=80. Kick Plates.=—A =kick plate= is a modern device that may be applied to the bottom of doors to protect the woodwork from injury and wear, being used chiefly for double-acting doors and doors of public buildings. These plates are frequently made of sheet metal, but are much handsomer when made of cast metal and ornamented to harmonize with other metal work of the door. [Illustration: FIG. 99] Kick plates should completely cover the bottom rail of the door, but if cost is the controlling factor, they may be cut down in height so that a margin of wood the same width as the side, or lock, stile shows above the plate. For instance, if the bottom rail is 12 inches in height and the stile is 5 inches wide, the kick plate should be 7 inches high. In all cases, kick plates should extend the full width of the door, allowing enough margin, when used on double-acting-doors, for the rounding of the edges. When used on single-acting doors having rabbeted jambs, the rabbet of both jambs should be deducted from the length of the kick plate. A typical kick plate of plain pattern is shown in Fig. 100. Such plates are generally sold at a square-inch price. [Illustration: FIG. 100] [Illustration: FIG. 101] =81. Push Plates.=—On double-acting or single-acting doors, such as storm and duplex doors, =push plates= are used to protect the woodwork against soiling and wear from handling. These plates are made in various sizes, and are either plain or ornamented to harmonize with the other hardware. To obtain good results, push plates should be as wide as the lock stile, where possible, and from 12 to 30 inches long, according to conditions and use. Plates 20 inches or less in length should be placed on the door so that the distance from the floor to the center of the plate is about 4 feet 6 inches; for larger plates the distance from the floor to the top of the plate should be 5 feet. If used in connection with a cylinder dead lock, the plate should be cut or drilled, preferably near the bottom, to allow the cylinder of the lock to pass through the plate. The plain type of push plate is illustrated in Fig. 101 (_a_), while one of more ornamental design is shown at (_b_). =82. Sign Plates.=—Although metallic plates with lettering are not usually included in the hardware specifications, they find extensive use in hotels, banks, and other public buildings. The inscriptions available cover every possible demand, including titles of officers, names of rooms, etc. Sign plates of various sizes can be procured in the following finishes: Bronze, brass, or nickel with either sunken or raised black letters; bronze or brass with black background or matte; white porcelain plate with blue, red, or gilt letters; and blue porcelain with white letters. Two typical sign plates are shown in Fig. 102. [Illustration: FIG. 102]