when was the otis elevator invented

When was the elevator invented from Elisha Graves Otis?

On March 23, 1857 the first Otis passenger elevator was installed at 488 Broadway in New York City. In 1861, Elisha Otis patented a steam elevator and also established an elevator company. In 1874, J.W Meaker patented a method of opening and closing elevator doors safety.

When did Elisha Graves Otis invent the elevator brakes?

What inventions did Elisha Otis invent? Otis created a superior device, a tough, steel wagon-spring meshing with a ratchet, and so created the elevator brake. In 1854, Otis dramatized his safety device on the floor of the Crystal Palace Exposition in New York. The inventor ascended in an elevator inside an open-sided shaft.

When were the elevators introduced first?

The first elevator debuted in the mid-1800s. Prior to the invention of the elevator, people would need to walk up the stairs of multi floor buildings. However, the idea for the elevator can be traced back to around 300 B.C. During this era, people began to use levers and pulleys to carry heavier objects to a higher level.

What was the first elevator used for?

The first hydraulic elevators were designed using water pressure as the source of power. They were used for conveying materials in factories, warehouses and mines. Hydraulic elevators were often used in European factories. In 1852, Elisha Graves Otis introduced the first safety contrivance for elevators.

Why did Otis create the elevator?

Otis designed the first safe elevator when he needed to lift heavy building materials, while converting a sawmill into a factory in Yonkers, New York.

How long has Otis Elevator been in business?

Otis is an iconic brand with a rich history We helped build cities, transformed how people live and work, and revolutionized architecture itself. We are continuing to lead the industry we created more than 168 years ago.

Who owned Otis elevator?

The Otis Elevator Company was acquired by United Technologies in 1976, but it was spun off as an independent company 44 years later in April 2020 as Otis Worldwide Corporation.

How old was Elisha Otis when he invented the elevator?

Lasting success. At the age of 40, while he was cleaning up the factory, he wondered how he could get all the old debris up to the upper levels of the factory. He had heard of hoisting platforms, but these often broke, and he was unwilling to take the risks.

Who is the largest elevator company?

1 - OTIS. The Otis Elevator Company is an American company (owned by United Technologies) that develops, manufactures and markets elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and related equipment. Based in Farmington, Connecticut, Otis is the world's largest manufacturer of vertical transportation systems.

What was the first elevator?

The first human-powered, counter-weighted, personal elevator was built in 1743 for King Louis XV of France. It connected his apartment in Versailles to that of his mistress, Madame de Chateauroux, who lived one floor above him. Elevator technology began to advance significantly in the 19th century.

Is Otis a monopoly?

The entire narrative describing Elisha Otis as the founder of the modern elevator was constructed by his sons in 1911, who used the story to establish one of the largest monopolies in history.

When was the first lift invented?

236 BCThe earliest known record of a lift can be traced back to Roman architect Vitruvius who reported Archimedes to have built the first one in 236 BC. At the time, lifts were made from hemp rope and powered by animals or people; a vast difference to the modern lift.

Where are Otis lifts made?

Otis Elevator Factory, Hangzhou. Xizi Otis Elevator Company is a joint venture between UTC Otis and the Hangzhou Xizi Group, which jointly invested in a 465,430-square-foot (43,240 square-foot) manufacturing facility located in Jianggan Technological & Economic Park, Hangzhou.

How did elevators work before electricity?

They were powered by human and animal power, or sometimes water-driven mechanisms. They were in use as early as the 3rd century BC. Modern elevators were developed during the 1800s. These crude elevators slowly evolved from steam driven to hydraulic power.

How did the elevator help society?

The elevator is among only a handful of inventions that helped cities to grow upward. In fact, elevators enabled the urban environment we know and love today. It's an often-overlooked mode of transportation that helped build cities, transformed how people live and work, and revolutionised architecture itself.

How does the Otis elevator brake work?

An inspired piece of engineering, Otis' safety brake kept the elevator from falling if the hoisting rope broke. If the rope went slack, the release of tension triggered the safety brake – a large leaf spring that snapped into notches cut into rails that supported the elevator on opposite sides of the elevator car.

Is Otis a Fortune 500 company?

Otis Elevator Co. This year's Fortune 500 marks the 68th running of the list.

How many employees does Otis elevator have?

Leading the newly independent Otis is CEO Judy Marks. Once the separation is completed, which is expected to be in April 2020, Marks will preside over the world's leading elevator company that begins its new life with $12 billion in revenue, 68,500 employees and two million elevators in service around the world.

Where is Otis Elevator headquarters located?

Farmington, CTOtis Worldwide / HeadquartersFarmington is a town in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 26,712 at the 2020 census. Wikipedia

Where was Otis elevators founded?

September 20, 1853, Yonkers, NYOtis Worldwide / Founded

When was the Otis elevator invented?

Elevators from the Otis Elevator Company. The company, which is celebrating its 160th anniversary today, has an interesting history: it was founded in 1853, the year Elisha Otis invented the elevator safety brake.

When was the first Otis elevator installed?

It seems the stunt worked - in 1857 the first Otis passenger elevator was installed at 488 Broadway. Soon after, the Otis elevator appeared in the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building.

Which invention paved the way for the global proliferation of skyscrapers?

Today, in conjunction with the implementation of the steel frame, the Otis elevator is generally considered the invention that paved the way for the global proliferation of skyscrapers.

Where are OTIs located?

Otis elevators are in the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest building at 2,722 ft. Image © Emaar properties.

When did Otis cut the platform rope?

In 1854 , Otis attempted to shatter the public's conception of the elevator's perilousness by performing a dramatic, death-defying demonstration of his safety break feature, cutting the hoisting platform rope at New York's World Fair in 1854.

Who was the founder of the Otis elevator?

Portrait of Otis Elevator Company founder Elisha Otis, 1860. Image via Otis Elevator Company. The first elevator shaft (built in 1853) actually preceded the first elevator by about four years; architect Peter Cooper, confident that a safe elevator would soon be invented, designed New York's Union Foundation building with a cylindrical shaft ...

What would allow for the creation of the skyscraper?

But it was Otis' elevator that would allow for the creation, and proliferation of, the skyscraper - an explosion that would for ever alter the 20th and 21st century skylines.

When did Otis Elevator buy Cleveland?

In 1954, the company purchased the BAKER-RAULANG COMPANY in Cleveland to produce fork lifts and trucks. In 1970, Otis Elevator purchased Cleveland’s EUCLID CRANE & HOIST COMPANY and started the Otis Crane Systems Division.

What buildings did the Otis Elevator move to?

In 1917, Otis Elevator moved to a new, two-story building at 1373 East 6th Street, which cost $70,000.

When was the first elevator invented?

His invention impressed spectators at the convention, and the first passenger elevator was installed in New York City in 1856.

Is Otis a UTC?

In 1975, the Otis Elevator Company became a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation (UTC). In 2015, Otis Elevator remained a part of UTC, and was known as the world leader in the elevators, escalators, and moving walkways. Otis continued to operate a branch in Cleveland, Ohio, at 9800 Rockside Road.

Why did Otis create the elevator?

The motivation for the design by Otis was the need to lift heavy equipment to upper floors in the company where he was working.

What did Otis do?

Before long, Otis abandoned milling and got into building wagons and carriages. He later moved to New York where he was hired as a master mechanic at bedstead factory in Albany. It is while working in this factory that he created the modern elevator. The existing hoists were considered safety hazards by the workers because of their nature of crushing and causing a lot of damages. They were also a threat to the workers’ lives. He also designed an automatic turner and a railway safety brake. His successful invention of the modern elevator resulted in him pioneering a company for designing and distributing commercial elevators. This company became famous globally for its elevators and was a great success. Otis succumbed to diphtheria on April 8, 1861.

How do elevators help?

Besides the movement of people, elevators also help in moving heavy goods up and down buildings.

Where was Elisha Otis born?

The Biography of Elisha Otis. Otis was born in a family of six people on August 3, 1811, in Halifax, Vermont. He was the last born with his parents being Stephen Otis and Phoebe Glynn. Otis received his basic education in one of the public schools in his home town. Thereafter, in the early 1830s, he moved to Troy in New York where he joined ...

Why were hoists considered safety hazards?

The existing hoists were considered safety hazards by the workers because of their nature of crushing and causing a lot of damages. They were also a threat to the workers’ lives. He also designed an automatic turner and a railway safety brake.

Where was the Otis elevator built?

Otis elevator in Glasgow, Scotland, imported from the U.S. in 1856 for Gardner's Warehouse, the oldest cast-iron fronted building in the British Isles. The Otis Elevator Company was founded in Yonkers, New York in 1853 by Elisha Otis.

What is OTIs elevator?

Otis Worldwide Corporation ( branded as the Otis Elevator Company, its former legal name) is an American company that develops, manufactures and markets elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and related equipment.

Why is the OTIs escalator closed?

On July 9, 2018, a one-year-old Otis escalator at Stockholm City Station changed direction from up to a rapid descent, in what local officials called a "free fall", causing minor injuries. Inspection of the gear boxes of several Otis escalators revealed unexpected rust and heavy wear. This led to the newly built train stations Stockholm City Station and Stockholm Odenplan being temporarily closed on July 13, 2018, for security reasons until the problems were understood and resolved.

What was the cause of the 513MPE accident?

A Beijing official said the 513MPE escalator had "defects in design, manufacturing and maintenance", and that Otis had "unavoidable responsibility for the accident". Shenzhen Metro authorities confirmed that the cause of the accident was also similar to the Shenzhen accident on December 14.

What happened to the escalator on the subway in 2011?

On July 5, 2011, an Otis 513MPE escalator installed at Beijing Subway Line 4 Zoo Station changed direction without notice , causing 30 people to fall. One boy was killed and 27 people injured, prompting China to halt the use of the escalator model. A Beijing official said the 513MPE escalator had "defects in design, manufacturing and maintenance", and that Otis had "unavoidable responsibility for the accident". Shenzhen Metro authorities confirmed that the cause of the accident was also similar to the Shenzhen accident on December 14.

What buildings does Otis have elevators in?

Otis has installed elevators in some of the world's most famous structures, including the Eiffel Tower, Empire State Building (modernization partnership signed in 2011 ), the original World Trade Center, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Petronas Twin Towers, Burj Khalifa, CN Tower, the Winchester Mystery House, the Hotel del Coronado, the Demarest Building (first electric elevator), the Singing Tower at Bok Tower Gardens, and the Skylon Tower .

How many people were trapped in the Otis elevator?

On July 24, 2009, a group of eight people was trapped for eight hours in an Otis elevator in Toronto. A repair man who tried to fix the elevator fell 10 floors to his death.

When did mass elevators start?

It proved to be great success and many other stores followed them. In 1870 nine story building was made with internal structure already prepared for installment of elevators. This moment marked the starting point of mass elevator usage in USA and the world.

Where did Stephen Otis come from?

He was born on August 3, 1811 in Halifax, Vermont, USA to he father Stephen Otis, Jr. and mother Pheobe Glynn. Although he had talent for craftsmanship and inventions he moved from job to job, without finding any success. His first successful invention happened in New York where he worked in a bed frame factory. He devised solution with helped him to automate productions of bedsteads and make four times more material than with manual work. With $500 earned from that invention he stared his short-lived company where he tried to manufacture automatic breaks for trains. In 1845 he first came to idea to make an elevator with automatic break. In beginning no one take notice of this invention, but he gained much publicity during 1854 New York World's Fair. There he presented his automatic break elevator with a demonstration in witch axe man cut the rope that held the elevator with Otis in it. After that his company started getting many orders of his safe elevators every year.

What was Elisha Graves Otis's illness?

Elisha Graves Otis (aged 49) died at the April 8, 1861 suffering from the effects of diphtheria illness.

Who was the first person to use an elevator?

Industrialist Elisha Otis, who installed the first passenger elevator in New York, held a public demonstration at the 1854 world's fair in New York in which he hoisted a platform high above a crowd, then cut the cable with an ax. "All safe," he proclaimed as his safety device halted the fall.

What engine did the elevators use?

They were all powered by steam engines and therefore slow. "The elevator operator would close the door and then the car would rise very slowly. It was not about speed. It was about an amazing new technology and a luxurious experience that allowed guests to avoid walking up the stairs," said Gray.

What is the name of the building that was built in the 1920s?

In the 1920s, avant-garde architects like Emery Roth, who peppered the New York skyline with his iconic residential buildings, started turning the once undesirable space directly under the roof -- often laden with debris and almost unrentable -- into fashionable apartments with terraces known as penthouses. The symbol of this new era is the Empire State Building, which opened in 1931 and would remain the world's tallest skyscraper until 1970. It had 73 elevators, the largest elevator order to date, which traveled at the unprecedented speed of 1,200 feet per minute. They're still an integral part of the building's lore and popularity.

Why were elevators so popular?

At the time, elevators were more of a tourist attraction than a means of transportation. The world had no tall buildings yet, and lower floors were the most desirable because they didn't require you to climb many stairs. The higher the floor, the lower the rent. But the elevator would change that completely, ushering in the era ...

How many elevators did the Chicago skyscraper have?

When the Home Insurance Building -- commonly considered the first skyscraper due to its steel frame -- opened in Chicago in 1885, it had four elevators to serve its 10 floors. Elevator shafts were now at the core of architectural design.

Why was the Haughwout elevator shut down?

Installed in 1857 at the Haughwout Department Store in New York, it was shut down after just three years because customers refused to accept it. Powered by a steam engine in the basement of the five-story building, it traveled at a mere 40 feet per minute. (Today's fastest elevators can travel upwards of 40 feet per second.)

How many elevators are there in the Empire State Building?

The symbol of this new era is the Empire State Building, which opened in 1931 and would remain the world's tallest skyscraper until 1970. It had 73 elevators, the largest elevator order to date, which traveled at the unprecedented speed of 1,200 feet per minute.

What was the first invention of Otis?

Among his first inventions were a railway safety brake, rail turners for speeding the making of rails for four-poster beds and the improved turbine wheel. Otis died of diphtheria on April 8th, 1861 in Yonkers, New York.

When was the first elevator invented?

In 1857, Otis and the Otis Elevator Company began manufacturing passenger elevators. A steam-powered passenger elevator was installed by the Otis Brothers in a five-story department store owned by E.W. Haughtwhat & Company of Manhattan. It was the world's first public elevator.

What was the purpose of the elevator in the 19th century?

From about the middle of the 19th century, elevators were powered, often steam-operated, and were used for transporting materials in factories, mines, and warehouses. In 1823, two architects named Burton and Homer built an "ascending room," as they called it. This crude elevator was used to lift paying tourists ...

How did Otis die?

Otis died of diphtheria on April 8th, 1861 in Yonkers, New York.

How does a hydraulic elevator work?

The hydraulic elevator is supported by a heavy piston, moving in a cylinder and is operated by the water (or oil) pressure produced by pumps.

What is elevator shaft?

Mary Bellis. Updated August 11, 2019. By definition, an elevator is a platform or an enclosure raised and lowered in a vertical shaft to transport people and freight. The shaft contains the operating equipment, motor, cables, and accessories.

Who was Otis Tingley's wife?

In 1845, Otis moved to Albany, New York after marrying his second wife, Elizabeth A. Boyd. Otis found a job as a master mechanic making bedsteads for Otis Tingley & Company. It was here that Otis first began inventing.

What inventions did Otis make?

Otis also devised a number of other mechanical contrivances. In 1852 he patented some railroad-car trucks and brakes. In 1857 he patented a steam plow, and in 1858 he patented a bake oven. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now.

Who invented the roped elevator?

The steam-powered hydraulic elevator, which was limited to buildings of about 15 stories, was developed in 1867 by the French engineer Léon Édoux. The development…

What was the first elevator equipped with an automatic safety device?

There he designed and installed what he called the “safety hoist ,” the first elevator equipped with an automatic safety device to prevent it from falling if the lifting chain or rope broke.

Where did James Otis grow up?

A descendant of a James Otis who immigrated from England to New England in 1631, the young Otis grew up in Vermont and, at age 19, moved to Troy, New York, and later to Brattleboro, Vermont, working at various jobs.

Who is Elisha Otis?

American inventor. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Elisha Otis, in full Elisha Graves Otis, (born August 3, 1811, Halifax, Vermont, U.S.—died April 8, 1861, Yonkers, New York), ...

When was the steam engine invented?

On January 15, 1861, he patented an independently controlled steam engine for elevator use (installed in 1862). This invention laid the foundation for the business that his two sons, Charles and Norton, carried on after his death as owners of what eventually became the Otis Elevator Company.

How long have elevators been around?

Although elevators may seem like a modern invention, devices used to transport people or goods vertically have been around for thousands of years.

What was the purpose of the elevators in ancient Rome?

In ancient Rome, a subterranean complex of rooms, animal pens and tunnels stood beneath the Colosseum. At various intervals, elevators powered by hundreds of men using winches and counterweights brought gladiators and large animals up through vertical shafts into the arena for battle.

Why did Louis XV have a flying chair?

In 1743, Louis XV had what was referred to as a “flying chair” built to allow one of his mistresses to access her quarters on the third floor of the Palace of Versailles. Similarly, a “flying table” in his retreat château de Choisy allowed the king and his private guests to dine without intrusion from the servants.

Who invented the safety break?

However, in 1852, Elisha Graves Otis invented a safety break that revolutionized the vertical transport industry. In the event that an elevator’s hoisting rope broke, a spring would operate pawls on the car, forcing them into position with racks at the sides of the shaft and suspending the car in place.

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