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There’s a Keystone in every great invention.

Elevators and Their Electronics         

Remember when the acronym “WFH” wasn’t universally known, and the concept of working from anywhere except for an actual office was anything but normal? While those days may be in the past, there seems to be a post-pandemic renaissance of traditional workplaces, allowing us to pay homage to an important innovation crucial to more than just our day-to-day routines. Yes, elevators and their electronics have allowed us to literally climb to impossible heights, however, it is the impact elevators have on our social lives and interactions that truly encompass the value electronics continue to bring. 

History of Elevators 

Just picture it, the piano being lifted by the rope and pulley. We’ve all seen a rendition of it at some point, but that was reality back in the 1800s. But when the items started to get heavier, Elisha Otis took the opportunity to create the initial component of the elevator. As a master mechanic for a bedstead firm, Otis created the elevator brake using designs from railway wagon safety brakes. A steel-wagon spring would mesh with a ratchet that would catch and hold heavy platforms. 

By 1854, Otis exhibited his elevator safety brake invention at New York’s Crystal Palace Exposition. Within an open-faced elevator shaft, Otis lifted himself until instructing his assistant to cut the elevator cable. The ratchets engaged, and the elevator brakes kept Otis and the platform suspended. 

Elevators of Today

Electric elevators helped introduce skyscrapers by the early 1900s, opening the door to endless architectural possibilities and forever changing skylines worldwide. Corporate offices, luxury condominiums, hotels and convention halls can all exist in the same building thanks to elevators, providing easy accessibility and creating intimate social interactions. 

Picture an elevator ride at The Mirage: going from the ground floor all the way up to the 31^st can take a while, especially when it’s most likely stopping at every floor. Trade shows and conventions force many attendees to bounce from floor to floor for continuous meetings. With “elevator music” in the background, the confines of the elevator create accidental conversations derived from either familiarity or pure curiosity, promoting the exchange of new ideas and breaking news. Where do think the term “elevator pitch” came from?

From elegant and catchy music playing over the speakers, interactive screens and custom lighting, to sensors and controllers, there are many Keystone Electronics products built into today’s elevators, providing passengers with safe, efficient and comfortable travel. Battery Clips, Contacts & Holders, Panel & Computer Hardware, Plugs, Pins, Jacks & Sockets and  Fuse Clips & Holders are some of the Keystone Electronics products you can think about when catching your next lift!