Guidelines for Connecting a Drawbar Operator to
a Sectional Garage Door
This technical data sheet provides guidelines for connecting a
drawbar operator to typical types of sectional garage doors and their supporting
structures. The guidelines apply to new or retrofit installations of sectional
garage door/drawbar operator systems.
General. When a sectional garage door is opened and
closed by means of a drawbar operator, it is important that the installation be
secure enough to withstand the forces applied by the operator through repeated
opening and closing cycles. The operator installation instructions should be
followed.
Pull ropes and locking devices. It is important to
remove any pull ropes from the door and to disable or remove any mechanical
locking devices before installing an operator. Pull ropes are a potential
entrapment hazard, and mechanical locking devices can interfere with the
automatic operation of doors if such devices are engaged. Note: The door
manufacturer's instructions should be consulted to determine whether to remove,
versus disable, locking devices. Doors designed for higher wind loads may need
to have locks disabled and not removed because such doors are usually wind load
tested with locking devices engaged.
Header mounting bracket for the operator rail. To ensure
proper function of a drawbar operator, the header mounting bracket (that
supports the operator's trolley rail) must be of adequate strength, and
must be securely fastened, for adequate structural support.
WARNING: While mounting this bracket, care must be used so as not to split
the spring pad. Splitting the spring pad can cause the spring mount to pull off
of the wall, spin, and injure a person in its vicinity.
Ceiling mounted bracket. Whether or not the garage has a
finished ceiling, a support bracket (and additional fasteners) is required to
support the power head from the ceiling. Ensure that the support bracket
fasteners engage the ceiling joist(s), not just finishing material.
Intermediate rail support. Some operators require an
intermediate rail support bracket to ensure proper rail support for the operator
bracket. The manufacturer will usually include this bracket if it is needed, and
will specify this in the installation instructions. A special support member may
be needed if a long vertical support is required between the rail and the
ceiling.
Bracket connecting the operator to the garage door: The
bracket connecting the operator to the door must be structurally adequate based
on the amount of force required to lift the door. The bracket arm should be no
less than 10 degrees, and no greater than 30 degrees, from vertical when the
door is in the fully closed position. See Figure 2.
Garage door top section reinforcement. Reinforce the top
section of the garage door according to the manufacturer's instructions. In
Figure 1, one example is given where horizontal reinforcement is placed at the
top of the top section of the garage door, in close proximity to the connection
of the operator bracket.
Installation instructions. Always refer to the sectional
garage door and drawbar operator manufacturer's instructions regarding detailed
installation instructions. Reliable operation of safety systems is dependent
upon proper installation of the door and operator system.
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