MA Elevator Mechanic key terms

The model safety code adopted as the technical standard for elevator design, construction, installation, alteration, maintenance, and inspection, covering electric and hydraulic elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters, and related equipment.

The state rule set that adopts elevator safety codes by reference, defines licensing and permitting requirements, sets inspection intervals, and establishes the authority under which elevators may be installed, altered, operated, or taken out of service.

The process by which a jurisdiction formally incorporates a model elevator code and its referenced standards into enforceable local law, fixing the edition and any amendments that apply to work performed in that jurisdiction.

A hoisting and lowering mechanism equipped with a car or platform that moves in guide rails and serves two or more landings, including passenger, freight, and other classifications recognized by the applicable safety code.

A power-driven, continuously operating inclined stairway with moving steps and moving handrails that carries passengers between landings, subject to its own construction, guarding, and clearance requirements under the safety code.

A power-driven, continuously operating passenger conveyor with a moving belt or pallet surface on which passengers stand or walk, typically installed on a level or slight incline and regulated alongside escalators.

A small freight elevator with a car that cannot be entered by a person, used to move materials between landings, and subject to specific code limits on capacity, speed, and car size.

The vertical shaft or opening through which an elevator car and its counterweight travel, bounded by fire-rated enclosures, pit, and overhead structure that must meet code construction and clearance requirements.

The portion of the hoistway extending below the lowest landing sill, required to have a solid floor, drainage or waterproofing where specified, pit ladder or access means, and minimum clearances for car, counterweight, and buffers.

The vertical distance measured from the top of the car or its crosshead to the hoistway ceiling or overhead structure, required by code to protect against crushing when the car reaches its highest stopping point.

The minimum vertical distance between the top of the car crosshead and the lowest overhead obstruction, established so a person on the car top has safe refuge space while the car is at the top landing.

Rigid vertical members fixed in the hoistway that constrain the car and counterweight to a defined path, sized and bracketed according to code tables based on load, speed, and seismic or structural conditions.

A sliding or roller assembly mounted on the car or counterweight that engages the guide rails to maintain alignment and limit lateral movement during travel.

A weighted assembly suspended by ropes or chains and guided in the hoistway that balances part of the car and load weight, reducing motor effort and improving traction and ride quality.

An elevator driven by a motor turning a sheave or drum that moves suspension ropes connected to the car and counterweight, relying on friction or winding rather than a hydraulic plunger for lifting.

An elevator whose car is raised by a plunger or piston driven by pressurized hydraulic fluid from a power unit, with lowering controlled by regulated fluid release and valve operation.

The cylindrical hydraulic piston that extends from a cylinder to lift the elevator car, either directly or through roping, and which must be guided, protected, and inspected for leakage, corrosion, or misalignment.

The assembly containing a motor-driven pump, tank, valves, and piping that pressurizes hydraulic fluid to raise an elevator car and controls the release of fluid to lower it safely.

The maximum mass, expressed in pounds or kilograms, that an elevator car is designed and marked to carry at its rated speed, forming the basis for capacity plates, rope sizing, and load tests.

A durable sign inside the car that states the rated load and maximum number of passengers, and for freight elevators may state load distribution requirements, so users know the permitted loading.

The speed in feet per minute or meters per second at which an elevator is designed to operate with rated load under specified conditions, used for code clearances, stopping distances, and governor settings.

A wire rope that supports and moves the car or counterweight in a traction elevator, requiring specified minimum number, diameter, breaking strength, and periodic inspection for wear and broken wires.

The termination method attaching suspension ropes to the car, counterweight, or dead-end hitch, using approved sockets or wedge clamps with specified safety factors and inspection requirements.

A speed-sensing device that detects an overspeeding elevator car and triggers a mechanical means to grip the guide rails or otherwise stop the car, with settings tied to rated speed and code tables.

A mechanical apparatus mounted on the car frame that grips the guide rails or ropes to stop and hold an overspeeding or free-falling car, distinct from the normal braking system.

An energy-absorbing device installed in the pit beneath the car or counterweight that limits deceleration if the car travels below its normal stopping point, with type and stroke set by rated speed.

A friction brake that holds the elevator car at rest and stops it during normal operation, required to set automatically when power is removed or the control detects a fault.

A device that prevents the car from moving unless all hoistway doors and car doors are closed and locked, and prevents a door from opening unless the car is at that landing.

The door or gate at each landing that closes the hoistway opening, required to be fire-rated, self-closing, and locked by an interlock before the car can move.

The door mounted on the elevator car that opens and closes the car entrance, coordinated with hoistway doors and protected by reopening devices to prevent passenger injury.

A sensor or mechanical edge on a car or hoistway door that detects an obstruction and causes the door to reopen or stop closing, required within specified distances of the closed position.

A key, kept in a designated location, that allows authorized personnel to unlock hoistway doors or open car doors for rescue or inspection, with use restricted by code and regulation.

A control station on top of the car that lets a mechanic run the elevator at reduced inspection speed while on the car top, with stop switches and operating controls required by code.

A mode or control arrangement that permits authorized personnel to operate an elevator at reduced speed for maintenance or inspection, with safeguards against normal passenger use.

Procedures and equipment that allow elevators to be moved during power failure, fire recall, or rescue situations, including manual lowering, emergency power, and designated recall operation.

A required control feature that recalls elevators to a designated landing on fire alarm activation and then allows trained firefighters to operate the car under key control, with phase-specific behavior.

A means, typically on hydraulic elevators, to lower the car without power by controlled release of hydraulic fluid, used for rescue and required to be accessible and operable by authorized personnel.

A document issued after a required inspection confirms that an elevator or escalator complies with applicable code and regulation, permitting continued operation until the next inspection is due.

A recurring examination of elevator or escalator equipment at intervals set by regulation, covering safety devices, door interlocks, ropes, and other components, performed by an authorized inspector.

A test performed with rated or specified test load under observation of an authorized inspector to verify that the elevator, its brakes, safety device, and suspension system perform as required by code.