How does the elevator work?

How an electric elevator works

The question of how elevators work has always been asked by people, and there is no harm in that. Electric elevators are considered one of the amazing inventions. In order for a person to understand how electric elevators work, he must first know the types of elevators, and what mechanisms are used, and that elevators are classified into several types, according to the propulsion and operating mechanism used. There are four mechanisms used in operating elevators, which in turn also determine the type of elevator used:

• Traction Elevators: Traction elevators operate via electric motors. Therefore, the working mechanism is as follows: The elevator’s movement is controlled by connecting a steel rope to the transmission shaft connected to the gear box, and at the end the gear box is connected to the high-speed electric motor.
• Hydraulic Elevators: This type of elevator is divided into several types:
  • Conventional: In which the hydraulic system is below ground level.
  • Holeless: The hydraulic system in this type, above ground level.
  • Rope typeThis type of elevator contains both the previous types, and is used in large buildings and skyscrapers.

Elevator parts and components

If some people try to know what electric elevators are, and understand their working principle, it is annoying, given that most parts of the electric elevator are hidden and well covered. An electric elevator is simply a metal box, the door of which is closed on one floor and opened on another floor. But the electric elevator is more complex than that, and has many parts, which are as follows:

• The large metal box that people ride on.
• The weight or counterweight that keeps the elevator balanced.
• An electric motor raises the elevator, in addition to a braking system.
• An extensive network of metal ropes and pulleys, which connects the elevator and the electric motor.
• Safety systems to protect passengers in the event of a break in metal ropes.

Inventor of electric elevators

Devices used to transport people or tools vertically have been around for thousands of years, although electric elevators may seem to some to be a recent invention. In the middle of the nineteenth century, elevators were operated by a steam system, but the main problem was the unsafety of the elevator ropes, as they could break, and without a safety system or brakes to prevent the elevator from falling, these elevators did not gain people’s trust. In 1852 AD, Elisha Graves Otis invented a braking system for elevators, which revolutionized the industry of elevators or vertical transportation devices. The elevator was installed with Elisha Otis's safety system in a five-story store located in New York City in 1857 AD. This Otis elevator sparked an industrial revolution, making skyscrapers possible.