On Sept. 20, 1853, Elisha Graves Otis sold his first “hoist machine,” or elevator, featuring an automatic safety brake he had patented. His seemingly simple invention was designed to stop a platform ...
A donkey, an ancient Greek mathematician and a band of medieval monks all played a part in the invention of the modern elevator. But the stunt that made the contraption famous -- and forever altered ...
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Wayne Rash is a technology and science writer based in Washington. One kink in the return to work since the Covid-19 pandemic ...
The elevator, though ubiquitous, is an odd and somehow mysterious social staple. It offers not just easy vertical transport, but, whether we admit it or not, the idea of a broken-down elevator plays ...
Riding in an elevator used to be dangerous business — until Elisha Otis, of Otis Elevator Company fame, invented a device that could prevent a passenger elevator from falling if its rope broke. It ...
The room where Thomas Vining greeted Business Focus reporters looked like an ordinary corporate meeting facility, except that there were dark windows on one side. When he pushed a button on the wall, ...
HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP)-- Everything is big with New York's landmark Empire State Building, so upgrading the 20th century elevators running up and down its 102 floors without disrupting ...