Hello,
I have been called back to a job/repair I did two years ago on a sliding patio door that had a peculiar latching mechanism.
I was able to fix it with a bicycle derailleur cable (1/16″ wire rope). Seems like it worked great until recently with the home owner calling and stating that the cable is broken and the door is difficult to close/latch. The door appears like a standard vinyl sliding patio door. One door is fixed the other rolls on a track. The difference is the door that rolls, once into the almost closed position is able to (via the lever handle) pull itself into the cavity adjacent to the fixed door thereby making a very good compression seal against the weatherstripping. Once in the completely closed position both doors are in the same plane not staggered like a standard patio door or double hung window.
This lever operated movement (via the hand lever of the door) if I remember correctly operates as follows: the standard hand lever on the door also rotates a cam wheel closer in the top rail so when you rotate the hand lever you are also rotating this cam which moves the door outward to seal. The problem is this cam on the one side of the top of the door is suppose to be connected to a cam on the top of the other side of this same door allowing the door to simultaneously move to the outside and seal. Again I have fixed this once (2 years ago) but it took me almost two hours messing with the door out of the frame to figure out how to route the cable around each cam on top of the door and remove its slack to allow the door to work properly. I took a few photographs of it but I can’t seem find them. I have scoured the door for any sort of manufacturing names/ numbers but nothing found. I believe the glass had some etchings in the corner but I don’t have them at hand at the moment. No one I have spoken to has a clue, no web searches on my part turn anything up. What I am after is just how to route that cable. It is a fairly slick design but a real mind scratcher without a diagram. If I remember correctly the correct routing I came up with was the cables crossed each other mid way in a figure eight no less.
If anyone might think they know the manufacturer of this oddity please let me know. Any other suggestions on where to post this inquiry?
Thanks for any input.
Replies
Cable operated latch
I could certainly use your help, I have the same dors and can't find the manufacturer. Cables are broken as well. If you find the manufacturer, could you please share the info. I will do the same. thank you John