The Stairs

“There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.” (Zig Ziglar)

An elevator or lift is a vertical transport vehicle that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building. They are generally powered by electric motors that either drive traction cables and counterweight systems, or pump hydraulic fluid to raise a cylindrical piston. Because of wheelchair access laws, elevators are often a legal requirement in new multi-story buildings especially where wheelchair ramps would be impractical.

The first reference to an elevator is in the works of the Roman architect, Vitruvius, who reported that Archimedes built his first elevator, probably in 236 B.C. 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. In the 17th century the prototypes of elevators were located in the palace buildings of England and France.

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 1854.

In 1874, J.W. Meaker patented a method which permitted elevator doors to open and close safely. The first electric elevator was constructed by the German engineer Werner von Siemens in 1880.  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 lifts (elevators) and cranes. In 1929, Clarence Conrad Crispen, with Inclinator Company of America, created the first residential elevator. Crispen also invented the first inclined stair lift.

Here are some interesting facts about elevators:

 ·        Due to the laws of physics, elevators can't be any taller than 1700 feet. Hoist ropes become too heavy after that, snapping at 3200 feet.

·        Elevator hatches are generally bolted shut for safety reasons. In times of elevator crisis, the safest place is inside the elevator.

·        Elevators are also safer than cars. An average of 26 people dies in elevators each year in the U.S. There are 26 car deaths every five hours.

·        Elevators are twenty times safer than escalators. There are twenty times more elevators than escalators, but only 1/3 more accidents.

·        If every other safety measure fails and the elevator does fall, it will land on a buffer system at the bottom of the shaft. This system is designed to absorb the shock of the elevator falling and save the passengers. There are a number of different buffers, and the one used will depend on the type of the elevator. Counterweight buffers are used on traction elevators. Spring buffers are for elevators less than 200 f/m while oil buffers are for elevators more than 200 f/m.

·        The Door Close button is there mostly to give passengers the illusion of control. In elevators built since the early '90s. The button is only enabled in emergency situations with a key held by an authority.

·        The myth about jumping just before impact in a falling elevator is just that. You can't jump fast enough to counteract the speed of falling. And you wouldn't know when to jump.

·        The New York Marriott was the first to introduce a smart elevator system that assigned passengers to elevators depending on what floor they were heading to.

·        The only known occurrence of an elevator car free falling due to a snapped cable (barring fire or structural collapse), was in 1945. A B25 Bomber crashed into the Empire State Building, severing the cables of two elevators. The elevator car on the 75th floor had a woman on it, but she survived due to the 1000 feet of coiled cable of fallen cable below, which lessened the impact.

Below is the unwritten law of elevator etiquette: Don’t…

1.   Face the back of the elevator. Who does that anyway? It’s hard enough sharing a space with a stranger for any length of time in a confined compartment. Don’t up the level of awkwardness by standing anywhere other than forward towards the door.

 

2.   Ignore personal space rules. There are varying degrees of personal space. Obviously you’re going to let a spouse get closer than you would a colleague in any given social situation. (The area required for personal space is 2.3 feet. The average amount on elevators is generally 2 feet.) However, in an elevator with just a few people in it, it’s best if you all just spread out. Don’t be the weird lady who stands uncomfortably close to the only other person in the elevator. Know your personal space and use it accordingly.

 

3.   Let the door close in someone’s face. Nobody likes to press the hold button for a late comer. However, this is considered in poor taste: especially if you run into that person later at the top. That’s just awkward.

 

4.   Talk loudly on the phone. Most business can wait until you’re off the elevator. This is considered rude behavior in nearly all modern cultures. So put off the phone call for a minute. You shouldn’t be discussing business in public anyway. Nobody wants to hear your discussion with someone else so save it.

 

5.   Use the elevator for quick trips especially in a crowded building. Instead, follow the two-flight rule. If you’re a regular in the building, don’t slow everybody down with a free ride up one flight. Only use the elevator if you’re going more than two stories.

  “What do you think deja vu is for?" Face it. You even want to talk to that girl in the elevator. But what if that girl in the elevator (and the balding man who walks past your cubicle at work) are thinking the same thing? Who knows what you might learn from taking a chance on conversation with a stranger? Everyone carries a piece of the puzzle. Nobody comes into your life by mere coincidence. Trust your instincts. Do the unexpected. Find the others.” (Timothy Leary) [i]

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[i] Sources used:

·        “Five Things You Didn’t Know about Elevator Safety” by Liberty Elevator

·        “5 Things NOT to do in an Elevator” by mowrey_admin

·        “Elevator” by KidzSearch

·        “Things You Don't Know About Modern Elevators” by Adrian Covert