The History of Elevator Buttons

The minute we step into an elevator, we see an array of buttons that take us exactly where we need to go with one press. However, elevators didn’t always operate this easily. The history of elevator buttons trace back to the late 1800s.

The Early Days of Elevators 

The history of an elevator can be traced back to 236 BC when Archimedes of Syracuse reportedly built the first one. In the 17th Century, elevator-like prototypes decorated palace buildings in France and England. 

Elevators in the Early 1800s

During the Industrial Revolution in the early 1800s, elevators were solely used to raise and lower goods; usually, you would only see them in mines and factories. In 1823, Burton and Homer created a showing room of sorts for tourists interested in seeing a beautiful panoramic view of London. Around 1846, Sir William Armstrong invented the hydraulic crane where a heavy piston powered by oil or water pressure moved inside a cylinder. 

By 1857, Elisha Otis developed the first passenger elevator. Initially, operators would manually control an elevator using levers and pulleys. Passengers would come onto the machine, and directly communicate with the elevator operator who then guided traffic, opened and closed doors, and directed the movement of the elevator car.

Electric Elevators & Buttons in the Late 1800s

German inventor Werner von Siemens created the first electric elevator in 1880 while American inventor Alexander Miles patented the electric elevator in 1887. In April of 1892, Norton P. Otis and Rudolph C. Smith filed a patent application to add a push-button control system for these electric elevators. At each landing, the control system had a large power switch lever, a small knife-edge switch to turn on the power, a push button to call the elevator car, and a system designed to stop the car. This made the process user-friendly as passengers could press a button that corresponded to their desired floor. 

Between the years of 1886 and 1895, electric push button control systems were refined and adapted which later determined the future of elevator buttons.

The Removal of Elevator Operators in the 1900s

While elevator buttons were first introduced in 1892, they did not become popular until the mid-1900s. When 15,000 New York City lift operators decided to go on strike, the elevator industry needed to provide passengers with new ways for an elevator to move throughout multiple floors. What resulted was the addition of elevator buttons in more elevators. Each button included a number to correspond to different floors. The industry also saw the development of automatic doors in 1948, and operator-less elevators in 1950.

Elevator Buttons Today

Elevator buttons have gone through many technological advancements since the late 1800s. Now there are touch-less buttons, destination dispatch systems to optimize traffic flow and reduce wait times, sound and vibrational cues to confirm button presses, and life buttons with interactive displays that give information like news updates, weather forecasts, or building directories.  

Elevator buttons have shifted throughout the years based on modern technologies and new processes. At Buckley Elevator, we continue to strive towards modernization, especially with elevator buttons, to provide a quality and safe ride for all passengers.