It's rare that I find an elevator "close door" button in the US that works. 

By contrast, I was recently in China -- where almost without exception
the elevator doors would close immediately when the button was
pressed.  (You could also cancel a mistakenly selected floor by
pushing the button twice).

What gives?  What is some of the history? Some of the issues?  Is it a
liability thing? Why the difference between US and elsewhere?

I would especially like to know if, these days, elevator companies
just install "dummy" door close buttons that are never intended to
work for US applications. Is this some kind of "inside joke" within the industry?

Please provide as many sources as possible -- especially any elevator
industry trade magazine etc. articles on the topic.

Also, please provide a list of the top five elevator companies in the
us -- with links and consumer relations contact info.

Thank you for your interest.

Hi tonymoco,

The Safety Code is clear and there's no room for debate - the Close
Button must be functional on elevators in the United States. However,
there is a difference between the Close Button and the numbered Floor
Buttons - the Close Buttons require continuous pressure to close the
door, whereas the Floor Buttons need only a brief push to engage.

Building Emergency Response Personnel: Guidelines for Elevators:
TEST A: Mode:  Phase-II:  
"Door-Open/Door-Close buttons require continuous pressure while the
door is in the process of opening or closing.
 
(a) Depress and hold the Door-Close button until the door closes
completely.  Release the button.  The door should remain closed.
(b) Depress and hold the Door-Open button until the door is completely
open.  The door should remain open.
(c) Depress the Door-Close button and release it when the door is
approximately half closed.  The door should immediately stop and
reverse direction and rest in the fully open position.
(d) Depress and hold the Door-Close button until the door closes
completely.  Now depress the door open button and release it when the
door is approximately half opened, the door should immediately stop
and reverse direction resting in the fully closed position.

If any of the above tests fail to produce the required results,
abandon that elevator and perform the same series of tests on another
elevator. Do not use any elevators that fail this test."
http://www.ci.houston.tx.us/hfd/businesses/berpoct03.doc.

ANSI/ASME Safety Code 
REFERENCE STANDARD RS-18: ELEVATORS AND CONVEYORS:
211.3c Phase II Emergency In-Car Operation.-
1(d) Open power-operated doors shall be closed only by [continuous]
momentary pressure on the door close button. [If the button is
released prior to the doors reaching the fully closed position,
horizontally sliding doors shall automatically reopen and vertically
sliding doors shall automatically stop or stop and reopen.] On cars
with two entrances, if both entrances can be opened at the same
landing, a separate door-close button shall be provided for each
entrance."
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dob/pdf/bcrs18.pdf

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME):
http://www.elevators.com/

Elevator control panels:
http://www.isye.gatech.edu/~jjb/misc/elevators/elevators.html

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

In regards to the second part of your question, "list the top five
elevator companies", it's hard to keep up with the latest mergers and
acquisitions but here are five large elevator companies.

1. Otis Elevator: Office Locator by state:
http://www.otis.com/officelocator/
http://www.theelevatormuseum.org/H/otis.htm

2. Schindler Elevator Corporation: Office Locator by state:
http://www.us3.schindler.com/sec/requests.nsf
http://www.theelevatormuseum.org/H/schindler.htm

5. Kone in the USA: Office Locator by state:
http://www.kone.com/en_US/main/0,,content=36655&topelem_id=4812&navielem_id=35810,00.html
http://www.theelevatormuseum.org/H/kone.htm

4. ThyssenKruppe [Dover] Elevator: Office Locator by state:
http://www.thyssenkruppelevator.com/contact.asp
http://www.theelevatormuseum.org/H/thyssen.htm

5. Fujitec America, Inc: Office Locator by state:
http://www.fujitecamerica.com/contacts/contacts_main.htm

National Association of Elevator Contractors: Directory:
http://www.naec.org/naec/default.asp

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Additional Links

50 Years of Elevator World:
http://www.elevator-world.com/magazine/archive01/0301-001.shtml

The Museum for the Preservation of Elevating History:
http://www.theelevatormuseum.org/

Elevator World HotLinks:
http://www.elevator-world.com/hotlinks.shtml

I hope I've helped to clarify the button issue. If you have any
questions, please post a clarification request before closing/rating
my answer.

Thank you,
hummer

Google Search Terms Used

elevators "close buttons" ASME standards
elevator contractors
millar elevators
dover elevators
montgomery elevators
largest elevator companies
largest elevator contractors
otis kone schindler thyssen

---

Request for Answer Clarification by tonymoco-ga on 05 Apr 2004 09:04 PDT

Hummer,

Thank you for investigating my question.  I only wish that the answer
were as clear cut as you have described.

The safety code you quoted, which I have no doubt is accurate, is for
EMERGENCY personnel operation of elevators ONLY in emergency
situations.  As you may have noticed, there are slots for special keys
that emergency personel have in or near each elevator which switch it
or the system to manual control for fire fighting etc. (These are
often marked in red, with fireman's helmets etc.)  Since I have often
read the instructions for emergency operation (in part around my
obsession with this question!) -- I have no doubt that the close door
button works as described in "emergency mode".  (Indeed -- that may be
the only "sane" explanation for why the button is there in the first
place -- since it hardly ever seems to work otherwise).

To clarify: my question is about "normal operation" of public
elevators in hotels, businesses, etc under regular, everyday
circumstances with the general public.

The elevator company and other information looks good.  

So, for the moment, your answer is incomplete.  Thank you for your
initial interest, and I hope you will review my original question and
continue to pursue the greater mystery (and the ups and downs!) of the
close door button.

Tonymoco

---

Clarification of Answer by hummer-ga on 05 Apr 2004 11:58 PDT

Hi Tonymoco,

Thank you for your clarification. First, my apologies for giving you a
link that doesn't work (the period at the end needs to be deleted). My
first link in my answer should be:
http://www.ci.houston.tx.us/hfd/businesses/berpoct03.doc

Using that same link, scroll down to Phase II:
"(Firefighter's Service Emergency In-Car Operation) is key operated
with a switch in the elevator car that when placed in the ON position,
after Phase-I has been initiated, will make the elevator operable only
by the person inside the car."

The only effect the key has on the elevator is to make it inoperable
from anywhere other than the car that has the key in it - it doesn't
change the function of the buttons. Thinking about this has made me
recall (this will date me!) the bygone days of riding in elevators
with operators and I distinctly remember seeing their key in the lock.
That meant that only they could operate that car, but it remained
fully functional.

Most, if not all, states adopt the American Standards of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME) Codes and Standards for Elevators.

LOCATING CODES AND STANDARDS:
The Safety Codes for Elevators and Escalators, ASME A17.1. 
The Guide for the Inspection of Elevators, Escalators and Moving Walks ASME A17.2.
The Safety Code for Existing Elevators and Escalators, ASME A17.3. 
Standard for Elevator and Escalator Electrical Equipment, CSA-B44.1/ ASME A17.5. 
Guide for Emergency Personnel, ASME A17.4. 
http://www.elevator-world.com/hotlinks/codesstd.htm

ASME Standards for Elevators and Escalators:
(Safety codes and standards for the design, construction,
installation, operation, inspection, testing, maintenance, alteration,
and repair of elevators, dumbwaiters, escalators, moving walks,
material lifts and dumbwaiters with automatic transfer devices,
wheelchair lifts, and inclined-stairway chairlifts.)
http://www.normas.com/ASME/pages/A17.html

If you really want to know the standards for elevators in the US, the
ASME would be a good place to start. Are you near a large public
library? They should be able to make it available for you (I've not
had any luck trying to find it for free online). Most assuredly, the
buttons aren't dummies - they are supposed to be fully functional.

Just for fun:
Elevator Buttons TrueType Font:
http://www.webfontlist.com/pages/station.asp?ID=10746&x=fonts

If you have any other questions, I'll be glad to respond. Please do
not close this question until you are fully satisfied with the answer.

Thank you,
hummer

---

Request for Answer Clarification by tonymoco-ga on 09 Apr 2004 21:04 PDT

Hummer,

Thank you for the time you put into this answer. 

Unfortunately,you were not able to address the heart of the question
about the door close button.  I have searched a little further on my
own, and have discovered evidence that the door close buttons are
indeed in many cases disconnected.

See, for example: http://www.careerjournal.com/columnists/cubicleculture/20030117-cubicle.html

....."That's just one of several examples where the mere illusion of
control seems to satisfy us. Plenty of placebo buttons give the same
false impression. That "close door" button on elevators? It won't work
unless you're a fireman or an elevator operator with special access to
the system. The rest of the time, in deference to various building
codes, it's deactivated, according to engineers at Otis Elevator...."

I do not wish any further research. I feel that I provided sufficient
information and direction in my original question and clarification,
but you apparently were unable to fully consider the possibility that
the close door buttons could be non-functional.

Thank you for your efforts. 

I will be requesting a refund for this question.

---

Clarification of Answer by hummer-ga on 10 Apr 2004 07:37 PDT

Dear tonymoco,

Thank you for your thank you, it is appreciated. 

Congratulations on finding that article - good job. I understand your
frustration - ofcourse I understand that dead buttons exist but in
your original question, you seemed to indicate that the US does not
require operative Close Buttons on elevators. Rather than try to prove
that, I tried to prove the opposite (that they do require operative
Close Buttons) by finding the relevant safety codes so that a person
could log a complaint with the local safety inspector if they found an
inoperative button. However, perhaps you've been a wee bit harsh with
me? You actually posted two questions, one of which I answered to your
satisfaction ("The elevator company and other information looks
good.").

I'm sorry this didn't work out. Given that it is a holiday weekend,
your refund probably won't go through until next week, so please be
patient.

Happy holidays,
hummer

Unfortunately, Hummer was not able to address the heart of my question
about the door close button.  I have searched just a little further on my
own, and have discovered evidence that the door close buttons are
indeed in many cases disconnected.

See, for example: http://www.careerjournal.com/columnists/cubicleculture/20030117-cubicle.html

....."That's just one of several examples where the mere illusion of
control seems to satisfy us. Plenty of placebo buttons give the same
false impression. That "close door" button on elevators? It won't work
unless you're a fireman or an elevator operator with special access to
the system. The rest of the time, in deference to various building
codes, it's deactivated, according to engineers at Otis Elevator...."

I do not wish any further research. I feel that I provided sufficient
information and direction in my original question and clarification,
but Hummer appeared to either have a blind spot or be unable to fully
consider the possibility that the close door buttons could be
non-functional.

On several occasions Hummer simply declared, without basis, that the
buttons certainly would not be dummies, or that they definitely worked
etc -- stating and restating his conviction as a fact.  This was a red
flag to me when I first read it, and my concern bore out as his
answers continued to miss the point, despite my clarifications.

In addtion, I found that most of the answers/links he provided were
very general and not specific to my question.

I hope this is helpful in improving future research efforts.