| IRTOURING, offer excellent tours to iran, cultural | | | | The original Otis lifts in the North and South pillars |
| tours to iran, iran tour and Onlive informations | | | | in their turn proved inferior to the new (in 1899) |
| about Exotic Locations such as Eifel Tower | | | | French lifts and were scrapped from the south |
| How to visit Eifel Tower | | | | pillar in 1900 and from the north pillar in 1913 after |
| The original lifts to the first and second floors | | | | failed attempts to re-power them with an electric |
| were provided by two companies. Both | | | | motor. The north and south pillars were to remain |
| companies had to overcome many technical | | | | without lifts until 1965 when increasing visitor |
| obstacles as neither company (or indeed any | | | | numbers persuaded the operators to install a |
| company) had experience with installing lifts | | | | relatively standard and modern cable hoisted |
| climbing to such heights with large loads. The | | | | system in the north pillar using a cable-hauled |
| slanting tracks with changing angles further | | | | counterbalance weight, but hoisted by a block and |
| complicated the problems. The East and West lifts | | | | tackle system to reduce its travel to one third of |
| were supplied by the French company Roux | | | | the lift travel. The counterbalance is clearly visible |
| Combaluzier Lepape, using hydraulically powered | | | | within the structure of the North pillar. This latter |
| chains and rollers. Contemporary engravings of | | | | lift was upgraded in 1995 with new cars and |
| the lift cars show that the passengers were | | | | computer controls. |
| seated at this time but it is not clear whether this | | | | The South pillar acquired a completely new fairly |
| was conceptual. It would be unnecessary to seat | | | | standard electrically driven lift in 1983 to serve the |
| passengers for a journey of a couple of minutes. | | | | Jules Verne restaurant. This was also supplied by |
| The North and South lifts were provided by the | | | | Otis. A further 4 tonne service lift was added to |
| American Otis company using car designs similar | | | | the south pillar in 1989 by Otis to relieve the main |
| to the original installation but using an improved | | | | lifts when moving relatively small loads or even |
| hydraulic and cable scheme. The French lifts had a | | | | just maintenance personnel. |
| very poor performance and were replaced with | | | | The east and west hydraulic (water) lift works |
| the current installations in 1897 (West Pillar) and | | | | are on display and, at least in theory, are open to |
| 1899 (East Pillar) by Fives-Lille using an improved | | | | the public in a small museum located in base of |
| hydraulic and rope scheme. Both of the original | | | | the East and West tower, which is somewhat |
| installations operated broadly on the principle of | | | | hidden from public view. Because the massive |
| the Fives-Lille lifts. | | | | mechanism requires frequent lubrication and |
| The Fives-Lille lifts from ground level to the first | | | | attention, public access is often restricted. |
| and second levels are operated by cables and | | | | However, when open, the wait times are much |
| pulleys driven by massive water-powered pistons. | | | | less than the other, more popular, attractions. The |
| The hydraulic scheme was somewhat unusual for | | | | rope mechanism of the North tower is visible to |
| the time in that it included three large | | | | visitors as they exit from the lift. |
| counterweights of 200 tonnes each sitting on top | | | | Second to the third level |
| of hydraulic rams which doubled up as | | | | The original lift from the second to the third floor |
| accumulators for the water. As the lifts ascend | | | | were also of a water powered hydraulic design |
| the inclined arc of the pillars, the angle of ascent | | | | supplied by Léon Edoux. Instead of using a |
| changes. The two lift cabs are kept more or less | | | | separate counterbalance, the two lift cars |
| level and indeed are level at the landings. The cab | | | | counterbalanced each other. A pair of 81 metre |
| floors do take on a slight angle at times between | | | | long hydraulic rams were mounted on the second |
| landings. | | | | level reaching nearly half way up to the third level. |
| The principle behind the lifts is similar to the | | | | A lift car was mounted on top of the rams. |
| operation of a block and tackle but in reverse. | | | | Ropes ran from the top of this car up to a |
| Two large hydraulic rams (over 1 metre | | | | sheave on the third level and back down to a |
| diameter) with a 16 metre travel are mounted | | | | second car. The result of this arrangement was |
| horizontally in the base of the pillar which pushes a | | | | that each car only travelled half the distance |
| carriage (the French word for it translates as | | | | between the second and third levels and |
| chariot and this term will be used henceforth to | | | | passengers were required to change lifts halfway |
| distinguish it from the lift carriage) with 16 large | | | | walking between the cars along a narrow |
| triple sheaves mounted on it. There are 14 similar | | | | gangway with a very impressive and relatively |
| sheaves mounted statically. Six wire ropes are | | | | unobstructed downward view. The 10 tonne cars |
| rove back and forth between the sheaves such | | | | held 65 passengers each or up to 4 tonnes. |
| that each rope passes between the 2 sets of | | | | One interesting feature of the original installation |
| sheaves 7 times. The ropes then leave the final | | | | was that the hoisting rope ran through guides to |
| sheaves on the chariot and passes up through a | | | | retain it on windy days to prevent it flapping and |
| series of guiding sheaves to above the second | | | | becoming damaged. The guides were mechanically |
| floor and then via a pair of triple sheaves back | | | | moved out of the way of the ascending car by |
| down to the lift carriage again passing guiding | | | | the movement of the car itself. In spite of some |
| sheaves. | | | | antifreeze being added to the water that |
| This arrangement means that the lift carriage, | | | | operated this system, it nevertheless had to close |
| complete with its cars and passengers, travels 8 | | | | to the public from November to March each year. |
| times the distance that the rams move the | | | | The original lifts complete with their hydraulic |
| chariot, the 128 metres from the ground to the | | | | mechanism were completely scrapped in 1982 |
| second floor. The force exerted by the rams also | | | | after 97 years of service. They were replaced |
| has to be 8 times the total weight of the lift | | | | with two pairs of relatively standard rope hoisted |
| carriage, cars and passengers, plus extra to | | | | cars which were able to operate all the year |
| account for various losses such as friction. The | | | | round. The cars operate in pairs with one |
| hydraulic fluid was water, normally stored in three | | | | providing the counterbalance for the other. Neither |
| accumulators, complete with counterbalance | | | | car can move unless both sets of doors are |
| weights. To make the lift ascend, water was | | | | closed and both operators have given a start |
| pumped using an electrically driven pump from the | | | | command. The commands from the cars to the |
| accumulators to the two rams. Since the | | | | hoisting mechanism are by radio obviating the |
| counterbalance weights provided much of the | | | | necessity of a control cable. The replacement |
| pressure required, the pump only had to provide | | | | installation also has the advantage that the ascent |
| the extra effort. For the descent, it was only | | | | can be made without changing cars and has |
| necessary to allow the water to flow back to the | | | | reduced the ascent time from 8 minutes (including |
| accumulators using a control valve. The lifts were | | | | change) to 1 minute and 40 seconds. This |
| operated by an operator perched precariously | | | | installation also has guides for the hoisting ropes |
| underneath the lift cars. His position (with a | | | | but they are electrically operated. The guide once |
| dummy operator) can still be seen on the lifts | | | | it has moved out of the way as the car ascends |
| today. | | | | automatically reverses when the car has passed |
| The Fives-Lille lifts were completely upgraded in | | | | to prevent the mechanism becoming snagged on |
| 1986 to meet modern safety requirements and | | | | the car on the downward journey in the event it |
| to make the lifts easier to operate. A new | | | | has failed to completely clear the car. |
| computer controlled system was installed which | | | | Unfortunately these lifts do not have the capacity |
| completely automated the operation. One of the | | | | to move as many people as the 3 public lower |
| three counterbalances was taken out of use, and | | | | lifts and long queues to ascend to the third level |
| the cars were replaced with a more modern and | | | | are common. Most of the intermediate level |
| lighter structure. Most importantly, the main driving | | | | structure present on the tower today was |
| force was removed from the original water pump | | | | installed when the lifts were replaced and allows |
| such that the water hydraulic system provided | | | | maintenance workers to take the lift half way. |
| only a counterbalancing function. The main driving | | | | The replacement of these lifts allowed the |
| force was transferred to a 320 kW electrically | | | | restructuring of the criss-cross beams in upper |
| driven oil hydraulic pump which drives a pair of | | | | part of the tower and further allowed the |
| hydraulic motors on the chariot itself thus | | | | installation of two emergency staircases. These |
| providing the motive power. The new lift cars | | | | replaced the dangerous winding stairs that were |
| complete with their carriage and a full 92 | | | | installed when the tower was constructed. |
| passenger load weigh 22 tonnes. | | | | Restaurants |
| Due to elasticity in the ropes and the time taken | | | | The tower has two restaurants: Altitude 95, on |
| to get the cars level with the landings, each lift in | | | | the first floor 311 ft (95 m) above sea level; and |
| normal service takes an average of 8 minutes | | | | the Jules Verne, an expensive gastronomical |
| and 50 seconds to do the round trip spending an | | | | restaurant on the second floor, with a private lift. |
| average of 1 minute and 15 seconds at each floor. | | | | This restaurant has one star in the Michelin Red |
| The average journey time between floors is just | | | | Guide. In January 2007, the multi-Michelin star chef |
| 1 minute. | | | | Alain Ducasse was brought in to run Jules Verne. |