upper and lower being The following details are recommendations, not set in stone. equidistant from the door centre line, and They are based on details taken from British Standards the middle hinge fitted on the centre line; or hinge manufacturers’ catalogues, and represent what the spacing between the hinges being 770 is considered best practice. mm from mid-point to mid-point. 61 L1.1 hinges 7 Fixing butt hinges In DD 171: 1987 the fixing positions for the upper and lower hinges are shown at 250 mm from the bottom and the top of the door, with a third hinge fitted on the centre line for internal doors over 20 kg and for all external doors (see picture left). On a door 2040 high, this is exactly the same as being 770 mm from mid-point to mid-point, if you do the maths. So the two documents agree. The third hinge located on the centre line provides stability, and helps to prevent door deformation through warping. This can be particularly important on fire and smoke control doors. According to BS 4787 and DD 171, timber doors under 20 kg do not require a centre hinge, except when fitted externally. This is to stop any bowing of the doors due to dampness. 62  L1.1 hinges 7 Fixing butt hinges BS EN 1935 recommends two hinges at the top and one at the bottom of self-closing doors (see the picture on the left). A door closer puts extra strain on a top hinge, especially if it has either backcheck or hold open functions. Putting the third hinge near the top hinge helps to support it and spread the forces from the backcheck, or pulling off the hold open. But remember, if the door is a fire or smoke door, the third hinge will probably have been in the middle for any testing. Always check details before suggesting changes. Second hinge fixed close to top hinge, Note helping to carry the door mass. Fixing two hinges by hand, on site, and getting them For maximum resistance to warping, which both in the same vertical line and centre of rotation, might occur in extremes of temperature or is difficult, and takes more time than most carpenters humidity, some manufacturers recommend are allowed. Getting three or four hinges perfectly four hinges equally spaced. aligned by hand is well-nigh impossible. Any lack of alignment causes binding and increased friction, to some degree. Factory-fitted hinges on door-sets are much more likely to be correctly aligned before they leave the factory, but there is scope for the frame to be pulled out of alignment during fixing on site. It is often better to use a smaller number of high performance hinges than a large number of lower performance hinges to overcome problems. 63  L1.1 hinges 7 Fixing butt hinges Learning check 7b Have a go at these questions, once you feel you have absorbed the information on hinge fixing positions. 1. How many hinges would you recommend for an internal, non-fire door weighing less than 20 kg? 2. What distance from the top and the bottom of the door should they be fixed? 3. Give three reasons why a third hinge should be fitted in the middle of a door. 4. Where could you fit a third hinge on a non-fire door fitted with a hold open closer? 5. “The more hinges you can fit on a door, the better it will be.” What do you think of this statement? Please refer to the Feedback section at the back of this manual to compare your answers Jump to Feedback Click here to jump to the feedback for this learning check 64 L1.1 hinges 8 Specifying the correct hinge 8 Specifying the Correct Hinge Overview With so many types, sizes and finishes available, the specifier must follow certain criteria: Hinges must be strong enough to carry the door mass Hinges must be robust enough to work efficiently whatever the traffic Hinges must suit opening requirements (normal swing, swing clear, projecting) Hinges must be durable enough to last according to the duty required Hinges must be suitable, as required, for application on fire/smoke doors, security doors, self closing doors, external doors Many of the hinges you deal with in your work will be CE marked to BS EN 1935. This gives them an 8-digit classification code, which translates into a performance grading in all but one of the above categories. (Type of opening is not covered.) We’re going to look at this standard now, and find out how it can help us to select the right hinge for any application. (This European standard has replaced the previous national product standard BS 7352: 1990.) 65 L1.1 hinges 8 Specifying the correct hinge BS EN 1935: 2001 - SINGLE-AXIS HINGES – REQUIREMENTS AND TEST METHODS The standard specifies requirements for single-axis hinges, which covers most butt hinges. (Examples of hinges with Single axis more than one axis would be a counterflap hinge or fully concealed hinge. They have more than one centre of rotation (axis)). The standard provides details of Classification using an eight digit coding system covering:- Digit 1 – Category of Use Digit 2.— Durability Digit 3 – Test Door Mass two axes (counterflap hinge) Digit 4 – Suitability for use on fire/smoke compartmentation doors Digit 5 – Safety Digit 6 – Corrosion Resistance Digit 7 – Security – Burglar resistance Digit 8 – Hinge Grade 66 L1.1 hinges 8 Specifying the correct hinge Example of Classification The eight digits given indicate a hinge with the following qualities: 1. Medium duty situations 2. Tested to 200,000 cycles 3. For use on doors with a mass of up to 60 kg 4. No stated fire resistance 5. Satisfies the requirement for safety in use 6. Mild corrosion resistance 7. Suitable for use on burglar resistant doors 8. Overall hinge grade. Let’s look at each category in turn and see what it tells us. Digits 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 7 3 0 1 1 1 10 67 L1.1 hinges 8 Specifying the correct hinge Digit 1 – Category of Use Four categories of use are identified: Grade 1 – Light duty (hinge grades 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 & 9) Grade 3 – Heavy duty (hinge grade 11) Hinges for use on doors and windows in housing or other Hinges for use on doors in buildings where there is a high living areas and in buildings where there is a low frequency frequency of use by public or others with little incentive to of use by those with a high incentive to exercise care and exercise care and with a high chance of accidents occurring with a small chance of accidents occurring or of misuse. or of misuse. EXAMPLE: Domestic, offices and other areas with no access EXAMPLE: Public and institutional buildings such as by the general public. libraries, hospitals and schools. Grade 2 – Medium duty (hinge grades 4, 7 & 10) Grade 4 – Severe duty (hinge grades 12, 13 & 14) Hinges for use on doors in housing or other living areas and Hinges for use on doors which are subject to frequent violent in other buildings where there is a medium frequency of use usage. by those with some incentive to exercise care but where EXAMPLES: there is some chance of accidents occurring or of misuse. Grade 12 hinges where deliberate abuse is likely. EXAMPLE: Domestic, offices and other areas with limited Grade 13 & 14 hinges offer increased resistance to access by the general public. potentially persistent violent attack. 68 L1.1 hinges 8 Specifying the correct hinge Digit 2 – Durability Digit 4 – Suitability for use on fire/smoke Three grades 3, 4 and 7 are identified, hinges being compartmentation doors graded according to their frequency of use and the maximum mass of the hinged element with which they may Two grades are identified. be used. (See table 'B' on next page.) Grade 0 – not suitable for use on fire resistant and/or Hinges intended for use only on windows are tested to: smoke control door assemblies. Grade 3 : 10 000 cycles Grade 1 – suitable for use on fire/smoke resistant Grade 4 : 25 000 cycles doorassemblies, subject to satisfactory Hinges intended for use on doors are tested to: assessment of the contribution of the hinges to the fire resistance of the specified fire/door Grade 4 : 25 000 cycles assemblies. (See EN 1634.) Grade 7 : 200 000 cycles Digit 5 – Safety Digit 3 – Test door mass All hinges are required to satisfy the essential requirement of Eight grades are identified in this European standard. (See safety in use. Therefore, only grade 1 is identified. (In some Table 'B' on next page. Also see page 45.) standards, safety in use is not an issue e.g. Signage. In these cases, the 0 is used.) 69 L1.1 hinges 8 Specifying the correct hinge Digit 6 – Corrosion Resistance Five grades are identified in accordance with BS EN 1670 Grade 0 – no defined corrosion resistance. Grade 1 – mild resistance Grade 2 – moderate resistance Grade 3 – high resistance Grade 4 – very high resistance Digit 7 – Security – Burglar-resistance Two grades of security are identified: Grade 0 – not suitable for use on burglar-resistant door assemblies. Grade 1 – suitable for use on burglar-resistant door assemblies, subject to satisfactory assessment of the contribution of the hinges to the burglar resistance of specified burglar-resistant door assemblies. (See further notes regarding additional requirements for hinges manufactured to security hinge grade 1 on page 43.) 70 L1.1 hinges 8 Specifying the correct hinge Digit 8 – Hinge Grade Fourteen grades of hinge are identified: see Table 1. This is an overall “score” made up of some of the performance factors already recorded. The hinge grade gives a good guide to a hinge’s performance in load bearing and endurance. Notice that it doesn’t include suitability for fire doors, security doors, nor corrosion resistance. You need to see the full classification number to know a hinge’s exact performance capability. 71 L1.1 hinges 8 Specifying the correct hinge TABLE 1 – CLASSIFICATION SUMMARY The table has been produced as published, in its entirety, including hinges for windows. Digit 1 Digit 2 Digit 3 Digit 4 Digit 5 Digit 6 Digit 7 Digit 8 Endurance Test Safety Security Hinge Category of Use Test Door Mass Fire Corrosion Cycles Resistance Resistance Grade No. of Duty Grade Use on Grade Grade Mass Kg Grades Grade Grade Grade Grade test cycles Light 1 Window 3 10 000 0 10 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 1 Light 1 Window 3 10 000 1 20 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 2 Door/ Light 1 4 25 000 1 20 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 3 Window Medium 2 Door 7 200 000 1 20 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 4 Light 1 Window 3 10 000 2 40 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 5 Door/ Light 1 4 25 000 2 40 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 6 Window Medium 2 Door 7 200 000 2 40 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 7 Light 1 Window 3 10 000 3 60 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 8 Door/ Light 1 4 25 000 3 60 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 9 Window Medium 2 Door 7 200 000 3 60 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 10 Heavy 3 Door 7 200 000 4 80 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 11 Severe 4 Door 7 200 000 5 100 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 12 Severe 4 Door 7 200 000 6 120 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 13 Severe 4 Door 7 200 000 7 160 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 14 72 L1.1 hinges 8 Specifying the correct hinge Let’s work through some examples, to get familiar with this 4. Does the door need to be fire-rated? No, it’s an table. external door, so it won’t be fire-rated. This means either 0 Example: or 1 is acceptable in the 4th column. Think about a heavy external door (2040 x 1000 x 45) that 5. All hinges must be safe in use, so there will be a 1 in the is to be used at a school entrance. It must operate efficiently 5th column. for a long time, but the cost should not be unnecessarily 6. The door is external, so what level of corrosion high. What class of hinge will be needed? resistance is required? If the door is under a canopy or We need to think about the various parts of the classification porch, grade 3 – high resistance will probably be OK. If in turn: the school is at the seaside, or in the middle of a busy city, grade 4 – very high resistance will be required. 1. What’s the category of use? Is it a nursery school or a secondary school? 7. Schools are often targeted for theft, so grade 1 burglar The answer to that would be the difference between resistance would be a sensible choice, just to be on the Grade 3 or Grade 4 in column 1. safe side. 2. What level of durability is needed? The estimated The answer to all these questions will give us the final frequency for this school is a high frequency of 225,000 grade(s) of hinge we can select. Lets look at the shaded operations annually. This means we need Grade 7 in area of the table overleaf. It covers the levels of column 2. performance that we need. We start on the left of the table and work across to the right. Every time we need a better 3. What is the door mass? It is estimated to be between 45 grade in one column, we have to drop down the table. We and 55 kg. To be on the safe side, we had better choose cannot go back up the table, or we will lose the the top end of that range. The door will be fitted with a performance we require in some category. The grade which backcheck closer, so we need to increase the nominal is lowest down the table will give you the level of the weight by 75% 55 kg + (55 kg x 75%) = 96.25 kg minimum final grading in the extreme right hand column. That means selecting a hinge able to cope with 100 kg – so we need a minimum grade 5 in column 3. 73  L1.1 hinges 8 Specifying the correct hinge Digit 1 Digit 2 Digit 3 Digit 4 Digit 5 Digit 6 Digit 7 Digit 8 Endurance Test Safety Security Hinge Category of Use Test Door Mass Fire Corrosion Cycles Resistance Resistance Grade No. of Duty Grade Use on Grade Grade Mass Kg Grades Grade Grade Grade Grade test cycles Light 1 Window 3 10 000 0 10 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 1 Light 1 Window 3 10 000 1 20 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 2 Door/ Light 1 4 25 000 1 20 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 3 Window Medium 2 Door 7 200 000 1 20 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 4 Light 1 Window 3 10 000 2 40 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 5 Door/ Light 1 4 25 000 2 40 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 6 Window Medium 2 Door 7 200 000 2 40 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 7 So the minimum classification we should look for is as follows: Light 1 Window 3 10 000 3 60 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 8 Door/ 4 7 5 0 or 1 1 3 or 4 1 12 Light 1 4 25 000 3 60 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 9 Window Medium 2 Door 7 200 000 3 60 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 10 The final overall hinge grade we need is at least 12. Grades Heavy 3 Door 7 200 000 4 80 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 11 13 or 14 would also be fine, as they are greater than 12 in Severe 4 Door 7 200 000 5 100 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 12 performance. When selecting our Grade 12 (13/14) hinge, we would have to make sure that it also had the appropriate Severe 4 Door 7 200 000 6 120 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 13 corrosion resistance. Severe 4 Door 7 200 000 7 160 0 or 1 1 0,1,2,3,4 0 or 1 14 Let’s see if you can work some examples yourself. 74  L1.1 hinges 8 Specifying the correct hinge Learning check 8a 1 asSelect the hinge classification for the following door. Fill in the classification you go. 1. category of use - The door is across a corridor in an office block. 2. durability - It is held open on an electro-magnetic door closer. 3. mass - It weighs 49 kg. 4. fire-rating - It’s a fire door. 5. safety - It has to be safe – Health and Safety at Work Regulations. 6. corrosion resistance - It’s internal, in a dry, clean atmosphere. 7. security resistance - There is no security requirement. Please refer to the Feedback section at the back of this manual to compare your answers Jump to Feedback Click here to jump to the feedback for this learning check 75  L1.1 hinges 8 Specifying the correct hinge 2 Now try working through this example. 1. category of use – This is the en suite bathroom door in a hotel bedroom. 2. durability - It is calculated to be opened 2,000 times a year 3. mass - It weighs 28 kg. 4. fire-rating - It’s not a fire door. 5. safety - It has to be safe – General Safety Regulations. 6. corrosion resistance - It’s internal, in a steamy atmosphere. 7. security resistance - There is no security requirement. Please refer to the Feedback section at the back of this manual to compare your answers You can practice further by making up your own examples of doors, and then running through these Jump to Feedback checks to find what the minimum overall grade is that you require. Click here to jump to the This classification sys