The elevator is one of the essential elements of modern city life. Along with the construction of tall buildings, elevators are widely used to transport people and materials up and down. The history of the elevator goes back to when people have been trying to find solutions to their vertical transportation needs for centuries.
Antiquity
The early history of the elevator dates back to ancient Egypt. Back then, people used an inclined ramp to carry heavy loads. The ramp was pulling the load up and down using a rope attached to a wheel that spun around an axis at the junction of the two planes. Similar transport systems were used in ancient Greece and Rome.
Medieval
In medieval Europe, builders used cranes to move materials and equipment up. There were many different types of these winches, and some used ropes and pulleys. However, these cranes could only be used to move loads and were not suitable for transporting people.
Renaissance
During the Renaissance, elevator designs evolved significantly. Italian architect and engineer Giovanni Fontana proposed a design for an elevator that could transport people in a work called “Il Bel Sanese” in 1420. This design worked with a system where four ropes rotate on pulleys. However, this design was never implemented.
In the 19th century, elevator designs developed rapidly. In 1743, the English engineer and scientist, C. W. Scheele, designed an elevator that could carry people. This design was based on a platform moving between two planes. In the mid-1800s, English inventor Sir William Armstrong developed hydraulic elevators to move loads. These elevators were moving using high water pressure.
It was invented in 1874 by American inventor Elisha Otis. Otis has developed a safety system to ensure that elevators can be used safely by people due to the danger of falling. This safety system ensured that the brakes were activated automatically in case the rope broke.
This invention formed the basis of the widespread use of elevators. The first modern high-rise buildings were made possible by elevators. The first high-rise building, built in New York in 1884, had only 10 floors, but had an elevator. Later, in the 20th century, the construction of high-rise buildings increased rapidly, and all these buildings used elevators.
Today, even the tallest buildings in the world can have many elevators. For example, Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world and has 163 floors. There are 57 elevators in the building, the fastest of which can reach speeds of 40 miles (65 km) per hour. The development of elevators has affected many aspects of modern life, as well as public transportation and material handling systems.
Thanks to elevators, people can now live, work and have fun in high-rise buildings. Elevators also play a vital role in emergencies. In case of fire or other emergency, elevators can be used for evacuation or used by firefighters and other emergency crews.
As a result, elevators have been developed for centuries to meet people’s vertical transportation needs. Today, modern elevators are used to move people and materials up and down, operating safely and effectively. The development of elevators has affected many aspects of modern life and will continue to meet people’s vertical transportation needs in the future.
