Mechanical Vertical Circulation

(Conveying Systems)
Elevators
An elevator is a mechanized transport equipment moving upwards
and downwards using a hoistway, guide rails and travelling cables in either
vertical or diagonal path.

History:

The first reference about the elevator is located in the works of

the Roman architect Vitruvius, who reported that Archimedes
built his first lift or elevator, probably, in 236 B.C.
In 1793 Ivan Kulibin created the elevator with the screw lifting
mechanism for the Winter Palace of Saint Petersburg.
Henry Waterman, of New York, invented the lift (elevator) in
1850. He intended it to transport barrels of flour.
In 1853, 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.
On March 23, 1857 the first Otis elevator was installed at 488
Broadway in New York City. The first elevator shaft preceded
the first elevator by four years. Construction for Peter Cooper's
Cooper Union building in New York began in 1853. An elevator
shaft was included in the design for Cooper Union, because
Cooper was confident that a safe passenger elevator would
soon be invented.
 The first electric elevator was built by Werner von Siemens in
1880. The safety and speed of electric elevators were
significantly enhanced by Frank Sprague.

Two types of Elevators:

1) Electric Elevators consists of a car that is mounted on guide rails,

supported by hoisting cables, and driven by electric hoisting
machinery in a penthouse.
a) Geared Traction Elevators (capable of speeds
up to 1.75 meters per second)

b) Gearless Traction Elevators (capable of

speeds up to 6 meters per second)

Parts of an Elevator:
 Control Panel Driving Sheave

Idle Sheave

Hoisting Cable
Elevator Car

Travelling Cable

Guide rails
Counterweights

Hoistway door

Elevator Pit
Buffer

2) Hydraulic Elevators consists of a car supported by a piston that is

moved by or moves against a fluid under pressure.
Electric Elevator (common to both) Hydraulic Elevator
Electric Motor (Hoistway) Fluid Mechanics

Penthouse or Machine Rm. (Buffer) Hydraulic Tank

Ropes & Cables (Car) Low Rise

Counterweights (Guide rails) Plungers & Cylinders

Hi-Rise (Travelling Cable) Low Speed

High Speed

Escalators
An escalator is a conveyor type transport device that moves people. It
is a moving staircase with steps that move up or down using a conveyor
belt and tracks keeping each step horizontal for the passenger.

From the Latin word Scala which means Steps & the word Elevator.

History:

In 1892, Charles A. Wheeler patented ideas for the first practical

moving staircase, though it was never built.

Jesse W. Reno invented the first escalator and installed it as an

amusement ride at Coney Island, New York in 1897.

Charles Seeberger further developed it and joined the Otis Elevator

Company in 1899, and together they produced the first commercial
escalator which won a first prize at the Paris 1900 Exposition
Universelle in France.
 (unedited captions from Building Design & Construction Handbook
by Merritt & Ricketts, 6th Ed. for educational reference only)
HC = 300 P n=V
T HC
Where HC = handling capacity of a car
P = car capacity, persons
T = round trip time of car
n = number of elevators
V = peak traffic, persons in 5 min

Round Trip time is composed of all of the pieces of a projected

elevator trip, including starting, running, and stopping of the elevator
car, time for opening and closing doors, and time for passengers to
move in and out.

Other conveying systems:

Moving Walks are also conveying systems that are also referred to as
Walkalators. This system is not only utilized in a horizontal fashion
but also a diagonally inclined transport from one level to another.

Dumbwaiters are used to transport loads between levels and

generally not used as a passenger elevators.