How Elisha Graves Otis Revolutionized the Elevator Industry

Almost everyone has used an elevator and for most people, it's an almost daily occurrence. Their convenience and safety make it perfect for those wanting to avoid a multi-flight stair climb in work clothes or early in the morning. In many countries like the United States, commercial buildings with more than one floor are required to have an elevator for handicap reasons so their appearance has become commonplace. But in modern times, we take for granted the safety features guaranteed by elevator manufacturers and maintenance workers.

First Safety Elevator

In 1853, Elisha Graves Otis stood on a platform suspended mid air above a crowd at New York's Crystal Palace. He shocked and amazed when the platform was able to shift, and through the use of the first safety brake, stop. Until that point, many elevators were dangerous and had zero fail-safe mechanisms to protect passengers. For this reason, few buildings ever topped seven stories as the transportation device was simply too hazardous to implement.

Otis' revolutionary idea led to the creation of the Otis Elevator Company. It still leads the pack in elevator sales, employees, and customer satisfaction and shows no signs of slowing down. Otis also paved the way for progressive engineers and architects to hone their craft and develop massive skyscrapers with 20, 40, even 75 stories.

488 Broadway

Shortly after this revelation, the first working (safe) elevator was installed at 488 Broadway and not much later at the Eiffel Tower and Empire State Building. People worldwide finally had the ability to quickly reach the tops of exceptionally tall buildings without experiencing the exhaustion from taking the stairs.

Modern Elevators

Today, all elevators are operated through electronic means, normally through a sophisticated pulley system involving hydraulics. The system, at least for engineers, is simplistic and mainly consists of a hydraulic ram, piston, cylinder, fluid reservoir and pump. As the pump pushes fluid up from the tank into a pipe, the pressurization causes that fluid to move up into the cylinder and push the piston up— resulting in the movement of the elevator car.

As the car gets near its desired floor, the pump is shut off by an electric motor, and the fluid already in the container holds the piston in place while occupants leave the car. A mechanism called the solenoid switch is then turned on so that the fluid can escape and the car can return to the ground floor to repeat the process again.

Although engineering has advanced considerably since Elisha Otis' time, if it wasn't for his revolutionary safety brake, the evolution of skyscrapers and elevators could have been set back years.