Replies

1. 
   DanH | Feb 26, 2014 07:11am | #1

   I've certainly seen this, but mostly on institutional doors.

2. 
   calvin | Feb 26, 2014 08:01am | #2

   Clay

   Check commercial door hardware or perhaps someone like Emtek or Baldwin.

   Interior-roller or ball catches work for holding, but not for securely locking.

   Exterior/entry-full rod up/down within the door itself or surface mounted.

1. 
   lahatte | Feb 27, 2014 08:56pm | #4

   I found these...

   http://www.allaboutdoors.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=1

1. 
   calvin | Feb 28, 2014 06:11am | #5

   lahatte

   Take a look at Patrick's link also.

   Your link certainly gives you several to choose from.  I am familiar with Truth's window hardware, know zip about the door hdwr.

   Best of luck.

3. 
   patrick_mccombe | Feb 27, 2014 02:42pm | #3

   Check Hoppe

   http://www.us.hoppe.com/products/hoppe-multipoint-locks/hls-9000-single-point-multipoint-hardware.html

   They have all maner of multi-point locks for exterior doors. Their customer service is good too. Won't be cheap though.

4. 
   Acornuts | Mar 22, 2014 04:14pm | #6

   Yes. These are called multipoint latches, and they wil allow both doors to be opened by lever type latches. The t-astragal is in place to provide a weather strip landing, so one door has to be opened before the other, but only by a few inches.

   As mentioned Hopppe is on maker, G-U and Functional Fenestration also import good quality latches.

   Most carpenters are unfamiliar with them and willl require quite a bit of active support to work with the hardware.

   Bacsksets are typically narrow, and levers must be used (for 'lever'age), and the levers must be matched to the maker's type of spindles.

5. 
   lahatte | Mar 22, 2014 05:48pm | #7

   Strike plate type?

   Thanks for the info. I assume the door with the astrigal would just have the typical throw bolts (retracted), or nothing at all.

   I wonder if anyone makes a multipoint lock with a door type strike, such that the door can be shut (slam) without having to operate the handle.

   Also, with the throw bolt type system (top and bottom) on the operating door (the only type of lock system I have seen), I am concerned about the function of the lower bolt. Would it not be exposed, and drag on the floor? Or does the handle remain in the open position until manually operated to throw the bolts to the closed position?

   Ideally a slam type (normal door latch) upper and lower latch is preferred.

   Thanks again.

1. 
   DanH | Mar 22, 2014 07:52pm | #8

   I have seen all manner of double doors in commercial situations.  Fairly common is a "hold open" (for want of a better term) mechanism at the top that keeps the "primary" (for want of a better term) door from closing completely until the "secondary" closes.  Another scheme is a hinged astragal, and of course you see doors with no astrigal at all (presumably where fire rating is not an issue).

   Also fairly typical is a pin at the top of the secondary door which, when it's activated by contact with the door frame, causes the latch pins to extend.  So the pins are retracted while the door is open.

   (I used to work in a plant that had easily 200 sets of double doors, installed over a period of 50 years or so, so just about every configuration imaginable was present somewhere.)

1. 
   Mike_Mahan | Mar 22, 2014 08:34pm | #9

   Coordinator

   Dan,

   You no longer need want a better term. It's called a coordinator.

1. 
   DanH | Mar 22, 2014 09:38pm | #10

   Except when it pops out unexpectedly it can make you pretty uncoordinated.

2. 
   Acornuts | Apr 02, 2014 01:36pm | #11

   Simple Operation

   The hardware types I referenced earlier have the primary door on a single point latch (very familiar) for regular passage thru the one door. Nothing fancy or tricky to open it or close it. Lever required.

   To lock the door, the lever is rotated up, activiating the shoot bolts into the head and the sill, locking the door at 3 points.

   The secondary door operates with the lever in the normal position to open it. Pushing down on the lever retracts the bolts at the head and sill and alllows it to open. They stay retracted until the lever is rotated up, ostensibly after closing.

   Nothing should be contacting the floor if the door is set properly, with 3/4" or more clearance between it and the finsih floor.

   However, if the doors are opened and someone fiddles with it (children or worse, jobsite idiots) the bolts can be out of sequence and the door closed, marring the jamb, sill or even damaging the shoot bolts.