Elevators

Sahar Khan Jadoon

FA11-BAR-017
Architectural Technology
Department of Architecture and Design

An elevator is a platform that helps transport people to different levels of a building by rising or
lowering via a system of levers, cables and counterweights.
The earliest reference to an elevator is in the works of the Roman architect Vitruvius, who
reported that Archimedes (c. 287 BC c. 212 BC) built his first elevator probably in 236 BC. In some
literary sources of later historical periods, elevators were mentioned as cabs on a hemp rope and
powered by hand or by animals. It is supposed that elevators of this type were installed in the Sinai
monastery of Egypt. There is also evidence of the use of elevators was in 80 A.D. in Rome when
gladiators were raised into the arena using such platforms. In 1743, King Louis XV commissioned a
counterweighted personal lift for his personal chambers in Versailles. In 1833, a system using
reciprocating rods raised and lowered miners in Germanys Harz Mountains. In 1835, a belt driven
counter weighted elevator called the Teagle was developed in England. And in the same year Elisha
Otis developed a safety device to prevent the crashing of an elevator should the cables break. And so
the elevator has developed much over the ages.

Types of Elevators:
1. Machine room-less (MRL) elevators: Machine room-less elevators are designed so that most of
the components fit within the shaft containing the elevator car; and a small cabinet houses the
elevator controller. Other than the machinery being in the hoist way, the equipment is similar to
a normal traction elevator. There are many benefits to
MRL Elevators, such as it takes up much less space as
well as using less energy. MRL elevators use no oil and
cost less. Though all components are above ground
similar to roped hydraulic type elevators they can
operate at faster speeds than hydraulics but not normal
traction units. The loss is that the equipment can be
harder to maintain and service.
2. Geared and Gearless Traction Elevators: Geared
traction machines are driven by AC or DC electric motors. Geared machines use worm gears to
control mechanical movement of elevator cars by "rolling" steel hoist ropes over a drive sheave
which is attached to a gearbox driven by a high-speed motor. These machines are generally the
best option for basement or overhead traction use for speeds up to 500 feet per minute (3 m/s).
Gearless traction machines are low-speed (low-RPM), high-torque electric motors powered
either by AC or DC. In this case, the drive sheave is directly attached to the end of the motor.
Gearless traction elevators can reach speeds of up to 2,000 feet per minute (10 m/s), or even
higher. A brake is mounted between the motor and gearbox to hold the elevator stationary at a
floor. In each case, cables are attached to a hitch plate on top of the cab or may be slung below
a cab, and then looped over the gearbox to a counterweight attached to the opposite end of the
cables which reduces the amount of power needed to move the cab. The counterweight is
located in the hoist-way and rides a separate railway system; as the car goes up, the

counterweight goes down, and vice versa. This action is powered by the traction machine which
is directed by the controller. The weight of the counterweight is typically equal to the weight of
the elevator cab plus 50% of the capacity of the elevator. The grooves in the drive sheave are
specially designed to prevent the cables from slipping. "Traction" is provided to the ropes by the
grip of the grooves in the sheave, thereby the name. As the ropes age and the traction grooves
wear, some traction is lost and the ropes must be replaced and the sheave repaired or replaced.
Sheave and rope wear may be significantly reduced by ensuring that all ropes have equal
tension, thus sharing the load evenly.
3. Hydraulic elevators: Hydraulic elevators are used extensively in buildings up to five or six stories
high. These elevatorswhich can operate at speeds up to 150 ft/mindo not use the large
overhead hoisting machinery the way geared and gearless systems do. Instead, a typical
hydraulic elevator is powered by a piston that travels inside a cylinder. An electric motor pumps
oil into the cylinder to move the piston. The piston smoothly lifts the elevator cab. Electrical
valves control the release of the oil for a gentle descent.
4. Climbing elevators: A climbing elevator is a self-ascending
elevator with its own propulsion. The propulsion can be
done by an electric or a combustion engine. Climbing
elevators are used in guyed masts or towers, in order to
make easy access to parts of these constructions, such as
flight safety lamps for maintenance.

5. Funicular: A funicular, also known as an inclined

plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a
cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails
moves them up and down a steep slope; the
ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance
each other. The basic idea of funicular operation is
that two cars are always attached to each other by a
cable, which runs through a pulley at the top of the
slope. Counterbalancing of the two cars, with one
going up and one going down, minimizes the energy needed to lift the car going up. Winching is
normally done by an electric drive that turns the pulley. Sheave wheels guide the cable to and
from the drive mechanism and the slope cars.
6. Double-deck elevator: A double-deck elevator is an elevator
with two cars attached together, one on top of the other. This
allows passengers on two consecutive floors to be able to use
the elevator simultaneously, significantly increasing the
passenger capacity of an elevator shaft. Such a scheme can
prove efficient in buildings where the volume of traffic would

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normally have a single elevator stopping at every floor. Architecturally, this is important, as
double-deck elevators occupy less building core space than traditional single-deck elevators do
for the same level of traffic. In skyscrapers, this allows for much more efficient use of space, as
the floor area required by elevators tends to be quite significant.
Freight elevators: A specialized is an elevator designed to
carry goods, rather than passengers. Freight elevators are
generally required to display a written notice in the car that
the use by passengers is prohibited (though not necessarily
illegal. Freight elevators are typically larger and capable of
carrying heavier loads than a passenger elevator, generally
from 2,300 to 4,500 kg. Freight elevators may have manually
operated doors, and often have rugged interior finishes to
prevent damage while loading and unloading. Although hydraulic freight elevators exist, electric
elevators are more energy efficient for the work of freight lifting.
Stage lifts: Stage lifts are specialized elevators, typically powered by hydraulics, that are used to
raise and lower entire sections of a theater stage.
Vehicle elevators: Vehicular elevators are used within buildings or areas with limited space (in
lieu of ramps), typically to move cars into the parking garage or manufacturer's storage. Geared
hydraulic chains generate lift for the platform and there are no counterweights. To
accommodate building designs and improve accessibility, the platform may rotate so that the
driver only has to drive forward. Most vehicle elevators have a weight capacity of 2 tons. Rare
examples of extra-heavy elevators for 20-ton lorries, and even for railcars also occur.
Dumbwaiter: Dumbwaiters are small freight elevators that are intended to carry food rather
than passengers. They often link kitchens with rooms on other floors.
Paternoster: A special type of elevator is the paternoster, a
constantly moving chain of boxes. A similar concept, called the
manlift or humanlift, moves only a small platform, which the rider
mounts while using a handhold and was once seen in multi-story
industrial plants

12. Scissor lift: The scissor lift is yet

another type of lift. These are usually mobile work platforms that can be
easily moved to where they are needed, but can also be installed where
space for counter-weights, machine room and so forth is limited. The
mechanism that makes them go up and down is like that of a scissor
jack.

13. Rack-and-pinion elevator: Rack-and-pinion elevators are powered by a motor driving a pinion
gear. Because they can be installed on a building or structure's exterior and there is no machine
room or hoist way required, they are the most used type of elevator for buildings under
construction, to move materials and tools up and down.
14. Material handling belts and belt elevators: Material transport elevators generally consist of an
inclined plane on which a conveyor belt runs. The conveyor often includes partitions to ensure
that the material moves forward. These elevators are often used in industrial and agricultural
applications. When such mechanisms (or spiral screws or pneumatic transport) are used to
elevate grain for storage in large vertical silos, the entire structure is called a grain elevator. Belt
elevators are often used in docks for loading loose materials such as coal, iron ore and grain into
the holds of bulk carrier. There have occasionally been belt lifts for humans; these typically have
steps about every 7 ft along the length of the belt, which moves vertically, so that the passenger
can stand on one step and hold on to the one above. These belts are sometimes used, for
example.
15. Incline elevator: An incline elevator is an
elevator that runs on a non-perpendicular
angle. Unlike a standard elevator, incline
elevators can go up tilted grades. Incline
elevators are also known as incline platform
lifts or hillside trams and can be used for
residential and commercial purposes. The
purpose of incline elevators is to provide
accessibility to steep hillsides and inclines at
minimal effort to the user. Most common
incline elevators are constructed from steel or aluminium materials, are powered by electric
motors. Common drive systems include: cable winding drum or continuous loop traction drive.
16. Stairlift: A stairlift is a mechanical device for lifting people up
and down stairs. For sufficiently wide stairs, a rail is mounted
to the treads of the stairs. A chair or lifting platform is
attached to the rail. A person on the chair or platform is lifted
as the chair moves along the rail. Stairlifts normally have "soft"
starts so the user is not jerked as the carriage starts to move.
Typical travel speed for domestic straight rail stairlift carriages
range between 13.78 ft/min and 29.53 ft/min. The speed of
curved rail stairlift carriages may vary on the journey if the
controls cause them to slow on inclines and bends.