I think this solves a mystery for me. Sometime around 1972, when I was about 4 years old, my mother took me to a furniture store in Steubenville, Ohio. She was looking for something specific (I have no memory of what it was), and they didn't have what she wanted. The salesman (presumably working on commission), said, "We just might have something in the warehouse upstairs." He took us over to an elevator and we got in. There was a rope running right through the middle of the elevator. He gave the rope a jerk and the elevator moved on its own up to the second floor (with the rope moving rapidly downward through the elevator). I was amazed by the whole thing, but I didn't mention this to anyone due to the fact that at 4 years old I was still encountering new and amazing things often and the adults could be quite condescending whenever I mentioned wonder or astonishment.. This is the one thing I encountered as a small child that I have never seen again, and I have wondered for the last 47 years (or so) how the thing worked. Even at 4 years old I could tell this thing looked old and didn't seem to involve electricity because he just gave the rope a jerk and didn't flip a switch or push a button. This video probably explains it: Because it was a freight elevator, the counterweight was heavier than the weight of the salesman, my mom, and me. This caused us to be raised without any effort. The jerk on the rope probably released the brake. I think we came down the stairs and not on the elevator. This would be because the elevator was now stuck at the top and would need to be lowered again with effort (or maybe by loading a bunch of heavy furniture that needed to come down anyway). I still have no idea why it was designed with the rope running right through the middle of the elevator, and there was only the one rope not 2, so, it couldn't have been the same exact design as this and I will continue looking for a better example.

I rode one of these in the 1970s. It was in a pipe organ factory. I'll never forget it!

That is the coolest and oldest elevator I have ever seen in my life! Absolutely awesome video! 👍

That's really cool!

This is too cool for words ✌️💙

I'm installing a dumbwaiter version of this system in my new house build. They actually still make these for dumbwaiters and commercial cargo lifts. I plan to use an open mount at the top so the beautiful pulley system is exposed in the room. House has an industrial farmhouse design so it will look great and it's a split level design with 3 levels so really needs a dumbwaiter.

this is 10000 likes worth - at least... great find

AMAZING!

dam i love that's old school

AWESOME!

That's so cool

This is insanely cool!

Pretty cool

Awesome!

I made a servant hand made rope elevator and I love it

I have never seen a manual elevator as new as this

Soooo, this video was super awesome but did I spot a Klansman’s hood in the upper right corner at 3:14 or have my eyes deceived me?!

Gonna have to tell my frirnd Sidney about this

I have one of these. Trying to figure out what's wrong with the counter weight

wow!

Thats funny even though this is meant to be kind of a gravity powered elevator the counterweight only barely does half of the work the weight of whatever you load it with and whatever muscles the operator has does the other half

this is what I call a “man powered elevator” Not unlike many youtubers who use that term to refer to stairways

What was this formerly

Hi!

AWESOME!