Question

In 1915, the Otis Elevator Company developed an automatic leveling system for its elevators in response to which of the following?

A. A personal injury lawsuit brought by the mayor of New York City, whose wife stumbled and cracked her skull while exiting an elevator that was two inches (five centimeters) lower than floor level.

B. The U.S. Navy's need to roll wheeled munitions carts in and out of shipboard elevators.

C. Innovations to wing stability and flap control in the aircraft industry.

Answer

B. The U.S. Navy's need to roll wheeled munitions carts in and out of shipboard elevators.

In 1915, the U.S. Navy contracted the Otis Elevator Company to develop a leveling system. Before that time, leveling was done by operators in the cars. Bringing a car floor to within half an inch (about one centimeter) of the building floor was considered a perfect stop. The starting and stopping was manually controlled by shipper ropes that extended through the car and down to the engine, usually located in the basement.