14. Construction of Openings.—The openings in the brick walls of an elevator shaft are constructed ordinarily with rowlock brick arches, and from the fact that the openings are usually wide, and little jamb is left on each side of the opening, it is necessary to build 1-inch round iron rods in the arch above the opening, these tie-rods being furnished with washer plates at each end.
The jambs of all openings in the elevator shafts should be protected with cast-iron fenders made of about ½-inch metal, and so constructed as to return about 4 inches on each face. These jambs are provided with heavy wrought-iron anchors, which are built into the brickwork in the process of construction.
(a)
(b)
Fig. 4
15. Freight Elevators.—Freight elevators are either corner-guided or side-guided, the preference being for the latter, as they are more easily constructed and adjusted, and during the construction of the elevator shaft it is usual to build into the brickwork blocks of wood about the thickness of a brick and of sufficient length for the attachment of the guides. These are cut wedge-shaped on the ends, so as to hold more firmly in the brickwork. A diagrammatic plan of a side-guided and corner-guided elevator is illustrated in [Fig. 4 (a)] and [(b)], respectively.
Owing to the fact that it is necessary to have considerable hoisting mechanism, at the head of the elevator shaft, the shaft is extended above the roof, sometimes as much as 5 or 6 feet, for the minimum height from the elevator platform at the top floor level to the under side of the beams carrying the mechanism is about 16 feet, and the sheaves carrying the rope and other mechanism at the top of the shaft require several more feet.
16. Elevator-Shaft Windows.—Frequently, elevator shafts are lighted with windows. Where such windows open into the building, they must be constructed with metallic frame and wire glass; but where they open outside of the building it is not necessary to do this. Where elevator shafts are lighted from the top, metallic skylights glazed with heavy glass should be provided. It is not considered such good practice to use wired glass for this glazing, the idea being that in case of fire, as each floor is cut off from the elevator shaft with fireproof doors, vent may be had from the skylight at the top of the shaft when the glass is broken, and some of the municipal and state laws stipulate that the skylight at the top of an elevator shaft shall not be less than two-thirds the area of the shaft.