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I was reading an old Otis manual from 1978 and it said a standard traction elevator motor from that era could pull 3000 pounds with just a 15 horsepower unit. That seems crazy low by today's standards.
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the_jason2mo ago
That old tech was surprisingly efficient with gearing and direct drive. Found a similar manual for a Montgomery unit that explained the whole mechanical advantage setup. Makes you wonder what we traded for raw power today.
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rayc382mo ago
Yeah that "what we traded for raw power" line really hit me. I used to just want the fastest new stuff, but seeing how clever those old systems were changed my mind. They got so much done with simple gears and good design.
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