Panic bar lock sticking problem

[Ezer]

I have to apologize in advance for wrong terminology and the length of this post.

I've recently taken over the locksmithing responsibilities at work, and I was working on a door today where the plug would turn completely but it wasn't unlocking. It's a glass door with a Yale mortise lock and pull handle on the outside with a push bar or panic bar (not sure if those terms are interchangable) on the inside. The inside push or panic bar looks like kind of like the bar in the top of the first picture on this page.

http://www.hardware4doors.com/prepanic.htm

The door is one of two double doors with nothing in between them. The parts that keep the door locked are at the top and bottom of the door. When I took off the lengthwise cover part of the exit bar that's directly opposite the lock on the other side, I found the problem was the piece of metal that has notches on it that is raised by the turning of the key was sliding over the piece of metal that it is supposed to raise to unlock the upper part of the door. That piece of metal that runs through the upper half of the door was not sticking out far enough out of the door frame to come in contact with the piece that is supposed to push it up.

I sure hope some of you are familiar with the type of mechanism that I'm talking about, because I know that last paragraph didn't make much sense. Anyways to solve the problem, I put a washer on the "L" shaped bottom part of the long bar in the door frame to keep it from being able to recede so far into the door frame.

After I put it all back together, I turned my key in the lock and everything worked and made contact with each other like like it was supposed to, but when I actually pulled on the door to open it, it didn't open as smoothly as it used to. You have to kind of jerk it to get the top locking mechanism to open. I took it apart again and removed the washer I had put on, but it was still sticking on top and having the same problem it had before as well. So I put the washer back on and left it like that with the door able to be opened but sticking.

If anyone actually understood any of what I just said, what did I do wrong to make this happen and any idea of how to get it working smoothly? I'm the only person with any knowledge of locksmithing at all at work, and none of the local locksmiths will have anything to do with me. So any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Mad Mick]

If this door is a fire-exit door, which it sounds like it is, since you took on the locksmithing responsibilities, the maintenance and sound operation of this equipment probably lands squarely in your lap. It is now up to your department to expedite repairs to this door. If need be, contact the manufacturer for precise instructions regarding adjustments/repair. The sooner the better.

[Ezer]

It's not technically a fire-exit door. It's just one of a pair of double doors that lead outside. Almost every door there that leads to the outside is setup like this. I at least got it from not working at all to the way it is now, and the last door a "real" locksmith worked on now requires you to push on it while you turn the key for it to work. So all in all I don't feel too bad about how I did. If I can't get it working smoothly by tomorrow morning, I'll suck it up and call a "professional."

[Varjeal]

The inside hardware on your glass door is called a touch pad exit device.

What your describing is a set of double doors with no center mullion. Your door has vertical rods and this is typical in the situation that your describing.

It sounds like your top rod needs to be adjusted as it's not latching properly.

When you turn the key or push the pad it should retract both of the rods simultaneously. If it does not do so, you'll need to check that the upper rod is connected and operating correctly.

If that rod cannot be adjusted, you'll need to find out the make and model of the device and order a new rod or the parts you need.

Because it is a glass/aluminum door it will not be fire-rated.
Hope that helps a bit.

[Ezer]

Thanks Varjeal. I wish I could have described my problem as succinctly as you did.

It was much easier to look up information about my door type on Google with better terminology, but I still couldn't find a setup with the same top latch I have. It seems like every one I can find shows the top latch as being kind of like the latch you'd find on a rim cylinder touch bar door only it's at the top of the door.

The one I'm working on, the top latch doesn't go into the door frame. The door frame has a piece of metal the shape and size of a small piece of a plug follower sticking out of it that the top latch hits against when in the locked position. Whenever I have the door open, the top latch seems to work perfectly. I can feel it working with my finger placed on it while I use my key or push on the bar, but as soon as I close it, it doesn't release easily at all.

[Varjeal]

Then it sounds like something in the lock stile case (the part the locking components are in.) Your best bet is to get a service manual for the particular hardware your working on. The manual will have a parts breakdown that you can look at and figure out what needs to be repaired/replaced.

edit: which reminds me...with the door close, make sure the top strike roller actually does roll and that the latch on the bar is hitting about halfway...could be the rod is too far up. There may be shims behind the strike, if so try removing some of those.

[Shrub]

I may have read it wrong but if you have a piece of metal tube sticking out of the top hole then this is a strengthening tube for the hole and should be fully inserted into the frame, if this is the case and it has come out a bit then it may not be straight which will give the problem you describe, tap it back in and things should be fine again.