User:PivotDoorGuy

A pivot is a point on which something rests, and turns. The majority of the weight in a pivot system is supported by the bottom spindle, while the top pivot keeps the object in balance. Most pivot systems use an oil-impregnated brass bearing, renowned for its long-term durability, in the bottom pivot.

The industrial strength pivot system is an under-acknowledged, door-mounting mechanism common in commercial applications. The mechanism is used in high-traffic areas such as shopping mall entrances, and heavy-load usage areas such as lead-lined doors in hospitals.

Commercial businesses use pivot systems in their doors for their reliability, long-term durability, weight-bearing advantage, and aesthetic appeal. Residential businesses use pivot systems to design custom doors of magnitudes that hinge-mounted doors are simply unable to support.

In the case of a door, the pivot system is used to multiply the mechanical force applied to it. The weight of the door is distributed through the pivot to the floor. The floor becomes the main support (versus frame-support in hinge-mounted doors). The door is released from the weight constraint imposed on it by using regular, industry-standard hinges.

Pivots exert shear force against the door. From the bottom, the pivot applies vertical pressure to the weight bearing down on it. An industrial strength pivot can handle thousands of pounds in a high-frequency use environment. The frictional resistance in opening and closing is eliminated, allowing, for example, nurses to pass through heavy, lead-lined hospital doors with ease, all day long.

Hinges exert a tension force on the door jamb, into which they are set, that pulls away from the frame. They also exert a frictional force that creates resistance when opening and closing the door. These factors limit the amount of weight and size a door can bear using hinges, and therefore limits larger, heavier doors from being fabricated for hinge-mounted entrances.

By using pivot systems, doors can be made that weigh 1,100 pounds for residences and businesses. Designers and architects can apply their professional trade element to entrances in ways that have been largely unexplored. They are empowered to push the frontiers of design and architecture. Reference http://www.rixson.com for details on various pivot systems. Reference http://www.frontdoorproductions.com for pivot systems applied to custom residential doors. Reference http://www.oikos.it for indoor use of pivot doors.