Home Elevator

[Gawdzilla Sama]

"The Elevator of Khazad Dum"?

[bennyboy]

I'm sorry about your condition. But I'm pretty darned jealous of your pending equipment. Need an attendant?

[Gwaithmir]

I'm sorry about your condition.  But I'm pretty darned jealous of your pending equipment.  Need an attendant?

I don't need an attendant, but you're more than welcome to drop in for a visit and a cup of coffee. I live in W. Massachusetts.

[onlinebiker]

I'm a DIY kinda guy.

I think I d go with about a 12,000 lbs Warn truck winch mounted in the attic.......

See where I' m going with this?

[Fireball]

I'm a DIY kinda guy.

I think I d go with about a 12,000 lbs Warn truck winch mounted in the attic.......

See where I' m going with this?

Up to the attic?   With that amount of lifting power, you could run some gears to speed up the cable travel time. Not sure how fast a winch draws in the cable, though. Maybe run the cable down and back up to the attic with a sheave on it, if the cable was long enough. That would double the travel speed.

[onlinebiker]

I'm a DIY kinda guy.

I think I d go with about a 12,000 lbs Warn truck winch mounted in the attic.......

See where I' m going with this?

Up to the attic?   With that amount of lifting power, you could run some gears to speed up the cable travel time. Not sure how fast a winch draws in the cable, though. Maybe run the cable down and back up to the attic with a sheave on it, if the cable was long enough. That would double the travel speed.

Yeah you could - but it would just make for higher amp draw. The winches I' ve played with move about 10 fpm - when not under load -- and essentially a 12,000 lbs winch would be - unless you' re moving your gold or lead collection upstairs... 

That would mean about 1 minute transit. Not bad time, for on the cheap...

[Gawdzilla Sama]

So, this home elevator, how high does the home have to get?

[Succubus]

There's no convenient spot to install a dumb waiter because of my house's layout. Also, my cellar stairs are not against a wall, so I don't think a stair lift could be installed. I forgot to mention this, but I also have another set of stairs going up to my library. The elevator I've chosen can accommodate three floors (and up to five if I had a bigger house).

Your arthritis may well be a blessing in disguise insomuch that you can't be tempted to carry out the work yourself.

A cautionary tale...

---

"Dear Sir:

I am writing in response to your request for additional information in Block #3 of the accident reporting form. I put "Poor Planning" as the cause of my accident. You asked for a fuller explanation and I trust the following details will be sufficient.

I am a bricklayer by trade. On the day of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-storey building. When I completed my work, I found I had some bricks left over which when weighed later were found to weigh 240 lbs.
Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley which was attached to the side of the building at the sixth floor.
Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went down and untied the rope, holding it tightly to insure a slow descent of the 240 lbs of bricks. You will note on the accident reporting form that my weight is 135 lbs.

Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a rapid rate up the side of the building.

In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel which was now proceeding downward at an equally impressive speed. This explains the fractured skull, minor abrasions and the broken collarbone, as listed in Section 3, accidentreporting form.
Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley which I mentioned in Paragraph 2 of this correspondence. Fortunately by this time I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope, in spite of the excruciating pain I was now beginning to experience.

At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground-and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Now devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel weighed approximately 50 lbs.
I refer you again to my weight. As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side of the building.

In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles, broken tooth and severe lacerations of my legs and lower body.
Here my luck began to change slightly. The encounter with the barrel seemed to slow me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell into the pile of bricks and fortunately only three vertebrae were cracked.

I am sorry to report, however, as I lay there on the pile of bricks, in pain, unable to move and watching the empty barrel six stories above me, I again lost my composure and presence of mind and let go of the rope."



True dat.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The Mythbusters tried that one.

[Angrboda]

I'm pretty sure that story is apocryphal.