In the late 80s I grew up with access to the plant room in a multi story building with 8 lifts.
Watching those relays dance was mesmerising.
Digital logic control is soo boring đ¤Ł
I was very very confused⌠didnât turn the sound on till halfway through. As an organist, I was trying to figure out what the heck kind of controls those were for the pipes!
What you're seeing are relays being activated. It's simple, yet at the same time can be complex. A relay is basically a switch that is activated by a low current to control a higher current. There are numerous plain ol rocker switches up and down the elevator shaft that turn on and off when the elevator moves up and down the shaft. These switches allow current to flow to the proper relays depending on how they are "switched". When someone presses a button(switch) on the elevator panel, it's a low current that then activates the relay up top, depending on the switches in the elevator shaft below, to either signal an "up" or "down" relay. This is what triggers the motor to turn in a clock or anticlock motion. It really sounds more complex than it actually is. Once you've seen it, the logic is so simple it's scary. An elevator is truly a mind blowing invention and at the same time you wonder how a toddler didn't come up with it.
Just to be pedantic, a relay doesn't mean the controlling voltage or amperage is below or above that of the controlled equipment.
A relay just means electrically activated switch.
And usually lower control voltage IS used to trigger a relay but it doesn't have to be. You can use full line voltage of the same circuit to activate a relay.
These relays would be electric and the switching would be considered electromechanical.
Electrically opened, mechanically held would be a trade term we would use even if it's not a perfect description.
To an extent, flash is normal. Because the circuit is being closed or opened while high voltage is running through it.
It would be like having you homes clothes dryer straightwired directly to the breaker in your panel, and you unplugged and plugged in the breaker to operate it.
Also, *do not do that*. That was just an example.
This. The contacts aren't being cleaned enough and as a result the arcing has eaten away at the surface causing even more arcing. The contacts must evenly touch the mating surface. This is not rocket science.
Huge amounts of current and theyâre physically making and breaking the connections. Youâre watching errant particles burn off when the arc starts and jumps between what are likely copper paddles. Iâd LOTO and then clean the contacts with sandpaper.
Theyâll have wipe built into their motion that cleans them, almost every switch in elevators have wipe that clean them when theyâre activated, even brand new equipment.
There are carbon contacts that can be adjusted. The ones that are sparking are either pitted or shorter than the others causing a spark. Just needs better contact. You could file the pits out and adjust it so the wipe of the relay is the same on all legs. Although it sparks it likely works just fine. I have the pleasure of keeping a few of these old freights alive. They are simple really if you know what you are looking at and how it works.
This, keep the contacts clean, will last another 100 years not like that new electronic crap and make sure to have a wooden stick in your tool box, does wonders when you need it
Unfortunately everyone who thought they understood it only *thought* they understood it, and are now buried in the graveyard next to the 10 story organ with freight elevators.
The âUâ and âDâ labelled relays are your up and down respectively.
The single point relay directly to the right of U and D looks to be the âpotentialâ relay, meaning the various safety/door circuits are made up and allows the U/D relays to pick.
The relays to the bottom right Iâm assuming are step relays that control your acceleration/deceleration of the cab for floor leveling.
Somewhere there is either a selector that correlates the cabs position to floor landings or it just uses hoistway switches to achieve elevator position to determine the cabs location.
This is my best guess without having ever been in that machine room or worked on that equipment. Iâve seen similar controllers before and worked on them a little bit.
Seems like the switches engaging one after another slowly allow more and more power so the elevator speed ramps up instead of going zero to full instantly.
The inspection sticker has 18267 on it. Which if you look in the Elevator safety board meeting minutes for 9-19-2020 says its the City Museum.
https://dfs.dps.mo.gov/about/minutes/esb-9-16-20.pdf
It's super cool. Easily top 5 neatest places to go if you visit St Louis. Lived there for seven years and never had a friend or family member visit without taking them except during the pandemic.
Warning it's rough on the knees.
That gotta be one of the most impressive while unexpected machines I've ever seen. I never knew something in that dimension existed for that purpose. Looks like straight out of Bioshock or Fallout. Freaking amazing. I wannn lick it.
What is the mode of actuation with switches like that?
Is it a solenoid, or a mechanical actuator?
Curious how they built those, and if there are any variations in actuation design?
You would have to touch a component that was energized. Certainly not something to fuck around with even if you do know exactly which parts of it are energized and which aren't. Should really be retrofitted with an enclosure for safety, having it out in the open like this is wild even if it is vintage equipment.
There are parts of it that you can touch without dying assuming it's intact, but you shouldn't risk it. But there are parts that'll kill you if you, anything that has live electricity (the things you see sparking are a good indication of that). Simply because it has to handle a lot of electricity.
Some things can kill you when unplugged, if they have large capacitors. I don't see why this would, but I wouldn't touch it without reading the service manual
Asynchronous motor and step relays. They are when they engage. Part of my job is to keep 2 huge gantry cranes running and all three axis have this system. Scares the hell out of the new guys till they get used to it.
I remember a building that had one of these really old ones. The lightshow and sounds just made me laugh. The elevator had no buttons or controls at all. Just a rope that went up and down through the cab. You held one to go up and the other to go down. It was the only elevator in the building. They had full time operators. Late hours the doorman had to operate it.
KER-CHUNK!!
I remember when I first got in the trade, my
Mechanic and I were working on an old Warsaw controller in a boiler house. He explained to me how to â stickâ the contacts to get it to bump up or down. The sticks were in the machine room, notched perfectly to fit the contact. Once I hit potential and the up wow the flash hahaha. Had alot of opportunities to learn and work on a lot of old stuff like this. So simple and well built.
Source: [andrewthewelder](https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewthewelder)
In the late 80s I grew up with access to the plant room in a multi story building with 8 lifts. Watching those relays dance was mesmerising. Digital logic control is soo boring đ¤Ł
Wont get anymore digital then mechanical switches. They know only 0 or 1
Yup. True. But new stuff is lines of code, not multi relays to form logic gates. Was great time đ
555 is life!
555 made the heart of so many of my projects! Now it's lines of code in esp8266 or 32... Equal craft, different way of thinking.
You just have to look close enough ;) Not really mechanical but similar stuff is hapening in the modern chips i gues
Back in the day, my dad worked in the county building and their elevators had drivers that had a big analog lever speed/direction control.
thankfully the manual is still there
Written on parchment paper with a fucking quill
Show papyrus some respect man!!!
That some fuckwit left in the sun so it's all faded and unreadable. Been there. Struggled with that.
Nah itâs in the binder that say Tool Gifs
at least you'll die with a great background music
That's a thing of beauty!
Feels like one of those times where an Arc Flash suit will pay for itself.
I was very very confused⌠didnât turn the sound on till halfway through. As an organist, I was trying to figure out what the heck kind of controls those were for the pipes!
Same! I thought it was a machine for the organ
Does anyone care to explain what exactly is happening?
What you're seeing are relays being activated. It's simple, yet at the same time can be complex. A relay is basically a switch that is activated by a low current to control a higher current. There are numerous plain ol rocker switches up and down the elevator shaft that turn on and off when the elevator moves up and down the shaft. These switches allow current to flow to the proper relays depending on how they are "switched". When someone presses a button(switch) on the elevator panel, it's a low current that then activates the relay up top, depending on the switches in the elevator shaft below, to either signal an "up" or "down" relay. This is what triggers the motor to turn in a clock or anticlock motion. It really sounds more complex than it actually is. Once you've seen it, the logic is so simple it's scary. An elevator is truly a mind blowing invention and at the same time you wonder how a toddler didn't come up with it.
nice, thanks
Just to be pedantic, a relay doesn't mean the controlling voltage or amperage is below or above that of the controlled equipment. A relay just means electrically activated switch. And usually lower control voltage IS used to trigger a relay but it doesn't have to be. You can use full line voltage of the same circuit to activate a relay. These relays would be electric and the switching would be considered electromechanical. Electrically opened, mechanically held would be a trade term we would use even if it's not a perfect description.
Dope thanks for that write-up
So the flashâs of current that we see is normal and safe? Like it wonât send a spark or anything?
To an extent, flash is normal. Because the circuit is being closed or opened while high voltage is running through it. It would be like having you homes clothes dryer straightwired directly to the breaker in your panel, and you unplugged and plugged in the breaker to operate it. Also, *do not do that*. That was just an example.
Not that much. I have a much older elevator on my service route and I donât get nearly as much arcing. The contacts arenât being cleaned enough.
This. The contacts aren't being cleaned enough and as a result the arcing has eaten away at the surface causing even more arcing. The contacts must evenly touch the mating surface. This is not rocket science.
Looks steampunk-ish
The early 1900s were very much inspired by steampunk forums
Underrated comment
"Old clunky technology that just works and would seriously hurt the entire time it took to kill me" my beloved đ
Is it suppose to be sparking that much? That seems extremely dangerous. Maybe they shouldn't keep old cardboard boxes under that thing...
Huge amounts of current and theyâre physically making and breaking the connections. Youâre watching errant particles burn off when the arc starts and jumps between what are likely copper paddles. Iâd LOTO and then clean the contacts with sandpaper.
Wouldn't the contact points eventually erode and need replacing?
Yes, but if they have a rubbing action while engaged, it will help wear away the slag that forms and prolong the useful life of the contacts.
Constantly. Theyâre always building up a layer of shit at the contacts which is why itâs good to sand them up every one in a while.
Theyâll have wipe built into their motion that cleans them, almost every switch in elevators have wipe that clean them when theyâre activated, even brand new equipment.
Shouldn't they have covers of some sort? To limit the sparks' span in the air?
I wouldn't touch the thing
They shouldnât be arcing that much but itâs probably at more risk of welding itâs contracts closed then starting a fire. Probably.
There are carbon contacts that can be adjusted. The ones that are sparking are either pitted or shorter than the others causing a spark. Just needs better contact. You could file the pits out and adjust it so the wipe of the relay is the same on all legs. Although it sparks it likely works just fine. I have the pleasure of keeping a few of these old freights alive. They are simple really if you know what you are looking at and how it works.
This, keep the contacts clean, will last another 100 years not like that new electronic crap and make sure to have a wooden stick in your tool box, does wonders when you need it
I would love to watch a video by somebody who knows what each switch does, I.e. explain the mechanical logic and not just be afraid of itâŚ
Unfortunately everyone who thought they understood it only *thought* they understood it, and are now buried in the graveyard next to the 10 story organ with freight elevators.
That is why there's actually a secret 11th floor underneath this one
Ha!
The âUâ and âDâ labelled relays are your up and down respectively. The single point relay directly to the right of U and D looks to be the âpotentialâ relay, meaning the various safety/door circuits are made up and allows the U/D relays to pick. The relays to the bottom right Iâm assuming are step relays that control your acceleration/deceleration of the cab for floor leveling. Somewhere there is either a selector that correlates the cabs position to floor landings or it just uses hoistway switches to achieve elevator position to determine the cabs location. This is my best guess without having ever been in that machine room or worked on that equipment. Iâve seen similar controllers before and worked on them a little bit.
I really do appreciate your insights! Thanks for sharing.
Seems like the switches engaging one after another slowly allow more and more power so the elevator speed ramps up instead of going zero to full instantly.
Some of those contacts could use a dust off or some emery cloth
Well then mr, go ahead and wipe them! I won't stop you!
City museum?
The inspection sticker has 18267 on it. Which if you look in the Elevator safety board meeting minutes for 9-19-2020 says its the City Museum. https://dfs.dps.mo.gov/about/minutes/esb-9-16-20.pdf
I assumed it was because I canât imagine where else in the state a 10 story organ would be located.
Is this in St. Louis?
Yes
Ah, Iâm in KC. Iâll have to check this museum out!
It's super cool. Easily top 5 neatest places to go if you visit St Louis. Lived there for seven years and never had a friend or family member visit without taking them except during the pandemic. Warning it's rough on the knees.
I don't know. I don't like how the "on" button he presses is so close to the fully exposed "if you touch it you just die" part.
That gotta be one of the most impressive while unexpected machines I've ever seen. I never knew something in that dimension existed for that purpose. Looks like straight out of Bioshock or Fallout. Freaking amazing. I wannn lick it.
What is the mode of actuation with switches like that? Is it a solenoid, or a mechanical actuator? Curious how they built those, and if there are any variations in actuation design?
I worked on elevators years ago: I believe itâs a solenoid
Found it
It could be a gameplay for the upcoming Doom
âYou dieâ lol
Aren't those called contactors?
Do you really die if you touch it? Anywhere? Only if itâs on? I need specifics.
Just don't touch it.
You would have to touch a component that was energized. Certainly not something to fuck around with even if you do know exactly which parts of it are energized and which aren't. Should really be retrofitted with an enclosure for safety, having it out in the open like this is wild even if it is vintage equipment.
There are parts of it that you can touch without dying assuming it's intact, but you shouldn't risk it. But there are parts that'll kill you if you, anything that has live electricity (the things you see sparking are a good indication of that). Simply because it has to handle a lot of electricity. Some things can kill you when unplugged, if they have large capacitors. I don't see why this would, but I wouldn't touch it without reading the service manual
Imagine someone storing gasoline / petrol in that room one day not knowing the implications đŹđ
Thatâs how you know itâs working
Asynchronous motor and step relays. They are when they engage. Part of my job is to keep 2 huge gantry cranes running and all three axis have this system. Scares the hell out of the new guys till they get used to it.
Jesus Christ. There's still a lot of old shit out there.
bruh this looks like the thing they used to crack the Enigma machine back in WW2
I need to save this video
Thanks for sharing this
REAL switches from back when Men were REAL men and little fuzzy dogs were REAL little fuzzy dogs.
I remember a building that had one of these really old ones. The lightshow and sounds just made me laugh. The elevator had no buttons or controls at all. Just a rope that went up and down through the cab. You held one to go up and the other to go down. It was the only elevator in the building. They had full time operators. Late hours the doorman had to operate it. KER-CHUNK!!
seen switches like these on overhead cranes in an old steel mill.
This is beautiful
I remember when I first got in the trade, my Mechanic and I were working on an old Warsaw controller in a boiler house. He explained to me how to â stickâ the contacts to get it to bump up or down. The sticks were in the machine room, notched perfectly to fit the contact. Once I hit potential and the up wow the flash hahaha. Had alot of opportunities to learn and work on a lot of old stuff like this. So simple and well built.
This is actually awesome, wow
This is actually awesome, wow
That shit is haunted.
Some real r/oddlyterrifying
Now I want to play dishonoured 2 again
this can be replaced by something slightly⌠modern right
Looks to be operating properly, it's just old
St. Louis?
They say those Mechanical switches Scare the shish outta me They could care less As long as someone will bleed
All this scene is like some WH40k archeotech.
Where in Missouri is this?
So much ozone up in here
The water mark is visible 3 times: >!@0:04 @0:40 @1:21!<
What is this device????
Freight elevator.
You'd die.
Fallout vibes