United States
The Freight Elevator is the original form of elevator, meant to carry materials rather than people. Many diagrams depict how the ancient Egyptians used a system they created using ropes and pulleys to build the pyramids. Even Greek mathematician Archimedes drew his own version of a freight elevator in 236 B.C. This concept of an elevator that can move large amounts of material or cargo has been around for quite some time, but now that it’s in frequent use, there are many different classifications of them.
Depending on the purpose for the freight elevator, the dimensions will vary, unlike how they would for a passenger elevator. Freight elevators even at their smallest size can still hold about four thousand pounds, as their sole purpose is to carry large loads. These elevators were built with the knowledge of where they’d be put to best use such as places like warehouses, apartment complexes, car dealerships, and more. Since they have been consistently designed to withstand harsher conditions than a passenger elevator, they will not reach high speeds due to safety concerns no matter which class you are looking for.
When it comes to the different classes of freight elevators, we will start with the beginning of the alphabet. Class A is for General Freight Loading and is best suited to lift loads that don’t exceed one fourth of the capacity of a freight elevator. Next is Class B: Motor Vehicle Loading which is used only to move automobiles from one floor to the next.
After these two, we move onto numbered classes like Class C1: Industrial Truck Loading. Then Class C2: Industrial Truck Loading. Finally, Class C3: Other forms of Industrial Truck Loading. The main difference between these three is the amount of weight that each can hold at any given time while making their trips. It’s necessary that when choosing the correct freight elevator to install, the function for which it will be used and the cargo that it will hold is at the forefront of your mind. These elevators are a great help to society and help the world, and its objects, move a little smoother.
