Drawing set, revision A, 10 October 2026
Elevators, lifts and escalators, drawn and explained
Six machine types, 13 guides and no photographs. Every drawing here is a diagram made for this guide, and every statement of fact is sourced at the foot of its page.
- PL.01 Machines
Traction elevator
Ropes over a sheave, balanced by a counterweight. The common choice for mid and high-rise buildings.
View the drawing and guide - PL.02 Machines
Hydraulic elevator
A car pushed up by a plunger and pump, with the jack below the pit.
View the drawing and guide - PL.03 Machines
Machine-room-less
A compact machine in the top of the hoistway instead of a separate room.
View the drawing and guide - PL.04 Machines
Escalator
A chain of steps on an inclined truss, with a handrail that keeps pace.
View the drawing and guide - PL.05 Homes and access
Platform lift
A small enclosed platform for a short rise, with accessibility basics.
View the drawing and guide - PL.06 Machines
Dumbwaiter
A small goods lift that carries no riders, with freight and hoists alongside.
View the drawing and guide - Pillar guide, MachinesRead the pillar guide
How elevators and lifts work
Traction, hydraulic and machine-room-less lifts, and the parts and controls they share.
- Pillar guide, SafetyRead the pillar guide
Elevator, lift and escalator safety
The layers of protection in a lift, and rider safety as public bodies state it.
- Pillar guide, Rules and upkeepRead the pillar guide
Inspection, maintenance and regulation
Who regulates lifts, how codes are structured and what a periodic inspection means.
- PL.07 Past and future
A short history of the elevator
From hoisting by hand to the safety brake and the passenger lift.
Read the guide - PL.08 Homes and access
Residential elevators and home lifts
How a lift in a house differs from one in an office building.
Read the guide - PL.09 Safety
Elevator myths
Snapping cables, free fall and running out of air, checked against the sources.
Read the guide - PL.10 Safety
If you are stuck in an elevator
What public guidance says about staying put and calling for trained help.
Read the guide - PL.11 Rules and upkeep
Maintenance basics for building owners
What maintenance is, how it differs from inspection and what records matter.
Read the guide - PL.12 Rules and upkeep
Reading an inspection certificate
What a posted certificate usually shows and what it cannot tell you.
Read the guide - PL.13 Past and future
Tall buildings and modern innovations
Sky lobbies, double-deck cars, destination dispatch and the space elevator.
Read the guide
How to read these sheets
Each plate is a simplified side or plan view with labels in capitals. Dimensions, proportions and arrangements are schematic, since real machines vary by maker, age, country and rule set. A drawing here helps you picture the parts; it is never a guide to working on them.
An independent guide, not a service
Elevators Explained is an educational publication with no commercial ties to any inspection firm, manufacturer or installer. It offers no inspections, repairs or advice about a particular machine. Read how pages are checked in the editorial standards or learn who is behind the guide.