Any ideas on building a smooth lift/elevator?

[RTL7]

I would like to build a block house of 6 or more floors with a working elevator (manually driven is okay, but it's not necessary to discuss about its controlling/moving right now). The main problem I've got with the simple elevator made of regular bricks is that it moves very roughly and finally get stuck. I need some space between the elevator and the shaft's (elevator's tunnel - I'm not sure of the right word) walls. I tried to use some tiles, some wheels but it didn't work. The height should be approx 8 bricks and the width is not specified. Just a regular LEGO Town scale or a little bigger.

Any suggestions for building a smoothly riding elevator?

[JopieK]

You could use technic beams (32278 for example), but it is indeed difficult not to get the elevator stuck. I did one recently in my modular hospital and also looked at the Modular Town hall, it works but could work better.

[Lok24]

Hi,

I had the same problem when building the elevator for the "Red Keep" *

Here some ideas:

This is the cage for an EV3, but the ideas can be adapted

 

Importatnt are the blue parts: the axles have rounded ends (original by LEGO) and hold it left&right

The blue Technic, Plate 1 x 5 with Smooth Ends hold it forward/backward

And here is the solution for smooth movement: Bar 1 x 3 with 2 Stud Receptacles (Radio Handle, Phone Handset)

 

 

* I only did programming and mechanical solutions, the MOC is not mine

 

Edited December 19, 2018 by Lok24

[ShaydDeGrai]

I did a theater MOC a while years back and the way I solved the "smooth" elevator problem was to make the shaft a stud larger than the car in both directions and to put small rubber wheel assembly on the top and bottom of the lift cab.  The wheels were mounted at the end of lift arms with a wheel on one end and a tiny rubber band (shared by opposing wheels) on the other.  Each lift arm pivoted in the middle so the wheels were pressed against the walls as the rubber bands pulled the other ends of the levels inward.  This allows the cab to "roll" along all four walls of the shaft while using the rubber bands to both keep the cab centered and give the wheels a bit of suspension/play when crossing small irregularities in the surface.

For moving the lift cab, I found I had to pull it in both directions (gravity drop for going down didn't cut it).  I rigged up a string system with a loop of cable attaching to the top of the cab at one end, the bottom of the cab at the other and running over pulleys at the top and bottom of the shaft. A high friction pulley (actually two train wheels with rubber bands around the rail flanges head to head) was my driver pulley and was attached to a motor.

I don't know if I'm explaining this very well, but I'm at the office right now and have neither photos nor parts available at the moment to illustrate.  Feel free to ask questions if the basic concept intrigues you.  Overall, it was a bit bulky, but the overall MOC was about four times the size of the Grand Emporium modular so space for the elevator wasn't really an issue.

 

[neonic]

Maybe you can look on this topic? This looks good. Ques it might work for higher elevators...

[letsbuild54]

There's an elevator in the mountain cave, 21137, made using the fire pole.  Take a look at the instructions to see if it gives you any ideas. I don't have the set, so I don't know how well it works. 

[Lok24]

Hi,

I just built some models based on my ideas mentioned above.

First uses the Brick, Modified 1 x 2 with Groove and bars

 

 

Second uses grooves made from normal bricks and axles

Edited December 22, 2018 by Lok24