Norton Rixson 7788 Door Closer Drop Plate for 7500 Series

The Norton Rixson 7788 is the narrow top rail drop plate for the Norton Rixson 7500 Series door closers. It's a steel mounting plate that positions the closer body lower than the door surface, bridging the gap between a narrow top rail and the mounting depth the closer needs to sit correctly. Without it, a narrow top rail door simply doesn't have enough horizontal surface to mount the closer body flush. With it, any door with a top rail as narrow as 2-1/2 inches (64mm) becomes a valid mounting surface.

What a Drop Plate Does and Why You Need One

A door closer mounts to the top rail of a door - the horizontal member at the top connecting the two vertical stiles. Standard commercial hollow metal doors have a top rail wide enough to mount a closer body directly with no additional hardware. Many wood doors, some aluminum storefront doors, and older door designs have a narrower top rail that doesn't accommodate the closer footprint.

When that happens, you have two options: choose a different mounting configuration (top jamb mount, soffit plate, or parallel arm on the frame side) or use a drop plate that extends the mounting surface downward from the narrow rail. The 7788 drop plate is that second option for the 7500 Series. It mounts directly to the door's narrow top rail and provides a larger, repositioned surface for the closer body to fasten to. The arm geometry stays correct because the drop plate places the closer output shaft at the right height relative to the door edge and frame.

For all Norton Rixson door closers and closer accessories, browse our door closers catalog. For the 1600 Series equivalents, the 1688 and 1687 drop plates serve the same function on Norton Rixson 1601 closers and are listed in the related products on this page.

7788 vs 1688 and 1687 - Correct Drop Plate by Closer Series

The drop plate series matches the closer series. The 7788 is for 7500 Series closers only. If you have a Norton Rixson 1601, J1601, CLP1601, PR1601, or any other 1600 Series closer, you need the 1688 or 1687 drop plate - not the 7788. These are not interchangeable between series. Confirm your closer's series before ordering.

If you're not sure which series your closer is, the model number is stamped on the closer body or visible on the cover plate. The first two digits identify the series: 75xx is 7500 Series; 16xx is 1600 Series.

Narrow Top Rail: When 2-1/2 Inches Is Enough

The 7788 accommodates top rails as narrow as 2-1/2 inches (64mm). This covers most narrow-stile wood doors, rebated door pairs where the top rail is partially consumed by the rebate, and any application where the closer can't mount directly but the door geometry allows for drop plate installation.

Before ordering, confirm two things: the closer model is a 7500 Series unit, and the top rail is at least 2-1/2 inches wide and structurally sound enough to carry the combined weight of the plate and closer. A top rail that's wide enough but compromised (warped, cracked, or hollow at the fastener points) isn't a reliable mounting surface regardless of the plate.

Norton Rixson 7788 Specifications

• SKU: 7788 689

• Also known as: Norton 7788, norton rixson 7788 drop plate, 7788 door closer drop plate, narrow top rail drop plate 7788, door closer mounting plate 7500, royal 7788, norton 7788 drop plate

• Type: Door closer drop plate, narrow top rail mounting plate

• Compatible series: Norton Rixson 7500 Series door closers

• Minimum top rail height: 2-1/2" (64mm)

• Finish: 689 Silver Aluminum Painted

• Related plates: 1688 and 1687 for Norton Rixson 1600 Series closers

• Resources: 7500 Catalog PDF linked in Resources section