Continuing Education

Telescopic Jacks
by Abe Salehpour and Don Brown

Telescopic jacks have been around

Learning Objectives
for decades. A recent teardown of a
After reading this article, you
nine-story 1920s building in down-
should have learned:
town Los Angeles uncovered an ele-
♦ Why a telescopic jack would be
vator operated by a water hydraulic
installed
unit and lifted by a telescopic jack.
♦ About basic telescopic-jack de- While such early designs were func-
signs, including two- and three- tional, in many cases, they were
stage jacks more trouble than they were worth.
♦ How the telescopic jack works Non-synchronized telescopic jacks,
♦ The design requirements for for instance, had poor ride quality,
using telescopic jacks since each stage acted independently
♦ About telescopic-jack applica- of the other in either direction. To-
tions day’s technology is far more ad-
♦ About telescopic-jack installa- vanced, and modern uses for tele-
tion and service, including re- scopic jacks are far more versatile in
synchronization and jack pack- that they satisfy the needs of a chang-
ing replacement ing industry.
Telescopic jacks provide solutions
for complicated space requirements,
modernization, new construction
designs and cylinder replacements,
while also possessing intrinsic bene-
fits like contamination reduction.
Other advantages include no hole
having to be drilled, and no ropes,
Value: 1 contact hour
governors or safeties. In some appli- (0.1 CEU)
cations that may require partial em-
bedment into the pit floor, a two-to-
This article is part of ELEVATOR WORLD’s
four-stop hole-less telescopic jack
Continuing Education program. Elevator-industry
would be recommended.
personnel required to obtain continuing-education
Telescopic Jack Operational Design
credits can receive one hour of credit by reading
There are three approaches to
the article and completing the assessment exami-
telescopic-jack design: non synchro- nation questions found on p. 117.
nized, which allows each piston to For this article and more continuing-education
fully extend before the next piston opportunities, visit www.elevatorbooks.com.
moves; external synchronization,
which operates through a series of
Approved by NAEC
cables and pulleys or chains and
sprockets that allow all pistons to
move at the same speed and time Approved by NAESA
(Figure 1); and internal synchroniza- International
tion, which operates with all pistons
raising and lowering at the same Approved by QEI Services, Inc.
speed and at the same time through
Figure 1: A jack designed with external synchroniza- the transferring of oil from an outer
tion Continued

December 2013 | ELEVATOR WORLD | 93

 Continuing Education Continued

lizer (follower) may be required on the moving head(s) to

meet code requirements (Figure 3). Telescopic jacks are
one-piece construction only.
How a Telescopic Jack Works
Up Direction
To best illustrate how the telescopic jack works, we
have chosen the two-stage telescopic jack, which is inter-
nally synchronized (pistons rise at the same speed and at
the same time). To follow the flow of oil and pressure,
once an up call is registered, up sequencing begins by the
controller, pump/motor and control valve. Beginning
with the lower section (Figure 4), the lower chamber (#1)
is attached to the inlet (#2), where oil is pumped. The
chamber fills with oil, and the pressure below the internal
seals (which separates the upper and lower sections)
forces the lower piston (#3) to move upward.
Pascal’s Law explains what happens next: in a closed
system, pressure is equal in all directions. Thus, the in-
stant there is oil flow, the top piston begins to rise from
the pressure provided by the movement of the bottom pis-
ton, which is being supplied oil from the inlet (Figure 5).
This is accomplished by the transfer of oil from the green-
colored area (top outer chamber) into the blue-colored
area (inner chamber of the second stage). The rate of
Figure 2: A jack designed with in- Figure 3: A three-stage jack speed the pistons move is directly proportional to the flow
ternal synchronization

chamber to the inner chamber of the upper piston(s) (Fig-

ure 2). The latter design provides the best ride quality.
Within these three designs are two popular telescopic
jack options that focus on internal synchronization:
1) Two-stage telescopic jacks, consisting of an upper
piston, a lower piston, a cylinder, a head bearing and
a packing (on each piston). The lower piston is fitted
with an internal packing, which is located at the lower
end and rides against the internally honed cylinder
(Figure 2).
2) Three-stage telescopic jacks, consisting of an upper
piston, an intermediate piston, a lower piston, a cylin-
der, a follower guide (required by code), a head bear-
ing and a packing (on each piston). The intermediate
and lower pistons are each fitted with an internal
packing, which is located at the lower end and rides
against the internally honed cylinders (Figure 3).
Each of these two telescopic jacks is designed for
“guided” applications only. According to ASME A17.1/
CSA B44, 3.18.2.7.2: Figure 4: A two-stage jack, collapsed
“The telescopic piston shall have each piston stage in-
ternally guided. If more than two stages are used, external
guides shall be provided for each piston section. External
guides shall be designed and constructed to comply with
all applicable requirements of code section 2.15.”
In other words, the car frame to which the jack unit is
Figure 5: A two-stage
attached is rigidly supported and guided. A guided stabi- jack, fully extended

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 Technology

which will dictate bottom and top overtravel (Figure 7). It is

recommended to allow 2 in. more top overtravel than bot-
tom overtravel. This is to allow more time between resyn-
chronization. (See “Resynchronization” subheading below.)
For the telescopic jack to fit vertically, the following
must be calculated (Figure 8). The actual overhead di-
mension is the sum of the cab height sitting at the top
landing, plus top overtravel (TOT), plus 3 ft., 7 in., which
is the code requirement for top refuge space. Add the total
rise and pit depth to this dimension to find the total hoist-
way height:
♦ Bottom overtravel (BOT) = runby + spring compression
+ bottom clearance
Figure 6: Typical EECO rating chart for sizing ♦ Gross load = car weight + capacity + upper piston
weight (A three-stage jack or more should include all
intermediate piston weights.)
♦ TOT = recommended bottom over travel + 2 in.

Figure 7: EECO overtravel recommendation chart

of oil at the inlet. Both pistons are now moving simultane-

ously at the same speed. When fully extended, both pis-
tons have moved half the travel of the total rise (Figure 5).
Assume the total rise is 12 ft.; then, the upper and lower
pistons each move 6 ft.
Down Direction
When a down call is registered and the down sequence
is initiated, we will begin with Figure 5 and work back-
ward to Figure 4. As the elevator is lowered by gravity,
pressure is released in the lower chamber (#1), below the
internal seals, allowing the oil to return to the tank. The Figure 8: Actual overhead
lower piston begins to move downward. The oil in the
upper section above the internal seals, starts transferring To determine if the telescopic jack will fit horizontally
from the inner chamber back to the outer chamber of the (Figure 9), we need to know the distance between the
second stage and the upper piston begins to move down- platform edge and the wall. Continued
ward.
Design Requirements in Selecting a Telescopic jack
Major considerations in deciding which telescopic jack
design to select are:
♦ Overhead
♦ Total travel
♦ Pit depth
♦ Gross load
♦ Horizontal clearance
♦ Car speed
The first consideration in selecting a telescopic jack is
the size of the jack itself. The proper sizing is dependent
on gross load and total travel (Figure 6). Next is car speed, Figure 9: Horizontal clearance

December 2013 | ELEVATOR WORLD | 95

 Continuing Education Continued

Figure 11: Overhead illustration

Figure 10: A typical in-ground telescopic jack

Telescopic-Jack Applications ♦ For total rise of 35 ft., three-stage telescopic jacks can
An in-ground telescopic jack (Figure 10) is often the best be utilized.
choice for repair and modernization. In-ground telescopic By using this hypothetical application (car speed of 125
jacks are also commonly used to replace in-ground single- fpm; 23-ft., 6-in. total rise; 8-ft. cab height; 3-ft., 7-in. ref-
stage jacks, where drilling for full travel is unavailable be- uge space; and pit depth of 4 ft.), it can be determined if
cause telescopic jacks have a smaller total collapsed height. the jack will fit vertically. The actual overhead available
The jack should be located in the load center of the eleva- for this example based on the previous formulas is (8 ft. +
tor, and sealed and protected with PVC or jack liner. If the 11 in. + 3 ft., 7 in.) 12 ft., 6 in. For total travel, use the for-
required clearance between the platform and hoistway mula “total rise + TOT + BOT,” as recommended in Figure
wall are too small for hole-less telescopic jacks, the selec- 7. In this case, 23 ft., 6 in. + 11 in. + 9 in. = 25 ft., 2 in. For
tion of in-ground telescopic jacks would be the best choice. collapsed jack height, since it is a two-stage telescopic
When modernizing or changing an in-ground jack to a jack, divide the total travel by two and add a constant
hole-less application with a travel of 12-35 ft., the first value (C ) of 18 in. for a collapsed height of 14 ft., 1 in. The
consideration is to make sure the jack selected will fit be- C constant will change depending on the model and the
tween the platform and hoistway wall (Figure 9). Once the manufacturer.
telescopic jack is determined to fit, the physical changes Now we proceed with calculating the minimum required
must be allowed for by adding a platen plate to the car frame overhead by filling in the missing measurements of the
and/or adding a secondary car frame for lifting. When chang- hoistway as shown in Figure 11. Beginning with “A” (top
ing an existing single-stage jack with a telescopic jack, be of piston), which is the sum of the collapsed height of 14
aware the speed of the car and pressure will change. It is ft., 1 in. + BOT of 11 in. - pit depth of 4 ft. = 11 ft. Now, add
possible the power unit may need to be modified, as well. the value of “B,” 2 in., which will be for the isolation pad
New construction will give you the versatility of choos- and platen thickness for the top of the stile dimension.
ing a twin-post hole-less telescopic jack with the flexibil- Next, add 1 in. to determine the highest point, then add
ity of accommodating a partial in-ground jack if there is the TOT. and add 6 in., which is the minimum clearance
insufficient overhead. from the highest point of the stile, resulting in (11 ft. + 2
Use the following to determine hole-less jack selection: in. + 1 in. + 6 in.) 11 ft., 9 in. of minimum overhead. Since
♦ When the total rise is 12 ft., single-stage hole-less jacks the minimum overhead is less than the actual available
can be used. overhead, then the selected jack will fit vertically in the
♦ If total rise is 22 ft., two-stage telescopic jacks can be hoistway. If this were not the case, partially embedding
applied. the jack in the pit floor may be a solution. Complete sizing
Continued

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 Continuing Education Continued

charts are available when ordering hole-less telescopic opening the manual lowering valve until the pistons bot-
jacks. These formulas apply to dual hole-less and cantilever tom out and the gauge reads “0.” Then, immediately close
applications. the manual lowering valve. At this point, the pistons
It is not recommended to use telescopic jacks for resi- should be completely collapsed, and the distance of ex-
dential use, primarily because automatic resynchroniza- posed pistons between the heads and flanges should be
tion is not available in residential elevator controllers. Be- approximately equal. Apply power to the system, raise the
sides, most homeowners do not have service contracts car and reinstall the springs and spacers back onto the
for their elevator systems. buffer stands. Run the car up and down several times to
Telescopic Jack Service ensure there is no air in the jacks and the system is syn-
When servicing a telescopic jack, first make sure there chronized. Repeat the process if necessary.
is no air in the system. Upon initial installation and/or
repacking, careful removal of all air in the system will al-
leviate a bouncy ride and, in some cases, the need for
resynchronization. There are air-relief ports on each
stage of the telescopic jack to bleed out the air. Also,
make sure the telescopic jack (as with all jacks) is plumb.
Another condition that would create an out-of-synchroni-
zation situation is leakage or seepage, caused by a dam-
aged piston or worn seals.
Resynchronization
Should the need for resynchronization occur, either the
manual or automatic methods may be employed using a Figure 13: Air bleeder
special circuit in the controller. If the pistons are out of
synchronization, the jack unit(s) must be completely col- Automatic Resynchronization
lapsed to resynchronize. Before starting the resynchroni- In automatic operation, the special circuit in the con-
zation process, each jack head assembly must be free of troller should allow the car to rest on the buffer springs.
air. To bleed air, start with the top head assembly and This can be programmed to occur at a specific time of day
continue downward. The air relief ports are located in or after a set number of elevator runs. Since the pistons
flanges of the jack head assembies. must fully collapse in order to resynchronize, the length
Manual Resynchronization of the bolt connecting the platen to the upper piston must
To perform manual resynchronization, disconnect the be long enough, at least the distance equal to the buffer
power from the system and remove the springs and spac- stroke and bottom clearance (Figure 12) for this to hap-
ers from the buffer stands. With a pressure gauge mounted pen. Make sure the top of the bolt meets code overhead
on the jack side of the control valve, lower the car by clearance requirements.

Figure 12: Connecting bolt length

Figure 14: Air bleeder location
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 Technology

Installation Instructions for EECO Telescopic Jacks

The installation process for Elevator Equipment Corp.
(EECO) hole-less telescopic jacks is as follows:
1) Carefully remove the outer protective cardboard from
the jack, but leave the inner protective cardboards in
place (Figure 15).
2) Locate and remove the air bleeders (Figure 13) from
their plastic pouch. Remove the pipe plugs from the
jack inlet and the stationary (lowest) flange and install
the air bleeders (Figure 14).
3) Locate, plumb and install the jack in the hoistway.
4) Connect the oil feed line and remove the shipping
bracket (Figure 15). The upper section of each jack is
filled with high-lubricity oil for ease of installation and
operation.
5) Adjust the relief pressure of the control valve so the
system is pressurized without lifting the car (approxi-
mately 25-50 psi.).
6) Open the air bleeder, starting at the upper head.
7) Run the pump until all air is bled from the jack.
8) Close air bleeder to prevent unnecessary oil loss.
9) Repeat steps 6-8 for each head.
10) Repeat steps 6-9 for each jack.
11) Reset the control valve relief pressure.
12) Jog pump/motor to move the pistons a few inches.
Remove the inner cardboards from the jack (Figure 15).
13) Raise the jacks to approximately half the travel to en-
sure the pistons stay plumb.
14) Run the elevator at inspection speed to ensure a
smooth operation with no binding and interfering of
components.
Telescopic-Jack Packing Replacement
One of the myths about repacking modern telescopic
jacks, created by earlier designs, is how difficult and time
Continued

Figure 15: Shipping bracket

December 2013 | ELEVATOR WORLD | 99

 Continuing Education Continued

consuming this process is. In reality, repacking of tele- bearing. Make sure the U-shape of the internal pack-
scopic jacks is not much more difficult than repacking a ing seals is pointing in the right direction (Figure 16).
single-stage jack, although in some cases, a repacking 9) Use the provided “install ring” to install the lower pis-
might necessitate removing more than one head assem- ton in the cylinder (Figure 16). Remove the install
bly. The following are typical instructions for EECO jack ring, and proceed with the rest of the installation.
packing replacement. For preparation, the steps are:
1) Run car above bottom floor to gain access to the pit. Return to service using these steps:
2) Safely secure the car. 1) After all packings have been replaced and the jack
3) Disconnect piston from platen plate and lower pis- has been reassembled, jog the motor to pressurize
tons all the way by opening the manual lowering the system. This removes air through the bleeders. If
valve. There should be no pressure in the system with the pistons start moving, stop and wait until they
the pistons fully collapsed. drop. Repeat jogging the motor until air no longer
4) Close all safety valves. Open and tag the mainline dis- comes out of the bleeders.
connect. Turn pit switch to “OFF.” 2) Close the bleeders when a steady stream of oil comes
5) Using rags, clean any oil and dirt from the top of the out, then carefully jog the motor to raise the pistons
jack. to the platen. Note that without the weight of the car,
the upper piston sometimes moves faster, and when
Follow these steps to replace the packing in the upper it hits the stop ring, the trapped oil in the upper sec-
head: tion cannot go anywhere, so the lower piston will
1) Remove the upper head bolts and head. also stop, although it has not reached the stop ring.
2) Remove the packing seal, wiper ring, bearing and O- To extend the pistons higher, bleed some oil to get
ring. both pistons moving again.
3) Replace the packing seal, wiper ring, bearing and O-ring. 3) After the piston(s) has been fastened to the platen,
and the car has been freed, run the car all the way
4) Replace the upper head, making sure not to damage
down to obtain synchronization. Note that there
the O-ring.
should be no air in the jack(s).
Conclusion
Follow these steps to replace the packing in the lower head:
Understanding how telescopic jacks work is the first
1) Remove the upper head bolts and head.
step to properly using them. If care is taken to install an
2) Unscrew and remove upper flange.
elevator and it is maintained properly, it will produce
3) Remove the lower bolts and head.
4) Replace the packing seal, wiper ring, bearing and O-
ring.
5) Replace the lower head, making sure not to damage
the O-ring.
6) Replace the O-ring on the upper flange. Replace the
upper head and flange, making sure not to damage
the O-rings.

Follow these steps to replace the internal packing:

1) Close all safety valves. Place a container under the
drain/bleeder at inlet, then remove the drain/bleeder.
2) Remove the upper and lower heads and unscrew flanges.
3) Remove trapped oil between the lower piston and cyl-
inder. It is recommended to use the EECO EP-1 evac-
uation pump to facilitate the removal of residual
trapped oil.
4) Screw on the upper flange again and fasten a lifting
strap to it.
5) Slowly lift up the lower piston until it comes out of the
cylinder.
6) Remove the screws at the bottom of the lower piston.
7) Remove bearing cover, seals and bearing.
Figure 16: Internal head installation
8) Replace the transfer valve seal, packing seals and

100 | WWW.ELEVATORWORLD.COM | December 2013

 Technology

many years of continuous service. The same is true for

telescopic jacks.
Telescopic jacks are addressing many problems that
the logistics of modernization present; for example, space
limitations, contaminated soil and, in many cases, labor
savings during installation. Buildings with antiquated hy-
draulic-elevator equipment with in-ground jack problems
may necessitate frequent repair, but the unique function
and design of the telescopic jack is helping solve many
such problems.

Abe Salehpour is president of Elevator Equipment

Corp. (EECO). He started his career in the elevator
industry by joining EECO in 1993. In addition to
managing EECO, he has been involved in developing
new products, as well as improving the existing
EECO product line, such as hydraulic control valves,
over the last 20 years. Salehpour received his PhD in
Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon
University in 1981. He can be reached at e-mail:
asalehpour@eecomail.com.

Don Brown is the chief product engineer for EECO,

having been with the company since 2005. He began
his work in the elevator industry in 1982, while at-
tending San Diego State University in California. He
has since been involved in sales, manufacturing, engi-
neering, field training and installations. Brown can be
reached at e-mail: dbrown@eecomail.com.

Learning-Reinforcement Questions
Use the below learning-reinforcement questions
to study for the Continuing Education Assessment
Exam available online at www.elevatorbooks.com
or on p. 117 of this issue.
♦ What is the difference between synchronized
and non-synchronized telescopic jacks?
♦ What is the one additional parameter required by
code on a three-stage telescopic jack that is not
required on a two-stage jack?
♦ Why does a two-stage telescopic-jack piston
only move half the total travel distance?
♦ What are the three main requirements for deter-
mining if a telescopic jack design will fit vertically
in an elevator shaft?
♦ What are the main advantages in using tele-
scopic jacks in new-construction and replace-
ment projects?

December 2013 | ELEVATOR WORLD | 101

Continuing Education Technology

ELEVATOR WORLD Continuing Education

Assessment Examination Questions
Instructions:
♦ Read the article “Telescopic Jacks” (p. 93) and study the learning-reinforcement
questions.
♦ To receive one hour (0.1 CEU) of continuing-education credit, answer the
assessment examination questions found below online at www.elevatorbooks.com
or fill out the ELEVATOR WORLD Continuing Education Reporting Form found over-
leaf and submit by mail with payment.
♦ Approved for Continuing Education by NAEC for CET® and NAESA International
and QEI Services, Inc. for QEI.

1. During resynchronization: 6. During telescopic-jack installation:

a. A pressure gauge is mounted on the jack side of the a. Bleed the air from the jack.
control valve. b. Replace the air bleeders with original pipe plugs.
b. Run the elevator to the top landing and disconnect c. Depressurize the system before adding oil.
power. d. Disconnect the oil feed line.
c. The controller should allow the car to rest on the
buffer springs. 7. Which of the following is not part of the packing gland?
d. Run the elevator to the bottom landing and discon- a. O-ring.
nect the power. b. Cylinder.
c. Wiper ring.
2. Proper sizing of the telescopic jack is dependent on: d. Bearing.
a. Gross load.
b. Total travel. 8. Which telescopic jack would be best suited for a resi-
c. Distance between platform edge and hoistway wall. dence with three stops?
d. Both a and b. a. In ground.
b. Single stage.
3. Non-synchronized telescopic jacks: c. Twin post.
a. Have to be resynchronized after each down trip. d. None of the above.
b. Have to be resynchronized after each up trip.
c. Give poor ride quality. 9. The two basic telescopic-jack designs are:
d. Both a and b. a. Single and two stage.
b. Two and three stage.
4. In order for a telescopic jack to fit vertically in a shaft, c. Two stage and hole-less.
the following must be known: d. Cantilever and twin post.
a. The distance between the platform edge and wall.
b. The size of the jack diameter. 10. Which of the following statements is true?
c. The total rise, pit depth and overhead dimensions. a. A cantilever is used in low-rise applications.
d. The pit depth, collapsed height of the jack and total b. Center in-ground telescopic jacks are practical for
rise. in-ground jack replacements.
c. Twin-post telescopic jacks are used for higher rises.
5. One of the methods used to resynchronize a telescopic d. All of the above.
jack is:
a. Turn the disconnect on and off to erase the problem.
b. Completely collapse all the pistons.
c. Run the elevator to the upper landing and back down
again.
d. Turn the controller’s automatic feature to manual.

December 2013 | ELEVATOR WORLD | 117

 Continuing Education Continued
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