Can anyone please give me a quick lesson how a power transfer hinge and electric door lock thing happens?
How do the wires get through the door from the hinge mortise to the electric lock?
Do you have to drill or route or are the wires manufactured into the door?
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Replies
I am not familiar with a "power transfer hinge". The electric release locks I am familiar with locate the powered compnents in the jamb or use a coiled cord to get power to the door assembly. Roger
That's for an electric bolt. i agree with Roger, the electric strike is more common. Yes, you need a path across the middle of the door for the wires, and also behind the jamb.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
I used to install access control systems, and never came across a "power transfer hinge." I have worked with automatic doors but only in a commercial environment, or hospitals and such. The wiring for an electronic latch is run through the door jamb. On double doors we usually spec'd magnetic catches at the top that could be de-energized to allow passage
Looks like this ...
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Well, the picture showed up in the preview ...
http://usbuilderstore.com/bb1279-electric-hinge-45-x-40.html
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Edited 11/12/2008 4:06 pm ET by FastEddie
I notice they don't give any rating on the wires.
The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable. --John Kenneth Galbraith
They are generaly used on doors with panic devices on them. The strike side is not energized. The selenoid is located in the bar on the panic hardware and pulls the latch bolt back when it receives the signal, ussually from a card reader or motion sensor.
The power feed for the device comes in through a prewired butt hing. The door is bored with a 3/8" hole behind the butt hing and intersects another hole at the hing side of the panic device.
PITA, but they are out there and do work quite well, untill some dummy crash test the panic hardware with a cart load of equiptment :(
Wow look at that! Ever use them? Is one set enough to move a typical door? (reasonably quickly)
They don't move anything, they just transfer power from jamb to door.
The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable. --John Kenneth Galbraith
ahhh...to power the bolt? Never seen'em
In our plant there must be 200 different security doors, and it seems like every one has a different scheme.
The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable. --John Kenneth Galbraith
We started moving away from the selenoid operated devices several years ago. we are now using magnets and plates attaches to the door. Everthing mounts to the jamb head and top of the doors. They are not as unobtrusive as the strike latches, but there are no moving parts, and they are a lot cheaper. Beteewn the power plants, substations, and office facilities, even a $100 a door can be a significant savings overa 1000+ installations.
The only caveat is making sure the jamb side mounting plate is properly installed. A 5 to 7 pound magnet falling off the jamb onto someones noggin could be lethal.
Most of the new installations in our plant are pneumatic.
The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable. --John Kenneth Galbraith
Youch!
Seems like the HVAC industry is moving away from the old pneumatic controls to digital systems....
I can't imagine running pneumatic for panic hardware.
I second the mag lock post....KISS at work.
I think the problem with electrical is when you have to run wiring in the doors -- too failure prone, and hard to honestly claim class C at the current levels required to power some panic bars. (Electric strikes are not so bad, as they don't require flex wiring and don't use much current.)Plus there are a lot of handicapped buttons around, and most of those use air-activated closers, so might as well make the rest air. (It does help to already have air distributed through most of the plant, though.)
The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable. --John Kenneth Galbraith
We had Johnson Controls for our HVAC for almost 20 years. I liked them but didn't understand how the control panels worked. We mostly worked on the VAVs and t-stats, and they provided terrific support for everything else. During the Y2K panic Trane got their foot in the door when Barber-Coleman couldn't guarantee their Y2K system patch in our Data Center. They (Trane) later got our HVAC maintenance contract and over the course of a few years managed to sell us their Tracer system and oust Johnson Control. After 6 years we are still prying the secrets of that system out of Trane. Pneumatics were more maintenance friendly IMO.
I've seen a separate telescoping tube sort of thing, with a ball on each end, and built into plates like a hinge (but separate from the hinges). More often, though, a piece of armored flex is used, not within the jamb area.
In most cases, when the power lock is on the door instead of the strike, the "power" is air rather than electricity. Too many problems with wires becoming frayed, I suspect.
You must have a panic device for the lock mechanism.The hole is bored at an angle from the top hinge mortise to the centerline of the horizontal panic device. Rout out a small area where you think the hole ends, this is hidden later with the panic bar.
The following is what I have always done in the past to assure boring in the correct spot without going thru the side of the door.
Set the door on horses.Layout and install temporarily the panic bar.Lightly outline panic bar and then remove.Take electric hinge and determine where the hole will be at top mortise for wire to panic bar.If paint grade ,draw line from hinge hole to about the middleof panic bar.If prefinished,tape instead of a line.
Now make a jig to hold the drill.The jig must be long enough to solidly clamp to the door,long enough for the drill,augur and extension. Use a heavy duty drill,Milwaukee is what I use.The drill is installed on a slide.The wooden slide fits between two 2x4's for guides.Line the guides up with the line or tape. Only use straight lumber, I used 6/4 poplar for 2x4's that were jointed and planed.Now place the door in a door jack ,two jacks are best for this operation.
Start with a 5/8"x 6" augur bit. Then add a heavy duty 18" extension. Withdraw bit frequently to remove chips. After each removal of chips,run the bit in a 5 gallon bucket of water for a few seconds.Remove the bit from water and spin dry. Make sure the bit is dry before resuming boring.Otherwise the sawdust hardens around the cutter and flutes like dry plastic wood.You will notice the deeper you go, the hotter the bit gets,hence cooling it with water.
When you have gone as far as possible with this set up, remove the augur and install an 18" to 24" 1/2" machine drill.Usually 18" bit is long enough,measure from the top hinge to the exit at the panic bar to be sure.
Bore until you are positive you are deep enough.Vaccumn the dust,blow the hole out with air.If you have gone deep enough you will eventually fine the hole somewhere intersecting the area you routed out.Fish a pull wire thru for the electrician.
You can hang the doorand install the hardware. The electrician will remove the panic device cover and wire to the top hinge.
Make sure you use HEAVY DUTY extensions for the bits. I believe the extension is 1/2" in diameter.The regular 1/4" dia extensions are to flexible.Take your time, all day is not too long for this setup.
mike
Done this for card key entry systems, usually with Von Duprin hardware - this is the EPT (electronic power transfer) at the jamb:
View Image
If it's a wood door - yes you drill it across the lock rail.
Here's the electric strike:View Image
Jeff
Edited 11/12/2008 9:23 pm ET by Jeff_Clarke
Yeah, that one of the ones I was talking about earlier.
The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable. --John Kenneth Galbraith
QUOTE:
[You must have a panic device for the lock mechanism.]
Not necessarily, there are also electrified mortise locksets available as well.
I just finished running a laboratory project where we used every conceivable combination of hardware you can imagain. EPT's, electric hinges, electric strikes, electric panic's, electric mortises, mag locks, pneumatic devices - you name it, we had it. Got a good perspective of all the fancy hardware that is out there.Shawn
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Checker Contracting - SE Michigan
I'll bet that was a PITA to coordinate with the fire and security control systems.
As a matter of fact it was! This was a Class 100 Cleanroom for nano-technology research. My day job is a commercial superintendent, so I was running the job. Some of the control sequences we had were ridiculous.
For example, there were two doors in particular, which were auto-sliders between three adjacent spaces; a Class 10 cleanroom, a Class 1000 service corridor and the main Class 100 cleanroom. All doors were accessed controlled and mechanically driven. Depending on what emercency scenario we faced; loss of supply air, loss of exhaust air, smoke detection, fire detection, liquid chemical release, gaseous chemical release, normal or emergency power, etc, etc - these doors were either driven open, sealed shut and locked, partially opened, etc. Everything had to coordinate between the building managment system, the fire alarm system, card access system, gas detection system and numerous stand alone differential pressure and humidity sensors. The whole building was like that really. An absolute nightmare to coordinate and get functioning properly.Shawn
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Checker Contracting - SE Michigan
Can anyone please give me a quick lesson how a power transfer hinge and electric door thing happens?
The most common would be one that looks like a normal hinge, but has thru wires built into it to transfer power to the latch side of the door.
View Image
Not so common, but available are electrified pivots and continuos hinges.
The the other type would be the Von Duprin EPT that is a separate "hinge", really a pivoting conduit that allows the use of heavier wire gauges, or multi-conductor cables, or air hose, if your panic device operates pneumatically.
A few things other things to consider would be distance of the power supply to the door. The further away, the heavier guage wire you need. Also the electrical specs of the type of hardware your installing on the door needs to be considered. The hinge you select must be able to carry enough current to operate the hardware.
How do the wires get through the door from the hinge mortise to the electric lock?
If it's a rated door, the door should already be prepped for this from the door manufacturer or door shop.
If it's something your trying to do on your own, the normal route is through the center hinge over to the lock bore. Usually a 3/8" hole.