Yesterday I went to see my old friends at New England Door Closer (photos of the purpose of my trip to follow!), and they showed me this little beauty. Classic!
OK Closer Nation – what’s the purpose of this creative modification?
UPDATE: You guys are good! SO MANY of you guessed that it’s a place to add fluid to replace what was leaking out of the closer. They would fill the reservoir and it would last a while longer without needing to be refilled. I can’t help but wonder what happened to the fluid that leaked out though…with this level of creativity you’d think they’d have come up with a method of catching it and recycling it! Thank you to Ron Longley for keeping it in the Creative Closer Museum and to Neil Scully for being my Vanna White. 😀
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I would imagine it’s for overflow of fluid. Kinda like a brake fluid reservoir in a car?
Automatic oiler….
Just like what was used on old railroad cars. [in the 1800’s]
That closer is a true collectors item though…. An actual labeled Kawneer closer…. At least 1K on E Bay…
I bet it was used to re-fill the fluid that leaked out 😉
Re-fueling mechanism – when the closer leaks the automatic re-fueling mechanism kicks in and replenishes the oil.
Oil fill reservoir
Is it used for filling leakers?
Fluid reservoir?
Hi Lori
could it be…..
for extra oil if it’s a leaker?
or for self lubrication?
or a first generation pressure relief valve?
or……
I’ve seen many arms and mountings modified, but that’s the first closer body I’ve seen modified.
closer looks like a leaker, and the can on top is to keep adding fluid
planning ahead for leaking fluid?
Don’t see many oil cups these days!
Oil resevoir?
Steampunk oil?
I’ve been sent a LOT of pictures of modified door closers… but I am clueless on this one! Looking forward to finding out the answer!
Well it looks like a handy catch tank to me. Like the one on your car’s radiator. If there is too much oil in the body from expansion it has a place to go and if the closer is leaking, add oil as necessary.
Pressure relief reserve receptacle like modern car radiators?
Looks like it’s an oil cup to keep the oil at a constant volume as it leaks out of the bottom of the closer?
Must be an oil reservoir.
The oil would go in and out of the cylinder during its opening & closing cycles.
Any other guesses?
Dan
An oil overflow in case the closer is operated with such frequency and violence that the oil expands?
How about the cup is a reservoir for the hydraulic fluid or oil in the closer, spring loaded cap keeps it tightly closed so no dirt / dust gets inside – probably had a slight seep at the seals and this reservoir kept it topped off
I would think that is where they fill and recover the overflow oil. When they pour the oil in they probably cycle it to get the oil in all the ports. I guess its a BURP valve for the air in the closer.
It’s to top off the oil, of course.
Just like your brake system has a reservoir for brake fluid, this is for those windy days when the door gets whipped open! Not!
I would guess it is either for adding fluid because it leaks or it is used to allow a greater volume of fluid to be used with the device – maybe for the purpose of slowing the motion of the closer? I would think the introduction of air into the chamber might cause a slam at the end of the cycle when it compresses the air bubble out of the chamber.
Oil reservoir for leaking closer?
I know exactly whats going on, this cup thing is for the expansion of the oil during a fire or extreme in temperature, instead of busting a gasket or an o-ring (due to oil PSI)the oil just simply expands back into the cup as a form of “pressure relief”
another possible reason, maybe this one was a frequent leaker and the owner of this one didn’t want to have to take it apart or remove it from door and remove a valve to put more oil in. if there’s a will, there’s a way in the world of closers.
the person holding it, Neil or Adam or Ron??
shocked I didn’t see this one yet……….. bad enough the VETERINARIAN had a question for me today about his closer, (older Norton, may be time to upgrade him to LCN 1260)
hope you had a great trip!
-Jess the door closer doctor
Was it leaking oil so fast that a built in funnel was required for refilling? Or could that contraption have whistled somehow every time the door was cycled?
Wonderful. You fill the cup, which is at the top of the non pressure side chamber, with oil. As the closer leaks at the arm seal, air finds it’s way to the cup and keeps the closer full for a long time. Brilliant