The elevator is a unique invention, which is now used by most of the world's population. This lifting device is very firmly established in everyday life. So strong that most people no longer think about who invented the elevator and when. In the article we will talk about this in detail.
Who first invented the elevator and when did it happen?
To get an answer to this question, we need to travel to Ancient Rome. It was there, in the town of Herculaneum, that the first prototype of the elevator appeared. Since the city was at the foot of Vesuvius, he soon fell victim to a volcano. At the excavations of one house, archaeologists who know exactly who invented the elevator found perfectly preserved parts of the elevator, which is used to lift ready-made dishes from the kitchen to the dining room. Items found date back to 79 A.D. e. It was at this time that the eruption of Vesuvius occurred.
However, in some sources there are written references to earlier prototypes of the lifts. So, an architect from Rome named Vitruvius indicated in his treatise that he ordered the development of the elevator design to Archimedes from Syracuse. The manuscript dates from 236 BC. e.
France
In 1743, a passenger elevator was built in the Versailles Palace of Louis XV. The device was created for only one purpose: the monarch could easily climb into the upper apartments, where his mistress lived.
Who invented the elevator in Russia?
In 1795, in St. Petersburg, in the corridors of the Winter Palace, one could observe the fat bump A. Bezborodko. The Chancellor was in exaltation and excitement unusual for himself. Later it turned out that Bezborodko “took off” in the “self-lifting chair” in the royal apartments. Just it was the prototype of the device to which this article is devoted.
This begs the quite natural question: “Who invented the elevator in Russia?” It was the outstanding inventor Ivan Kulibin. Its lifting mechanism was started with the help of one or two people: special nuts that moved the platform with the cab moved along the lead screws that were installed vertically. This device has become a favorite pastime of the palace servants and dignitaries. The Kulibin lift was the first passenger elevator built in the Russian Empire.
America and England
In 1800, a steam engine was first used as a drive for a lift. This happened in America at one of the mines where coal was mined. Its owner quickly realized that the use of a steam engine would significantly increase the speed of coal lifting and significantly increase production efficiency. From this time began the era of market operation of elevators. In economic terms, the use of lifts has become profitable. Already in 1835, industrial enterprises in England began to use freight steam elevators.
Hydraulic lift
But the new devices had one serious drawback. It was necessary to regularly maintain the operation of the steam engine. This did not create any problems in the mines, where the elevator was used constantly. But in ordinary enterprises, where the lift was operated sporadically, for this reason a lot of inconvenience arose. And in residential buildings did not install steam elevators at all because of their excessive noise. Part of the problem was solved in 1845. American inventor William Thompson invented the first hydraulic lift. Its design also had flaws, since a source of pressure in the liquid was required. For this, a steam engine was again used. Only now could it be located remotely from the installation site of the elevator. And the liquid itself was supplied under high pressure through a pipeline. At that time, a number of cities already used centralized water supply systems. But due to the low pressure not exceeding 0.38 MPa, they were unsuitable for Thompson lifts.
Design improvement
In 1851, William Armstrong (engineer) came up with a hydraulic accumulator. This device increased and ensured a constant pressure when water was supplied to the cylinder. The battery design was simple. A vertical cylinder (plunger diameter - 40-45 centimeters) supported a steel box filled with gravel or stones. In fact, all the key components of a modern hydraulic elevator were present in the Armstrong lift. This is a hydraulic accumulator, and a multiplier, and a plunger type hydraulic cylinder. European engineers have set themselves only one task. They decided to improve the design of lifts with a direct-acting plunger hydraulic cylinder. The first such elevator appeared in 1849 in England. It was installed at the Osmaston Manor Hotel. And by the mid-60s, all the major hotels in England began to use such a hydraulic passenger lift.
Safe mode of transport
And here we come to the answer to the question: “Who invented the elevator in the 18th century?” Otis Elisha Graves is the name of this engineer. It was he who invented the safest lift in the world. During his life, the American changed many professions: he built carriages, worked at a sawmill, was a laborer, and served in a furniture factory. It was here that he was asked to make a lift to deliver lumber to the second floor. While working on this project, Graves came up with his invention.
Before Otis, the cable was attached directly to the cab, and Elisha fixed it with an elastic steel spring plate. The inventor installed gear rails on the sides of the lift. Even under the weight of the empty platform, the spring itself flexed easily and passed between them. If the rope broke, then the spring was straightened and stuck with its ends in the teeth of the rails, preventing the cab from falling. The one who invented the elevator to Elisha could not even dream of such a security system.
Otis Elevator
Graves soon opened his company Otis Elevator. He called the lifts for sale the safest elevators in the world. In 1854, in order to increase sales of his products, Otis came up with a publicity stunt. In New York, in one of the exhibition halls with a high dome (12 meters), the inventor placed a lifting platform between the two supports. At the top of the structure stood Otis' assistant, with a long sword in his hand. Graves himself in a top hat and tuxedo was on the platform among the boxes and barrels. When the elevator, with the help of a steam engine, went up to the very top, an assistant at the command of Elisha chopped off the rope. The platform fell down, but after a couple of meters with a terrible rattle, the automatics triggered and stopped it. Spectators applauded the one who invented the elevator. Elisha Graves Otis removed the cylinder and bowed in all directions.
Electric lift
Time passed, and the design of the elevators improved. In 1887, A. Miles from America received a patent for an electric lift. In the new design, there was a lock system for the doors of the shaft in case of absence on the cabin floor.
In 1889, Otis Elevator installed the first elevator of its kind in one of New York's skyscrapers. From that moment, the proliferation of electric lifts in all cities of the world began. Further inventions in the field of elevators dealt mainly with service automation and control systems. For the operation of the very first lifts, a dense staff of employees was required (attendants on the floors, an elevator in the cockpit, an engineer of a steam engine). But by the beginning of the 20th century, only one elevator and one electrician were needed for several mines in the building. Another innovation was the introduction of uniforms. Now, lifters dressed in it have become key personnel figures in every hotel of that time. In 1924, the Otis Elevator company created an elevator call system by pressing a button. And two years later, engineer Haugton invented automatic doors. The devices that appeared made it possible to automate the lifts and significantly simplify their maintenance.
Conclusion
So now you know who came up with the elevator and when. We have traced the evolution of this device from antiquity to the present day. What's next? How do engineers see the elevator of the future? It is absolutely certain that it will be fast, automatic and safe. And maybe even space!