The History of the Elevator

December 1, 2021

Today we view the elevator as an accessible staple of buildings and as more buildings go up, so do the number of elevators. But as you waited for the ding of elevator doors to open, ready to safely transport you to your destination, have you ever thought about how it came to be?

While an elevator ride may be short and at times mundane, its history is not. From transporting animals to the battleground that was the Colosseum in ancient Rome, to being the sought after “flying chair” of King Louis XV, the elevator brought magic to everyday people, hundreds of years ago.

So let’s go back to where the elevator first lifted off…

The Dawn of the Elevator

As far as we know, the first construction of an elevator dates to 236 B.C, where the Greek Mathematician Archimedes used a wooden platform or box drawn by hemp ropes through a vertical open shaft and would power it by men or animals operating a capstan. For centuries following this technology remained much the same.

Transport Fit For A King (or His Mistress)

However, the use of elevators as being only for building or heavy loads soon changed when King Louis XV of France commissioned a “flying chair” for one of his mistresses at the Palace of Versailles. Connecting his chambers to that of his mistress’ on the upper level, the chair was operated by pulling a cord with connected counterweights as a pulley.

As a result, this became the first known use of an elevator made specifically for passenger use. Furthermore, King Louis became an avid fan of this technology, later installing a “flying table”.

With the ring of a bell, a dining table with elaborate meals and all its accoutrements would rise from the kitchen below, allowing for the private guests to be served their meal without interruption from palace servants.

Popularity Going Up

As time passed, elevators began to take more of the form that we see today. With the dawn of the industrial revolution the invention of the steam engine became a major propeller in the evolution of elevators.

With a need for greater efficiency of moving supplies and workers, textile mill owner William Strutt used a steam-powered, belt-driven device which used a counterweight system to raise and lower a “cradle” between floors. Though the design continued to be refined over the next thirty years, it was later published and circulated throughout England and America.

Safety First

The next major advancement in elevators came in 1853 when American inventor Elisha Otis first demonstrated a new safety device. “Improvement in Hoisting Apparatus Elevator Brake”, also known as an elevator brake, could be equipped to the elevator to stop it from falling.

Showcasing this by hoisting the elevator cab to the top of the building and deliberately cutting the cables, and instead of crashing down, the cab simply stayed in place. This addition is what made the skyscrapers of today’s cities possible.

Otis and The Otis Elevator Company quickly began putting the invention to work, and after installing a steam-powered elevator in the department store, E.W. Haughtwhat & Company of Manhattan, the first ever passenger elevator became operational.

A Vertical World

In the late 19th century, electric elevators became more common. In 1880 the first one was built by the German Inventor, Werner von Siemens. Despite its modern-day success, the invention wasn’t patented for another seven years when inventor Alexander Miles filed for it on October 11th, 1887. In it, he included his innovation in a mechanism to open and close elevator doors, which greatly improved elevator safety.

Over the next century, the elevator became increasingly accepted by a sceptical society. Thanks to avant-garde architects like Emery Roth, who designed now iconic New York residential buildings, the penthouse on the top floor of the building became the pinnacle of fashion. Ushering into popular use, the elevator is now many people’s most preferred method of vertical travel.

AVT Beckett and the Next Generation of Elevator Technology

The next generation of elevators is here and AVT Beckett is at the forefront of it. Reach out today for a quote.

Elevators and Cities: How Elevators Lift Cities Up

June 29, 2021

Across the globe, cities are growing at an unprecedented rate. But most of us rarely think about the role elevators have played in this boom.

Consider this: Every year, there are more elevators manufactured and installed than the year before. In 2019 alone, over one million new elevators were installed in the world!

Indeed, modern skyscrapers would not be possible without the equipment AVT Beckett provides across North America. But this isn’t just true today. For over a century, the backbone of every architectural marvel has been, at least partly, thanks to mechanized lifts.

In the article below, we’ll take you on a quick journey spanning the entire history of these two inseparable marvels. Enjoy!

How Elevators and Cities First Began

The original elevator is much older than you might think. In Ancient Greece, Archimedes, one of the leading scientists of antiquity, is thought to have constructed the first working lift. In the Roman Colosseum, this novel technology was used to usher lions and gladiators to the arena. Of course, these lifts were powered by people.

In fact, for centuries, lifts required man or animal power to bring the platform from one level to another. We see this is true up into the Industrial Revolution. During that time, workers used pulleys to bring coal and other ore up from mineshafts.

When the tallest building was five or six stories, elevators never seemed to outweigh the basic and simple alternative: the stairs. After all, this was long before elevator safety. It was also long before something like the Americans with Disabilities Act. Many citizens felt unsafe or simply couldn’t access elevators, which kept them on the fringe.

The Eureka Moment:1854

Buildings couldn’t rise very high when you had people (or mules or goats) on the other end of the rope. That all changed in the 19th century. At the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations, inventor Elisha Graves Otis changed the way we traverse and build cities forever.

The name probably sounds familiar. That’s because Elisha is the founder of Otis Elevator. In 1854, he changed history by introducing a safety mechanism that stopped a platform from plummeting to the floor.

His famous words “all safe, gentlemen, all safe,” originated from this first exhibit. He told his assistant to cut the main rope to the lift he stood in. Suspended above the crowds, this seemed like a one-way ticket to doom. Instead of falling to the floor, leaf-springs engaged and caught into the serrated guide rails. He was safe.

Expansion into the Skies

In the early 1900s, the proliferation of electricity inspired more efficient, mechanical elevators. Soon, it was common to have one or two lifts per building. This also allowed architects to set their sights higher.

The financial gain of such an endeavor was profound. The floor area ratio, or how much real estate could be quantified on a given plot of land, skyrocketed. Investors saw elevators as their ticket to ever-increasing financial gain.

Basically, the higher the building, the more money property owners could make. As building methods improved, so did the elevators. In fact, new elevator inventions can inspire architects to create designs never seen before.

Today, builders can choose from many types of elevators, including:

Going Up and Down Through the Centuries

As New Yorker columnist Nick Paumgarten noted, “Two things make tall buildings possible: the steel frame and the safety elevator.” And yet, many passengers today seldom consider the true marvel that is the mechanized lift.

There have been some big elevator improvements over the years. Here is a quick timeline of our favorites:

1854 Otis Safety Brake: The original leaf-spring system that paved the way for elevator adoption in New York City and beyond.

1868 Paternoster: With this design, elevator cabs circulated continuously in a closed loop. People could hop on and off at any time. The shortcoming of this system, however, was that there were no doors. See for yourself:

1912 Gearless Elevators: Gearless elevator systems eventually surpassed steam-powered machines. They could be installed in a building of any height, which made them crucial to the growing number of skyrises in big cities. To this day they are one of the most popular lift choices. Check out AVT Beckett’s page on Gearless Elevators here.

1996 MRL: Machine Room-less elevators were first invented by Kone back in the 90s. They were designed to save space in low-rise and mid-rise buildings. Instead of a machine room, the motor is installed directly in the hoistway. Nearly every MRL elevator uses gearless traction — another space-saving advantage.

2017 MULTI System: Using the latest magnetic technology, the MULTI allows elevators to run in multiple directions — including horizontally! This is a ropeless system that has inspired architects and revolutionized building design.

The Future of Elevators and Cities Continues with AVT Beckett

At AVT Beckett, we believe the future of our cities depends on safe and reliable elevators. We’ve been in the business for 60 years and are proud to say we’ve risen to the challenges put forward by the best engineers and architects in the world.

To learn more about our services, or to find out more about us, connect with us on LinkedIn.