Going Up! Going Down! A History of the Otis Elevator Company

Going Up! Going Down! A History of the Otis Elevator Company

J.M. Syken

Course Outline

In this course, we will examine the rich and fascinating history of the Otis Elevator Company, from its founding to the present-day. We will review the development of vertical transportation methods/systems from the ladder, inclined plane and step through to the development of a variety of elevatoring systems including steam, hydraulic, electric etc. In particular, the background leading up to the development, demonstration, manufacture and marketing of the world’s first “Safety Elevator” (invented by Elisha Graves Otis in 1852) and the subsequent expansion of the company and creation of the vertical transportation industry will be most informative.

As well, the interconnected story of the development of the Skyscraper form, as a result of the invention of both the “cage frame” and elevator systems will be discussed in depth and detail. Specifically, the development by Otis of the Gearless Electric Traction Elevator (in 1902) and its impact on the skyline of cities around the world will be of great interest. The diversification of the company into other related products lines (i.e. escalators, gravity conveyors, inclined railways etc.) and the “multinational” nature of the company, from it’s early days to the present will be discussed in depth and detail. The legacy of the Otis Elevator Company to the vertical transportation industry and to the advancement of mechanical engineering technology will be highlighted and discussed extensively.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

Understand/appreciate the development of vertical transportation from pre-history through to the mid-19th Century;
Understand/appreciate the problem of elevator safety prior to the Otis Elevator Company
Understand/appreciate the background of Elisha G. Otis and the events that led to his developing a “Safety Elevator”:
Understand/appreciate the successful demonstration of the Safety Elevator at the 1853/54 Crystal Palace Exhibition in NYC and how that led to the creation of the vertical transportation industry;
Understand/appreciate the early Otis elevator systems employed (i.e. steam) and their successes, failures, limitations etc.
Understand/appreciate the expansion of the Otis company after the death of E.G. Otis in 1861 by his two sons into a multi-million dollar industrial concern;
Understand/appreciate the diversification of the Otis company into other, related product lines and their successes and failures;
Understand/appreciate the multinational nature of the Otis company from its early days to the present;
Understand/appreciate the development of hydraulic, hand-powered and electric machines;
Understand/appreciate the impact of the Gearless Electric Traction Elevator on the skyscraper;
Understand/appreciate the development of the skyscraper as a result of the advancement of elevatoring technology as pioneered by Otis;
Understand/appreciate the advancement of elevator technologies for command, control, safety, metrics etc.
Understand/appreciate the development of the escalator and the role Otis played in it;
Understand/appreciate Gravity Spiral Conveyor technology/systems;
Understand/appreciate the Otis elevator systems used in the Eiffel Tower, in particular, and the other systems employed, in general and how they came to be;
Understand/appreciate the contribution of Otis to 20th Century World’s Fairs;
Understand/appreciate the post-WWII developments in advancing the art and science of elevator/escalator technology, and
Understand/appreciate the legacy of the Otis Elevator Company to the vertical transportation industry, building technology, urban development and mechanical engineering.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for architects, engineers and other design professionals.

Benefit to Attendees

The attendee/s will gain an intimate knowledge and insight into the development of modern-day vertical transportation systems.

Course Introduction

The course includes an in-depth PowerPoint presentation and the viewing of several documentary films.

Course Content

In this course, you are required to view/study the following slideshow and the materials contained in the web pages:

Going Up! Going Down! A History of the Otis Elevator Company (printable handout in PDF, 19 MB, see Note A below for downloading instruction)

Going Up! Going Down! A History of the Otis Elevator Company (non-printable slideshow for screen-viewing only, 89 MB, see Note A below for downloading instruction)

Archival/Documentary Film:

TITLE: The Secret Life of Machines – The Lift
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSLmzjE_woQ
DURATION: 24:51
TITLE: Going Up - Elevator's Past, Present and Future
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdZtgADO_K8
DURATION: 27:52
TITLE: Elevators: Raising the Roof Since 1854
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_4hVIWaa_8
DURATION: 14:59
TITLE: Twin Towers Elevators 9/11
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Piy7FfNII&list=PLod-tVoRuKISHjvzkvD-YSyf4_dICeqcS
DURATION: 37:41
TITLE: Going Up? The History and Evolution of the Modern Elevator (2016)
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOjSs_MhIsI
DURATION:
TITLE: How Does an Elevator Work?
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKp4pe92ljg&t=384s
DURATION: 11:32
TITLE: Elevating Lives: The Ingenious Invention of the Elevator
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlZW7Gk5bvU
DURATION: 49:36

Note A: Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right-clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader from your computer.

Course Summary

Probably no invention revolutionized the world in the 19th Century as did the elevator, and it would not be until the invention of the internal combustion engine (later in the century) that mechanical engineering would take another giant leap forward. It’s not that the elevator was something new, they’d been around since ancient Greece in one form or another with the same simple goal: raise things (including people) from one level to another. The problem was safety. Elevators were considered safe for inanimate objects and livestock, but not for people well into the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Reason being the hoist ropes (often made of hemp rope) would suddenly snap sending the elevator (a/k/a “lift”) hurtling earthward. It was just by coincidence that a “Master Mechanic” for a Yonkers, N.Y. bedding manufacturer named Elisha Graves Otis was assigned the task of creating a lift for heavy bed frames that the world got its first “Safety Elevator.” Now, instead of a death plunge, a simple spring-loaded brake mechanism would engage “teeth” in the side rails if the tension in the rope was not present. So simple, yet so ingenious that it began what we know today as the vertical transportation industry. Then as now, the Otis Elevator Company is leading from the front.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSjJjKcoNRk
(Otis Safety Elevator – 04:12)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUGtMuJJZ1g
(Film: What are Horizontal Elevators? - 03:02)

https://www.wliw.org/programs/treasures-of-new-york/treasures-new-york-treasures-new-york-flatiron-building/
(Film: Inside the Lab That Tests Elevator Free-Falls - 14:42)

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.