Elevators

How Elevators Work

 In a typical elevator, the car is raised
and lowered by six to eight motor-
driven wire ropes that are attached
to the top of the car at one end,
travel around a pair of sheaves, and
are again attached to a
counterweight at the other end
 How Elevators Work
 The counterweight adds accelerating force
when the elevator car is ascending and
provides a retarding effort when the car is
descending so less motor horsepower is
required. The counterweight is a collection
of metal weights that is equal to the
weight of the car containing abut 45% of
its rated load
 How Elevators Work
 A set of chains are looped from the
bottom of the counterweight to the
underside of the car to help maintain
balance by offsetting the weight of
the suspension ropes. Guide rails
that run the length of the shaft keep
the car from swaying or twisting
during travel.
 How Elevators Work
 Rollers are attached to the car and
the counterweight to provide smooth
travel along guide rails. The traction
to raise and lower the car comes
from the friction of the wire ropes
against the grooved sheaves. The
main sheave is driven by an electric
motor.
 How Elevators Work
 Most elevators use direct current
motor because its speed can be
precisely controlled to allow smooth
acceleration and deceleration. Motor-
generator (M-G) sets typically
provide to dc power for the drive
motor. Newer systems use a static
drive control.
 How Elevators Work
 The elevator controls vary the
motor's speed based on a set of
feedback signals that indicate the
car’s position in the shaft way. As
the car approaches it’s destination, a
switch near the landing signals the
controls to stop the car at floor level.
Additional shaft way limit switches
are installed to monitor over travel
conditions.
Elevators, Escalators,
Moving walks and
Dumbwaiters
 Kinds (Types) of Elevators
 1. Passenger
 2. Freight
• Materials (inside buildings)
• Construction (usually outside)
• Vehicles
 3. Hydraulic
 4. Escalator
 5. Moving Walk
 6. Dumb Waiter
 Elevators, Escalators, Moving
walks and Dumbwaiters
 Dumb Waiter- Hoisting/ Lowering
mechanism designed for materials.
• A. Food
• B. Laundry
• C. Mails
 Car size: 1M x 1M x 1.2M
 Max load: 1000 kg
 Elevators, Escalators, Moving
walks and Dumbwaiters
 Escalator
• A. Inclination- 30 to 35
• B. Reversible
• C. Protection required: Sides/ undersides of escalator
trusses-enclosed in fire resistive materials ;
• D. Balustrades with hand rails- shall move in the
direction and same speed as steps
• E. Comb plate teeth- lower/ upper landing-no gaps, step
threads- non-combustible material
• F. Rated speed- 0.64m/s
• G. Emergency stop button- located at lower/upper
landing- for stopping only- not for restarting
 Elevators, Escalators, Moving
walks and Dumbwaiters
 Moving Walk- (Walkalator)
 Min width- 560 MM
 Max width- 600 MM
 Speed-0 to 8Inclination=180 fpm
 8 to 12inclination=140 fpm
 Ballustrades shall be provided
(enclosed)
 Two moving handrails required
 Passenger Elevators
 A. Office Buildings
 B. Hospitals
 C. Private residences

 Almost always w/o operator normally

small unit – good for 3
 Height -2 flrs
 Usually for persons w/disabilities
How to Determine no. of Elevators
in a certain building
 A. One elevator/ 220 persons excluding 1st
flr occupants
 B. Flr area= 9.30 M is the average density
of occupancy/person

• Flr area/9.3= No. of person

• No. of person/220= No. of elevators

• Ex. 600 rm hotel, No. of persons/ room=2

• 600x2=1200
• 1200/220= 5.45
• But 2nd flr/3rd flr are funtion offices
• 5.45 becomes 6 elevators.
 Passenger Elevators
 A. Office Buildings
 B. Hospitals
 C. private residences
 Min. No. of hoisting ropes-3
 Min Diameter-12MM or ½”
 No limits as to as height
 Hoist way/shaft-where elevator travels
from pit floor to top floor together with
machine room
 Passenger Elevators
 Elevator pits for buffer installation
 Buffer-spring/oil
- Used/designed to stop a descending car or
counterweight by absorbing momentum of descent
Pits- Water proofed,
- Located just below 1st landing
- Free of any material except
buffer/loose elect. Cable attached to elev.
Bottom used directly for signals
communication, lighting but not main
feeders
 Passenger Elevators
 Counter weight- Counter balancing
weight, = 40% of car weight plus
max no. of passengers.
 Governor- A mechanical device to
regulate the speed of the driving
engine.
 Elevators
 A. Hydraulics- Nominal height-not
extensively used-very deep pit to
accommodate long shaft
 B. Freight-
Min. no. of hoisting ropes-2
 Min diameter-1/2”=12MM
 With or w/o operator
 Canbe used to carry passengers during an
emergency-but not during a fire/earthquake
• 1. May be operated only from inside car-
w/operator
• 2. Can only be operated outside car-no
accessible to public
• Factories
• Warehouses
• Garages
 Max rated load
No. of passengers Rated load Inside net plat Rated load Inside net plat

         

3 226.8 0.65 2268 4.65

4 272.16 0.77    

5 317.52 0.89    

7 453.6 1.23    

8 544.32 1.45    

10 680.4 1.76    

12 816.48 2.05    

13 907.2 2.25    

16 1113.4 2.7    

20 1360.8 3.13    

         

hosp.        

23 1587.6 3.53    

27 1814.4 3.92    

30 2041.2 4.29    
 Max rated load
 To determine the max rated load of
passenger elevator with a net inside
platform area of not more than
4.65M2.
 W= 2.4568 (A)2+326.224(A)
 Where W=Max rated load ,kg’s, A=
Area,M2
 Max rated load
 For elevators having an inside net
platform area of more than 4.65M

 W=2.458 (A)2 x 611.36 (A)-621.4

 Question and Answer
 1) How do you determine the required no. of
passenger elevators for a certain structure?
 2) What is the minimum no. of hoisting ropes for
a passenger elevator?
 3) In elevators, what is a governor and what is its
purpose?
 4) What is a counter weight and what is its
purpose?
 5) What is the maximum inclination of an
escalator in degrees?
 6) What is a dumb waiter?
 7) Determine maximum rated load in kg’s of
passenger elevator with an inside car platform
dimension 1.5 meters by 1.7 meters. With this
car platform area, what is the maximum no. of
passengers allowed to ride the elevator.
 Answers
 1) a. first determine the estimated no. of
persons to use the building:
Elevator code: One elevator/220 persons
excluding 1st floor occupants.

ex. A 600 room hotel/assume 2

persons/room 600 x 2 =1200 persons
No. of ele.=1200/220=5.45
Or say 6 passenger elevators for this cause
 Answers
 B. by floor area
elev. Code: 9.3 sqm is the average
density of occupancy/person
Floor area/9.3 =no. of person
Req’d no of elev.= no. of persons/220
2) Code says: 3 hoisting ropes; what
is the minimum diameter?
=12mm/1/2”
 Answers
 3) A governor is a mechanical device to
regulate the speed of the driving engine.
 4) A counter weight is a series of weights
usually made of cast iron or even series
of rectangular cement blocks
interconnected to the driving sheave by
suspension ropes. Since its weight is the
weight of the car plus 40% or 45% of
maximum passenger weight the difference
in weight will enable to move the elevator.
This way, the capacity o the driving motor
will also be reduced considerably
 Answers
 5) Maximum inclination=35 degrees
 6) Its device is a device for
conveying food, laundry, mails, and
other materials weighing not more
than 1000 lbs total the maximum
dimension should be 1m x 1m x
1.2m
 Answers
 7) determine the maximum rated
load in kg’s of a passenger elevator
with an inside cae platform
dimension of 1.5 meters by 1.7
meters. With this car platform area,
what is the maximum no. of
passengers allowed to ride the
elevator?
 ---------
 Answers
 Solution:
 A) From elevator code:

w=35.10(A) = 326.224(A)
Where:
W=max rated load, KG’s
A=Area of elevator car, sq.m.
W= 35.10(1.50 x1.70) + 326.224 (1.50 x
1.70)
=228.23 + 831.87
=1060 KG’s=max rated load
 Answers
 B) No. of passengers:
 Ave filipino wt.=150 lbs.
 1060 KG’s x 2.2 = 2332 lbs.
 No. of passenger =2332/150=15.54
 Or say 16 passengers.