Elevator Crash Testing the Otis-Inspired Safety Brake! Garage Attic Lift Build in Minneapolis

We finally test the safety brake! Will it fail? Will it succeed? Find out above!

[tonycharron]

Wanted to build a garage lift years My "analysis paralysis" and procrastination FINALLY paid off! I found your videos and THIS is WHAT I was LOOKING FOR! Coming from an engineer 🤓, you guys did a TERRIFIC job from a DIY perspective. Looking forward to building my own (Inspired from your design & engineering) now. New Subscriber and looking forward to going through all of your content now.

[tonyturner]

My elevator is remarkably similar to yours. I too used two 330lb. fall arresters as a safety . I have a wireless remote system to move the elevator up and down and high and low limit switches stop it in the up and down position. I also added emergency stop switches in case a limit switch fails. The emergency stop switches kill power to the lift if a limit switch is over run or fails.

I am very impressed with the Otis safety. Very well thought out and implemented. I also appreciate you sharing your testing. Ive tested my lift to 600 pounds and rate it as 400 for practical working load. I weigh 300 pounds and the platform and associated hardware is just under 90 pounds. My first lift motor is rated a 880lbs. I use a second lift motor as a "swap-out" unit and it's rated at 1320lbs. I swap the lift motor every 3 months so I can maintenance the active lift motor. I check and grease the bushings/bearings, check the cable for defects and disassemble the motor to check gear wear and apply fresh grease. I'm still adjusting my maintenance schedule as I learn what wears. I know this is not popular but we actually use our lift to get my mother-in-law up to her second floor apartment. I can not recommend any one else ride their lift... But I assure you it's safer than my 87 year old mother-in-law walking up the steps... She fell down them more than once. Do with that what you will.

Good job guys!! I'll be modifying mine with your brake.

[arvidjedlicka]

Outstanding. I will need to go back and look at the details of how the brake was designed so I can implement a similar solution. Thanks for all the effort and sharing.

[utrutr]

Just Awesome! Very well designed and thank you so much for sharing. Unlike many You-tubers, you actually followed up from previous videos and showed your progress. Thank you for that and again... VERY well done.

[BacktrackADV]

Well done guys! Reminds me of my underground mining days. I had do a drop test on an man cage before it would could be certified for man hoisting underground. The cage had wooden guides. I had to design the safety dogs to engage the guides if the hoist cable broke. They had to engage and decelerate the man cage at a rate such that the occupants were mot injured… such as broken legs, hips or backs!! The weight of the cage on the cable kept the safety dog disengaged. Cool stuff!!

[AlexR_]

Thanks for this series. There's a very good chance I'll be (helping) building a similar system for an in the house elevator at my grandparents soon and I'll definitely be sharing this series with my uncles and grandpa while we're designing. It has been a huge help for me to supplement along with their (grandpa's) book from 1919. If an old system works, use it. 👍🏼😁

[stevenbryant]

Love the videos! Curious if you have tested the fall arresters like you tested the emergency brake? That would be a great video too. I am currently building my lift.

[jrmlandscapes]

One other safety mechanism you might consider is a top limit switch. If the elevator is stopped at the top position the winch could damage the carriage, or break the cable. A top limit switch would kill power to the winch before that happens.

[nitebirdscuffle]

Thanks for the little doubt it's helping a lot of people

[wesir]

That's pretty sweet, don't know if it would impact the braking system but it might be worth putting another 2x4 or something similar between the one holding the rails and the brakes so if it does ever have to get used there's no chance that it mangles the 2x4 holding the rail and you have to disassemble everything to replace it.

[Core]

This is so cool!







Now try it with you on it.

[robertmatthews]

What’s the safety system when the winch fails and keeps enough tension on the line to keep the spring brake from engaging?

[larrydavis]

Very nice. Good job. I've got a 1930's freight elevator that needs a brake. Gives me some ideas. Thanks for sharing.

[SpikerStudios]

Just subscribed, love the ingenuity guys

[noadstv]

nice video. would like to see the fall arrester crash test too

[michaelsledge]

I am almost finished with my garage lift and wanted to thank you for your excellent videos, especially your fall safety. I have found a ready made fall safety that was designed for a different application that works extremely well and can be adapted fairly easily. I was thinking about making a video but wanted to know if it would be worth the effort and the liability issues from posting safety related issues.

[mikemm]

At the 3:00 mark the levers are in a different position than the second test?
Additionally, did the original fall arrestors not server their intended purpose ?

[Hangglide]

What is that object fell off from top when you cut off at 300lbs?!

[יעקבלוי-סט]

אך אפשר להזמין ולקנות את המוצר וכמה זה עולה הכל ביחד

[johndeerefarmer]

What you have works fine IF the cable breaks. What if the braking mechanism in the hoist breaks or the gears strip out and it starts falling- but falls with enough tension on the cable that the safety mechanism doesn't engage? Since your hoist is a cheap Chinese unit this is a distinct possibility. Same with the fall arrestors. If it's a slower fall they probably will not engage either. Lets see you take the hoist apart, see how the brake works and simulate a failure there with both the braking mechanism then the fall arrestors. Thanks for the video.