■ Control system: The overall system governing the starting, stopping, direction of motion, acceleration, speed, and retardation of the moving member.
■ Designated level: The main floor or other floor level that best serves the needs of emergency personnel for firefighting or rescue purposes identified by the building code or fire authority.
■ Displacement switch: A device actuated by the displacement of the counterweight, at any point in the hoistway, to provide a signal that the counterweight has moved from its normal lane of travel or has left its guide rails.
■ Door or gate electric contact: An electrical device, the function of which is to prevent operation of the driving machine by the normal operating device unless the door or gate is in the closed position.
■ Electrical/electronic/programmable electronic (E/E/PE): Based on electrical (E) and/or electronic (E) and/or programmable electronic (PE) technology.
■ Hydraulic elevator: A power elevator in which the energy is applied, by means of a liquid under pressure, in a hydraulic jack.
■ Roped hydraulic elevator: A hydraulic elevator in which the energy is applied by a roped-hydraulic driving machine.
■ Hoistway door or gate locking device: A device that secures a hoistway door or gate in the closed position and prevents it from being opened from the landing side except under certain specified conditions.
■ Hydraulic jack: A unit consisting of a cylinder equipped with a plunger (ram) or piston, which applies the energy provided by a liquid under pressure.
■ Driving machine: The power unit that applies the energy necessary to drive an elevator.
■ Geared driving machine: A direct driving machine in which the energy is transmitted from the motor to the driving sheave, drum, or shaft through gearing.
■ Traction machine: A direct driving machine in which the motion of a car is obtained through friction between the suspension ropes and a traction sheave.
■ Gearless traction machine: A traction machine, without intermediate gearing, that has the traction sheave and the brake drum mounted directly on the motor shaft.
■ Hydraulic driving machine: A driving machine in which the energy is provided by a hydraulic machine and applied by a hydraulic jack.
■ Direct hydraulic driving machine: A hydraulic driving machine in which the driving member of the hydraulic jack is directly attached to the car frame or platform.
■ Roped-hydraulic driving machine: A hydraulic driving machine in which the driving member of the hydraulic jack is connected to the car by wire ropes or indirectly coupled to the car by means of wire ropes and sheaves. It includes multiplying sheaves, if any, and their guides.
■ Elevator machine room: An enclosed machinery space outside the hoistway, intended for full bodily entry, which contains the electric driving machine or the hydraulic machine. The room could also contain electrical and/or mechanical equipment used directly in connection with the elevator.
■ Maintained pressure: The hydraulic pressure between the pressure source and the control valves of a maintained pressure hydraulic elevator.
■ Compensation means: The method by which unbalanced forces due to suspension means are reduced, utilizing one or more compensation members and their terminations.
■ Elevator nonstop switch: A switch that, when operated, will prevent the elevator from making registered landing stops.
■ Inspection operation: A special case of continuous-pressure operation used for troubleshooting, maintenance, repair, adjustments, rescue, and inspection.
■ Phase I recall operation: The operation of an elevator where it is automatically or manually recalled to the recall level and removed from normal service because of activation of firefighters’ emergency operation.
■ Phase II emergency in-car operation: The operation of an elevator by firefighters where the elevator is under their control.
■ Elevator pit: The portion of a hoistway extending from the sill level of the bottom terminal landing to the floor at the bottom of the hoistway.
■ Rated speed: The speed at which an elevator is designed to operate.
■ Car or counterweight safety: A mechanical device attached to the car, car frame, or to an auxiliary frame, or to the counterweight or counterweight frame in order to stop and hold the counterweight under one or more of the following conditions: predetermined overspeed, free fall, or if the suspension ropes slacken.
■ Traveling cable: A cable made up of electric conductors, which provides electrical connection between an elevator car or counterweight and a fixed outlet in the hoistway or machine room.
■ Unintended car movement: Any movement of an elevator car that is not intended car movement, resulting from a component or system failure.
Besides the foregoing definitions, which give us a valuable overview, Part II (Hoistways and Related Construction for Electric Elevators), Part III (Machinery and Equipment for Electric Elevators) and Part IV (Hydraulic Elevators) provide specific mandates and construction details. It is necessary to comply with these ASME A17 provisions in order to ensure that existing installations remain safe for workers and users. In performing repairs, it is essential that safety mechanisms remain in place, intact and fully functional. Moreover, workers should constantly evaluate the overall installation in the context of NEC and ASME A17 compliance. Additionally, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations are relevant to workplace safety. Keep in mind that most elevator accidents involve not members of the public who are using the equipment, but workers who are installing, maintaining, and repairing it. The obvious hazards are falling, being crushed, and being electrocuted. Additionally, there are long-term health hazards. Proper workplace procedures protect technicians and workers.
ASME A17 Part II applies to hoistways and related construction for electric elevators. It begins with the very basic statement that hoistways are to be enclosed throughout their height. The enclosure protects elevator machinery to a limited but very significant extent from fire that may occur in an adjacent area. This buys time for elevator occupants to descend to the ground floor (Phase I) and for firefighters to take manual control of the elevator (Phase II) so that they can endeavor to halt the fire and perform rescue operations.
Notwithstanding the fact that the hoistway protects the car and occupants from an external fire, the fact must be recognized that in some instances this vertical shaft can act as a highly efficient flue, increasing a fire’s temperature and facilitating its spread to upper floors. We shall see in Chapter 1, History, some attempts to confront this problem, for example by installing safety hatches, which consisted of sliding or hinged panels at each floor to create a series of closed compartments to control the draft. These panels would open to allow the car to pass. The hoistway moreover serves as a supporting structure for cable sheaves, counterweight guards, doorways at landings, control wiring, guide rails, and safeties.
Protection is to be provided around elevators adjacent to areas permitting passage of people and adjacent to areas permitting storage. This protection is permitted to be fixed guards, or sufficient distance from the moving portion of the elevator, or a combination of both, so that no one can accidentally come in contact with the elevator. Hoistway enclosures must have substantially flush surfaces