In a typical aircraft carrier, most of the jets that are not in use are stored in the hangar bay, which is located two decks below the flight deck, directly under the galley deck. The hangar bay may be 110 feet wide, 25 feet high, and close to 700 feet long, over two thirds the length of the aircraft carrier. Besides aircraft, there is a large maintenance area with spare engines, extensive tools, and areas open to the outside for testing engines. Various sections are separated by sliding fire doors. There may be four gigantic aluminum hydraulic elevators, each capable of lifting two 30-ton jets simultaneously.
Stage elevators are essential for large theatrical productions. They permit elaborate settings to be assembled in advance, ready for action, and raised into place between scenes. Similarly, large orchestras complete with musicians and heavy pianos can be instantly deployed. These elevators are invariably hydraulic, with heavy steel-framed floors supported by massive pistons. Radio City Music Hall has four large stage lifts behind which are three smaller ones, so that sections of the set and orchestra can be moved as needed.
Residential elevators are used to transport elderly and handicapped persons between floors in their own homes, often permitting partially disabled persons to live at home for many years without relocating to a ranch-style building. These home lifts are permitted to be less complex, and they are generally slower and less powerful than commercial elevators, so the cost is far less. Safety systems such as shaft and car door interlocks, safeties, and emergency phones are required. ASME A17.l, Section 5.3 covers residential elevators. This category does not include elevators in multi-family occupancies.
Dumbwaiters are intended to carry light freight between floors, never human passengers. They are frequently installed in restaurants and hotels, to connect kitchens to dining rooms on higher levels. Because of the lighter, inanimate loads, some of the usual safety features are not required. The platforms are much smaller than those in passenger and conventional freight cars, with three-foot door heights. At each landing there is a control panel, permitting calling, door control, and choice of destination.
The Paternoster consists of a series of moving compartments. It resembles the humanlift, found in multi-story industrial buildings, where the rider stands on a small platform, gripping a handhold.
The scissors lift is a mobile work platform that allows maintenance workers and painters to easily access outside walls and inside walls in industrial building that have high ceilings. Scissors lifts are used extensively by electricians in servicing light fixtures in high-bay areas. They can also be used as long-term fixed elevators where there is no space for pit, machine room, counterweight, or hydraulic cylinder.
Rack and pinion elevators are powered by a motor-driven pinion gear. They are often installed on the outside of a building under construction, and can easily be moved to the next work site.
Belt elevators are used extensively to move loose material such as grain and coal. Typically the loads are moved up inclined planes. Pit mines make extensive use of these elevators. Vertical elevators in underground mines, used to transport materials, equipment, and workers, are often large, powerful, and challenging in terms of design, installation, and maintenance. Electrical systems are sometimes in areas classified as hazardous.
A survey of elevator types should include a description of the major elevator manufacturers. There are relatively few compared to the number of household appliance or automobile manufacturers. This is because elevator systems are very complex. They vary widely in height, with shafts, traveling cables, and steel ropes sometimes thousands of feet long. Often there are group installations of multiple powerful high-voltage electric motors and elaborate control and communication systems. The entire assembly has to conform to detailed safety codes, which vary depending on the location and elevator type.
Here is Wikipedia’s list of current elevator manufacturers. We will focus on a few of them:
■ Acorn Stairlifts
■ Aichi
■ Anlev Elex
■ Anton Freissler
■ Canton Elevator Incorporated
■ Cibes Lift
■ Delaware Elevator Manufacturing
■ Delta Elevator
■ FUJIHD
■ Fujitec
■ GEDA USA
■ Hitachi
■ Hosting Elevator
■ Hyundai Elevator
■ KLEEMANN
■ Kone
■ LG Elevator
■ Liftech SA
■ Marshall Elevator
■ MEI-Total Elevator Solutions
■ Mitsubishi Electric
■ Orona Group
■ Otis Elevator Company
■ Schindler Group
■ Servas ascensores
■ Sicher elevator
■ Sigma Elevator
■ Symax Lift
■ Stannah Lifts
■ ThyssenKrupp
■ Toshiba
■ Ulift
Hitachi is moving forward with its UAG Series SN1 and OUG Series ON1 machine room-less elevator systems. Hitachi offers advanced functions, some standard and some optional, including simplex, duplex, and group control, automatic return function, independent and attendant parking and rush-hour schedule operation, interphone system, floor lockout and door nudging, abnormal speed protection, and out of door-open zone alarm.
Additionally, when the car stops out of the door-open zone, it will move at slow speed to the nearest floor to release passengers. In the event of door overload, such as when passengers get their fingers, hands, or personal belongings caught in the door, the system automatically senses this and either recloses or reopens the doors to prevent injury.
Micro-leveling automatically corrects the car level when there is a difference between the car and the landing floor. In the event of a power failure, an emergency light inside the car is automatically activated. A battery-powered emergency supply allows the operation of light and alarm bell. A multi-beam door sensor installed at the edge of doors, in the event that beam paths are obstructed, will keep the doors open.
As of 2018, Hyundai has produced over 28,000 elevators. The company states that safety, ride quality, and space efficiency are combined in optimal elevator systems that will enhance the value of buildings. Speeds are up to 18 meters per second and maximum passenger capacity is 30. Hyundai manufactures observation, hospital, and freight/automobile elevators with a maximum rated load of 5,000 kg. All products can be custom-made to suit each building.
Kone, a Finnish elevator manufacturer founded in 1910, conceived the machine room-less elevator in 1996. Over the years throughout the world Kone has bought and sold many corporations. At various times it has invested heavily in forest machines, cargo handling, and tractors. Currently, it has narrowed its focus and expanded its elevator business. Due to environmental and energy efficiency concerns, Kone announced in 2007 that it would no longer manufacture hydraulic elevators.
In 2011, Kone built a new headquarters building named the Kone Center in Moline, Illinois.
In 2013, the firm introduced Kone UltraRope, designed to replace steel rope in traction elevator systems. It will permit building heights up to one kilometer. UltraRope is lightweight, with a high-friction coating and consequently reduces energy consumption in high-rise applications. With a higher resonant