The word ”pivot” is normally a noun (not an adjective) and it means a central point (like a pin or a shaft) about which a mechanism rotates or oscillates. Since most doors usually swing in (or out) they could not be opened or closed if they did not have a pivot point. Sliding doors (horizontal or vertical) would be the only option if all doors were pivotless.
A Bit Of History
Early doors (almost back to pre-historic times) were either something quite light in weight that could be leant up to cover the entrance to a dwelling and simply taken away to provide access. Once something more permanent was required; the trick was to hold it in place on the structure in such a way that it could be opened and closed without undue effort. This could either be grooves in which the door could slide sideways or be hauled up. Remember, only very important structures would have proper doors – town gates, castles, temples, etc. Furthermore, these doors would usually be quite massive and heavy.
For such a door to swing open a pin of some sort would be attached to one side and then inserted into a ring secured to the structure – the door could then pivot as the pin rotated in the ring. Essentially, this is not so different from a hinge; but the hinge was not invented until much later. Eventually, hinges became the most popular way to hang a door so that it could be opened and closed.
Sliding Or Hinged Doors – Isn’t That Sufficient Choice?
Bearing in mind that a hinge is merely a refinement of the original pivot arrangement; why do we still have pivot doors? A taste for an appearance that stands out from the rest is one reason; but, there can be a more practical point to consider when choosing a pivot door over a hinged door. If the door is somewhat large and heavy; normal side hinging may have to be so robust as to have a somewhat “industrial” (?ugly) appearance.
By using a pivot point that is not set into the side frame but located away from it – usually, two pivots; one above and the other below the door; a more attractive swinging motion can be achieved. However, this does mean that you cannot expose the whole doorway space since one side will swing out and the other side will swing in. Quite often; the pivot points are placed in the dead center of the door space so that access can be achieved from either side.
