ELLA MAE N.

ABABA BSA-3A
BUILDING UTILITIES

ELEVATOR
An elevator (or lift in the Commonwealth excluding Canada) is a type of vertical
transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors (levels,
decks) of a building, vessel or other structures. Elevators are generally powered by
electric motors that either drive traction cables or counterweight systems like a
hoist, or pump hydraulic fluid to raise a cylindrical piston like a jack.
There are three types of convoying methods in buildings, Elevators & Escalators &
Ramps, and they have different dimensions and uses according to building type &
number of users in it.
An elevator (lift in British English) is a type of vertical transport equipment that
moves people or goods between floors (levels, decks) of a building, vessel, or other
structure. Elevators are generally powered by electric motors that either drive
traction cables or counterweight systems like a hoist, or pump hydraulic fluid to
raise a cylindrical piston like a jack.
In agriculture and manufacturing, an elevator is any type of conveyor device used
to lift materials in a continuous stream into bins or silos. Several types exist, such as
the chain and bucket bucket elevator, grain auger screw conveyor using the
principle of Archimedes' screw, or the chain and paddles or forks of hay elevators.
Languages other than English may have loanwords based on
either elevator (e.g.,Japanese and Korean)
or lift (e.g., Cantonese, Russian and Thai).
Because of wheelchair access laws, elevators are often a legal requirement in new
multistory buildings, especially where wheelchair ramps would be impractical.

HISTORY
Pre-industrial era
The earliest known reference to an elevator is in the works of the Roman
architectVitruvius, who reported that Archimedes (c. 287 BC c. 212 BC) built his

first elevator probably in 236 BC. Some sources from later historical periods mention
elevators as cabs on a hemp rope powered by hand or by animals. It is supposed
that elevators of this type were installed in the Sinai monastery of Egypt.
In 1000, the Book of Secrets by al-Muradi in Islamic Spain described the use of an
elevator-like lifting device, in order to raise a large battering ram to destroy a
fortress. In the 17th century the prototypes of elevators were located in the palace
buildings of England and France. Louis XV of France had a so-called 'flying chair'
built for one of his mistresses at the Chateau de Versailles in 1743.
Ancient and medieval elevators used drive systems based on hoists or winders. The
invention of a system based on the screw drive was perhaps the most important
step in elevator technology since ancient times, leading to the creation of modern
passenger elevators. The first screw drive elevator was built by Ivan Kulibin and
installed in Winter Palace in 1793. Several years later another of Kulibin's elevators
was installed in Arkhangelskoye near Moscow.

Industrial era
The development of elevators was led by the need for movement of raw materials
including coal and lumber from hillsides. The technology developed by these
industries and the introduction of steel beam construction worked together to
provide the passenger and freight elevators in use today.
Starting in the coal mines, by the mid-19th century elevators were operated with
steam power and were used for moving goods in bulk in mines and factories. These
steam driven devices were soon being applied to a diverse set of purposes - in
1823, two architects working in London, Burton and Hormer, built and operated a
novel tourist attraction, which they called the "ascending room". It elevated paying
customers to a considerable height in the center of London, allowing them a
magnificent panoramic view of downtown.[
Early, crude steam-driven elevators were refined in the ensuing decade; - in 1835
an innovative elevator called the "Teagle" was developed by the company Frost and
Stutt in England. The elevator was belt-driven and used a counterweight for extra
power.
The hydraulic crane was invented by Sir William Armstrong in 1846, primarily for
use at the Tyneside docks for loading cargo. These quickly supplanted the earlier
steam driven elevators: exploiting Pascal's law, they provided a much greater force.
A water pump supplied a variable level of water pressure to a plunger encased

inside a vertical cylinder, allowing the level of the platform (carrying a heavy load)
to be raised and lowered. Counterweights and balances were also used to increase
the lifting power of the apparatus.
Henry Waterman of New York is credited with inventing the "standing rope control"
for an elevator in 1850.
In 1845, the Neapolitan architect Gaetano Genovese installed in the Royal Palace of
Caserta the "Flying Chair", an elevator ahead of its time, covered with chestnut
wood outside and with maple wood inside. It included a light, two benches and a
hand operated signal, and could be activated from the outside, without any effort on
the part of the occupants. Traction was controlled by a motor mechanic utilizing a
system of toothed wheels. A safety system was designed to take effect if the cords
broke. It consisted of a beam pushed outwards by a steel spring.
In 1852, Elisha Otis introduced the safety elevator, which prevented the fall of the
cab if the cable broke. The design of the Otis safety elevator is somewhat similar to
one type still used today. A governor device engages knurled roller(s), locking the
elevator to its guides should the elevator descend at excessive speed. He
demonstrated it at the New York exposition in the Crystal Palace in a dramatic,
death-defying presentation in 1854, and the first such passenger elevator was
installed at 488 Broadway in New York City on March 23, 1857.
The first elevator shaft preceded the first elevator by four years. Construction
forPeter Cooper's Cooper Union Foundation building in New York began in 1853. An
elevator shaft was included in the design, because Cooper was confident that a safe
passenger elevator would soon be invented. The shaft was cylindrical because
Cooper thought it was the most efficient design. Later, Otis designed a special
elevator for the building. Today the Otis Elevator Company, now a subsidiary
ofUnited Technologies Corporation, is the world's largest manufacturer of vertical
transport systems.
The Equitable Life Building completed in 1870 in New York City was the first office
building to have passenger elevators.
The first electric elevator was built by Werner von Siemens in 1880 in Germany. The
inventor Anton Freissler developed the ideas of von Siemens and built up a
successful enterprise in Austria-Hungary. The safety and speed of electric elevators
were significantly enhanced by Frank Sprague who added floor control, automatic
elevators, acceleration control of cars, and safeties. His elevator ran faster and with
larger loads than hydraulic or steam elevators, and 584 electric elevators were
installed before Sprague sold his company to the Otis Elevator Company in 1895.

Sprague also developed the idea and technology for multiple elevators in a single
shaft.
In 1882, when hydraulic power was a well established technology, a company later
named the London Hydraulic Power Company was formed. It constructed a network
of high-pressure mains on both sides of the Thames which, ultimately, extended to
184 miles and powered some 8,000 machines, predominantly elevators (lifts) and
cranes.
In 1874, J.W. Meaker patented a method which permitted elevator doors to open
and close safely. In 1887, American Inventor Alexander Miles of Duluth, Minnesota
patented an elevator with automatic doors that would close off the elevator shaft.

ELEVATOR TYPES
Elevators are devices that move people and goods vertically within a dedicated
shaft that connects the floors of a building. They became commonplace in the
1850s as steel and iron structural frames allowed taller construction; however it was
Elisha Otis's safety mechanism that prevented the car from falling that made
elevators popular. In almost all modern multi-floor buildings, elevators are required
to provide universal access.
There are three main types of elevators commonly used: traction with a machine
room, machine-room-less traction, and hydraulic; however, there are variations on
each type.

Hydraulic Elevators

Hydraulic elevators are supported by a piston at the bottom

of the

elevator that pushes the elevator up as an electric motor

forces

oil or another hydraulic fluid into the piston. The elevator

descends as a valve releases the fluid from the piston. They

are

used for low-rise applications of 2-8 stories and travel at a

maximum speed of 200 feet per minute. The machine room
for hydraulic elevators is located at the lowest level
adjacent to the elevator shaft.
Conventional Hydraulic Elevators have a sheave
that extends below the floor of the elevator pit,

which

accepts the retracting piston as the elevator

descends. Some configurations have a telescoping
piston that collapses and requires a shallower hole

below

the pit. Max travel distance is approximately 60 feet.

Hole-

less Hydraulic Elevators have a piston on either side of

the cab. In

this configuration, the telescoping pistons are fixed at the base of

the pit and do not require a sheave or hole below the pit.

Telescoping

pistons allow up to 50 feet of travel distance. Non-telescoping

pistons only allow about 20 feet of travel distance.

Roped Hydraulic Elevators use a combination of ropes and a piston to move the
elevator. Maximum travel distance is about 60 feet.
Hydraulic elevators have a low initial cost and their ongoing maintenance costs are
lower compared to the other elevator types. However, hydraulic elevators use more
energy than other types of elevators because the electric motor works against
gravity as it forces hydraulic fluid into the piston. A major drawback of hydraulic
elevators is that the hydraulic fluid can sometimes leak, which can cause a serious
environmental hazard. The environmental risk and high energy use are two main
reasons that hydraulic elevators are not being installed as often as in the past.

Geared and Gearless Traction Elevators with Machine

Room

Traction elevators are lifted by ropes, which pass over

a

wheel attached to an electric motor above the elevator

shaft. They are used for mid and high-rise applications

and

have much higher travel speeds than hydraulic

elevators.

A counter weight makes the elevators more efficient by

offsetting

the weight of the car and occupants so that the motor

doesn't

have to move as much weight.

Geared

Traction Elevators have a gearbox that is attached to

the

motor, which drives the wheel that moves the ropes.

Geared

traction elevators are capable of travel speeds up to 500

feet per

minute. The maximum travel distance for a geared

traction elevator is around 250 feet.

Gear-less

Traction Elevators have the wheel attached directly to

the motor.

Gear-less traction elevators are capable of speeds up to

2,000 feet per minute and they have a maximum travel

distance of

around 2,000 feet so they are the only choice for high-

rise

applications.

Geared traction elevators are middle of the road in terms of initial cost, ongoing
maintenance costs, and energy consumption. Gear-less traction elevators have a
high initial cost, medium ongoing maintenance costs, and use energy a bit more
efficiently than geared traction elevators.
It is important that traction elevator ropes and sheaves are checked for wear on a
regular basis. As they wear, the traction between the sheave and the cables is
reduced and slippage becomes more regular, which reduces the efficiency and can
become dangerous if left unchecked.
Traction elevators have height restrictions that are governed by the length and
weight of the cables or ropes. New materials that are stronger and lighter, such as
carbon fiber, will allow traction elevators to achieve new heights.

Machine-Room-Less (MRL) Elevators

Machine-Room-Less Elevators are traction elevators

that do

not have a dedicated machine room above the elevator

shaft.

The machine sits in the override space and is accessed

from

the top of the elevator cab when maintenance or repairs

are

required. The control boxes are located in a control room

that is adjacent to the elevator shaft on the highest landing
and within around 150 feet of the machine.
Machine-room-less elevators have a maximum
travel distance of up to 250 feet and can travel at speeds up

to 500

feet-per-minute. MRL elevators are comparable to geared

traction elevators in terms of initial and
maintenance costs, but they have relatively low energy
consumption compared to geared elevators.
Machine-room-less elevators are becoming the most

popular

choice for mid-rise buildings where the travel distance is up

to 250

feet. They are energy efficient, require less space, and their
operation and reliability are on par with gear-less traction elevators.
The main reason that MRL elevators have been adopted so slowly in the United
States is because the building codes had provisions that didn't allow the motor to be
within the hoistway. This is slowly being changed, but it is worth consulting with the
local authorities before specifying an MRL elevator.
ESCALATOR
An escalator is a moving staircase a conveyor transport device for carrying
people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of
individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to
remain horizontal.
Escalators are used around the world to move pedestrian traffic in places
whereelevators would be impractical. Principal areas of usage include department
stores,shopping malls, airports, transit systems, convention
centers, hotels, arenas,stadiums, train stations (subways) and public buildings.
Escalators have the capacity to move large numbers of people, and they can be
placed in the same physical space as a staircase. They have no waiting interval

(except during very heavy traffic), they can be used to guide people toward main
exits or special exhibits, and they may be weatherproofed for outdoor use. A nonfunctioning escalator can function as a normal staircase, whereas many other
conveyances become useless when they break down.

HISTORY
Inventors and manufacturers
Nathan Ames
Nathan Ames, a patent solicitor from Saugus, Massachusetts, is credited with
patenting the first "escalator" in 1859, despite the fact that no working model of his
design was ever built. His invention, the "revolving stairs", is largely speculative and
the patent specifications indicate that he had no preference for materials or
potential use (he noted that steps could be upholstered or made of wood, and
suggested that the units might benefit the infirm within a household use), though
the mechanization was suggested to run either by manual or hydraulic power.
Leamon Souder
In 1889, Leamon Souder successfully patented the "stairway", an escalator-type
device that featured a "series of steps and links jointed to each other". No model
was ever built. This was the first of at least four escalator-style patents issued to
Souder, including two for spiral designs (U. S. Patent Nos. 723,325 and 792,623).
Jesse Wilford Reno, George A. Wheeler, and Charles Seeberger
On March 15, 1892, Jesse W. Reno patented the "Endless Conveyor or Elevator." A
few months after Reno's patent was approved, George A. Wheeler patented his
ideas for a more recognizable moving staircase, though it was never built. Wheelers
patents were bought by Charles Seeberger; some features of Wheelers designs
were incorporated in Seebergers prototype built by the Otis Elevator Company in
1899.
Reno, a graduate of Lehigh University, produced the first working escalator (he
actually called it the "inclined elevator") and installed it alongside the Old Iron Pier
at Coney Island,New York City in 1896. This particular device was little more than an
inclined belt with cast-iron slats or cleats on the surface for traction, and traveled
along a 25 incline. A few months later, the same prototype was used for a month-

long trial period on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge. Reno eventually
joined forces with Otis, and retired once his patents were purchased outright. Some
Reno-type escalators were still being used in the Boston subway until construction
for the Big Dig precipitated their removal. The Smithsonian Institution considered reassembling one of these historic units from 1914 in their collection of Americana,
but "logistics and reassembly costs won out over nostalgia", and the project was
discarded.
Around May 1895, Charles Seeberger began drawings on a form of escalator similar
to those patented by Wheeler in 1892. This device actually consisted of flat, moving
stairs, not unlike the escalators of today, except for one important detail: the step
surface was smooth, with no comb effect to safely guide the rider's feet off at the
ends. Instead, the passenger had to step off sideways. To facilitate this, at the top or
bottom of the escalator the steps continued moving horizontally beyond the end of
the handrail (like a miniature moving sidewalk) until they disappeared under a
triangular "divider" which guided the passenger to either side. Seeberger teamed
with Otis in 1899, and together they produced the first commercial escalator which
won the first prize at the Paris 1900 Exposition Universelle in France. Also on display
at the Exposition were Reno's inclined elevator, a similar model by James M.
Dodge and the Link Belt Machinery Co., and two different devices by French
manufacturers Hall and Piat.
Early European manufacturers: Hall, Hocquardt, and Piat
Piat installed its "stepless" escalator in Harrods Knightsbridge store on Wednesday,
November 16, 1898, though the company relinquished its patent rights to the
department store. Noted by Bill Lancaster in The Department Store: a Social History,
"customers unnerved by the experience were revived by shopmen dispensing free
smelling salts and cognac." The Harrods unit was a continuous leather belt made of
"224 pieces . . . strongly linked together traveling in an upward direction," and was
the first "moving staircase" in England.
Hocquardt received European patent rights for the Fahrtreppe in 1906. After
the Exposition, Hall continued to sell its escalator device in Europe, but was
eventually eclipsed in sales by other major manufacturers.

Major competitors and product nomenclature

In the first half of the twentieth century, several manufacturers developed their own
escalator products, though they had to market their devices under different names,
due to Otis hold on the trademark rights to the word escalator. New Yorkbased Peelle Company called their models the Motorstair,
and Westinghouse called their model an Electric Stairway. TheToledobased Haughton Elevator company referred to their product as simply Moving
Stairs.
Manufacturing mergers and buyouts: the playing field narrowS
Kone and Schindler introduced their first escalator models several decades after the
Otis Elevator Co., but grew to dominance in the field over time. Today,
they, Mitsubishi, and ThyssenKrupp are Otis' primary rivals.
Schindler now stands as the largest maker of escalators and second largest maker
of elevators in the world, though their first escalator installation did not occur until
1936. In 1979, the company entered the United States market by purchasing
Haughton Elevator; nine years later, Schindler assumed control of the North
American escalator/elevator operations of Westinghouse.
Kone expanded internationally by acquisition in the 1970s, buying out Swedish
elevator manufacturer Asea-Graham, and purchasing other minor French, German,
and Austrian elevator makers before assuming control of Westinghouses European
elevator business. As the last "big four" manufacturers held on to the escalator
market, KONE first acquiredMontgomery Elevator Company, then took control of
Germanys Orenstein & Koppel Rolltreppen.
Safety features
An escalator receiving maintenance. The steps have been removed, showing
internal workings.
To reduce accidents, newer models of escalators are equipped with one or more of
the following safety devices:

Step demarcation lightsa fluorescent or LED light, traditionally colored

green, is located inside the escalator mechanism under the steps at the

boarding point. The resulting illumination between the steps improves the
passengers' awareness of the step divisions.

Step demarcation linesthe front and/or sides of the steps are colored a
bright yellow as a warning. Earlier models had the yellow color painted on;
many newer steps are designed to take yellow plastic inserts.

Combplate impact switcheswill stop the escalator if a foreign object gets

caught between the steps and the combplate on either end.

Missing step detectorslocated in various places (according to brand of

escalator), this sensor can either be optical or a physical switch. No matter the
type of device, the missing step detector will turn off the escalator when no
step is found when one is expected.

Level step switchesswitches usually located at the top and bottom of the
unit near the track hold-downs. These switches will detect an unlevel step
before it approaches the combplate. This is to stop the escalator before the
unlevel step crashes into the combplate, possibly preventing injury to a
passenger.

Handrail speed sensorslocated somewhere inside of the escalator unit.

These sensors are usually optical, they are positioned to sense how fast the
handrail is going. In case of a drive chain/belt breaking, in order to protect the
drive and people on the escalator, if the sensor notices a speed difference
between the handrail and the steps, it will sound an alarm, wait for a couple of
seconds, then stop the escalator. A hard fault is generated inside the
controller, and therefore must be serviced by authorized personnel.

Handrail inlet switcheslocated at the bottom and top of the unit. These
sensors guard the opening where the handrail enters and exits the escalator. If
something gets caught between the handrail and the opening, a hard fault is
generated in the controller and the escalator shuts down.

Skirt brusha long continuous brush made of stiff bristles runs up the
sides of the escalator just above the step level. This helps keep loose
garments and curious hands away from the dangerous gap between the
moving stairs and the side panel.

Raised edgesthe sides of the steps are raised slightly to discourage

standing too close to the edge.

Flat stepsthe first two or three steps at either end of the escalator are
flat, like a moving walkway. This gives the passenger extra time to orient
him/herself when boarding, and more level time to maintain balance when
exiting. Longer escalators, especially those used to enter a subterranean
metro station, often have four or more flat steps.

Antislide devicesthese are raised circular objects that often stud the
escalator balustrade. They are sometimes informally called "hockey pucks"
due to their appearance. Their purpose is to prevent objects (and people) from
precipitously sliding down the otherwise smooth metallic surface.

Emergency Stop buttonAt each end of the escalator (in the London
Underground also on the balustrade), a large red button can be pressed to
stop the escalator. A transparent plastic guard plate (usually alarmed) often
covers the button, to avoid the button being pressed accidentally, or for fun by
children and casual vandals. Restarting requires turning a key.

Safety instructionsposted on the balustrades at either end. Formerly, the

only warning usually given was "PLEASE HOLD YOURSELF" or some variation
thereof (and, in models that used now-rare smooth step risers, had such a
message right on the step face).

Safety tips
While some escalator accidents are caused by a mechanical failure, most can be
avoided by following some simple safety precautions.

Hold the handrail.

Do not use the escalator when transporting any large package or when
pushing a device with wheels (moving sidewalks and ramps usually excepted
look for signs). This includes: baby strollers, baggage carts, hand trucks, or
shopping carts. Also, the escalator should not be used by someone with a
walker or on crutches.

Check for loose garments. These may include: Long dresses, scarves,
trench coats, or loose belts. Also, loose shoelaces are particularly notorious for
getting caught in escalator machinery, so make sure that shoes are tied.

Keep footwear away from the side panelsespecially shoes with traction.

Children under the age of 7 should be accompanied by an adult when

riding.

Do not ride barefoot.

Face forward.

Carry dogs up or down (or use the elevator).

Keep walking after exiting the escalator to prevent a pile-up.

Stand to one side of the escalator to allow others to pass.

No ice-skates should be worn when using an escalator.