Home Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Help! circa 1962 Dover Home Lift Elevator issue

Model H-5276 Dover Corporation
Type: 61844-3

So, I'm a newby and discovered this forum via googling, and my hope is someone has experience with this type of "antique" elevator.

The elevator has served the family well for many, many years, and really looks good, especially the mechanicals etc. I believe it was installed around 1962 when the house was built.

The elevator will run to it stop or top floor (two) and would not go down. Then after a few days it would decide to work again.

I had an elevator repairman come over and he cleaned the contractors, etc, but that did not fix it. Then he sort of jumped up and down up in the elevator and it worked!!

I just had and electrical over and he did the following-some of it duplicative from the previous visit.

1-checked all door switches, contacts are clean, and all have power
2-Checked the chain limit switch (counter balance) it appears to be good
3-Travel switch in the back of the back corner of the roof left side
4-Checked all three call buttons two external one internal
5-Checked all terminal blocks for tightness
6-Checked tightness on all on contactors

Still it will come up, not go down, unless you move about and shake it in the shaft. So, it would appear to me that it is a switch or something that is not being engaged or making a connection, or something is loose.

Anyone have expereince with this? Your suggestions will be appreciated!

I would like to post some pictures for your review, but need to figure out how to do that. This form is not as intuitive as some of the other ones I have seen. Looks like I have to load them up to a website and copy some computer mumbojumbo. I wonder if I can do this via constant contact.

Thanks

PS-Yes, we could replace it but I would rather see if I can find a stash of parts from this site for the future.

So the latest is the tech took the elevator down from the top about half way, stopped, back up, half way, stopped, back down half way, stopped, all the way up, then all the way down, then back up all the way, and it would not work again until he shifted around again in the elevator.

May be be a broken wire in the travel cable. A licensed elevator tech should have little trouble narrowing it down if he can catch it while it's not working, assuming there is an accurate set of prints.

Should be a stop switch in car to check also,double check the limit at the top,not much to those up and Down contators I'd say the lock at the top floor if u have to jump on it to run.

So I uploaded pictures to my cc account, just could not figure out how to make them appear using the q and a here.

Picture 1: Original cab with bleached out wood look e.g. early Bertram Sportfish

https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/c0...r=1463613918000

Picture 2: Passenger Cab switches

https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/c0...r=1463613916000

Picture 3: Outside door up/down switch

https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/c0...r=1463613921000

https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/c0...r=1463613923000

Picture 4: Lock mech with contacts

https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/c0...r=1463613914000

Picture 5: Male portion of door lock with spring contact

https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/c0...r=1463613913000

Picture 6: Jam Door lock contact

https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/c0...r=1463613920000

Picture 7: Elevator shaft

https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/c0...r=1463613902000

https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/c0...r=1463615822000

https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/c0...r=1463615825000

Picture 8: Motor contact housing

https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/c0...r=1463615808000

https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/c0...r=1463613912000

Picture 9: Data Plate

https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/c0...r=1463615811000

Picture 10: Limit switch

https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/c0...r=1463615809000

Thanks for the reply, no prints, but somewhere, there are some prints on this elevator. So far no luck on the internet.

As a layman, that's what I was thinking. The first tech did not kill the power and I heard the result of the contact with his screw driver from the upper floor. Then he proceeded to pull the 50 year old stop cord from the ceiling, as it was not hooked up to anything but the bar.

Then today it was found out that a contact screw was broken off by a tech in the limit switch on the roof that has something to do with the chain. I had to round up a friend with some machines that came from the Charleston Navel yard just to get that pulled out and re threaded. Seems so far I have encountered incompetents. Not to mention the first speeding ticket in about three years as I rushed over to his home as he was in a hurry.

The problem is that the only other option is the local big guys like Otis, and they are all about 350 an hour to come look at this small residential elevator. But based on my experience so far it may be worthwhile and the only option. And 350 they charge while they drive, at 350 per hour. Of course, you may know this. I can surly understand this if I own a multi million dollar building that depends on elevators to run.

https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/c0...r=1463601351000

One might wonder what type of house had an elevator in the early 60s. This is a very original work done by Alfred Browning Parker, so I think it would be good to keep it running and original, even the fake bleached wood like that was found in the Bertram Sport fishers of the day. Above is a link to an annual event we have coming up in a few weeks.

U have to make your own prints for this thing,the mechanic before me drew up a print on the one I looked at like I said not much to these and yes it's worth the cash for a competent mechanic to fix your lift!

For 1 of those autos I'll come down from NC no charge

there is an independant out of Myrtle Beach that does a lot of work on residentials. It's a distance but might be worth looking into

I think I called him, and he was very helpful if it's the same one. He actually told me to make sure to kill the breaker when I cleaned the door contacts. Unfortunately, the first tech did not do this, ergo the buuuzzzzzcrack! sound and burning smell from downstairs. Feel free to pm me his name, etc. Thanks!

Come on down if you're not too far! It's always a good time.

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/...f8-66c9605bb1ea

That door lock in the picture, the contacts are pitted pretty badly it may not be making contact. The male piece in the picture doesn't show any signs of wipe. From the discription you have givin it sounds like either the door lock or the top final limit.
There is a guy in Columbia think the name of his company is Carolina elevator.

Go Tiger!!

Sent you a PM

Thanks! I Replied.

believe that's who I was talking about, knew he was in Myrtle didn't know Columbia

Different guy, same company name. Guy in Mrytle is not signatory. Guy in Columbia is.

If you find an elevator mechanic that is willing to come there, send me a message with his contact info. I have several of these units as well as the prints and manual.