Set Design and Construction: Elevator Doors

Elevator Doors

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Set Design and Construction
Forum Discription: Post your questions or suggestions about designing or building a set here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5253
Printed Date: 5/03/24 at 10:39am
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Topic: Elevator Doors

Posted By: trinculo54
Subject: Elevator Doors
Date Posted: 1/25/12 at 9:36am

Hello all. I am new to the board but hope to be a long time member. Anyway my wife (Director/Producer) and I (set builder) are doing How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

One of the major components of the set is the elevator(s); still undecided if there will be two or one. Anyway the doors need to open and close and look nice. Anyone have any ideas on the mechanism to use? I was thinking of a track system but I would like the doors to open at the same time without relying on two stage hands and their timing. Let me know what you think

Thanks
James

Replies:

Posted By: bmiller025
Date Posted: 2/03/12 at 1:18am

It can be done with several pulleys and guide ropes connected to each side of the door opening, so the doors will move together. You will need one set of ropes to open the doors, and a second set to close the doors. I am describing this from memory, as I was the lighting designer of the production I was involved with, but the doors worked great, and it greatly enhanced the production.

I am struggling to figure out the best way to describe how it works, but it shouldn't be too difficult for you to figure out. The doors should be on tracks. You likely still will need a stage hand for each set of doors, but it can be done. Let the ropes open and close the doors. It is pretty much impossible to expect stage hands to move the doors at the same speed, and at the same moment.

You can see photos of our production:
http://www.brianmiller.biz/HowtoSucceed.htm

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http://www.brianmiller.biz/BrianDesign.htm

Posted By: David McCall
Date Posted: 2/03/12 at 9:35am

The ropes and pulleys approach would work the same at a traveler (curtain that opens and closes by pulling a rope). Basically it involves 4 pulleys and a loop of rope.

The rope goes up to a pulley at one end of the track and then all of the way to the far end through another pulley. Back to the first end and through another pulley. Then down to the floor and another pulley and back to the top.

So, there are 2 ropes running the length of the track. When you pull on the rope one side will go left to right, and the other side goes the other way. One door gets attached to the rope on one side the other door gets attached to the the rope going the other way. One of those connections happens at the point where the 2 ends of the rope are tied to make the loop. The doors will need some manner of track top and bottom. The real trick will be having the doors slide smoothly enough that they don't bind.

One issue is that the ropes will want to droop unless there is a lot of tension on them. You can use 2 screw eyes near the center to help hold it up in the middle. It would be a good idea to make the doors taller than the opening so that you don't see the ropes.

Reel elevator doors use a mechanism of bars and pivots such that one pull point causes the doors to move in opposite directions. The mechanism isn't real complex but it needs some precision. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with it to describe it. See if Google can help.

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David M

Posted By: trinculo54
Date Posted: 2/10/12 at 9:45am

Thanks for the input. I haven't built it yet so I am still playing with what I need to do. I am thinking that just a simple track system with two people coordinating the effort is the simplest and most foolproof method.
If anyone has any other ideas, let me know.

thanks