This is a list of elevator fixtures that have been made and used by Express Lifts of Northampton, England.
Express Lifts have nearly always used oval or 'obround' shaped buttons and this became something of a trademark of the company. The National Lift Tower in Northampton built by the company in the early 1980s was designed with tiny lozenge shaped windows as a homage to their famous button design.
1930s or 1940s
Series 1 with a Manual Crank
These are extremely rare, only one has ever been found. The crank is for operating the lift and the Series 1 "buttons" are for the call station signals (lights up when someone requests to call the lift).
1950s-1960s
Series 1
These are black oval buttons with label in the middle and do not light up when pressed. The call station has a green "LIFT COMING" lamp which is shaped like the buttons.
Floor indicators
Express Lift Series 1 buttons would also work as illuminating lamps for floor position indicators for most elevators installed in the 1960s. These lamps have green illuminating numbers.
1970s
Series 1
In the 1970s, Express updated these buttons with different labeling, but they still didn't light up when pressed except for the landing call stations.
Vandal resistant (anti vandal) buttons (Series 3)
This are grey obround buttons with two red lights on both sides.
Analogue floor indicators
In the 1970s, Express Lift used floor counters with illuminating numbers and arrows that resembles an Otis display. In most cases, the arrows on the hall indicators are in between the numbers. There were also car lanterns installed on the back wall of the elevator wall.
IEE indicator
IEE indicators in Express Lift elevators would work exactly the same as Otis's IEE indicators. IEE indicators on Express Lift have rectangular glass display with illuminating numbers located behind the glass display. These indicators are extremely rare.
1980s
Series 2
These buttons are made of plexiglass and would light up by conventional bulb.
Square buttons
These are square buttons that were a similar design to the obround buttons.
Floor indicators
Express still used the same 1970 analogue indicators in the 1980s. By the mid 1980s, a digital indicator with segmented or LED dot matrix display began appearing.
1990s
The final design used by the company in the late 1980s to late 1990s, still kept their trademark obround shaped buttons but now flush fitting with a red illuminating bar under the number or letter. These buttons could be metal or transparent plastic.
Black Circle Buttons
These buttons are allegedly "one of a kind" because there is only 1 known to exist. The buttons consists of a black plastic lens with an arrow in the middle, an LED light next to it, and a black pill shaped border around the button and the LED light. They look similar to the American Schindler RT buttons, but they have an LED next to it instead of a braille.
Floor indicators
By the 1990s, Express used either segmented or LED dot matrix display for the floor indicators, again the window of the display was often obround shaped in Express tradition!
Third party/generic fixtures
Dewhurst fixtures
Some 1980s and 1990s Express elevators installed in Hong Kong used Dewhurst fixtures[1][2], with US81 push buttons. Elevators installed in Public Housing Estate blocks also used Dewhurst fixtures, with either US81 or US90-15 buttons and UL200 Hidden Legends for analogue indicators.
In Singapore, Express elevators installed in public housing blocks built by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) between 1994 and 1996 also used Dewhurst fixtures, with US100 (vandal resistant) buttons and ULS47H LED floor indicators[3]. However, some high-rise installations found in Toa Payoh used different buttons which were not made by Dewhurst.[4]
Other fixtures
In New Zealand, there are two Express Lift installation having Adams Designer/Epco WN Signature buttons. One is at The Warehouse in Tory Street, Wellington[5], and the other one is at Prime Restaurant in Queenstown.[6]
Trivia
- In the United Kingdom, it was possible for the 1970s vandal-resistant buttons to be mounted on a 1970s Bennie Lifts car operating panel.
See also
- List of Express Evans elevator fixtures - for elevator fixtures used in Express Evans elevators in the United Kingdom
Notes and references
- ↑ 鴨脷洲漁安苑升降機塔GEC Express升降機 - YouTube
- ↑ GEC Express Traction Elevator at Tsuen Wan Hoover Plaza, Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong - YouTube
- ↑ EXPRESS Elevators at Block 4 Boon Keng Road HDB, Singapore - YouTube
- ↑ Toa Payoh Blk 81 Residental HDB, Singapore - Express Lift (GEC) High-Speed Elevator (HD Retake) - YouTube
- ↑ American Fixtures! | Original Express (GEC) @ The Warehouse, Tory St, Wellington - YouTube
- ↑ Interesting Buttons! GEC Express Lifts Hydraulic Lift/Elevator @ Prime Restaurant, Queenstown, NZ - YouTube