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Skylines: Innovation's Impact on the Rise of Humanity

Human advancement can be traced through inventions. Even things that aren't thought of as inventions can be attributed to one person or another. Take the modern city skyline. As mankind progresses, buildings get taller and these buildings form a skyline. But can the creation of the modern city skyline be credited to an individual or individuals?

Yes. By studying inventions. Until the mid-1800's, architects tried to limit the number of floors in a building. Monsters like the Petronas Twin Towers in Maylasia (88 floors) were unheard of in the 19th Century. The simple reason for this: before 1850, public elevators didn't exist.

The floor indication dial for one of the vintage elevators at InventHelp's headquaters.

Dozens of elevator designs date back to the 3rd Century BC but these were used mainly for industrial pursuits, particularly in mining and building. Initially, elevators relied on human and animal power, eventually graduating to steam, electric and water pressure. But the public considered elevators too dangerous. They were good enough for workers and industry, but buildings remained stunted, tending toward horizontal growth rather than vertical. Public buildings rose only as high as a person could reasonably walk.

Two men, John Roebling and Elisha Graves Otis, changed all that. Each can claim a share of the credit for bringing the elevator into the mainstream.

Roebling, well known for bridge construction and design, contributed to popular elevator acceptance with a bridge-building innovation: the manufacture of wire rope. Stronger than the traditional material of hemp rope, the manufactured wire rope made elevators safer and was available in abundant supply.

Otis though, went one step further. In addition to improving the overall safety of passenger elevators, he also proved it. An 1854 article in a New York, NY area newspaper may have read, "Yonkers, NY–Elisha Graves Otis demonstrated for the first time yesterday his safety elevator at the New York exposition in the Crystal Palace. Otis claims his invention, which consists of brakes that catch the elevator car if the cables fail, makes the elevator safe for everyday public use."

With their innovations, Otis and Roebling completely altered the horizontal history of humanity by making it possible to go vertical. After the Civil War, with public confidence buoyed, buildings got taller while elevators got faster and safer. The elevator and construction industries were no longer hampered by poor public confidence and architects were free to design tall buildings. These buildings, of course, form the traditional concept of the skyline.

The manual controller for one of the vintage elevators at InventHelp's headquaters.

Some might say, then, that Otis and Roebling could be called the "fathers of the modern city skyline."

InventHelp® appreciates Otis and Roebling's contributions in a very real way. Our company uses seven historic and contemporary elevators in our corporate offices in Downtown Pittsburgh. InventHelp's buildings boast two Haughton elevators, two Kaester and Hecht, one Halster and Whitney, one Westinghouse, and one Otis. However, the Westinghouse and one of the Haughtons were originally Otis elevators and still contain some Otis engineering. The oldest cars in the collection are the Westinghouse, which was installed between 1926 and 1932, and the sole remaining Otis, which can be traced back to the 1920s. The Otis still serves its 8 floors using rails made of solid maple wood.

You are welcome to visit our offices to see two of our vintage elevators. The elevators often delight visitors since they are among the few remaining hand-operated elevators in Pittsburgh. And inventors, we welcome any new ideas you have for improving elevators. While the passenger elevator industry is just over 150 years old, InventHelp® believes there may be many elevator-related inventions to come. We hope we can help you attempt to submit your ideas to industry. To learn more about InventHelp's patent referral and submission services, call toll-free 1-800-INVENTION or complete our short Inventor Information Request Form.

Story inspired by information from Otis Elevator Company. Special thanks to Wayne Kist, InventHelp's Building Service Coordinator, and Steve Headrick of Headrick Elevator.

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