Elevators

Introduction to Elevator Technology

There are four main types of elevators: hydraulic, traction, machine-room-less, and vacuum.

• Geared and Gearless Traction Elevator. Geared and Gearless Traction elevators can be separated into three different categories

• Hydraulic Elevator

• Machine-Room-Less (MRL) Elevator

• Vacuum (Air Driven) Home Elevator

What are the parts of an elevator?

• Cabin/ Car. This is the main part of Elevator which is designed for enclosed transport of passengers & goods.

• Cable (Rope) it is used to support the car (passing over the drive sheave to the counterweight) & pull the car.

• Elevator Machine.

• Controller.

• Drive unit.

• The counter weight.

• Hoistway.

• Guide Rails.

LIFTING DEVICES

• Double-button control elevator—An elevator, the operation of which is controlled by self-centering buttons or switches located in the car and at the landings in such a manner that the elevator operates only when the button or switch is held closed manually and stops when the button or switch is released.

• Double-deck—An elevator consisting of a car structure containing two elevator cabs or compartments. Drive sheave, or bull wheel—The tread diameter which ranges from three to 14 feet, depending upon the type of installation. Either designation refers to the main drive sheave.

• Dual control elevator—An elevator capable of operation either by an authorized operator in the car or automatically by electric buttons or switches.

• Dumbwaiter—A miniature freight elevator. Elevator—A car, cage, or platform raised or lowered vertically in permanent guides or rails, including the necessary operating mechanism, used to transport persons or materials.

• Elevator car—The load carrying unit, including the platform supporting and guiding frame, and enclosure.

• Escalator—A moving continuous inclined stairway or runway used for raising or lowering persons. Wheeled vehicles of any type are not permitted on escalators.

• Fiber rope tow—A type of transportation which pulls skiers riding on skis by a traveling fiber rope which the skier grasps by hand.

• Fire-resistive materials—Approved materials having fire-resistive qualities, such as brick, concrete, hollow tile, terra-cotta blocks, or concrete plaster on expanded metal lath supported by metal studs of an approximate total thickness of not less than 2 1/2 inches.

• Freight elevator—An elevator constructed and used for carrying materials.

• Full automatic door or gate—A door or gate which is opened and closed automatically by the motion of the elevator car.

• Grade—The level or the surface of the ground established by law, or on record where not established by law. This term includes the average level of the surface of the ground.

• Gravity elevator—A freight elevator used for lowering materials in a car, cage, or platform through a shaftway, the operation of which is accomplished by the excess weight of the car, cage or platform and the load over the car counterweights.

• Hand elevator—A freight elevator, the machinery of which is actuated by a rope or cable operated exclusively by hand.

• Independently-operated door or gate—A door or gate operated by power from an auxiliary source in no way derived from the motion of the car.

• Landing—The floor, balcony, or platform used to receive or discharge passengers or freight from an elevator car.

• Single or double reversible tramway—A type of transportation in which passengers are carried in one or more enclosed cars that reciprocate between terminals.

• Stage elevator—A platform consisting of a section of the stage arranged to be raised and lowered above and below the stage level in a vertical direction at a speed not exceeding 15 feet per minute.

• Stairway inclined lift—A power passenger inclined lift installed on a stairway for raising or lowering persons from one floor to another.

• Standard railing—A railing not less than 42 inches in height with an additional rail midway between the top rail and the floor.

• T-bar, J-bar and platter lifts and similar devices—Types of transportation which pull skiers riding on skis by devices propelled by a main overhead traveling wire rope.

• Toeboard—A board at least 6 inches in height, placed at right angles with floor or platform to prevent objects from falling from the floor or platform to the spaces below.

• Winch—A hand or power-operated machine having a rope coiled on one or more drums for the purpose of hauling, hoisting or lowering a load.

• Workmen’s hoist—A hoist installed in or outside of buildings during construction, alteration or demolition, and used primarily to raise or lower workmen and other persons connected with or related to the building project.

LABOR & INDUSTRY

• Landing door or gate—The door or gate at the shaftway entrance of any landing.

• Locking device—A device which prevents the operation of an elevator away from the landing while any gate or door at that landing is open and unsecured and also prevents the opening of the door unless the car is at the landing; this term is also referred to as ‘‘interlock.’’

• Lumber elevator—A platform equipped with screws to raise or lower stacked lumber in a vertical direction at a speed not exceeding 15 feet per minute, with a travel not exceeding 20 feet.

• Machinery—The hoisting mechanism and equipment used in the operation of an elevator.

• Manlift—The type of elevator which operates by an endless vertical belt which revolves over fixed pulleys at the top and bottom limits of travel and to which steps and hand holds are attached so that persons may ride on it.

• Manually-operated door or gate—A door or gate which is opened and closed by hand.

• Orchestra elevator—A platform for raising and lowering musicians in an orchestra in a vertical direction at a speed not exceeding 15 feet per minute.

• Organ console elevator—A platform for raising and lowering an organ console, including the organist, in a vertical direction at a speed not exceeding 15 feet per minute.

• Passenger elevator—An elevator constructed and operated to transport persons.

• Private dwellings—Convents, rectories, and parsonages, which are ex- empt from this chapter, unless portions thereof are used for the housing or assembling of persons other than members of the religious order, if the occupancy is not in excess of 25 persons.

• Rated capacity—The capacity established by the designer of equipment.

• Rope—Wire rope, and cable are interchangeable, except for rope tows if rope means a fiber rope.

• Safety gate stops—A device which automatically stops a tramway when in contact with a passenger or the weight of a passenger.

• Semiautomatic door or gate—A door or gate which is manually opened but automatically closed when the elevator car leaves the landing.

• Shaftway—A shaft, well-hole, hatchway or other vertical opening or space, partly or wholly enclosed within which an elevator is raised or lowered in a vertical direction.

• Sheaves—Pulleys or wheels grooved for rope.

• Sidewalk elevator—An elevator which travels from a point below the sidewalk level to the sidewalk, or to an elevation not to exceed wagon or freight car loading level.