Elevator and

Escalator systems 

PREPARED BY: AUSTRIA KARLA PAULA C.

SECTION: AR22FB2
INSTUCTOR: AR. MARVIN RIMANDO
ELEVATOR
Elevators are devices that move people and goods vertically within a dedicated shaft that
connects the floors of a building. They became commonplace in the 1850s as steel and
iron structural frames allowed taller construction; however it was Elisha Otis's safety
mechanism that prevented the car from falling that made elevators popular. In almost all
modern multi-floor buildings, elevators are required to provide universal access.

TYPES OF ELEVATORS:
Hydraulic Elevators
• Conventional Hydraulic Elevators
• Hole-less Hydraulic Elevators
• Roped Hydraulic Elevators
Geared and Gearless Traction Elevators
with Machine Room
• Traction elevators
• Geared Traction Elevators
• Gear-less Traction Elevators
Machine-Room-Less (MRL) Elevators
Hydraulic Elevators
Hydraulic elevators are supported by a piston at the bottom of
the elevator that pushes the elevator up as an electric motor
forces oil or another hydraulic fluid into the piston.  The elevator
descends as a valve releases the fluid from the piston. They are
used for low-rise applications of 2-8 stories and travel at a
maximum speed of 200 feet per minute. The machine room for
hydraulic elevators is located at the lowest level adjacent to the
elevator shaft.

Conventional Hydraulic Elevators 

have a sheave that extends below the floor of the elevator pit,
which accepts the retracting piston as the elevator descends. 
Some configurations have a telescoping piston that collapses
and requires a shallower hole below the pit.  Max travel distance
is approximately 60 feet.
Hole-less Hydraulic Elevators 
have a piston on either side of the cab.  In this configuration, the telescoping pistons are
fixed at the base of the pit and do not require a sheave or hole below the pit. 
Telescoping pistons allow up to 50 feet of travel distance.  Non-telescoping pistons only
allow about 20 feet of travel distance.

Roped Hydraulic Elevators

 use a combination of ropes and a piston to move the elevator.  Maximum travel
distance is about 60 feet.

Hydraulic elevators
Have a low initial cost and their ongoing maintenance costs are lower compared to the
other elevator types. However, hydraulic elevators use more energy than other types of
elevators because the electric motor works against gravity as it forces hydraulic fluid into
the piston. A major drawback of hydraulic elevators is that the hydraulic fluid can
sometimes leak, which can cause a serious environmental hazard. The environmental
risk and high energy use are two main reasons that hydraulic elevators are not being
installed as often as in the past.
The Hydraulic Elevators will differ from the traction elevator in the following main components:
1. Machine/drive system.
2. Safety system.
SAFETY SYSTEM
The hydraulic elevator has dominated the low-
rise market because it is cheaper to build, install
and service, and because it has a decidedly
better safety record than the electric elevator.
Especially in earthquake endangered areas, the
hydraulic elevator has proven itself to be clearly
the safer option. Due to the threat presented by
swinging counterweights and also because the
car is suspended from the top of the hoistway,
the traction elevator is particularly vulnerable to a
shaking building compared to the hydraulic
elevator which is installed practically on the
building’s foundation.

METHOD OF OPERATION
Hydraulic Elevators Machine Room

The equipment rooms for hydraulic elevators

are normally located at the lower level of a
building, but can be at any floor level or 50 to
100 feet away from the elevator shaft.

Machine Room
Electromechanical
Requirement
Geared and Gearless Traction Elevators with
Machine Room

Geared Gearless
Motor rotation (speed) is The traction sheave is
reduced by 1/10th using connected directly to the shaft
a speed reducer of the traction motor, and the
equipped with worm or motor rotation (speed) is
helical gears, and transmitted directly to the
transmitted to the traction sheave without any
traction sheave of the intermediate gearing.
traction machine.
Direct Acting (direct plunger driving)
Plunger pushes up car directly at a 1:1 ratio of
plunger-to-car movement.

Indirect Acting
(suspended type or roped
hydraulic drive)

Plunger is connected to
car by roping using a
deflector and suspension
sheave, moves car up
and down at a 1:2 ratio of
plunger-to-car movement.
Traction elevators 
are lifted by ropes, which pass over a wheel attached to an electric motor above the
elevator shaft.  They are used for mid and high-rise applications and have much higher
travel speeds than hydraulic elevators.  A counter weight makes the elevators more
efficient by offsetting the weight of the car and occupants so that the motor doesn't have to
move as much weight.

The main advantage of a traction lift is its higher speed

compared with the hydraulic variety. This means the traction
system can be used in tall, modern, 21st-century buildings. The
ride in a traction elevator is also smoother. The traction system
is also more energy-efficient as the counterweight balances the
car load, whereas the hydraulic system needs to push the car
against gravity.
Traction lifts may also be difficult to maintain, as the machine’s
controls are located in the shaft headroom. This area could be
difficult to access. However, if a magnetic synchronous motor
replaces the machine room, this will provide a superior control
mechanism. It also makes the lift shaft process visible, making it
easier to maintain and safer to operate. This will provide a good,
albeit expensive, long-term lifting option.
Geared Traction Elevators 
have a gearbox that is attached to the motor, which drives
the wheel that moves the ropes.  Geared traction elevators
are capable of travel speeds up to 500 feet per minute. The
maximum travel distance for a geared traction elevator is
around 250 feet.

Gear-less Traction Elevators 

have the wheel attached directly to the motor.  Gear-less
traction elevators are capable of speeds up to 2,000 feet per
minute and they have a maximum travel distance of around
2,000 feet so they are the only choice for high-rise
applications.
Machine-Room-Less (MRL) Elevators

MRL Elevator machines are located in the hoistway, eliminating

the need for a traditional machine room. They are designed for
low- to mid-rise buildings having up to 250 feet of rise.
Schumacher's MRL elevators are ideal when space for a machine
room is not available

Advantages
- Eliminates traditional machine room
- Reduces power consumption
- Greater speeds than hydraulic systems
- Less expensive than geared traction systems
- Accommodates front/rear openings
Best suited for
- Low- to mid-rise buildings
Escalator
is a moving staircase that moves people between different floors of a building. They are
powered by motors. The steps run on tracks. There is a handrail that moves with the escalator,
that you hold onto when riding the escalator. There is also an emergency stop button, which
stops the escalator, and a key switch, that restarts the escalator, in the up or down direction.

TYPES OD ESCALATOR:

STEP TYPES ESCALATOR

• Wheelchair accessible escalator
• Belt type escalator
• Cleat type escalator
• Spiral escalator
• Levytator
Step type escalator
Step Type Escalator is one of the most
common forms of escalators used
today. Their steps are usually made up
of metal. The movement of these type
of escalators is upward then flat and
then downward and the vice versa as
well. This type of escalator is safer than
most other forms of escalators.
Wheelchair accessible
escalator
Wheelchair accessible escalator is nothing but
a normal escalator with special provisions for a
wheelchair. In this type of escalators, there is a
special attendant. If a person with a wheelchair
steps onto the escalator, the escalator is put in
a special mode where 3 steps level out and a
platform is formed. Thereafter some spikes
come out from the back of the step closer to
the lower landing of the wheelchair, thereby
preventing the wheelchair along with the
person to fall down.
Cleat type escalator
The cleat type escalator had cleated metal, later
wood treads, that are slanted. Some types of
cleat type escalator look more like a belt, not an
escalator 

Spiral escalator
This type of escalators; have curved steps giving them a
fancy sort of appearance. They look very beautiful and
attractive and are only manufactured by Mitsubishi since
1985.
Levytator
is the newest type of escalator. This is a free type of escalator that can curve multiple times
in either upward or downward direction. In this system, there are two escalators which
continuously share loops of steps and can alo curve differently. The steps of this escalator
are also uniquely built.

The advantages of the Levytator

don't stop at aesthetics and energy
savings. Because the curved
modules are always "on top" and all
the steps can be accessed from
above, maintenance is much easier.
Additionally, as no excavation is
required for installation, the
Levytator could be placed on top of
an existing staircase.
PARTS OF ESCALATOR
The lower module
houses the step return idler sprockets or lower reversing
station. This lower reversing station component is now
manufactured in cast steel, allowing for a quieter and
smoother transition of the steps and chain around the lower
end of the escalator.

Top and bottom landing platforms

In addition to housing the upper and lower modules, the top
and bottom platforms anchor the ends of the escalator truss
and contain a floor plate, a comb plate and comb segments.
The floor plate provides a place for the passengers to stand
before they step onto the moving stairs. This plate is flush with
the finished floor and is either hinged or removable to allow
easy access to the machinery below.
Step chain
 Each escalator contains two step chains on either side of the unit. These are basically similar
in shape to a bicycle chain, but much larger, and attach the steps to the mechanical drive
system which continuously pulls the steps.
PARTS OF ELEVATOR AND FUNCTION
Speed Governors
The speed regulating system of elevators is known as the speed governor.If the elevator runs
more than the speed limit, the speed governor controls the speed. It is usually attached to the
bottom of the car and is also known as governor rope.

Electric Motor
In case the lift faces any serious condition, Electric Motors helps in preventing it and provides
a smooth functioning of lifts.

Elevator Rails
Sliding up and down in the elevators is possible with the proper functioning of Elevator Rails.

Cabin
This is the main part of Elevator which is designed for the shipment of goods and services or
the passage of persons.

Elevator Shaft
Lift cabin moves in this space. Depending upon the type of elevator, the location of the shaft
can be varied.
Doors
As normal doors, elevator doors are also meant for entry and exit. Elevator door is of two types:
Manual doors and Automatic doors.

Manual doors: These types of doors are opened with the help of a person who wants to enter the
lift.
Automatic doors: Automatic doors are the type of doors which are automatically opened as it is
powered by a door operator.

Drive unit
Everything that works under electricity must have a motor attached for the functioning. Drive unit is
the part which contains a motor that drives the lift.

Buffers
The buffer is an apparatus located at the bottom of elevator designed to protect people. Buffers can
stop a descending car by accumulating or dissipating the kinetic energy of the car.

Safety device
This is a mechanical device attached to the elevator for safety reasons. In case the lift travels
downward with a maximum speed or over the speed limit, safety device can maintain a safety and
secure traveling.
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ESCALATOR
AND ELEVATOR
ESCALATOR
Escalators are necessary “moving stairs”
that carrying public up or down between
levels of a building. But elevator is a room
V.S
type lift which hold few number of people
at one time and transport people up and ELEVATOR
down between levels of building. Elevators are used in multi storied
Escalator consists of a motor driven chain buildings such as offices, apartments,
on a individual track which cycle on a pair banks, hospitals, etc. But escalator are
of tracks. An elevator is a type of vertical used in malls, metro and railway station,
transportation that moves people or goods etc.
between levels of a building. It powered Elevator can carry only 10 to 15 people at
by electric motor that are attach traction one time. But escalator can carry more
cable and counterweight system just like a than 20 people at one time.
cylindrical piston Elevators are closed cabins abut
Escalators are moving stairs.
REFERENCES:

https://www.archtoolbox.com/materials-systems/vertical-circulation/elevatortypes.html
https://www.electrical-knowhow.com/2012/04/hydraulic-elevators-basic-components.html
https://platformliftco.co.uk/news-pr/traction-versus-hydraulic-lifts-advantages-and-
disadvantages
http://www.schumacherelevator.com/elevators/traction-elevators/machine-roomless-mrl-
traction-elevators.aspx
https://www.newsinheadlines.com/different-types-escalators/
http://vintecelevators.com/parts-elevator-function/