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3 Things Everyone Should Know About Elevators

3 Things Everyone Should Know About Elevators
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Let’s be honest, most of us use elevators on a day-to-day basis, be it at work or to get to our condo. Elevators, in my book, are one of the greatest and most revolutionary advancements in the modern world, and they are really helpful in one’s day-to-day life.

Elevators have changed the modern city landscape and have made high-rises possible; it would be a hassle to work in them without them. They allow you to travel hundreds of feet within a matter of seconds, and that’s what makes them such a necessity. So, without further ado, let’s dive into this blog and learn more about elevators.

1. Statistics

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I believe that statistics are a great way to get to know the importance of something. There are currently 900 000 functioning elevators in the United States today, and the average user takes at least 4 trips a day. On average, there are 325 million elevator rides daily, and each of them carries approximately 20 000 people annually.

Another statistic tells us that if we put all elevators together, they can carry the equivalent of our planet’s population every 3 days, which is a feat if you ask us. The first public elevator was installed in a 9 story building in the best city in the world (New York).

2. History

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The ancestors of elevators first appeared in Ancient Greece and were invented by the famous mathematician Archimedes. Archaeologists believe that this was around 235 BC and was used mainly as a system of pulleys and winches. This subject is quite debated in the archaeology community, though some believe that it was used prior to that as they found shafts that might have been used in several other ancient civilizations.

Thanks to electricity and hydraulics, the first elevators as we know them today were seen back in 1852. It was Elisha Graves Otis, an American investor, that created the first safety device that prevented cabins from falling if the main cable broke. This invention made elevators a hell of a lot safer, and this is why they are the most trusted travel device in modern times.

The first elevator was demonstrated in 1854 in Crystal Palace in New York. While the first passenger elevators were installed 3 years later in 1857, it wasn’t until 1870 (13 years after the first passenger elevators) that they started showing up in office buildings. The first electrical elevator was built in 1880 by a German inventor, Werner Von Siemens.

3. Their function

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The adoption of elevators drastically changed how people travel and vie the world. Before their popularization, the highest level of a home or apartment would be reserved for servants as it took more energy to get there. This was because they were expected to climb stairs to get to their place, which was seen as something undesirable by those of the upper class.

Once elevators gained popularity, high-rises were seen as the new hit thing to own by rich people, and this was no longer seen as something undesirable. Many experts tend to agree that without elevators, cities as we know they currently wouldn’t exist. The founder of New York’s Elevator Museum, Patrick Carrajat, believes that:

We would have a megalopolis, one continuous city, stretching from Philadelphia to Boston because everything would be five or six stories tall.”

Without elevators, famous skylines like Chicago and New York wouldn’t exist, and that’s something that most of us city-dwellers can’t believe. Without elevators, most buildings would only be 5 or 6 stories tall as longer wouldn’t attract residents if they didn’t have elevators.

Looking for help?

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Are you in the Greater Toronto Area? Are you looking for an expert company to maintain your lift? Then look no further because March Elevator Ltd is here to help you out with all your needs. There are the leaders of elevator and lift maintenance services in Mississauga and Toronto. They let their work speak for themselves. So, what are you waiting for? Give them a call today for more information on their services.

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