Hi, I am a Swedish student writing a thesis on roller bearings and elevators. I would be most grateful if someone could help me or knows where to find information about these questions:

1) What bearing positions are there on a: a) traction elevator? b) hydraulic elevator? c) roped hydraulic elevator? d) screw lift elevator? e) rack & pinion elevator?

2) Does anyone know any elevator manufacturers (apart from Otis, KONE, Schindler and Thyssen)selling elevators to the European market?

Thanks, Jonas

-- Jonas Karlsson (i97kajo@itek.chalmers.se), January 27, 2004

Answers

Here's an interesting tale for your paper:

Back here in the U.S. nobody dropped bombs on all of our buidings during WWII so we are still stuck with a lot of old elevator machines. A few years ago we came across a bad thrust bearing in a elevator gear box that was installed in the 1920s. None of the local bearing distributers could identify the part number, so I call the origional manufacture in europe. They told me that the Americans bombed the plant and distroyed much of the records, and the Germans took what was salaveable when they left. So they couldnt help me either. As a result we had to make many changes to the bearing box, and worm shaft to accomidate a newer model bearing. 50 years later we are still feeling the effects of the war.

-- Mike (mlardner@lardnerelevator.com), February 02, 2004.