Sargent 1431 Powerglide Door Closers

The Sargent 1431 PowerGlide is a cam action door closer, built around a cam and roller drive rather than the rack and pinion used in conventional closers. The result is lower opening force without giving up closing control, which is why cam action designs appear on accessible openings and doors used by people who struggle with a standard closer. In stock at Commercial Door Hardware and shipping the same day.

What Cam Action Changes

A conventional door closer uses a rack and pinion: the arm turns a pinion gear that drives a rack against the spring. It's a proven mechanism, but the force curve works against you at the start of the opening swing, which is exactly where a person feels the resistance.

A cam action closer replaces that with a cam and roller. The geometry changes the force curve, so the hardest part of opening the door happens later in the swing rather than right at the start. In practice that means the door feels easier to push from closed, which is the moment that matters for someone in a wheelchair, someone carrying something, or a child.

Both types close the door hydraulically with the same sweep, latch and backcheck adjustments. The difference is in how the door feels to open, not in how it closes.

Where Low Opening Force Matters

Accessibility requirements limit how much force may be needed to open certain doors, and that limit is often the hardest specification to satisfy on an opening that also has to close reliably against weatherstripping, latch resistance, and stack pressure.

Conventional closers can sometimes be adjusted down to meet the requirement, but doing so reduces the closing power at the same time, and a door that barely closes isn't a solution. Cam action designs address the problem at the mechanism rather than by weakening the spring.

• Accessible entrances where opening force is specified.

• Healthcare facilities where patients and visitors use the doors.

• Senior living and assisted living openings.

• Schools where young children use the doors.

• Public buildings with mixed-ability traffic.

• Doors with heavy weatherstripping that resist closing.

Confirm the opening force requirement for your project and verify the installed force after adjustment, since the requirement applies to the door as installed rather than to the closer in isolation.

Available Finishes

• 689 aluminum is the default where no finish is specified and carries the deepest stock.

• Painted and powder coat finishes can be touched up if scratched during installation.

• Confirm the finishes available for your specific configuration on the product page, since availability varies by model and arm type.

• Match the closer to the hinges, lockset, and other hardware on the opening.

Benefits of the 1431 PowerGlide

• Lower opening force than a conventional rack and pinion closer at the same closing power.

• Supports accessibility requirements without weakening the closing spring.

• Full hydraulic control, with the same sweep, latch and backcheck adjustments.

• Surface mounted, so it installs and services like any other surface closer.

• Suits doors with heavy weatherstripping, where closing power can't be reduced.

• Better experience for users who struggle with standard closers.

• Multiple finishes, including two powder coats.

• Ready to ship. In stock and shipping the same day.

Applications

• Accessible entrances with specified opening force limits.

• Hospital and clinic corridors used by patients and visitors.

• Senior living and memory care resident and common area doors.

• Elementary schools where young children operate the doors.

• Public buildings including libraries and community centers.

• Restrooms on accessible routes.

• Exterior doors with weatherstripping where closing power must stay high.

• Closer replacements where the existing closer is too hard to open.

Everything in this collection is in stock at Commercialdoorhardware.com and ships the same day.