Elevator: Difference between revisions

{{shortShort description|Vertical transport device}}

{{pp-move-indef}}

{{moreMore citations needed|date=October 2023}}

{{Use American English|date=OctoberAugust 20202024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=NovemberAugust 20192024}}

[[File:Spalding Building, Portland, Oregon (2012) - 15.JPG|thumb|right|Outside of typical elevators, shown in an office building in [[Portland, Oregon]]]]

An '''elevator''' ([[North American English]]) or '''lift''' ([[BritishEnglish in the Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth English]]) is a machine that vertically transports people or freight between levels. They are typically powered by electric motors that drive traction cables and [[counterweight]] systems such as a [[hoistHoist (device)|hoist]], although some pump hydraulic fluid to raise a cylindrical piston like a [[hydraulicHydraulic jack|jack]].

[[File:Konrad Kyeser, Bellifortis, Clm 30150, Tafel 09, Blatt 38v (Ausschnitt).jpg|thumb|upright|Elevator design by the German engineer [[Konrad Kyeser]] (1405)]]

The Roman [[Colosseum]], completed in 80 AD, had roughly 25 elevators that were used for raising animals up to the floor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Magazine |first=Smithsonian |last2=Blitz |first2=Matt |title=A New Recreation Shows How Ancient Romans Lifted Wild Animals Into the Colosseum |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-ancient-romans-got-wild-animals-colosseum-180955580/ |access-date=2024-10-03 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref> Each elevator could carry about {{convert|600|lb}} (roughly the weight of two lions) {{convert|23|feet}} up when powered by up to eight men.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blitz |first=Matt |title=A New Recreation Shows How Ancient Romans Lifted Wild Animals Intointo the Colosseum |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-ancient-romans-got-wild-animals-colosseum-180955580/|access-date=2021-03-07 |website=Smithsonian Magazine|language=en |archive-date=11 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411072722/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-ancient-romans-got-wild-animals-colosseum-180955580/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 March 2021 }}</ref> In 1000, the ''Book of Secrets'' by [[Ibn Khalaf al-Muradi]] in [[Al-Andalus|Islamic Spain]] described the use of an elevator-like lifting device to raise a large battering ram to destroy a fortress.<ref>{{YouTube|id=d0aoJZ-8Z4U|title=The Book of Secrets&nbsp;— Kitab al Asrar of al-Muradi&nbsp;— part 1 of 2}}</ref>

The development of elevators was led by the need for movement of raw materials, including [[coal]] and [[lumber]], from hillsides. The technology developed by these industries, and the introduction of steel beam construction, worked together to provide the passenger and freight elevators in use today. Starting in coal mines, elevators in the mid-19th century operated with [[steam power]], and were used for moving goods in bulk in mines and factories. These devices were soon applied to a diverse set of purposes. In 1823, Burton and Homer, two [[architect]]s in [[London]], built and operated a novel tourist attraction which they called the "ascending room", which elevated customers to a considerable height in the center of London, providing a panoramic view.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://conveyor-tech.com/dictionary/catalog/10/index.html |title=Conveyor technology: Elevator |website=Conveyor-Tech.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080621145810/http://www.conveyor-tech.com/dictionary/catalog/10/index.html |archive-date=21 June 2008 }}</ref>

Early, crude steam-driven elevators were refined in the ensuing decade. In 1835, an innovative elevator, the Teagle, was developed by the company Frost and Stutt in [[England]]. It was belt-driven and used a [[counterweight]] for extra power.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bellis |first=Mary |url=http://inventors.about.com/od/estartinventions/a/Elevator.htm |title=Learn Who Invented the Elevator and More |website=Inventors.about.com |access-date=26 April 2017 |archive-date=1 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001045317/https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-elevator-1991600 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1845, Neapolitan architect [[Gaetano Genovese]] installed in the [[Royal Palace of Caserta]] the "Flying Chairchair", an elevator ahead of its time, in the [[Royal Palace of Caserta]]. It was covered with chestnut wood outside and with maple wood inside. It included a light, two benches, and a hand-operated signal, and could be activated from the outside, without any effort by the occupants. Traction was controlled by a motor mechanic utilizing a system of toothed wheels. A safety system was designed to take effect if the cords broke, consisting of a beam pushed outwards by a steel spring.

[[Henry Waterman (inventor)|Henry Waterman]] of New York is credited with inventing the "standing rope control" for an elevator in 1850.<ref name="TheElevatorMuseumTimeline">{{cite web |title=EW Museum |url=http://www.theelevatormuseum.org/timeline.php|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100416162847/http://www.theelevatormuseum.org/timeline.php |archive-date=16 April 16, 2010|access-date=26 April 2017|website=Theelevatormuseum.org }}</ref>

In 1852, [[Elisha Otis]] introduced the safety elevator, which prevented the fall of the cab if the cable broke. He demonstrated it at the New York exposition in the [[New York Crystal Palace|Crystal Palace]] in a dramatic, death-defying presentation in 1854,<ref name="TheElevatorMuseumTimeline"/><ref>{{cite web |author1=Barry Denenberg |title=Skycrapers |url=http://magicalhystorytour.blogspot.com/2010/08/skyscrapers.html |website=Magical Hystory Tour: The Origins of the Commonplace & Curious in America |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708051842/http://magicalhystorytour.blogspot.com/2010/08/skyscrapers.html |archive-date=8 July 2011 |language=en |date=1 September 2010 }}</ref> and the first such passenger elevator was installed at [[E. V. Haughwout Building|488 Broadway]] in [[New York, New York|New York City]] on 23 March 1857.

The first elevator shaft preceded the first elevator by four years. Construction for [[Peter Cooper]]'s [[Cooper Union]] Foundation building in [[history of New York City|New York]] began in 1853. An elevator shaft was included in the design because Cooper was confident that a safe passenger elevator would soon be invented.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://library.cooper.edu/archive/symbol/symbol5.html |title=The Cooper Union Library: Foundation Building |workwebsite=cooperCooper.edu |access-date=18 September 2011 |archive-date=30 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730234008/http://library.cooper.edu/archive/symbol/symbol5.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The shaft was [[cylinder (geometry)|cylindrical]] because Cooper thought it was the most efficient design.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ringwoodmanor.com/peo/ch/pc/pc.htm |title=Peter Cooper, a Brief Biography |work=ringwoodmanor.com |access-date=26 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030708024526/http://www.ringwoodmanor.com/peo/ch/pc/pc.htm |archive-date=8 July 2003 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Otis later designed a special elevator for the building.

[[Peter Ellis (architect)|Peter Ellis]], an English architect, installed the first elevators that could be described as [[paternoster elevator]]s in [[Oriel Chambers]] in Liverpool in 1868.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ainsworth, |first1=Robert and |last2=Jones, |first2=Graham. "|title=In the Footsteps of Peter Ellis". }}</ref>

In 1872, American inventor James Wayland patented a novel method of securing elevator shafts with doors that are automatically opened and closed as the elevator car approaches and leaves them.<ref>{{Cite webpatent |urlcountry=https://patents.google.com/patent/US134334A/en?scholar&oqUS |number=US291737134334A |title=Improvement in hatchwaysHatchways for elevatorsElevators}}</ref>

In 1874, J. W. Meaker patented a method permitting elevator doors to open and close safely.<ref>{{UScite patent |country=US |number=147853 }}</ref>

In 1884, American inventor D. Humphreys of [[Norfolk, Virginia]], patented an elevator with automatic doors that closed off the elevator shaft when the car was not being entered or exited.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US291737A/en |titlecountry=US |number=291737A |title=Self-openingOpening and selfSelf-closingClosing Hatchway hatchway}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Elevator Consultant |url=https://theelevatorconsultant.com/}}</ref>

In 1891, American inventors Joseph Kelly and William L. Woods co-patented a novel way to guard elevator shafts against accident, by way of hatches that would automatically open and close as the car passed through them.<ref>{{Cite webpatent |urlcountry=https://patents.google.com/patent/US454945A/en?scholar&oqUS |number=454945A <!--US291737?--> |title=Kelley }}</ref>

The first elevator in India was installed at the [[Raj Bhavan, Kolkata|Raj Bhavan in Kolkata]] by Otis in 1892.<ref>{{cite news |title=We must continue to listen to the market |url=http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/we-must-continue-to-listen-to-the-market-says-otis-elevator-md/article6324345.ece |newspaper=The Hindu |access-date=17 July 2016 |language=en-IN |date=17 August 2014 |last1=Mishra |first1=Lalatendu |archive-date=12 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112001555/http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/we-must-continue-to-listen-to-the-market-says-otis-elevator-md/article6324345.ece |url-status=live |access-date=17 July 2016 }}</ref>

An inverter-controlled gearless drive system is applied in high-speed elevators worldwide. The [[Toshiba]] company continued research on thyristors for use in inverter control and dramatically enhanced their switching capacity, resulting in the development of [[Insulated-gate bipolar transistor|insulated gate bipolar transistors]] (IGBTs) at the end of the 1980s. The IGBT realized increased switching frequency and reduced magnetic noise in the motor, eliminating the need for a filter circuit and allowing a more compact system. The IGBT also allowed the development of a small, highly integrated, highly sophisticated all-digital control device, consisting of a high-speed processor, specially customized gate arrays, and a circuit capable of controlling large currents of several kHz.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Toshiba Science Museum : World's First Inverter-Controlled High-Speed Gearless Elevator |url=https://toshiba-mirai-kagakukan.jp/en/learn/history/ichigoki/1983elevator/index.htm|access-date=2020-12-28 December 2020 |website=toshiba-mirai-kagakukan.jp |archive-date=15 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415084032/http://toshiba-mirai-kagakukan.jp/en/learn/history/ichigoki/1983elevator/index.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Some people argue that elevators began as simple [[rope]] or [[link chain|chain]] [[hoist (device)|hoists]] (see ''Traction elevators'' below). An elevator is essentially a platform that is either pulled or pushed up by mechanical means. A modern-day elevator consists of a cab (also called a "cabin", "cage", "carriage" or "car") mounted on a platform within an enclosed space called a shaft or sometimes a "hoistway". In the past, elevator drive mechanisms were powered by steam and water hydraulic pistons or by hand. In a "traction" elevator, cars are pulled up by means of rolling steel ropes over a deeply grooved [[pulley]], commonly called a sheave in the industry. The weight of the car is balanced by a [[counterweight]]. Often timesOftentimes two elevators (or sometimes three) are built so that their cars always move synchronously in opposite directions, and are each other's counterweight.

Elevator [[door|doors]]s prevent riders from falling into, entering, or tampering with anything in the shaft. The most common configuration is to have two panels that meet in the middle and slide open laterally. These are known as "center-opening". In a cascading telescopic configuration (potentially allowing wider entryways within limited space), the doors roll on independent tracks so that while open, they are tucked behind one another, and while closed, they form cascading layers on one side. This can be configured so that two sets of such cascading doors operate like the center opening doors described above, allowing for a very wide elevator cab. In less expensive installations the elevator can also use one large "slab" door: a single panel door the width of the doorway that opens to the left or right laterally. These are known as "single slide" doors. Some buildings have elevators with the single door on the shaftway, and double cascading doors on the cab.

* Noise level of 50–55 &nbsp;dBA ([[A-weighted]] [[decibels]]), lower than some but not all types of elevators

* Today, some machine room-less hydraulic elevators by Otis and TK Elevator exist. They do not involve the use of an underground piston or a machine room, mitigating environmental concerns; however, they are not allowed by codes in some parts of the United States.<ref>{{cite web|title=enduraMRL &#124; thyssenkrupp Elevators Escalators Moving Walks &#124; Installation Service Modernization|url=https://thyssenkruppelevator.com/elevator-products/enduraMRL|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303053128/https://thyssenkruppelevator.com/elevator-products/enduraMRL|archive-date=March 3, March 2014|access-date=26 April 2017|website=Thyssenkruppelevator.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Hydrofit – Hydraulic Elevator-Machine-Roomless–Otis Elevator– USA HydroFitProductPage|url=http://www.otis.com/site/us/Pages/HydroFitProductPage.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130213160323/http://www.otis.com/site/us/Pages/HydroFitProductPage.aspx|archive-date=February 13, February 2013|access-date=26 April 2017|website=Otis.com}}</ref>

Double-decker elevators are traction elevators with cars that have an upper and lower deck. Both decks, which can serve a floor at the same time, are usually driven by the same motor.<ref>{{cite web|title=Double-Deck Elevators Increase Efficiency|url=http://www.elevatordesigninfo.com/double-deck-elevators-improve-efficiency|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180326141531/http://www.elevatordesigninfo.com/double-deck-elevators-improve-efficiency|archive-date=March 26, March 2018|publisher=Nationwide Lifts}}</ref> The system increases efficiency in high-rise buildings, and saves space so additional shafts and cars are not required.

In 1901, consulting engineer Charles G. Darrach (1846-19271846–1927) proposed the first formula to determine elevator service.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Darrach|first=Charles|date=1901|title=Mechanical Installation in the Modern Office Building|journal=Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers|volume=48|issue=2|pages=1–16|doi=10.1061/TACEAT.0001501}}</ref>

In 1908, Reginald P. Bolton published the first book devoted to this subject, ''Elevator Service''.<ref>Reginald Pelham Bolton, Elevator Service. New York, Self-published (1908)</ref> The summation of his work was a massive fold-out chart (placed at the back of his book) that allowed users to determine the number of express and local elevators needed for a given building to meet a desired interval of service.

In 1912, commercial engineer Edmund F. Tweedy and electrical engineer Arthur Williams co-authored a book titled ''Commercial Engineering for Central Stations''.<ref>Edmund F. Tweedy, Commercial Engineering for Central Stations. New York, McGraw-Hill (1912)</ref> He followed Bolton's lead and developed a "Chart for determining the number and size of elevators required for office buildings of a given total occupied floor area".

Modification and improvements have been made to this equation over the years, most significantly in 2000 when Peters published "''Improvements to the Up Peak Round Trip Time Calculation''"<ref>Peters R D ''"Improvements to the Up Peak Round Trip Time Calculation''" (Technical Note) ''International Journal of Elevator Engineers'', Volume 3 No 1 (2000)</ref> which improved the accuracy of the flight time calculation, making allowances for short elevator journeys when the car doesn'tdoes not reach maximum rated speed or acceleration, and added the functionality of express zones. This equation is now referred to as the 'Up peak Calculation'<ref>Inglis, Cooper, Barney Elevator & Escalator Micropedia 5th edition (2009)</ref> as it uses the assumption that all the passengers are coming into the building from the ground floor (incoming traffic) and that there are no passengers travellingtraveling from a higher floor to the ground floor (outgoing traffic) and no passengers travellingtraveling from one internal floor to another (interfloor traffic). This model works well if a building is at its most busy first thing in the morning,; however, in more complicated elevator systems, this model doesn'tdoes not work.

In this method, a virtual version of a building is created on a computer, modellingmodeling passengers and elevators as realistically as possible, and random numbers are used to model probability rather than mathematical equations and percentage probability.

Although it is currently the most accurate method of modellingmodeling an elevator system, the method does have drawbacks. Unlike calculations, it doesn'tdoes not find a RTT value because it doesn'tdoes not run standard round trips; thus it doesn'tdoes not conform with standardized elevator-traffic analysis methodology, and can'tcannot be used to find values such as average interval; instead, it is generally used to find the average waiting time.

At the first Elevator and Escalator symposium in 2011, Al-Sharif proposed an alternative form of simulation<ref>Al-Sharif L, Abdel Aal O.F, Abu Alqumsan A.M The Use Of Monte Carlo Simulation To Evaluate The Passenger Average Travelling Time Under Up-Peak Traffic Conditions The 1st Symposium of Lift and Escalator Technologies, September 2011, The University of Northampton, Northampton, United Kingdom</ref> that modeled a car's single round trip before restarting and running again. This method is still capable of modellingmodeling complex systems, and also conforms with standard methodology by producing an RTT value. The model was improved further in 2018 when Al-Sharif demonstrated a way to reintroduce a dispatcher-like function which can model destination control systems.<ref>Al-Sharif L, Peters R D Using the Monte Carlo Simulation to Evaluate the Round-Trip Time Under Destination Control Proceedings of the 9th Symposium on Lift & Escalator Technology (CIBSE Lifts Group, the University of Northampton and LEIA) (2018)</ref>

While this does successfully remove simulation's major drawback, it isn'tis not quite as accurate as dispatcher-based simulations given its simplifications and non-continual nature. The Monte Carlo method also requires passenger count as an input, rather than passengers per second, in other methodologies.

Elevators can be rope dependent or rope-free.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thyssenkrupp-elevator.com/Show-article.104.0.html?&L=1&cHash=08b38cb686f00ec874ad82c44c737427&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=546 |title=ThyssenKrupp Elevator: ThyssenKrupp develops the world's first rope-free elevator system to enable the building industry face the challenges of global urbanization |workwebsite=thyssenkruppThyssenkrupp-elevatorElevator.com |access-date=16 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217072016/http://www.thyssenkrupp-elevator.com/Show-article.104.0.html?&L=1&cHash=08b38cb686f00ec874ad82c44c737427&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=546 |archive-date=17 December 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> There are at least four means of moving an elevator:

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{{missingMissing information|section|winding drum elevators|date=December 2020}}

Geared traction machines are driven by [[alternating current|AC]] or [[direct current|DC]] electric motors. Geared machines use [[worm gear]]s to control mechanical movement of elevator cars by "rolling" steel hoist ropes over a drive sheave which is attached to a [[gearbox]] driven by a high-speed motor. These machines are generally the best option for basement or overhead traction use for speeds up to {{convert|500|ft/min|m/s|0|order=flip|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|author=ACE Lifts|title=Traction Lifts: an infographic on how they work|url=http://acelifts.com/news/traction-lifts-work/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719082011/http://acelifts.com/news/traction-lifts-work/|archive-date=July 19, July 2014|work=ACE Lifts}}</ref>

The low mechanical complexity of hydraulic elevators in comparison to traction elevators makes them ideal for low-rise, low-traffic installations. They are less energy-efficient as the pump works against gravity to push the car and its passengers upwards; this energy is lost when the car descends on its own weight. The high current draw of the pump when starting up also places higher demands on a building's electrical system. There are also environmental concerns should the lifting cylinder leak fluid into the ground,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/engines-equipment/elevator1.htm |title=How Elevators Work: Hydraulic Elevators |authorlast=Harris, |first=Tom |publisher=[[HowStuffWorks]] |date=12 February 2002 |access-date=4 August 2014 |archive-date=9 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809205733/http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/engines-equipment/elevator1.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><!--hydraulic elevator machine rooms often but not always on the bottommost floor--> hence the development of holeless hydraulic elevators, which also eliminate the need for a relatively deep hole in the bottom of the elevator shaft. Hydraulic elevators may use telescopic hydraulic cylinders.{{Citation needed|date=FebruaryAugust 20192024}}

Cable-free elevators using [[electromagnetic propulsion]], capable of moving both vertically and horizontally, have been developed by German engineering firm [[Thyssen Krupp]] for use in high rise, high density buildings.<ref>{{cite web |title=MULTI – Rope-freeFree elevatorElevator systemSystem – thyssenkrupp Elevator|url=https://multi.thyssenkrupp-elevator.com/en/|website=multi.thyssenkrupp-elevator.com |publisher=[[Thyssen Krupp]] |access-date=19 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119034447/https://multi.thyssenkrupp-elevator.com/en/ |archive-date=19 January 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1last=Condliffe |first1first=Jamie |title=Meet the world's first cable-free elevator—it can zoom horizontally or vertically |url=https://www.technologyreview.com/s/608167/worlds-first-cable-free-elevator-zooms-horizontally-and-vertically-using-maglev-tech/ |website=MIT Technology Review |publisher=[[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] |access-date=19 October 2017|language=en |archive-date=26 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626234118/https://www.technologyreview.com/s/608167/worlds-first-cable-free-elevator-zooms-horizontally-and-vertically-using-maglev-tech/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

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A climbing elevator is a self-ascending elevator with its own propulsion. The propulsion can be done by an electric or a combustion engine. Climbing elevators are used in guyed masts or towers, in order to make easy access to parts of these constructions, such as flight safety lamps for maintenance. An example would be the [[moonlight tower]]s in Austin, Texas, where the elevator holds only one person and equipment for maintenance. The [[Glasgow Tower]]&nbsp;— an—an observation tower in [[Glasgow]], [[Scotland]]&nbsp;— alsoScotland—also makes use of two climbing elevators. Temporary climbing elevators are commonly used in the construction of new high-rise buildings to move materials and personnel before the building's permanent elevator system is installed, at which point the climbing elevators are dismantled.

An elevator of this kind uses a vacuum on top of the cab and a valve on the top of the "shaft" to move the cab upwards and closes the valve in order to keep the cab at the same level. A diaphragm or a piston is used as a "brake", if there's is a sudden increase in pressure above the cab. To go down, it opens the valve so that the air can pressurisepressurize the top of the "shaft", allowing the cab to go down by its own weight. This also means that in case of a power failure, the cab will automatically go down. The "shaft" is made of acrylic, and is always round due to the shape of the vacuum pump. To keep the air inside of the cab, rubber seals are used. Due to technical limitations, these elevators have a low capacity, they usually allow 1–3 passengers and up to {{convert|525|lb}}.<ref>{{cite web |last1last=Knight |first1first=Will |title=Vacuum elevator gives users a gentle lift |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7353-vacuum-elevator-gives-users-a-gentle-lift/ |website=[[New Scientist]] |access-date=23 November 2017 |date=6 May 2005 |archive-date=1 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201043209/https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7353-vacuum-elevator-gives-users-a-gentle-lift/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

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[[File:OtisControl.jpg|thumb|upright|Otis 1920s controller, operational in a New York City apartment building]]

This lever would allow some control over the energy supplied to the motor and so enabled the elevator to be accurately positioned&nbsp;— ifpositioned—if the operator was sufficiently skilled. More typically, the operator would have to "jog" the control, moving the cab in small increments until the elevator was reasonably close to the landing point. Then the operator would direct the outgoing and incoming passengers to "watch the step".

* [[File:Ringing the elevator alarm.jpg|thumb|Using the emergency telephone button in an elevator. There is [[Braille]] text for visually impaired people and a button illuminates to alert a hearing impaired person that the alarm is ringing and the call is being placed.]]An [[Emergency telephone|elevator telephone]], which can be used (in addition to the alarm) by a trapped passenger to call for help. This may consist of a transceiver, or simply a button. This feature is often required by local regulations.

* One or more additional sets of doors. This is primarily used to serve different floor plans: on each floor only one set of doors opens. For example, in an elevated crosswalk setup, the front doors may open on the street level, and the rear doors open on the crosswalk level. This is also common in garages, rail stations, and airports. Alternatively, both doors may open on a given floor. This is sometimes timed so that one side opens first for getting off, and then the other side opens for getting on, to improve boarding/exiting speed. This is particularly useful when passengers have luggage or carts, as at an airport, due to reduced manoeuvrabilitymaneuverability.

** [[File:Dual elevator door buttons - cropped.jpg|thumb|Dual door open and door close buttons, in an elevator with two sets of doors, found on a ThyssenKrupp elevator from the 2010s]] In case of dual doors, there may be two sets of door open and door close buttons, with one pair controlling the front doors, from the perspective of the console, typically denoted &lt;&gt; and &gt;&lt;, with the other pair controlling the rear doors, typically denoted with a line in the middle, <nowiki>&lt;|&gt; and &gt;|&lt;</nowiki>, or double lines, <nowiki>|&lt;&gt;| and &gt;||&lt;</nowiki>. This second set is required in the US if both doors can be opened at the same landing, so that the doors can both be controlled in independent service.<ref name="skeptics"/><ref>ASME A17.1 – 2000, Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, Requirements 2.27.3.3.1.d "On cars with two entrances, a separate door-close button shall be provided for each entrance if both entrances can be opened at the same landing."</ref>

* Plain walls or mirrored walls.

* Glass windowpane providing a view of the building interior or onto the streets.[[File:Elevator S Signal button.jpg|thumb|'S' "Signal" button, found in US elevators of 1991–2012 vintage]]Glass windowpane providing a view of the building interior or onto the streets

An audible signal button, labelledlabeled "S": in the US, for elevators installed between 1991 and 2012 (initial passage of ADA and coming into force of 2010 revision), a button which if pushed, sounds an audible signal as each floor is passed, to assist visually impaired passengers. This button is no longer used on new elevators, where the sound is normally obligatory.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/06/25/elevator_s_button_what_does_it_do_.html |title=What's That Thing? Elevator Button Edition |author=Mark Vanhoenacker |date=25 June 2012 |publisher=Slate |access-date=27 December 2014 |archive-date=27 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227161449/http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/06/25/elevator_s_button_what_does_it_do_.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=This elevator was installed in 2019 and has no sound|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukrnsnYl1D8|date=13 April 13, 2019|website=YouTube|access-date=17 May 17, 2020|archive-date=5 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605000306/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukrnsnYl1D8&gl=US&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref>

* An ''independent service''/''exclusive mode'' (also known as "Carcar Preferencepreference"), which will prevent the car from answering to hall calls and only arrive at floors selected via the panel. The door should stay open while parked on a floor. This mode may be used for temporarily transporting goods.

[[File:External lift control panel.jpg|thumb|upright|An external control panel]]

{{further|Floor numbering}}To distinguish between floors, the different landings are given numbers and sometimes letters. See the above article for more information.

* Continue travellingtraveling in the same direction while there are remaining requests in that same direction.

{{mainMain|Destination dispatch}}

[[File:Destination control elevator floor selection.jpg|thumb|upright|An Otis CompassPlus destination control elevator floor selection panel at [[Northeastern University]] in Boston, United States]]

Inside the elevator there is no call button to push, or the buttons are there but they cannot be pushed&nbsp;— exceptpushed—except door opening and alarm button&nbsp;— theybutton—they only indicate stopping floors.

The idea of destination control was originally conceived by [[Leo Port]] from Sydney in 1961,<ref>Port, L.W. (1961), Elevator System Commonwealth of Australia Patent Specification, Application Number 1421/61, 14 February 1961</ref> but at that time elevator controllers were implemented in relays and were unable to optimiseoptimize the performance of destination control allocations.

The system was first pioneered by [[Schindler Group|Schindler Elevator]] in 1992 as the Miconic 10. Manufacturers of such systems claim that average travellingtraveling time can be reduced by up to 30%.<ref>{{cite web |title=Schindler Elevators, Escalators, Moving Walks Service Mod Company |url=http://www6.schindler.com/SEC/websecen.nsf/pages/elev-MHR-Mic10-01 |url-statuswebsite=deadSchindler.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829162519/http://www6.schindler.com/SEC/websecen.nsf/pages/elev-MHR-Mic10-01 |archive-date=29 August 29, 2008|access-date=26 April 2017|website=Schindler.com}}</ref>

However, performance enhancements cannot be generalized as the benefits and limitations of the system are dependent on many factors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.peters-research.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100%3Aunderstanding-the-benefits-and-limitations-of-destination-control&catid=3%3Apapers&Itemid=1 |title=Peters Research Ltd |authorfirst=Richard |last=Peters |work=peters-research.com |access-date=1 December 2010 |archive-date=15 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715065958/http://www.peters-research.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100:understanding-the-benefits-and-limitations-of-destination-control&catid=3:papers&Itemid=1 |url-status=live |access-date=1 December 2010 }}</ref> One problem is that the system is subject to gaming. Sometimes, one person enters the destination for a large group of people going to the same floor. The dispatching [[algorithm]] is usually unable to completely cater for the variation, and latecomers may find the elevator they are assigned to is already full. Also, occasionally, one person may press the floor multiple times. This is common with up/down buttons when people believe this to be an effective way to hurry elevators. However, this will make the computer think multiple people are waiting and will allocate empty cars to serve this one person.

To prevent this problem, in one implementation of destination control, every user is given an [[RFID]] card, for identification and tracking, so that the system knows every user call and can cancel the first call if the passenger decides to travel to another destination, preventing empty calls. The newest invention knows even where people are located and how many on which floor because of their identification, either for the purposes of evacuating the building or for security reasons.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theporttechnology.com/page/systemoperation.html |title=The PORT Technology :: System Operation |workwebsite=theporttechnologyThePortTechnology.com |access-date=5 June 2013 |archive-date=11 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130711214024/http://www.theporttechnology.com/page/systemoperation.html |url-status=live |access-date=5 June 2013 }}</ref> Another way to prevent this issue is to treat everyone travellingtraveling from one floor to another as one group and to allocate only one car for that group.

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[[File:Sabbath on-off.jpg|thumb|upright=0.50|A switch to turn Sabbath elevator mode on or off]]

Inspection service is designed to provide access to the hoistway and car top for inspection and maintenance purposes by qualified elevator mechanics. It is first activated by a key switch on the car operating panel usually labelledlabeled 'Inspection', 'Car Top', 'Access Enable' or 'HWENAB' (short for HoistWay access ENABled). When this switch is activated the elevator will come to a stop if moving, car calls will be cancelledcanceled (and the buttons disabled), and hall calls will be assigned to other elevator cars in the group (or cancelledcanceled in a single elevator configuration). The elevator can now only be moved by the corresponding 'Access' key switches, usually located at the highest (to access the top of the car) and lowest (to access the elevator pit) landings. The access key switches will allow the car to move at reduced inspection speed with the hoistway door open. This speed can range from anywhere up to 60% of normal operating speed on most controllers, and is usually defined by local safety codes.

In the UK and Europe the requirements for firefighters lifts are defined in the standard EN81-72.{{Citation Aneeded|date=August simple guide to the requirements for firefighters lifts can be found [https://www.cundall.com/ideas/blog/a-simple-guide-to-the-requirements-for-firefighting-lifts here].2024}}

Many elevator installations now feature emergency power systems such as [[uninterruptible power supply]] (UPS) which allow elevator use in blackout situations and prevent people from becoming trapped in elevators. To be compliant with BS 9999 safety standards, a passenger lift being used in an emergency situation must have a secondary source of power. In many cases, providing a secondary mains feed simply is not possible,{{why|date=May 2021}} so a UPS and or generator combination is used instead.

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[[File:G1TOWER view from Art Tower Mito.jpg|thumb|An [[elevator test tower]] in Japan]]

On 26 February 2014, the European Union released their adoption of safety standards through a directive notification.<ref>{{Citation|title=Directive 2014/33/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonization of the laws of the Member States relating to lifts and safety components for lifts Text with EEA relevance|date=29 March 2014|url=http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/33/oj/eng|volume=OJ L|issue=32014L0033|language=en |access-date=7 February 2019|archive-date=1 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001045320/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/33/oj/eng|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Elevator speed governor.jpg|thumb|GovernorAn overspeed governor]]

Statistically speaking, traction elevators are extremely safe. Of the 20 to 30 elevator-related deaths each year, most of them are maintenance-related&nbsp;— forrelated—for example, technicians leaning too far into the shaft or getting caught between moving parts, and most of the rest are attributed to other kinds of accidents, such as people stepping blindly through doors that open into empty shafts or being strangled by scarves caught in the doors.<ref name="windypundit.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.windypundit.com/archives/2008/04/elevator_of_deathnot_really.html |title=Elevator of Death...Or Not – Windypundit |work=Windypundit |date=16 April 2008 |access-date=29 April 2009 |archive-date=26 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426080835/http://windypundit.com/archives/2008/04/elevator_of_deathnot_really.html |url-status=live }}</ref> While it is possible (though extraordinarily unlikely) for an elevator's cable to snap, all elevators in the modern era have been fitted with several safety devices which prevent the elevator from simply free-falling and crashing. An elevator cab is typically borne by 2 to 6 (up to 12 or more in high rise installations) [[Redundancy (engineering)|redundant]] hoist cables or belts, each of which is capable on its own of supporting the rated load of the elevator plus twenty-five percent more weight. In addition, there is a device which detects whether the elevator is descending faster than its maximum designed speed; if this happens, the device causes copper (or silicon nitride ceramic in high rise installations) brake shoes to clamp down along the vertical rails in the shaft, stopping the elevator quickly, but not so abruptly as to cause injury. This device, called the governor, was invented by [[Elisha Graves Otis]].<ref name="newyorker.com">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/04/21/080421fa_fact_paumgarten?currentPage=all |title=Up and Then Down |date=21 April 2008 |magazine=The New Yorker |access-date=14 March 2009 |archive-date=14 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090314204223/http://www.newyorker.com//reporting//2008//04//21//080421fa_fact_paumgarten?currentPage=all |url-status=live }}</ref> For example, in 2007 an elevator at a Seattle children's hospital experienced cable failure, causing it to free-fall until its governor engaged.<ref name="seattlepi.com">{{cite news |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/4-elevators-shut-down-by-inspectors-1253339.php |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |first1=Aubrey |last1=Cohen |title=4 Elevators Shut Down By Inspectors |date=23 October 2007 |access-date=13 December 2011 |archive-date=14 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114062652/http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/4-elevators-shut-down-by-inspectors-1253339.php |url-status=live }}</ref> In addition, an oil/hydraulic or spring or polyurethane or telescopic oil/hydraulic buffer or a combination (depending on the travel height and travel speed) is installed at the bottom of the shaft (or in the bottom of the cab and sometimes also in the top of the cab or shaft) to somewhat cushion any impact.<ref name="windypundit.com" /> Lethal accidents do occur, however: in 1989, seven people were killed at a hospital in [[L'Hospitalet de Llobregat|L'Hospitalet, Spain]], when the pulleys connecting the cables to the elevator cabin broke loose and the safety mechanism failed to activate, causing the elevator to plunge seven stories to the ground.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Rios |first1=Pere |last2=Arroyo |first2=Francesc |title=Siete muertos en un hospital de Barcelona al caer al vacío el ascensor en que viajaban |language=es |date=21 May 1989 |newspaper=[[El País]] |url=https://elpais.com/diario/1989/05/22/espana/611791208_850215.html |access-date=8 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302004238/https://elpais.com/diario/1989/05/22/espana/611791208_850215.html |archive-date=2 March 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> A similar accident occurred in 2019 in [[Santos, Brazil]], killing four.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Empresa responsável por elevador que despencou em SP alega falha na fabricação de peça |langlanguage=pt |date=9 February 2020 |publisher=[[GloboNews]] |url=https://g1.globo.com/sp/santos-regiao/noticia/2020/02/09/empresa-responsavel-por-elevador-que-despencou-em-sp-alega-falha-na-fabricacao-de-peca.ghtml |access-date=8 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200210152428/https://g1.globo.com/sp/santos-regiao/noticia/2020/02/09/empresa-responsavel-por-elevador-que-despencou-em-sp-alega-falha-na-fabricacao-de-peca.ghtml |archive-date=10 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

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Safety testing of [[shaft mining|mine shaft]] elevator rails is routinely undertaken. The method involves destructive testing of a segment of the cable. The ends of the segment are frayed, then set in conical [[zinc mouldsmolds]]. Each end of the segment is then secured in a large, hydraulic stretching machine. The segment is then placed under increasing load to the point of [[failure]]. Data about elasticity, load, and other factors is compiled and a report is produced. The report is then analysedanalyzed to determine whether or not the entire rail is safe to use.

Passenger elevators capacity is related to the available floor space. Generally passenger elevators are available in capacities from {{convert|1000|to(-)|6000|lb|kg|-2|order=flip|abbr=on}} in {{convert|500|lb|kg|adj=on|-1|order=flip|abbr=on}} increments.{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}} Generally passenger elevators in buildings of eight floors or fewer are hydraulic or electric, which can reach speeds up to {{convert|200|ft/min|m/s|0|order=flip|abbr=on}} hydraulic and up to {{convert|500|ft/min|m/s|0|order=flip|abbr=on}} electric. In buildings up to ten floors, electric and gearless elevators are likely to have speeds up to {{convert|500|ft/min|m/s|0|order=flip|abbr=on}}, and above ten floors speeds range {{convert|500|to(-)|2000|ft/min|m/s|0|order=flip|abbr=on}}.{{Citation needed|date=August 20092024}}<!--or event higher: 20m/s worlds fastest elevators mitsubishi and hitachi, worlds fastest elevators over time-->

Sometimes passenger elevators are used as a city transport along with [[funicular]]s. For example, there is a 3three-station underground public elevator in [[Yalta]], [[Ukraine]], which takes passengers from the top of a hill above the Black Sea on which hotels are perched, to a tunnel located on the beach below. At Casco Viejo station in the [[Bilbao Metro]], the elevator that provides access to the station from a hilltop neighborhood doubles as city transportation: the station's ticket barriers are set up in such a way that passengers can pay to reach the elevator from the entrance in the lower city, or vice versa. See also the [[Elevator#Elevators for urban transport|Elevators for urban transport]] section.

[[File:World Trade Center Building Design with Floor and Elevator Arrangement m.svg|thumb|The former [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]]'s twin towers used [[skylobbySkylobby|skylobbies]], located on the 44th and 78th floors of each tower.]]

Passenger elevators may be specialized for the service they perform, including: hospital emergency ([[code blue]]), front and rear entrances, a television in high-rise buildings, [[doubleDouble-deck elevator|double-decker]], and other uses. Cars may be ornate in their interior appearance, may have audio visual advertising, and may be provided with specialized recorded voice announcements. Elevators may also have [[loudspeakers]] in them to play calm, easy listening music. Such music is often referred to as [[elevator music]].

Residential elevators may be small enough to only accommodate one person while some are large enough for more than a dozen. Wheelchair, or platform elevators, a specialized type of elevator designed to move a [[wheelchair]] {{convert|12|ft|m|1|order=flip|abbr=on}} or less, can often accommodate just one person in a wheelchair at a time with a load of {{convert|750|lb|kg|0|order=flip|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite book |title=Safety Standard For Platform Lifts and Stairway Chairlifts ASME A18.1–2003 |yeardate=2003 |publisher=American Society of Mechanical Engineers |location=New York, NY |page=34 (of 69 pages) |edition=2003 }} Viewed August 2013.</ref>

A freight elevator, or goods lift, is an elevator designed to carry goods, rather than passengers. Freight elevators are generally required to display a written notice in the car that the use by passengers is prohibited (though not necessarily illegal), though certain freight elevators allow dual use through the use of an inconspicuous riser. In order for an elevator to be legal to carry passengers in some jurisdictions it must have a solid inner door. Freight elevators are typically larger and capable of carrying heavier loads than a passenger elevator, generally from 2,300{{Convert|2300 to 4,500&nbsp;4500|kg|abbr=on}}. Freight elevators may have manually operated doors, and often have rugged interior finishes to prevent damage while loading and unloading. Although hydraulic freight elevators exist, [[Elevator#Traction elevators|cable-borne elevators]], or traction elevators are more energy efficient for the work of freight lifting, especially in taller buildings.{{Citation needed|date=NovemberAugust 20072024}}

{{main articleMain|Car elevator}}

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[[File:Aircraft elevator USS Kitty Hawk.jpg|thumb|upright|An [[F/A-18]]C on an aircraft elevator of {{USS|Kitty Hawk|CV-63|6}}]]

On some passenger [[double-deck aircraft]] such as the [[Boeing 747]] or other [[widebody aircraft]], elevators transport flight attendants and food and beverage trolleys from lower deck [[galley (kitchen)|galleys]] to upper passenger carrying decks.<ref name="Bowman2014">{{cite book |last1last=Bowman |first1first=Martin |title=Boeing 747: A History: Delivering the Dream |date=2014 |publisher=Pen and Sword |isbn=978-1-4738-3823-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ej0RBQAAQBAJ |language=en |chapter=5 |quote=This 747, delivered to the Australian carrier in July 1971, was also the first to feature a lower-deck galley, reached by an internal elevator system. |access-date=27 August 2017 |archive-date=1 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801074709/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ej0RBQAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> Franklin Roosevelt had a retractable elevator installed on a [[Douglas C-54 Skymaster]] to allow him to board the aircraft in his wheelchair.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=566 |title=Douglas VC-54C 'Sacred Cow' |website=National Museum of the USAF |access-date=15 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070902053644/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=566 |archive-date=2 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Visilift Visi-58 Round Residential Elevator.jpg|thumb|upright|A residential elevator with integrated hoistway construction and machine-room-less design]]

The [[American Society of Mechanical Engineers]] (ASME) has a specific section of Safety Code (ASME A17.1 Section 5.3) which addresses Residential Elevators. This section allows for different parameters to alleviate design complexity based on the limited use of a residential elevator by a specific user or user group. Section 5.3 of the ASME A17.1 Safety Code is for Private Residence Elevators, which does not include multi-family dwellings.<ref>{{cite book |title=Safety codeCode for elevatorsElevators and escalators Escalators: includes requirements for elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters, moving walks, material elevators, and dumbwaiters with automatic transfer devices |yeardate=2007 |publisher=American Society of Mechanical Engineers |location=New York, N.Y. |isbn=978-0791830390 |page=532 |author=American Society of Mechanical Engineers }}</ref>

Some types of residential elevators do not use a traditional elevator shaft, machine room, and elevator hoistway. This allows an elevator to be installed where a traditional elevator may not fit, and simplifies installation. The ASME board first approved machine-room-less systems in a revision of the ASME A17.1 in 2007. Machine-room-less elevators have been available commercially since the mid -1990s, however cost and overall size prevented their adoption to the residential elevator market until around 2010.<ref>{{cite web |title=New Elevator Technology: The Machine Room-Less Elevator |url=http://continuingeducation.construction.com/article.php?L=14&C=220&P=1 |work=Architectural Record |publisher=McGraw Hill Financial |access-date=12 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516193821/http://continuingeducation.construction.com/article.php?L=14&C=220&P=1 |archive-date=16 May 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Also, residential elevators are smaller than commercial elevators. The smallest passenger elevator is pneumatic, and it allows for only 1 person.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vacuumelevators.com/pve30 |title='Home Elevator"' Vacuum Elevators Forfor Sale &#124; Pneumatic Vacuum Elevators |website=Vacuumelevators.com |access-date=26 April 2017 |archive-date=14 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314111236/http://www.vacuumelevators.com/pve30 |url-status=live }}</ref> The smallest traction elevator allows for just 2 persons.<ref>{{cite web |title=家庭・住宅用エレベーター｜三菱日立ホームエレベーター |url=http://www.mh-he.co.jp/family_product/ |access-date=26 April 2017 |website=Mh-he.co.jp |language=ja |archive-date=30 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170530211007/http://www.mh-he.co.jp/family_product/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

A special type of elevator is the [[paternosterPaternoster lift|paternoster]], a constantly moving chain of boxes. A similar concept, called the [[beltBelt manlift|manlift]] or [[humanlift]], moves only a small platform, which the rider mounts while using a handhold seen in multi-story industrial plants.

[[File:Hebebuehne Scissorlift.jpg|right|thumb|upright|A mobile scissor lift, extended to near its highest position]]

[[Rack-and-pinion]] elevator are powered by a motor driving a pinion gear. Because they can be installed on a building or structure's exterior and there is no machine room or hoistway required, they are the most used type of elevator for buildings under construction (to move materials and tools up and down).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gedausa.com/rack-and-pinion-elevators.html |title=Rack and Pinion Elevators – Rack and Pinion Lift – GEDA – USA |website=Gedausa.com |access-date=26 April 2017 |archive-date=1 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301023542/http://www.gedausa.com/rack-and-pinion-elevators.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ucel |date=2021-03-30 March 2021 |title=How a Rack-and-Pinion Elevator Works |url=https://ucelinc.com/2021/03/30/how-a-rack-and-pinion-elevator-works/|access-date=2021-05-13 |website=UCEL|language=en-US |archive-date=13 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513173034/https://ucelinc.com/2021/03/30/how-a-rack-and-pinion-elevator-works/ |url-status=live |access-date=13 May 2021 }}</ref>

There have occasionally been [[beltBelt manlift|belt lifts]] for humans; these typically have steps about every {{convert|2|m|1|abbr=on}} along the length of the belt, which moves vertically, so that the passenger can stand on one step and hold on to the one above. These belts are sometimes used, for example, to carry the employees of parking garages, but are considered too dangerous for public use.

Early users of elevators sometimes reported nausea caused by abrupt stops while descending, and some users would use stairs to go down. In 1894, a Chicago physician documented "elevator sickness".<ref name="Bethune" />

Elevators necessitated new social protocols. When [[Nicholas II of Russia]] visited the [[Hotel Adlon]] in Berlin, his courtiers panicked about who would enter the elevator first, and who would press the buttons.<ref>{{Citation Neededneeded|date=November 2023}}</ref> In ''Lifted: A Cultural History of the Elevator'', author Andreas Bernard documents other social impacts caused by the modern elevator, including thriller movies about stuck elevators, casual encounters and sexual tension on elevators, the reduction of personal space and [[claustrophobia]], and concerns about personal hygiene.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Lift, a Life, Lift-Off: The Bucket on Ropes that Changed the World |newspaper=The Economist |date=15 February 2014 |url=https://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21596491-bucket-ropes-changed-world-lift |access-date=27 August 2017 |archive-date=23 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170623073732/http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21596491-bucket-ropes-changed-world-lift |url-status=live }}</ref>

Elevators may feature talking devices as an accessibility aid for the blind. Since the early 1980s, some elevators feature voice synthesis to announce floor landings, car direction and special messages to passengers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_i8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5|title=Two "intelligent" building under construction|author=David Needle|publisher=InfoWorld|date=28 February 1983|accessdate=28 March 2022}}</ref> OTIS is well known for this in some of their GEN2 model elevators.

In addition to the call buttons, elevators usually have floor indicators (often illuminated by [[LED]]) and direction lanterns. The former are almost universal in cab interiors with more than two stops and may be found outside the elevators as well on one or more of the floors. Floor indicators can consist of a [[dial (measurement)|dial]] with a rotating [[measuring instrument|needle]], but the most common types are those with successively illuminated floor indications or [[liquid crystal display|LCDs]]. Likewise, a change of floors or an arrival at a floor is indicated by a sound, depending on the elevator. Some buildings use proximity technology that recognizes residents and brings the elevator to ground level.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/adv/article-new-tech-makes-life-better-and-easier/ |title=New techTech makesMakes lifeLife betterBetter and easierEasier |website=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=25 February 25,2022 2022|accessdateaccess-date=28 March 28,2022 2022}}</ref>

[[File:ElevatorVW.jpg|thumb|right|Elevator with a virtual window affording a view of the [[City of London]]]]

There are several technologies aimed to provide better experience to passengers suffering from [[claustrophobia]], [[anthropophobia]] or [[social anxiety]]. Israeli startup DigiGage uses motion sensors to scroll the pre-rendered images, building and floor-specific content on a screen embedded into the wall as the cab moves up and down.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pincus |first=Rachel |title=Elevator Screen Creates Interactive Experiences on Everyday Rides |date=26 March 2014 |url=http://www.psfk.com/2014/03/elevator-video-screens.html |publisher=[[PSFK]] |access-date=27 October 2014 |archive-date=27 October 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141027181342/http://www.psfk.com/2014/03/elevator-video-screens.html |url-status=live }}</ref> British company LiftEye provides a virtual window technology to turn common elevator into panoramic. It creates 3d video panorama using live feed from cameras placed vertically along the facade and synchronisessynchronizes it with cab movement. The video is projected on a wall-sized screens making it look like the walls are made of glass.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brownstone |first=Sydney |title=This Elevator Might Make You Forget You're Stuck in a Metal Death Trap With Strangers |url=http://www.fastcoexist.com/3028539/this-elevator-might-make-you-forget-youre-stuck-in-a-metal-death-trap-with-strangers |work=[[Fast Company (magazine)|Fast Company]] |date=4 April 2014 |publisher=Fast Company, Inc. |access-date=27 October 2014 |archive-date=15 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215130534/http://www.fastcoexist.com/3028539/this-elevator-might-make-you-forget-youre-stuck-in-a-metal-death-trap-with-strangers |url-status=live }}</ref>

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[[File:Diag3.jpg|thumb|rightupright|Elevator airflow diagram]]

The primary reason for installing an elevator [[air conditioner]] is the comfort that it provides while travellingtraveling in the elevator. It stabilisesstabilizes the condition of the air inside the elevator car. Some elevator air conditioners can be used in countries with cold climates if a thermostat is used to reverse the refrigeration cycle to warm the elevator car.

Though this is one of the best methods to dispose of the condensed water, it is also one of the costliest because the nozzle that atomisesatomizes the water easily gets choked. The majority of the cost goes to maintaining the entire atomizing system.

[[File:Elevator (AIGA based).svg|thumb|250x250pxupright=0.5|A international symbol for elevator]]

* India – Indian Standard – Installation and Maintenance of home lifts (Code of practice 2002)<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/gov.in.is.15259.2002|title=IS 15259: Installation and Maintenance of Home Lifts – Code of Practice |last=Bureau of Indian Standards |date=2002 |others=Public.Resource.Org|language=en }}</ref>

In most US and Canadian jurisdictions, passenger elevators are required to conform to the [[ASME|American Society of Mechanical Engineers]]' Standard A17.1, Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators. As of 2006, all states except Kansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, and South Dakota have adopted some version of ASME codes, though not necessarily the most recent.<ref>{{cite web|last=McCann|first=Michael|title=Deaths and Injuries Involving Elevators and Escalators|url=http://www.cpwr.com/sites/default/files/publications/elevator_escalator_BLSapproved_0.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408224248/http://www.cpwr.com/sites/default/files/publications/elevator_escalator_BLSapproved_0.pdf|archive-date=April 8, April 2014|access-date=8 April 2014|publisher=CPWR}}</ref> In Canada the document is the CAN/CSA B44 Safety Standard, which was harmonized with the US version in the 2000 edition.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} In addition, passenger elevators may be required to conform to the requirements of A17.3 for existing elevators where referenced by the local jurisdiction. Passenger elevators are tested using the ASME A17.2 Standard. The frequency of these tests is mandated by the local jurisdiction, which may be a town, city, state or provincial standard.

| [[Italy]]

| 900,000

| [[United States]]

| 900,000

| [[China]]

| 4,000,000

| [[South Korea]]

| 530,000

| [[Russia]]

| 520,000{{Citation needed|date=May 2013}}

| [[Spain]]

| 950,000<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cncompetencia.es/Inicio/Informes/InformesyEstudiossectoriales/tabid/76/default.aspx?entryid=149928&command=core_download&method=attachment |title=Elevators Market in Spain |work=cncompetencia.es |date=11 June 2023 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

{{As of|January 2008|post=,}}, [[Spain]] is the nation with the most elevators installed per capita<ref>{{Cite web|last=Quartz|first=Matt Phillips|date=9 October 2014-10-09|title=Why Does Spain Have the World's Highest Concentration of Elevators?|url=http://qz.com/273214/how-spains-bloody-history-gave-it-the-worlds-highest-concentration-of-elevators/|access-date=8 July 2020-07-08|website=The Atlantic|language=en-US |archive-date=29 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629013253/https://qz.com/273214/how-spains-bloody-history-gave-it-the-worlds-highest-concentration-of-elevators/|url-status=live}}</ref> in the world, with 950,000 elevators installed<ref name="Elevators_in_Italy">"{{cite web |url=http://www.anie.it/browse.asp?goto=1726&IdRevisione=56315&IdDocumento=29381 |title=ANIE: sale l'ascensore italiano |access-date=7 September 2008 |archive-date=11 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211104614/http://www.anie.it/browse.asp?goto=1726&IdRevisione=56315&IdDocumento=29381 |url-status=live }}", ANIE Federazione (Federazione Nazionale Industrie Elettrotecniche ed Elettroniche)</ref> that run more than one hundred million lifts every day, followed by [[United States]] with 700,000 elevators installed and [[China]] with 610,000 elevators installed since 1949.<ref name="Elevators_in_China">{{cite web|title=China's elevator market study, 2005–2006|url=http://www.biz-lib.com/products/ZRC91338.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081025000844/http://www.biz-lib.com/products/ZRC91338.html|archive-date=25 October 25, 2008|publisher=Research in China}}</ref> In [[Brazil]], it is estimated that there are approximately 300,000 elevators currently in operation.<ref name="Elevators_in_Brazil01">{{cite web |url=http://www.licitamais.com.br/noticias/Elevador/atencao_normas_aumenta_seguranca_elevadores.html |title=Condoworks |website=Licitamais.com.br |access-date=26 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706153326/http://www.licitamais.com.br/noticias/Elevador/atencao_normas_aumenta_seguranca_elevadores.html |archive-date=6 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Elevators_in_Brazil02">{{cite web |url=http://www.imobinews.com.br/index.php/2010/07/09/elevadores-seguem-alta-de-imoveis-e-do-varejo/ |title=Elevadores seguem alta de imóveis e do varejo : Imobi News |access-date=13 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706153000/http://www.imobinews.com.br/index.php/2010/07/09/elevadores-seguem-alta-de-imoveis-e-do-varejo/ |archive-date=6 July 2011 }}</ref> The world's largest market for elevators is Italy, with more than 1,629 million euros of sales and 1,224 million euros of internal market.

The ''[[Statue of Unity]]'', the world's tallest statue at {{convert|182|m|ft}} high, has 10 high speed ({{convert|4|m/s|ft/s|adj=on}}) elevators leading up to a viewing gallery {{convert|153|m|ft}} high.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/marketing/otis-to-give-a-lift-to-the-top-of-the-statue-of-unity/66630400 |title=Otis to give a 'lift' to the top of the Statue of Unity – ET BrandEquity|last=www.ETBrandEquity.com |website=ETBrandEquity.com|language=en|access-date=18 March 2019|archive-date=27 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327085821/https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/marketing/otis-to-give-a-lift-to-the-top-of-the-statue-of-unity/66630400 |url-status=live |access-date=18 March 2019 }}</ref>

[[File:台北101的升降機.JPG|thumb|upright|The observation deck elevator floor indicator in the Taipei 101]]

The high-speed observation deck elevators accelerate to a former world-record certified speed of {{convert|1010|m/min|km/h|0}} in 16 seconds, and then it slows down for arrival with subtle air pressure sensations. The door opens after 37 seconds from the 5th floor. Special features include aerodynamic car and counterweights, and cabin pressure control to help passengers adapt smoothly to pressure changes. The downwards journey is completed at a reduced speed of 600 meters per minute, with the doors opening at the 52nd second. Many high speed elevators also have aerodynamic cab exteriors.<ref>{{cite web |last=van der Bijl |first=Hanno |date=March 29, 2018 |title=3 World Trade Center Update |url=https://www.tabpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/rcg-1.pdf |access-date=August 31, 2024 }}</ref>

[[File:Gateway Arch tram car.JPG|thumb|upright|The interior of one of the Gateway Arch tramway cars]]The Gateway Arch in [[St. Louis, Missouri]], Uniteduses States,a unique tram system to transport visitors to the observation deck. Passengers enter horizontal compartments that hasform a uniquetrain, [[Montgomerytilting Elevator|Montgomery]]to elevatormaintain systemlevel whichorientation carriesas passengersthey fromascend the visitors'curved centertracks underneathwithin the Arch. toTwo thetramways observation deckoperate at theeach topend, offering views of the Arch's interior structure through windowed doors. The cars transition from hanging below the cables to resting atop them during the journey.

At the Radisson Blu hotel in Berlin, Germany, the main elevator was surrounded by an aquarium; 82 feet tall, the aquarium contained more than a thousand different fish until it shattered in December 2022. The design offered views of the fish to people using the elevator. The special elevator was built by the German company [http://www.gbh-design.de GBH-Design GmbH]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://au.totaltravel.yahoo.com/galleries/g/29194655/now-thats-a-lot-of-water/29194656/#1 |title=Hotel lobbyLobby goesGoes under the seaSea |website=Au.totaltravel.yahoo.com |date=6 August 2015 |access-date=26 April 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

''The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror'' is thean commonattraction namefound forin a series of elevator attractions at thethree [[Disney's Hollywood Studiosparks]] park in Orlando, the [[Walt Disney Studios Park]] in Paris and the [[Tokyo DisneySea]] park in Tokyo. The central element of this attraction isfeaturing a simulated free-fall achieved through the use ofusing a high-speed elevator system. For safety reasons, passengersPassengers are seated and secured infor theirsafety. seatsThe ratherunique thanelevator standing.design Unlikeallows mostfor tractionrapid descent and elevatorsascent, theexceeding elevatornormal cargravity. andPassenger [[counterweight]]cabins are joinedseparate usingfrom athe raillift systemmechanism, in aenabling continuous loop running through both the topoperation and themovement bottomthrough ofshow the drop shaftscenes. ThisAutomated allowsguided thevehicles drivetransport motorpassengers to pull down oninto the elevator car from underneath, resulting in downward acceleration greater than that of normal gravityshaft. TheOpen high-speeddoorways driveat motorthe istop usedprovide toviews rapidly liftfrom the elevator as well[[structure]].

Part of the [[The Haunted Mansion|Haunted Mansion]] attraction at [[Disneyland Park (Anaheim)|Disneyland]] in [[Anaheim, California]], and [[Disneyland Park (Paris)|Disneyland]] in [[Paris, France]], takes place on an elevator.<ref>{{Cite Theweb "stretching|date=2017-04-22 room"|title=Moving on theUp rideI: isHow actuallyTwilight anZone elevatorTower thatof travelsTerror downwards,Became givingthe First Vertical Dark Ride |url=https://darkridedatabase.com/moving-on-up-i/ |access-date=2024-10-03 to|website=www.sheridanlifts.com a|language=en-GB}}</ref> shortThe tunnelride's which"stretching leadsroom" tois actually an elevator that descends while giving the restillusion of thestretching attractionupwards. TheThis elevatoreffect hasis noachieved by having an open ceiling and itsdecorated shaft, isallowing decoratedpassengers to looksee likethe walls ofmove aas they mansiondescend.<ref>{{Cite Becausebook there|last=Bernard is|first=Andreas no roof|url=https://www.google.com.vn/books/edition/Lifted/k7MUCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Guests+ascending+to+the+67th,+69th,+and+70th+level+observation+decks+(dubbed+%22Top+of+the+Rock%22)+stop+the+GE+Building+at+Rockefeller+Center+in+New+York+City+ride+a+high-speed+glass-top+elevator.&printsec=frontcover passengers|title=Lifted: areA ableCultural toHistory seeof the wallsElevator of|date=2014-02-14 the|publisher=NYU shaftPress by|isbn=978-0-8147-8716-8 looking|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite up,web which|last=Jonh gives|first=Kan the|last2= illusion|first2= of|last3= the|last4= room|last5= stretching|first5= |date=2021-09-04 |title=Elevator |url=https://thangmaymini.com/thang-may-mini |access-date=2024-10-03 |website= |language=}}</ref>

'''Examples:'''

* [[Bürgenstock]], Switzerland – [[Hammetschwand Elevator]]

* [[Valletta]], Malta – [[Barrakka Lift]], which connects the [[Upper Barrakka Gardens]] (on the top of the fortifications) to the harbourharbor<ref>{{cite web|title=Barrakka Lift|url=http://www.transport.gov.mt/land-transport/other-public-transport/barrakka-lift|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180427165819/http://www.transport.gov.mt/land-transport/other-public-transport/barrakka-lift|archive-date=27 April 2018|website=[[Transport Malta]]}}</ref>

== IOT elevators ==

[[Internet of things]] (IOT) technology application is being used in elevators to improve performance, operations, monitoring, maintenance with help of remote diagnostics, real time notifications and predictive behaviouralbehavioral insights.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.buildings.com/news/industry-news/articleid/21635/title/predictive-maintenance-iot-elevators |title=Predictive Maintenance: Top 10 Ways IoT is Changing Elevators |website=www.buildingsBuildings.com|language=en-US |access-date=8 February 2019 |archive-date=9 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209180152/https://www.buildings.com/news/industry-news/articleid/21635/title/predictive-maintenance-iot-elevators |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre]] holds the current record of world's fastest elevators with their cars travellingtraveling at {{convert|75.6|km/h|abbr=on}}. The elevator, which was tested out the speed in June 2017, was manufactured by [[Hitachi]], and was confirmed a Guinness World Record Sept. 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hitachi's Elevator Delivered to Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre received the World's Fastest |url=https://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/month/2019/09/190927.html |website=Hitachi |access-date=30 August 2024 |website=Hitachi}}</ref>

* {{cite web |url=http://www.buildings.com/ArticleDetails/tabid/3321/ArticleID/3076/Default.aspx |last=Ford |first=M. |yeardate=2009 |title=Machine-Room-Less (MRL) Elevators |access-date=27 October 2009 |archive-date=19 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090819143517/http://www.buildings.com/ArticleDetails/tabid/3321/ArticleID/3076/Default.aspx |url-status=dead }}

* {{cite web|url=http://www.kone.com/countries/en_US/Elevators/MonoSpace/Pages/default.aspx |title=MonoSpace Mid-Rise Elevator. |yeardate=2009 |access-date=28 October 2009|website=Kone|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723025429/http://www.kone.com/countries/en_US/Elevators/MonoSpace/Pages/default.aspx|archive-date=23 July 2013|url-status=dead}}

* {{cite web |last=Tetlow |first=K. |date=September 2007 |title=New Elevator Technology: The Machine Room-Less Elevator |access-date=25 October 2009 |url=http://continuingeducation.construction.com/article.php?L=14&C=220 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211101435/http://continuingeducation.construction.com/article.php?L=14&C=220 |archive-date=11 December 2008 }}

* {{cite web |url=http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/engines-equipment/elevator.htm |last=Harris |first=Tom. |yeardate=2002 |title=HowStuffWorks "How Elevators Work" |access-date=10 January 2011}}

* {{cite web |url=https://www.nibavlifts.com.au |last=Preet |first=C. |yeardate=2023 |title=Elevator for Domestic Purpose "Lifts for Life Australia" |access-date=3 November 2023 }}

* {{Cite book |last=Gray |first=Lee |yeardate=2002 |title=From Ascending Rooms to Express Elevators: A History of the Passenger Elevator in the 19th Century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qq4gVSkfnPcC |location=Mobile, Al.Alabama |publisher=Elevator World |isbn=9781886536463 |oclc=52335945 }}