About the turn of the century, the Fraser Cable Drive momentarily held the spotlight. Designed to obviate the disadvantages of the great shaft space required by the winding drum machines, its hoisting machine consisted of two motors driving a set of endless cables by means of sheaves on their armature shafts. When both motors ran at the same speed in opposite directions, the driving cables moved without raising the car or counterweights. In order to start the car, one motor was accelerated, and the other slowed down, thus making a difference in the height of the cable loops. It was claimed that the operator could vary his car speed from 0 to 600 fpm with "this differential drive" and that the equipment had the advantage of compactness, rapid acceleration, quick stops and uniform smooth movement.

(Graphic Source: ELEVATOR WORLD September 1963)

The "gearless" elevator was one of the major new developments in elevator technology that accompanied the proliferation of high-rise building. The first such system was installed in the Beaver Building in New York in 1903, followed by the Majestic in Chicago a year later. Otis Installation.

(Graphic Source: Going Up)

The Jaspar Gearless elevator machines installed in the tunnel built under the river Escaut in Northern France.

(Graphic Source: Going Up)

Gearless machine by Italy's Stigler.

(Graphic Source: Raffronto fra le norme vigenti sugli)

Two views of the Kaestner & Hecht-Westinghouse Gearless Elevator that represented the efforts of both concerns to produce competing equipment in points of design, quality of workmanship and operation. The Westinghouse company adapted its knowledge gained in allied fields to the requirements of conditions found to be a part of elevator service and produced gearless machines for K & H, Guerney, A.B. See and Atlantic Elevator companies, which were later purchased, placing Westinghouse in the high end of the vertical transportation business.

(Graphic Source: Kaestner & Hecht Company)

In order to eliminate rooftop protuberances restricted by ordinance, a number of U.K. installations are "upside down" offset driving units. Upside down installations are engineered to be offset so the roofline of a building would not be disturbed.

(Graphic Source: ELEVATOR WORLD October 1982)