How old was Elisha Otis when he died?
April 8, 1861 (aged 49) Yonkers New York Elisha Otis, in full Elisha Graves Otis, (born August 3, 1811, Halifax, Vermont, U.S.—died April 8, 1861, Yonkers, New York), American inventor of the safety elevator.
What did Elisha Otis do in Yonkers NY?
Elisha Otis. The Bergen firm sent him to Yonkers, New York, in 1852 to operate a new factory and to install its machinery. There he designed and installed what he called the “safety hoist,” the first elevator equipped with an automatic safety device to prevent it from falling if the lifting chain or rope broke.
How did Elisha Otis get his rope cut?
At the New York Crystal Palace, Otis amazed a crowd when he ordered the only rope holding the platform on which he was standing cut. The rope was severed by an axeman, and the platform fell only a few inches before coming to a halt.
When did Elisha Otis start his Elevator Company?
After having made several sales, and after the bedstead factory declined, Otis took the opportunity to make an elevator company out of it, initially called Union Elevator Works and later Otis Brothers & Co. No orders came to him over the next several months, but soon after, the 1853 New York World’s Fair offered a great chance at publicity.
How did Elisha Otis come up with the elevator?
While working in a factory in 1852, Elisha Otis and his sons came up with an elevator design that employed a safety device. A wooden frame at the top of the platform would snap out against the sides of the elevator shaft if the ropes broke, essentially functioning as a brake.
What did Elisha Otis and Otis Tufts invent?
The Otis Brothers Company (today known as the Otis Elevator Company) continued to make improvements in elevator safety and efficiency. Today, it’s the world’s largest manufacturer of elevators and escalators, while Tufts is known more for his inventions of the steam-powered printing press and the steam-powered pile driver.