A hydraulic elevator may comprise a bidirectional pump that controls up and down motion of an elevator car. A VVVF drive may cause the bidirectional pump to provide working fluid in a controlled manner to a hydraulic jack that supports the elevator car. A control valve may be disposed between the bidirectional pump and the hydraulic jack so that the control valve can be closed when the elevator car needs to be held in place. To avoid pressure waves that propagate when the control valve is opened with disparate pressures on the pump and jack sides of the control valve, the bidirectional pump may adjust the pressure on the pump side of the closed control valve to the pressure on the jack side of the control valve before the control valve is opened.

A hydraulic elevator may comprise a bidirectional pump that controls up and down motion of an elevator car. A VVVF drive may cause the bidirectional pump to provide working fluid in a controlled manner to a hydraulic jack that supports the elevator car. A control valve may be disposed between the bidirectional pump and the hydraulic jack so that the control valve can be closed when the elevator car needs to be held in place. To avoid pressure waves that propagate when the control valve is opened with disparate pressures on the pump and jack sides of the control valve, the bidirectional pump may adjust the pressure on the pump side of the closed control valve to the pressure on the jack side of the control valve before the control valve is opened.

A system controls leakage in a pit which contains equipment which uses pressurized hydraulic fluid. A tap communicates with a space holding leaked fluid, and directs leaked fluid to a fluid sump. A pump moves fluid from the fluid sump to a hydraulic fluid recapturing holding tank located outside the pit above a fluid reservoir. Fluid from the fluid reservoir is selectively relocated into the fluid reservoir, which re-supplies the equipment. An electronic control panel located outside the pit interacts with a remote computer to provide a remote user with information concerning operation of the system and to allow the remote user to monitor and control at least certain operations of the system, and which processor also controls operation of the pump and actuating valve. All of the mechanical and electrical equipment of the system is located outside of the pit.

A system controls leakage in a pit which contains equipment which uses pressurized hydraulic fluid. A tap communicates with a space holding leaked fluid, and directs leaked fluid to a fluid sump. A pump moves fluid from the fluid sump to a hydraulic fluid recapturing holding tank located outside the pit above a fluid reservoir. Fluid from the fluid reservoir is selectively relocated into the fluid reservoir, which re-supplies the equipment. An electronic control panel located outside the pit interacts with a remote computer to provide a remote user with information concerning operation of the system and to allow the remote user to monitor and control at least certain operations of the system, and which processor also controls operation of the pump and actuating valve. All of the mechanical and electrical equipment of the system is located outside of the pit.

An entertainment system includes a cylinder within a body of liquid, an entertainment platform within the cylinder, and a pump system. The entertainment platform is configured to move within the cylinder. The pump system is configured to remove fluid from and provide fluid to an interior of the cylinder on a first side of the entertainment platform to move the entertainment platform within the cylinder.

An entertainment system includes a cylinder within a body of liquid, an entertainment platform within the cylinder, and a pump system. The entertainment platform is configured to move within the cylinder. The pump system is configured to remove fluid from and provide fluid to an interior of the cylinder on a first side of the entertainment platform to move the entertainment platform within the cylinder.

A modular elevator system has a pit module, one or more shaft modules that are attachable to the pit module and/or to an adjacent shaft module, and a cap module that is attachable to an uppermost shaft module. The pit module, the shaft modules, and the cap module are each pre-fabricated and transported to a site at which a building is under construction for assembly top of the pit module, the remaining shaft modules are secured sequentially on top of each other, and the cap module is secured on top of the uppermost shaft module.

A modular elevator system has a pit module, one or more shaft modules that are attachable to the pit module and/or to an adjacent shaft module, and a cap module that is attachable to an uppermost shaft module. The pit module, the shaft modules, and the cap module are each pre-fabricated and transported to a site at which a building is under construction for assembly top of the pit module, the remaining shaft modules are secured sequentially on top of each other, and the cap module is secured on top of the uppermost shaft module.

An illustrative example hydraulic elevator system includes an elevator car, a hydraulic plunger associated with the elevator car, a fluid reservoir and a conduit coupling the fluid reservoir and the hydraulic plunger. A pump causes fluid movement through the conduit between the fluid reservoir and the hydraulic plunger to cause selective movement of the elevator car. A shutoff valve is associated with the conduit, the shutoff valve being between the pump and the hydraulic plunger. The shutoff valve has a closed position in which the shutoff valve prevents fluid movement between the hydraulic plunger and at least one of the reservoir and the pump to prevent movement of the elevator car. The shutoff valve has an open position in which the shutoff valve permits fluid movement between the pump and the hydraulic plunger to permit movement of the elevator car. A valve actuator operates based on pressure in at least the hydraulic plunger. The valve actuator selectively causes the shutoff valve to be in the open position or the closed position.

A pneumatic vertical transportation device comprises an expandable cylinder, a carriage rack, an air piping controller, and an air exhauster. The expandable cylinder includes a bellow body, with one end hanging carriage rack and the other end connected with a fixing plate. The expandable cylinder is connected with the air piping controller. While the carriage rack is rising, the air exhauster draws air from the bellow body through the air piping controller to gradually decrease pressure inside. Once pressure difference exceeds weight of the carriage rack, the carriage rack begins to rise. Volume of the expandable cylinder is reduced such that the lower disc of the expandable cylinder approaches top, and the expandable cylinder is maintained at low pressure state. While the carriage rack is descending, air is fed into the expandable cylinder through the air piping controller to gradually expand the bellow body, letting the carriage rack descend.