A History of Lifts through The Ages

Since the dawn of time, humans have always had the need for efficient vertical transportation. With this in mind, here in this blog, we will take you on a journey through time to explore the origins and evolution of the lift, from its humble beginnings to its place in our present day.

Ancient times and early history

As humans have always looked for ways to be able to lift things, the beginnings of a lift-type contraption date back as far as the 3rd century. Ancient Greek mathematician, physicist and engineer, Archimedes, was reported to have created a hoist constructed from hemp rope and powered by animals and water.

Fast forward to 1743, and the very first personal lift was created for King Louis XV. it was located outside the King’s balcony, this primitive elevator was named The Flying Chair, and was used by the French monarch to move in between the first and second floor of his apartment to visit his mistress.

Post industrial revolution

1852, in New York, Elisha Otis invented the first ever safety lift, which made sure the cab wouldn’t fall if the cable broke. In 1870 The Equitable Life Building, located in New York, was the first in the world to have passenger lifts. And the first electric lift was created in 1880 by Werner von Siemens in Germany. Alexander Miles, an inventor from the US, invented the automated doors.

The first hydraulic lift with push buttons (and without an attendant) was operated on 1894, and the Paris Universal Exhibition had its first lift operated in 1900. By this year, automated lifts were made readily available, although many people were still reluctant to use them. A lift operator strike occurred in 1945, in New York, as well as the adoption of an emergency stop button and telephone.

Modern lift technology

It was in Argentina where the first vacuum lift offered commercially in the year 2000. The amount of buildings over 200 meters tripled since the year 2000, which also meant that more lifts were installed and new and improved technologies were created. Lifts without ropes are already being made, a German engineering company called Thyssenkrupp designed a lift in 2017 which used magnets rather than ropes. It can also move multiple cars in the same shaft, even horizontally, using less energy and saving space. Lift technology is constantly evolving.

Here at ADL Lifts, we offer expertise as well as solutions from manufacturing to installation and servicing to modernisation. Here at ADL we have built up strong relations with local authorities and health trusts by designing, installing and maintaining robust, modern solutions. Get in touch with us to find out more about the services we offer.