See Also: elevator(dictionary)
elevator(dictionary)
elevator(encyclopedia)
Elevator(medicine)
grain elevator(encyclopedia)
elevator music(dictionary)
Terminal elevator(finance)
Public elevator(finance)
screw elevator(medicine)
periosteal elevator(medicine)

elevator (sh)




Car that moves in a vertical shaft to carry passengers or freight between the levels of a multistory building.

The use of mechanical lifting platforms dates to Roman times. Steam and hydraulic elevators came into use in the 19th century; electric elevators had been introduced by the end of the century. Most modern elevators are electrically propelled through a system of cables and pulleys with the aid of a counterweight, though hydraulic elevators are still used in low buildings. The introduction of an automatic safety device by Elisha Otis (1811-1861) in 1853 made the passenger elevator possible. By opening the way to higher buildings, the elevator played a decisive role in creating the characteristic urban geography of modern cities.