Subchapter C. SIDEWALK ELEVATORS
Sec.
7.91. Basement lifts.
7.92. Prohibited types.
7.93. Car travel and location.
7.94. Opening of doors.
7.95. Upper limit of travel.
7.96. Shaftway enclosures and gates.
7.97. Brakes.
7.98. Specifications of sidewalk doors.
7.99. Sheaves and drums of hoisting chains and cables.
7.100. Removal and reerection.
7.101. Stop switch and light.§ 7.91. Basement lifts.
The provisions of this subchapter apply to basement lifts, also designated as sidewalk elevators.
§ 7.92. Prohibited types.
Sidewalk elevators of the multiple or four point suspension type shall not be installed.
§ 7.93. Car travel and location.
Sidewalk elevators shall be limited to a car travel not exceeding 25 feet, except when special permission has been obtained from the Board. Such elevators shall not be located inside of any building.
§ 7.94. Opening of doors.
(a) The cars of new sidewalk power-driven elevators shall be provided with a substantial guard or bow to open and close the sidewalk doors. Constant-pressure key switches on street landings of sidewalk elevators shall be used for the entire control of the elevator within the distance of travel from the sidewalk level necessary to open or completely close the sidewalk doors. Control from the car, lower, or intermediate landings is permitted only within the car travel which does not cause the sidewalk doors to open or close.
(b) The cars of existing power-driven sidewalk elevators shall be provided with a substantial guard or bow to open the sidewalk doors, or the sidewalk doors shall be arranged to open by hand. When a guard or bow is used, substantial removable railings at least 42 inches in height shall be placed at the sidewalk level, constructed, and installed so that the car-controlling mechanism is locked and the elevator car held immovable until the railing is placed in position. A constant-pressure key switch on the street landings of sidewalk elevators may also be used in lieu of guardrails. When doors are to be opened by hand, the controlling mechanism shall be arranged to hold the car immovable while the doors are being opened, and the removable railing may be dispensed with, if other conditions meet the requirements of subsection (c).
(c) Sidewalk protection shall be achieved in accordance with the following:
(1) New installations. The doors at the sidewalk level of all sidewalk elevators shall not be permitted to be in an open position when the car is not at the street or sidewalk level.
(2) All installations. The doors of all sidewalk elevators shall not be in an open position when the car is not at the street or sidewalk level unless the following are present:
(i) There is a distance of at least 42 inches from the sidewalk to the top of the doors, when open, and the loading side of the shaftway is protected by a railing, bar, chain, or equivalent, at least 42 inches in height with a wire screen fastened below, the wire of which is at least No. 10 standard steel wire gauge.
(ii) When doors are not sufficiently large to maintain a height of 42 inches and it is desired to leave them open when the car is away from the sidewalk, additional railings 42 inches in height with wire screen, shall be provided alongside the doors.
§ 7.95. Upper limit of travel.
The upper limit of travel of a sidewalk elevator car shall not exceed three feet beyond the sidewalk or street level. When there is any travel beyond the sidewalk or street level, aprons shall be provided for the exposed side of the car.
§ 7.96. Shaftway enclosures and gates.
(a) Power-driven sidewalk elevators. Power-driven sidewalk elevators shall conform to the following:
(1) New installations. The shaftways of new power-driven sidewalk elevators or basement lifts, shall be enclosed on three sides, except for necessary openings for machinery. The loading sides of the lower and intermediate landings shall be provided with standard manually-operated gates or freight type doors, constructed and installed in accordance with the requirements for freight elevators; and be equipped with approved type interlocks. The cars of power-driven sidewalk elevators shall have all sides not used as a means of ingress or egress thereto solidly enclosed to a height of at least 6 feet. A car gate and contact shall be provided at the side served by the openings below the sidewalk level. The shaftway door at the basement landing shall be equipped with an emergency key.
(2) Existing installations. The shaftways of existing power-driven sidewalk elevators or basement lifts, shall be enclosed on three sides to a height of at least 6 feet, except for necessary openings for machinery. The loading sides or the lower and intermediate landings shall be provided with standard semiautomatic gates, constructed and installed in accordance with the requirements for freight elevators.
(b) Hand sidewalk elevators. Gates and shaftway enclosures are not required in connection with hand sidewalk elevators or basement lifts, except that semiautomatic gates shall be installed at intermediate landings.
§ 7.97. Brakes.
(a) Brakes shall be provided which are capable of stopping and holding the elevator car at any point of its travel with the car carrying its full-rated load.
(b) The machines of power-driven sidewalk elevators shall be provided with at least one dependable automatic terminal stop which automatically cuts off the power and applies the brake.
§ 7.98. Specifications of sidewalk doors.
(a) In new installations, sidewalk doors shall, when closed, be capable of sustaining a live load of at least 300 pounds per square foot. The dimensions of any sidewalk openings shall not exceed 5 by 7 feet except by special permission of the Board.
(b) In existing installations, sidewalk doors shall, when closed, be of sufficient strength to carry the loads to which they are subjected, without dangerous deflection.
§ 7.99. Sheaves and drums of hoisting chains and cables.
(a) When chains or cables are used for raising or lowering the cars of new power-operated sidewalk elevators, the sheaves or winding drums shall not be less than ten inches in diameter. The sheaves or winding drums of hand-operated sidewalk elevators shall be at least 10 inches in diameter when cables are used, but when chains are used a lesser diameter is permitted, if the sheaves are pocketed to receive the chains. Cable sizes shall be at least 3/8 inch in diameter. Sheaves or winding drums shall be equipped with substantial retaining flanges.
(b) Power-driven sidewalk elevators suspended from cables or chains shall be provided with approved rope-type car safeties. Such safeties shall be capable of stopping or holding the fully-loaded elevator car at any point of its travel.
§ 7.100. Removal and reerection.
The removal and reerection of any sidewalk elevator in a new location shall be in conformity with the requirements governing the installation of new sidewalk elevators.
§ 7.101. Stop switch and light.
A stop switch and light shall be installed in the cars of new sidewalk elevators.
No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.
This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Code full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.
