Freight elevators are designed to lift goods and cargo, and are larger and can carry more weight than passenger elevators. They can be hydraulic or traction, and are often custom-designed for the facility they will serve. Dumbwaiters are smaller and used to move household items. Freight elevators have different fire codes and requirements than passenger elevators.
A freight elevator is used to do exactly what its name suggests: elevate, or lift, goods or cargo. It is built to carry goods rather than people, although some do so both to allow operators and those loading goods en route.
Given its distinct purpose, a freight elevator is typically larger and can carry more weight than a passenger elevator. A freight elevator is often custom designed for the warehouse, shopping mall, or other large-scale facility it will serve. The designs are based on the size you need, how much weight it will carry, and how the goods will be loaded and unloaded, whether it’s by hand, car, or industrial truck. A heavy-duty hoist holds a truck and can handle up to 100,000 pounds (45 kilograms), using a double rope system for support.
A dumbwaiter often has one manual door, and sometimes multiple doors, for loading from the front and rear or sides. The interior may be unfinished, so it can take a beating from the goods that are pushed in and out every day.
Like passenger elevators, freight elevators can be hydraulic or traction. Cable lifts use steel ropes pulled along a deeply grooved pulley. Hydraulic lifts use a piston to push the lift from below. Both types require a counterweight, which is typically accomplished by placing another elevator car at the other end of the ropes. Hydraulic lifts are cheaper, but often slower and cannot be built as high as cable lifts. Plumbing can also leak oil into the earth, raising concerns for environmentalists.
Some of the earliest recorded uses of elevators were for moving goods, with Egyptian and Roman civilizations using simple pulley systems to lift building materials. In the early 1800s, these designs caught on, powering elevators with newly discovered steam and hydraulic pistons. The new elevators became especially popular for moving goods around the stage for plays and other arts events, with the first being installed at the Vienna State Opera.
Smaller dumbwaiters are often called dumbwaiters. They are typically used in two-story buildings to move household items such as linens or dishes up and down. Although earlier versions were operated by pulling a cord, modern dumbwaiters include a small electric motor.
A freight elevator often has different fire codes and requirements than passenger elevators, although these codes should still be clearly posted along with a certificate permitting elevator operations.
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