OH Elevator Mechanic key terms

The consensus safety standard adopted as the technical basis for elevator and escalator design, construction, installation, and alteration in most U.S. jurisdictions, including Ohio's referenced code editions.

A retrofit-oriented standard setting minimum safety requirements for existing elevators and escalators that were installed under older code editions, used to determine required upgrades during periodic inspections.

A metal plate in the machine room or hoistway stating the code edition, capacity, speed, and other design data the equipment was installed under, used to decide which requirements apply.

The maximum weight, in pounds or kilograms, that an elevator is designed and marked to carry, derived from car area and used to set governor, safeties, and rope safety factors.

A mechanical clamping assembly mounted under the car that grips the guide rails to stop and hold the car if it overspeeds downward or if suspension means slacken.

A centrifugal speed-sensing device on the car that trips at a set overspeed, gripping its rope to actuate the car safety device or, on some designs, directly setting the safeties.

The car speed at which the governor mechanically trips, required by code to fall within a range tied to rated speed, typically not less than 115 percent of rated speed for traction elevators.

The contract speed of an elevator in feet per minute or meters per second at rated load, used as the baseline for setting governor trip points, buffer ratings, and test acceptance values.

A hydraulic energy-absorbing device in the pit that decelerates a descending car or counterweight at a controlled rate, required above certain rated speeds and stroke-tested during periodic tests.

The total travel distance an oil buffer or spring buffer compresses when struck, which must be verified during tests and kept clear of obstructions in the pit.

The portion of the hoistway extending below the lowest landing sill, containing buffers, pit ladder, stop switch, and clearances that inspectors verify for code compliance.

The vertical shaft enclosing the car, counterweight, and guide rails, required to be enclosed, vented, and kept free of foreign equipment except as the code permits.

The enclosed space housing the driving machine, controller, and governor, subject to access, lighting, ventilation, temperature, and housekeeping requirements under the code.

The assembly of relays, contactors, solid-state drives, and logic that governs starting, stopping, leveling, and safety circuits of the elevator in response to hall and car calls.

The series electrical string of safety switches and contacts, including pit switch, gate switch, and governor switch, that must be closed for the elevator to run.

An electromechanical device that prevents the car from moving unless every hoistway door is locked closed, and prevents a door from opening unless the car is at that landing.

The locking mechanism on each hoistway door that engages when the door closes and is released only by the car's door-unlocking mechanism at that landing, verified for engagement and clearance.

The limited vertical band of car travel, typically within a few inches of landing level, in which the code allows car and hoistway doors to be opened.

The automatic control function that brings the car floor to within a small tolerance of the landing sill, with accuracy requirements that inspectors measure under loaded and unloaded conditions.

A driving machine that moves the car by friction between hoist ropes and a grooved or flat sheave, requiring adequate traction for rated load without excessive slip.

A weighted frame running in its own guide rails that balances most of the car weight, reducing motor effort and, on traction elevators, providing the mass that safeties and buffers must handle.

The use of adjustable shackles, springs, or sheave geometry to distribute load evenly among multiple hoist ropes so no single rope carries a disproportionate share.

A tool that deflects or vibrates a hoist rope to compare tension across the rope set, used during installation and maintenance to detect unequal loading and wear risk.

The periodic examination of hoist ropes for broken wires, corrosion, diameter loss, and broken strands, with retirement criteria based on code tables and rope construction.

An elevator driven by a plunger and cylinder powered by a hydraulic power unit, with distinct code rules for relief valves, rupture valves, and pit oil containment.

A device installed in the hydraulic line between cylinder and power unit that stops oil flow in the event of a pipe or fitting failure, preventing uncontrolled car descent.

A valve on the hydraulic power unit that limits system pressure to a set value, protecting the cylinder, piping, and plunger from overpressure during upward travel.

A power-driven continuous stairway with moving steps and handrails for passenger transport, governed by specific code requirements for skirt guards, comb plates, and handrail speed.

The toothed plate at each escalator landing where steps enter the floor, required to be properly aligned and fitted with a stop switch that halts the unit if a foreign object jams.

The panel along each side of an escalator between the steps and the balustrade, required with clearance and deflection limits to reduce entrapment risk.

A recurring inspection and test of elevator equipment, required at intervals set by the jurisdiction, performed by a qualified inspector and often observed by the mechanic who makes adjustments.

A periodic test of elevators performed at code-specified intervals covering safeties, buffers, governors, and door interlocks, with results recorded and made available to the inspector.

A more extensive periodic test, at longer intervals, that includes rated-load and no-load checks of safeties, governor tripping, and buffer performance beyond the routine Category 1 scope.

The procedure of isolating and de-energizing elevator power, applying a personal lock and tag, and verifying zero energy before maintenance or repair work begins.

The fused or circuit-breaker switch that removes power from the elevator controller, required to be lockable, labeled, and located where the mechanic can safely reach it.

State rules requiring elevator installation, alteration, and operating permits, with fees and inspection scheduling administered by the state elevator program rather than only local authorities.

A document issued by the authority having jurisdiction confirming that an elevator has passed required inspections and is authorized to operate, posted as the rules require.

The state or local official or agency empowered to enforce the elevator code, approve equipment, issue permits, and order unsafe equipment taken out of service.