Little known elevator fact

While meeting today with representatives of ThyssenKrup Elevators, I learned something new and unexpected. Elevator mishaps are very, very rare, which we all understand. Plus, we all know that elevators have safety systems and devices to keep them from falling to the bottom of the shaft, that standard concern for those who are still not comfortable with elevators. 

What I didn't know is that when one of those few mishaps occur, the elevator typically falls UP, not down, so they have safety systems for that, too.

It actually makes sense, I just hadn't thought of it. All traction elevators (those that use cables) have a counterbalance for the cab. This counterbalance typically weights about half again as much as the empty cab, anticipating that there will be an additional load of several people on an average elevator run. Most of the time, however, these mishaps occur when the cab is lightly loaded, which means the uncontrolled counterbalance pulls the cab to the top of the shaft, not letting it fall to the bottom as we usually assume would happen.

For those that remain nervous in elevators, I'm not sure this is comforting, but my be of interest anyway.

Comments

[ANONYMOUS]

AHHH THAT MAKES IT WORSE

YOU GO FLYING UP THE SHAFT INSTEAD OF CRASHING TO THE BOTTOM

CREEPY!!!