FAQs

I enjoyed the bygow page greatly (being a mechanical engineer myself) and you have quite an impressive list of accomplishments. Thus, I thought you might be able to help me with some information. I am in the process of trying to locate companies that build/sell/install incline lifts. More specifically, a lift for transporting people from their vacation home on the hill down to the waterfront. I have located two on the internet - www.accumar.com and www.hillhiker.com . Do you know of any others? Is there some other way to search for these types of companies besides keywords and search engines. I look forward to your reply. Thanks, John L.

URLs listed here do not infer my approval of their devices.

	Call Hans Gerber at Garaventa Surrey BC 1-800-663-6556.
	Look up Weberg and Rogers at the Elevator Industries Site.

Some recommendations by our handicapped expert:

Install big copper spades to defend against lightening hits; these things attract lightening.

Locate your top and bottom landings; run a string from one to the other measure the angle from the bottom landing, and know the distance when calling in.

From your planning string, three feet on each side of the wire must be kept clear.

Standard car sizes are 3'x5' or 4'x5' for disabled access.

Side doors much easier than end doors.

Landing stations should be made of concrete and steel or aluminum.

You need one major foundation block, and the rest just hold the rails straight.

Paint the elevator black to make it disappear.

Try to get galvanised rails.

Roget Taylor in Vancouver also has a neat machine called the Matrina Ramp Rider for h/c access for docks and marinas affected by tide; Try Marina Ramp Rider on your web browser. Cheap versions of hill climbers abound but these either plain don't work or have a service life of five years...always ask for references of ten year old work. The other trick question is "Does it meet ASME A18.1? Will you license it?" That scares the sleazy operators off.

What ever you do, don't get cheap! You'll pay later!!!

Insist on buffered safeties.

VFAC is the state of the art;

I've been approached by a prospective client who claims his son was seriously injured on an escalator. His son lost two toes when his sneaker was drawn into the side of the step. Is this a potentially viable case? .......PW Nevada

This injury is common to escalator liability cases. It's called side of step entrapment. It's a most viable case given that the boy was not behaving in a negligent fashion.

My company does not believe it is responsible for making new additions to it's customer's elevators to keep them code compliant. Is this valid.

It's contractually valid, however your company has a responsibility in law to notify it's clients of improvements or additions which make the client's elevators/escalators safer to ride. It's called "Duty to warn".

We're a Department store with several escalators. How can we decrease the potential for injury posed by the propensity of children wearing sneakers to drag their feet on the side of the escalator.

Coat the lower portion of the side of the escalator with a slippery spray such as Pam. Even better, have a siderail brush installed by your servicing company.

I'm an attorney with a client who has been injured on an elevator. I'm having trouble visualizing the components of an elevator and their relative positioning. Have you an illustration that I might view? .......JB California

Sure can. Click here or on the illustrations button on the index.

Can anyone help me with this one? I'm working on it but.....help!

Hi,dear friend:
Do u know some information about Hitachi's elevator(type:NPX, VFM, YPVF, HVF)? include their PCB drawing & MPU program. I hope u could help me ,OR give me some guide to find them.
thanks! Tailai Qian, Guangdong Province, Peoples Republic of China

VFM refers to a newly developed, surface mount package, low power dissipation, high speed diode. For complete information on the diode, click on the Hitachi Elevator button in the Navigation bar below. I have, as yet, not discovered the answer to the remainder of Qian's question. Stay tuned.

Can you display the various components of an escalator? ...PJW Arizona

Certainly, click here or on the escalator illustration button below.

April 6, 1999 Are there any mandated responsibilities for elevator maintenance companies to maintain safety protocols? What are they? ........Francis V. Tejano

Yes, although they are rather limited. These responsibilities may be found in ASME A17-1 Part XII Section 1206. It's important to note that the elevator maintenance company will be held responsible, by the equipment owner, to maintain the elevator in such a fashion that it is in continuing compliance with the code in place at the time of application for permit to install. This is assured in most states by mandated elevator inspections (see ASME A17-1 Part X).

Is a Westinghouse elevator made in the 1950's acceptable for use today? What are the required mechanical updates? ........Francis V. Tejano

In the U.S. an elevator of any manufacture must meet the ASME A17 codes for the year of application for permit to install. Once having met them most states permit the continuing use of the elevator so long as it continues to meet that code.

In a very few locals, a continued update to conform to ASME A17-3 (Safety Code for Existing Elevators and Escalators) is required. Most code professionals have been trying to make conformance with ANSI 17-3 a requirement but have had little success.

My client was riding an escalator in a shopping mall. She's 18, solidly-built. Her sneaker is apparently up against or close to the front of the stair in front of her. It gets grabbed and pulled into the space between the two stairs. She is unable to extricate herself. She screams. Her mother is with her and together they are able to pull her foot out. The sneaker has a hole the size of a half dollar in the toe area. Client's toe is bruised but otherwise undamaged. Demand letter sent to shopping mall and manufacturer. Brought the suit in negligence (failure to install protective devices, footprints or boxlines and failure to adequately warn) against both defendants, but may need to amend to product liability against manufacturer. Comments? Advice? .........FTG

Direction and culpability under code violations depends to some significant degree on the year of installation of the escalator, type of stair (straight or curved) and your client's location on the stair. Several possible code issues are:

ASME A17.1 Rule 802.5c: Cleated Step Risers

ASME A17.1 Rule 805.3a: Emergency Stop Buttons

ASME A17.1 Rule 805.7: Step Demarcation Light

ASME A17.1 Rule 805.3k: Step Level Device

ASME A17.1 Rule 805.3n(1) & (2): Comb Step Impact Devices

ASME A17.1 Rule 806.2: Lighting of Escalator

Your current claims seem well directed.

The elevator code is modified annually, in some cases changing the Rule number, so the above Rules might have different numbers prior to 1996.

Could you tell me what a MAG resistor is on an Otis elevator? What does it do or control? Where is it located? How could it fail and what would the result be if it did fail? What is the phrase "leveling speed'? ......CBatlaw

I don't know the answer to your questions about a MAG resistor at this moment but I have the resources to do the research. As soon as I have an answer I'll respond.
In-so-far as your question about "leveling speed" however, the answer is:

By code: ASME A17.1 Section 3:
Leveling: "controlled car movement toward the landing, within the leveling zone, by means of a leveling device, which vertically aligns the car-platform sill relative to the hoistway-landing sill to attain a predetermined accuracy."

Leveling Zone: "the limited distance above or below an elevator or material lift landing within which the leveling device is permitted to cause movement of the car toward the landing."

Please Note: The leveling zone is restricted to from 10" to 30" depending on the year of installation and the type of elevator. The speed attained within the later portions of that zone is called the leveling speed.

Typically an elevator accelerates to it's contract speed through a series of steps. The reverse is of course true in decelerating to a stop. The deceleration steps, preparatory to stopping, are called slow-downs and, subsequent to arriving at the last slow-down, the leveling speed as attained. Usually a speed of 1.5 to 3 feet per minute within the final few inches of the landing curve.

I'll get back to you regarding your MAG resistor questions at my earliest opportunity.

It's been suggested by one of my consultant readers that CBatlaw might be referring to a MAG switch rather than a MAG resistor. This is a hoistway mounted, magnet equipped switch which is operated by a vane mounted on the side of the elevator. It's usually used for slow-down and leveling control.

I work for an elevator distributor in Mexico and I was wondering if you could help me out with one question. I was wondering if the lightning down conductor can be placed in the hoistway if the hoistway was elongated 20 inches back. The constructor did this so that he can place the grounding down conductor in those 20 inches he says is his space. We argue that even though the hoistway is longer than what we asked for, we say that it is still the hoistway. ....Diego Quiroga

Unless they wall off their 20 inches, it's still the hoistway. Nothing except elevator equipment is permitted in the hoistway if you conform to ASME A17.1 Rule 102.1 and 102.2.

Do you know of any deaths relating to escalators stopping suddenly?
Please let me know, I am doing some research into safety issues in New Zealand. I had heard mention that somewhere in Europe a handrail chain broke and wound itself up inside the escalator mechanism, maybe the drive motor. The escalator stopped and a woman fell to her death. Anyway if you could point me to any statistics on escalator injuries I would really appreciate it........Richard Galli

While there have been many injuries related to escalators stopping abruptly, I know of no deaths. I'll be glad to do a little research here for you If you like.Your European escalator accident is bizarre. Of course you know that the ANSI code requires that when the handrail chain breaks the stair stops. Not that European stairs necessarily conform to ANSI. If you find a report of this accident please let me know. Statistics may be found on this site under Sidebars/Escalator Data.

I am the Director of a small community arts center located in a two story building with no elevator. We would like to install an elevator so that our upstairs performance space will be available to al. We have a basement which is at the present undeveloped, but could be a usable space in the future, so the elevator should probably start down there. I understand that a "lift" is cheaper than an elevator and perhaps it would fill our needs. Can you tell me where I could start inquiring about this? Also, do you know if funding is available for a center such as ours? (Non-profit community building---community theater, concerts, etc. upstairs) .......MH Vt.

Dear Mary: How many floors would the lift serve? More than one is non-code acceptable for public buildings. I think a LULA (low use, limited access) would be more appropriate even if your local code permits lifts for your application. Law suits abound and lifts are more prone. You already have started inquiring about your problem. If you'll bear with me I'll do some research and send you some recommendations.

Dear Charles- Thank you for your prompt response. Our building is a two story building and we are interested in getting folks up to the second floor performance space. I had thought that it might be wise to plan for the future possibility of expanding to our basement area (a pottery studio,
perhaps, once we dig it out!) and therefore plan for the lift to start at the basement level. If code says that is impossible, I guess we'd just go from our first floor to the second. Is LULA a brand name?

Mary Hepburn

Dear Ms. Hepburn: I guess I've not been sufficiently clear. A LULA is a low cost vertical transportation device designed specifically for applications such as yours as I understand it. A lift, such as you mention, is not suitable for carrying passengers between two floors. The National Standard Safety Code for Elevators, ANSI A17.1 disallows such a usage as follows: Rule 2000.7a "Limitation of Load, Speed, and Travel. .......The travel shall not exceed 12 feet (3,658 mm) nor penetrate a floor."

From: AS......Edmonton, Alberta Canada

Comments: Good and informative web site. I really appreciated all the information provided. I wish there was something like this with Canadian statistics and information.

Dear AS:
Thanks for the Kudo. Keep those cards and letters coming!

I'm doing research to provide a new page or pages with this information. I would welcome input from my Canadian peers.

Are there federal and/or state mandated speed limits for escalators? What about for elevators?

Dear Sir: There are no federally mandated speed limits for either elevators or escalators. There is a National Standard Safety Code for both, ASME A17.1, which is utilized by most states as a referenced standard through their building codes. Elevator top speeds are not controlled. Escalator top speed is controlled by ASME A17.1 Rule 803.1 as 125 fpm (0.64 m/s). Most escalators are operating at 90 fpm.

NEW AS OF 11/8/99

Dear Sir, My building is a 17-storey high. The elevator is Toshiba made and almost 14 years old. The operating sequence is as follow: After every transportation , the lift will go back to ground floor position and waiting for another call. i.e. If the lift moves to 12th floor, after unloading, and if no more call, it will go back to Ground floor. My question is if we make it to stay at its last stop to waiting for the next order, rather than going down, will it save up some energy and thus cut down the electric bill? Thanks for your guidance advise,Y.T. Tamyiutong@ismart.net

Dear Mr. Tam: Probably not, but in order for me to properly answer your question, I would have to know several things:

1. What kind of a building is it? Apartment or office.

2. Is there a peak period when the elevator is used (up and down).

3. How many elevators are in the building?

Another question: How are the above mentioned radius of curvatures related to that of the rise of each step?If you don't have the answers, please help me in directing who I might ask these questions. Thank you :)Makoto Taniguchi

Thanks for your help. Rick Crescitelli rcrescit@wasn.net

Dear Rick: That was the infamous "paternoster". Now illegal for obvious reasons. Cholly

-I just visited the web site of the Otis escalator, and noticed that the radius of curvature is different at the top and bottom of theescalator where it bends to and from the 30 degree inclination. Why is this? That is, I'm sure there is something in the ASME A17 codespecifications, but I want to know the reason for it, as I am a mathematics teacher in NY city public schools with a physics background.

Dear Mr. Tahiguchi:The answer to your first question is quite simple. Below the threshold plate at each end of the stairway is a sprocket upon which the drive chain for the steps rides. The steps must flatten prior to being mounted on the sprocket. The code requires a minimum of six flat steps prior to entering the comb plate.There is no relationship to the rise of each step under the preceding circumstance.

About 25 years ago, I was stationed in Frankfurt Germany. I had occasion to go to a commercial building with an unusual vertical transportation devise. This was a duel shaftway, with multiple cars rising on the one side, and lowering on the other. There were no doors at each floor, and the passenger simply stepped into an available car traveling in the desired direction. The cars were not traveling at a high velocity and entry, egress was not difficult. If one remained on the car for a complete revolution, the car would make a loop at the top and bottom of the run, however, it was on a pivot so that up was always up! What was the name of this type of device?

Hi,
My name is Mike Wood and I am resident in Sydney, Australia. I wondered if you have had any involvement with the difficultiesencountered by wheelchair users accessing or leaving moving walkways. We have had 3 incidents recently where wheelchairs have tipped due to the difference in speed when accessing or leaving the walkway. The Australian regulations make no mention of wheelchairs which means there is basically no user instruction or warning of possible dangers to wheelchair users on walkways.

Does the "US" code cover such a thing or is there warning signs
available for this situation. I would appreciate any information or contact names/numbers you may be
able to provide.

Best Regards

Mike Wood
Director
Vertical Transport Management Services Pty Ltd
"E" mail address vtms@ezylink.net.au

G'day Mike:

Good question! No, the ASME A17.1 code doesn't speak to the wheelchair issue. I'm amazed that our strong handicapped group hasn't broached the subject yet. Oddly enough I've been wheelchair bound for a time while I've traveled through airports, but my wife has gone along to help. The moving walks are tempting but we eschewed them in the interest of safety. I can't imagine how we could make them safe for the handicapped. I'm big on signage, but there is none for wheelchairs on walks. There is a sign for escalators but it doesn't address chairs. I'd opt for a sign warning the chair bound not to use the walks. Bad for handicapped access, good for their health!
How're things in the "land down under". I haven't been to Sidney for some time and miss it. Put a shrimp on the barby for me please!
Cholly

Charles A. Buckman, CSS, CEI

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