Who Built the National Lift Tower?

The National Lift Tower also known informally as the Northampton Lighthouse is a 127m high tower located off the Weedon road in Northampton. The Tower contains six lift shafts of varying heights and speeds, one of which is a high speed shaft with a travel distance of 100m with a theoretical maximum speed of 10m/s. The Express Lift Company built the Tower to test lifts in 1982 and it then became Britain’s tallest lift testing tower.

The Express Lift Company

The Express Lift Company was formed in 1917 when two companies merged; those two companies were Easton and GEC elevators. An engineer by trade, Josiah Easton had founded Easton in 1822. After an initial failed working relationship with Richard Waygood of Waygood & Co, Easton went on to establish The Easton Lift Co as one of the most influential lift companies in Britain and the world. Notable installations include the first lifts in the Greenwich and Woolwich Tunnels under the Thames.  The General Electric Company (GEC) began working with Easton during the First World War. Easton was making ships hoists, derricks, hydraulic ramps and small lifts for the Royal Navy and the electrical drives were supplied by GEC.

From the outset, the Express Lift Company was headquartered in Northampton. In 1925 Express introduced the gearless self -levelling lift using American sourced components. In 1928 Smith, Major and Evans, the first British manufacturer of gearless lifts, merged with Express. In 1929 Express achieved a special engineering milestone when they installed hydraulic equipment to raise and lower the dance floor at The Savoy Hotel in London.  Over the following decades there were many notable installations including the company’s first escalators at the Earls Court exhibition centre in 1932. In May 1960 the company completed an installation of 25 lifts, 17 at Bucklesbury House and 8 at Temple House. In 1978 Express completed the installation of 22 high speed lifts including five double deckers at 1400 ft. per minute in what was then Europe’s tallest office block, The NatWest Tower.

The National Lift Tower

The National Lift Tower, constructed in 1982 is perhaps the most tangible construction that Express were responsible for, at least in the minds of those not involved in the vertical transportation industry. A smaller testing tower measuring 60 metres in height had been built by Express in 1932 but by the 1970s it was clear that with the advances in the vertical transportation industry a new taller testing tower was needed. The Express Lift Tower (now known as the National Lift Tower) was built for this purpose. Construction commenced in 1980 and was completed in 1982.  You can watch 1980s video of the National Lift Tower here.

It is no longer used for lift testing but is used for testing of the following: height safety and access equipment, escape systems for offshore platforms and vessels, Novel systems for use on underwater cranes. In addition it is also used for lift engineer training, lift equipment development and telecommunications testing including long range high speed wireless broadband.

What happened to the Express Lift Company?

The Otis owned Evans Lifts purchased the Express Lift Company in 1995 and in 1997 Express Evans was folded into the Otis group of companies.

Dunbar and Boardman is the lift, escalator and access equipment consultancy. Are you currently planning a project that will involve vertical transportation? We would be happy to discuss with you. Give us a call on T +44 (0) 20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.

Industry Pioneers: Peter Ellis - the Father of the Paternoster

Peter Ellis was born on 1 August 1805 at Shaw's Brow (later renamed William Brown Street) in Liverpool. He was the third son in a family of seven; his parents were Peter Ellis Senior and Ann Ellis (née Appleton). Peter Ellis Senior was an architect who worked on the construction of Courts in an area now buried under Lime Street Station. It was perhaps no surprise when Peter followed in his father’s footsteps and became an architect. He was first mentioned in Gore's Liverpool Directory in 1834 as an architect with an office on Renshaw Street but prior to that he had learned his trade working with his father developing terrace properties for residential use. 

What did he do?

Ellis had a fairly prolific career and worked on many buildings in the Liverpool area in from the 1820s right up 1884, the year of his death. He died at the age of 79 at his home at 40 Falkner Square on 20 October 1884. Of all the buildings that he worked on he is best known for two of his commissions; Oriel Chambers built in 1864 and 16 Cook Street built in 1866. The Cook Street building had a spiral staircase, cantilevered out from the main building and clad with sheets of iron and glass. Oriel Chambers took its name from the type of windows used was in the construction. Oriel Chambers became Ellis’ most notable contribution to the architectural community in the United Kingdom and around the world. Oriel windows are a type of bay window that project from the main wall of a building but do not reach the ground. Oriel windows are supported by corbels, brackets or similar and are most commonly found projecting from an upper floor but have also been used on the ground floor. 

How does this relate to the Vertical Transportation industry?

Designed and built by Ellis, Oriel Chambers contained the world’s first Paternoster-style lift. Ellis received a lot criticism from the architectural community for Oriel Chambers at the time of its construction and his career suffered a loss of momentum.  Many years later Oriel Chambers was praised for being one of the first office buildings to use an iron framework structure and oriel windows and Ellis was finally acknowledged as a pioneer. The innovative design has also been recognised as a precursor to Modernism and a source of inspiration for John Root’s early Chicago skyscrapers. From a vertical transportation perspective, Ellis is recognised as the Father of the Paternoster lift.  Ellis had filed a patent* for a ‘continuously moving lift’ in 1866, it was granted the following year and the Paternoster lift at Oriel Chambers was installed in October 1869. Paternosters went onto become very popular during the first half of the 20th century, particularly in Eastern Europe. You can read more about paternosters in our post, ‘here’.

Dunbar and Boardman is the lift, escalator and access equipment consultancy. Are you currently planning a project that will involve vertical transportation? We would be happy to discuss with you. Give us a call on T +44 (0) 20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.

Spotlight on Innovation: OTIS GeN2 Switch Technology

In 2014 Otis released the Switch elevator powered by patented GeN2 technology. The machine is pioneering in terms of its energy efficiency and ease of installation. Its highly efficient and compact qualities make the GeN2 Switch best suited for use in residential buildings, especially those that were built without an elevator.

How does the GeN2 technology work?

The GeN2 uses flat polyurethane-coated steel belts instead of the traditional steel ropes. They are 20% lighter and last three times longer than traditional ropes. The polyurethane-coat finish also serves to make the belts more flexible, which allows them to bend tightly around small diameter sheaves. This superior flexibility allows for a more compact gearless system that is 50% more energy efficient than a conventional machine.

What are the benefits of the GeN2 Switch elevators?

One of the clearest benefits of this machine is its energy efficiency. The GeN2 Switch elevator uses an electronic-battery pack to power the machine, the battery pack is charged by energy generated by the elevator when it is in use. When the motor is idle, the electronic -battery pack recharges and prepares to power the motor when it next comes into operation. This system produces significant savings to electricity bills. The electronic-battery pack also enables the elevator to continue in service in the event of a power failure, the elevator can make up to 100 trips after the power has failed.

The elevator has less movable parts than a conventional machine and provides a very comfortable ride for its passengers. The gearless system means there is minimal noise when the elevator is being operated. This benefit, combined with the fact that the GeN2 requires no specific electrical installation, makes it a great passenger lift system for residential buildings. The compact machine can be plugged in like any other electrical appliance in the building using a single-phase 220V power supply; making installation easy and affordable.

Compared with other conventional systems, the GeN2 also ranks highly in terms of environmental protection standards. The polyurethane-coated steel belts remove the need to lubricate the machine’s parts, thus avoiding the need for hazardous wastes.

You can watch the OTIS GeN2 Switch elevator video here

Dunbar and Boardman keep a watching brief on technological advances within the vertical transportation industry to better serve our clients. Dunbar and Boardman is the lift, escalator and access equipment consultancy. Do you have a current or planned project that would benefit from using a GeN2 Switch? We would be happy to discuss any such requirements and how we may be able to assist. Give us a call on T +44 (0) 20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.

Unusual Lifts: What are Vacuum lifts?

The pneumatic vacuum lift is a type of lift that works without a pre-construction shaft, pit, or a machine room and can be installed in as little as two days. Even if a lift was not originally planned for a building one can be fitted without problems. This makes it an ideal solution for residential homes where the occupants find they are having difficulties ascending and descending stairs. There are a number of sizes of pneumatic vacuum lift, some of which can accommodate wheelchairs. This type of lift is particularly popular in New Zealand and the USA where vacuum lifts are often installed in self-build homes. Indeed, New Zealand has a higher proportion of self build homes than the UK, approximately 40% compared with 12% here according to the National Custom and Self Build Association.

How do vacuum lifts work?

The lift is able to move due to air pressure and is contained in a cylinder.  The difference in air pressure above and beneath the vacuum elevator cab literally transports you up – you are travelling by air. It is the vacuum pumps or turbines that pull you up to the next floor and the slow release of air pressure via a valve regulating inflow of air in the upper part of the shaft that floats you down.

Vacuum lifts are fitted an alarm system, emergency ventilation, and door safety switches.

What are the benefits of vacuum lifts?

* Expense - Compared to a convecause it dntional lift that requires a lift shaft and machine room a vacuum lift is very cost effective beoes not require these elements.

* The fact that the power source for vertical transportation is air pressure means that it is a very energy efficient solution and environmentally friendly. Turbines power ascent in the lifts and air pressure achieves the descent.

* Installation – In addition to the expense the installation of a conventional lift in a residential home requires a lot of space. Often space requirements or the expense prevent installation. Vacuum lifts can be easily installed with only minimal construction work and do not require as much space as conventional lifts.

* They also need very little maintenance (once every 5 years or 15,000 hoisting movements).

* A vacuum lift can offer a 360 degree panoramic view.

What are the limitations?

* Vacuum lifts can only travel a maximum of 35 feet or 10 metres. However, they can serve any number of floors within this height limitation.

* The ease of installation and lack of a centralised compliance authority after 1991 has meant in some instances non-compliant lifts are in use. The responsibility for compliance is now with regional authorities in New Zealand and unfortunately there have been a number of accidents with vacuum lifts.  We recommend that any lift should comply with international standards and are limited to domestic premises.

* Vacuum lifts have a load capacity of two 3 people or 230 Kgs and are not to be for commercial/industrial usage.

Are you considering vertical transportation for a project that you are working on? Dunbar and Boardman is the lift, escalator and access equipment consultancy. We would be happy to discuss with you. Give us a call on T +44 (0) 20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation.

Image credit: http://bit.ly/1NyiKRC

Should the Paternoster lift be confined to History?

The paternoster lift takes its name from the first two words of the Lord’s Prayer - “paternoster,” or “Our Father” in Latin. The image of a moving chain decorated by small, individual compartments reminded its designers of rosary beads being turned in people’s hands whilst praying, which is how it got its name. The first paternoster-style lifts were installed in Oriel Chambers, Liverpool in 1868 and were designed by the architect Peter Ellis. In 1876 a German company R Stahl* installed a paternoster London’s General Post Office. However, in 1877, British engineer Peter Hart obtained a patent on a paternoster design. Then in 1884, the Dartford, England, engineering firm of J & E Hall built its "Cyclic Elevator”. Paternoster lifts comprise of a chain of open compartments (each usually designed for two persons) that move slowly in a loop up and down inside a building without stopping.

Where was the Paternoster lift popular?

Paternoster lifts were popular in Europe during the first half of the twentieth-century, but their use led to numerous health and safety concerns. These concerns were understandable. The fact that paternosters do not stop means they are particularly dangerous for the elderly, disabled and children to use. Add to this the fact that paternosters are door-less and it is easy to appreciate how accidents could happen and unfortunately they did happen and some included fatalities. Riding a paternoster is no time to be staring at your smartphone; timing your steps on and off the lift demands total concentration. The poor safety record of paternosters has led to them being described as ‘death traps’ in some circles.

When was the Paternoster lift banned from manufacture?

By the 1970s this poor safety record led to new paternoster installations being banned in many countries across Europe. Germany banned new installations of paternosters in 1974. In recent times government initiatives to remove the remaining 250 operational paternosters in Germany have met with a fairly surprising public backlash. Supporters of paternosters claimed they had efficient design and perhaps nostalgia caused them to overlook safety concerns. In the UK British National Standards Related to Lifts, Escalators and Moving Walks were updated with BS2655 Part 5 in 1970 that specifically outlined safety requirements for paternosters. All of the UK’s paternosters in service had been constructed before BS2655 Part 5 was introduced. 

Did any manufacturer ever improve upon the design?

In 2013 Hitachi introduced a design for a Circulating Multi-Car Elevator System that appears similar to a paternoster but has two additional benefits – the lift cars are independent of each other and are able to stop like conventional lifts. In the Hitachi prototype lifts are counterweighted against each other. You can see the set up here 

Safety first: Yes, Paternosters should be confined to history?

Given the number of accidents that have occurred with passengers travelling on paternosters it seems sensible that they are confined to history. It is extremely unlikely that new paternoster installations will be constructed anywhere in the world. It remains to be seen whether architects and building contractors have any appetite for paternoster –style vertical transportation systems such as the Circulating Multi-Car Elevator System designed by Hitachi.

However, contemporary multi car systems, as designed by TKE, may be given the name of paternoster as a ‘modern variation’ on an old theme. 

Dunbar and Boardman is the lift, escalator and access equipment consultancy. Are you currently planning a project that will involve vertical transportation? We would be happy to discuss with you. Give us a call on T +44 (0)20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.

* Jumping into the present, R Stahl was purchased by Thyssen Krupp Elevator (TKE) and J & E Hall was purchased by Otis.

July News Update

The lift companies are complaining they are very busy so it will be a challenge for them to focus on performing to clients expectations during the immediate future. This increases the pressure on our teams.

In June Chris and I visited Dubai to support our growing team and link up with clients and wider design teams. (Photo) The Dubai 2020 Expo is a catalyst that will drive forth new hotels and exhibition areas. We are also one of the sponsors for the forthcoming Façade Access Conference in September www.facades-uae.com/sponsors

In the UK we are to welcome Geoff Hooper to our Cardiff office and Rob Taylor to our London office. Both have decades of experience and we look forward to their contribution.

I am pleased to announce that Dunbar and Boardman achieved a 1st place in the Excellent Performance Awards of Newcastle University under the Category of “Consultants”. Phil Mantey accepted the framed certificate on from Clare Rogers the Director of Estates Support Services. Well done to the local team.

We are looking forward to our September gathering when we can discuss the changes to legislation and our processes. There is also an element of socialising and formally saying goodbye to Jim Baynam who retired in May. Karen from out London admin team is off to live in Portugal – we wish her well. We also welcome Chloe who will join the team.

I am pleased that global footprint is growing as the Google stats confirms.

Industry Pioneers: Dr. Joris Schroeder and the Miconic 10

Little is known of Dr. Joris Schroeder’s early life and upbringing and no details emerged after exhaustive searches on the most popular search engines. What is clear is that Dr. Joris Schroeder had a huge impact on the vertical transportation industry particularly with regard to one specific invention but we will return to that later. He also impressed Peter Boardman on the subject in terms of its relevance to the future of lift control systems.

Career

There are more details available regarding his career. He was a graduate of Stuttgart Technical University and received a Ph.D. from the Berlin Technical University. He achieved the position of Vice President of Corporate Engineering and then Vice President of Product Research with Otis in Germany and then also in New York, USA.  In 1977 he left Otis and joined Schindler in Switzerland as a member of their Corporate Executive Committee and his remit included: engineering, production, construction and service. He passed away in the early 1990’s.

His Body of Work

During his career Dr. Joris published a number of industry leading articles and white papers including The Energy Consumption of Elevators published in 1980. If you read the piece it’s easy to appreciate that he laid the foundation for what was to come later. In 1985 he first wrote about ‘Destination Dispatching’ in the July edition of Elevator World and he followed this up in 1990 with the publication of an article in the March 1990 issue of Elevator World entitled "Advanced Dispatching" ("the Schroeder Article").

Why is Dr. Joris Schroeder so Significant?

Dr. Joris Schroeder’s contribution to the vertical transportation industry was more than theoretical, though. In 1990 he was granted a patent for the Miconic 10 along with Dr. Paul Friedli (also from Schindler). Using microprocessors Schroeder created Schindler’s Destination Dispatch system – what we now call Destination Control. The first building to install the Miconic 10 system was the Hamburg Electric Company in Germany in 1990. The first installation in the USA was in 1993 at the Ameritech building in Indianapolis.  As architects, building contractors and the public came to understand these new ‘smart button-less’ elevators their popularity grew. Energy efficiency was also 30% better with the new Destination Control elevators. Schindler, under Dr. Friedli’s guidance have progressed with the development of M10, now known as their Port system which has the ability to interface with other building elements, i.e. speed-gates and door locking systems.

All lift companies now have Destination Control systems so this idea can be seen as transformational. D&B have been specifying these systems enthusiastically for years and as a Consultancy can be considered to be leading the way.

To read more about the benefits of Destination Control click here
For details of our Destination Control experience click here

Dunbar and Boardman is the lift, escalator and access equipment consultancy. Are you currently planning a project that will involve Destination Control? We would be happy to discuss with you. Give us a call on T +44 (0)20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you. 

Image credit:

http://www.elevator-world.com/Extras/GreenArticles/November%2080.pdf