Home Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Hello and help possibly?

While I am not in the industry I've spent about 45 years in industrial maintenance, repair, design and fabrication and am well versed in hydraulics and industrial electrical and controls. A friend recently bought a building with a Rotary Hydraulic 3 story freight elevator. No info on it other than very old and uses all 230v controls and has a gear pump direct driven by a 5 hp motor underneath a large open top tank. Itrecently wouldn't go up (pump runs) and coils are working. We removed the valve assembly (couldn't do much under tank) and when we removed the solenoid valves found a small brass screen floating around in the port. I am guessing it got under the tip of the valve and didn't allow it to close causing a bypass?
Now that I've told my life story I was hoping someone might have some info or literature on the valve package. It is stamped P-56-BR-1761. I would appreciate any help.
Thanks
Brett Baker

P-56 is an OLD valve, Someone might have a write-up on it, but they are not going to let it loose easily.. What part of the USA are you in? Good Luck

I'm in Albany NY and the Elevator is in York PA.
Lol, I wasn't aware info on an old hydraulic valve is held so tight! 😁. Well, if i have no luck i will disassemble it and sort it out, it's just a hydraulic system, not Rocket Surgery. It appears just from its external layout that the functions are activated with pilot valves. I've worked with valves of this nature in the past. I also assume when I tear it apart I will find where the small brass screen came from. Johnny, how old do you supposed this is? As a guy who deals alot in 3 phase and high voltage was kinda freaked out that they wired all the 230v control wiring with red and GREEN wires. I did not know there was a time that green was used for anything but earth ground!
Thanks for replying

Rotary was a Oildraulic manufacturer around the late 30's or early 40's. Some controller companies used red/green for line and common (not necessarily ground). Rotary was bought out or changed to Dover sometime in the 40's or 50's. The P-56 was the valve at that time. I remember seeing it in the Dover Repair manual. Dover always called there system Oildraulic instead of hydraulic because the medium was oil and not water. I have worked on a number of 56's and you are right that they are fairly simple. The problem is the Liability that you take on when you are not licensed to work on that equipment and the general public (idiots) are using the conveyance. That was my disclaimer... A good machine shop is a blessing.

Thanks!
I would have no interest in touching this or any other elevator but it is a dear friend, its a freight elevator and it is for his own hobby/side business.
I do have a machine shop 😁

Pm me your email Brett