Admin Table of Contents
What did Elisha Otis do for a living?
Elisha Graves Otis (August 3, 1811 – April 8, 1861) was an American industrialist, founder of the Otis Elevator Company, and inventor of a safety device that prevents elevators from falling if the hoisting cable fails.
What else did Elisha Otis invent?
Otis also invented several other key elevator-related devices, including a three-way steam valve engine that provided more precise control of the elevator in motion. Other inventions in later years were a steam plow, rotary oven, and oscillating steam engine.
Did Elisha Otis attend school?
Young Elisha attended public schools in Halifax, and at the age of 19 he moved to Troy, New York and took up carpentry as a profession.
How did Otis elevator 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.
Who invented the first lift?
In 1852, in New York, Elisha Otis pioneered the safety lift, which ensured the cab wouldn’t fall if the cable snapped. The Equitable Life Building, in New York, was the first in the world to have passenger lifts in in 1870, and the first electric lift was invented in 1880 by Werner von Siemens in Germany.
What keeps an elevator from falling?
Elevators have two or three types of brakes. If there’s an error in the safety chain, a clamp closes on the pulley above the car, preventing the elevator from moving. Unlike an automobile brake, which has to be depressed to engage, the elevator brake is clamped down unless power is supplied to release it.
Why is it called a lift?
The company was so successful and installed them in so many places, that people started to refer to lifts as elevators. This in turn caused the company to lose its “Elevator” trademark and it became the common name in the United States for a lift. A lift is designed to transport vertically in a controlled manner.
Where did Elisha Otis get his idea 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.
Who was the inventor of the Otis Elevator?
Elisha Graves Otis (August 3, 1811 – April 8, 1861) was an American industrialist, founder of the Otis Elevator Company, and inventor of a safety device that prevents elevators from falling if the hoisting cable fails.
Where did Elisha Graves Otis live most of his life?
However, due to chronic poor health he could not carry on such demanding physical work. From 1838 to 1845 Otis lived in Brattleboro, VT, where he constructed a gristmill and sawmill. Business was slow so he returned to carpentry, building wagons and carriages well-regarded for their quality.
Who are the two sons of Elisha Otis?
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. Otis also devised a number of other mechanical contrivances.