Editing Eiffel Tower (section)

===Lifts===
The arrangement of the lifts has been changed several times during the tower's history. Given the elasticity of the cables and the time taken to align the cars with the landings, each lift, in normal service, takes an average of 8 minutes and 50 seconds to do the round trip, spending an average of 1 minute and 15 seconds at each level. The average journey time between levels is 1 minute. The original hydraulic mechanism is on public display in a small museum at the base of the east and west legs. Because the mechanism requires frequent lubrication and maintenance, public access is often restricted. The rope mechanism of the north tower can be seen as visitors exit the lift.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}

[[File:Tour Eiffel Ascenseur Roux, Combaluzier et Lepape.jpg|thumb|The Roux, Combaluzier & Lepape lifts during construction]]

Equipping the tower with adequate and safe passenger lifts was a major concern of the government commission overseeing the Exposition. Although some visitors could be expected to climb to the first level, or even the second, lifts had to be the main means of ascent.<ref name=vogel_20>Vogel, pp. 20–21.</ref>

Constructing lifts to reach the first level was done by making the legs wide enough at the bottom and so nearly straight that they could contain a straight track. A contract was given to the French company Roux, Combaluzier & Lepape for two lifts to be fitted in the east and west legs.<ref name=vogel_28>Vogel, p. 28.</ref> Roux, Combaluzier & Lepape used a pair of endless chains with rigid, articulated links to which the car was attached. Lead weights on some links of the upper or return sections of the chains counterbalanced most of the car's weight. The car was pushed up from below, not pulled up from above: to prevent the chain buckling, it was enclosed in a conduit. At the bottom of the run, the chains passed around {{convert|3.9|m|ftin|abbr=on}} diameter [[sprocket]]s. Smaller sprockets at the top guided the chains.<ref name=vogel_28/>

[[File:Eiffel-Otis lift-poyet.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The Otis lifts originally fitted in the north and south legs.]]

Installing lifts to the second level was more of a challenge because a straight track was impossible. No French company wanted to undertake the work. The European branch of [[Otis Elevator Company|Otis Brothers & Company]] submitted a proposal, but this was rejected: the fair's charter ruled out the use of any foreign material in the construction of the tower. The deadline for bids was extended, but still no French companies put themselves forward, and eventually the contract was given to Otis in July 1887.<ref name="vogel_23-4">Vogel, pp. 23–24.</ref> Otis were confident they would eventually be given the contract and had already started creating designs.<ref>Harriss 1976, p. 93</ref>

The car was divided into two superimposed compartments, each holding 25 passengers, with the lift operator occupying an exterior platform on the first level. [[Power (physics)|Motive power]] was provided by an inclined hydraulic ram {{convert|12.67|m|ftin|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|96.5|cm|in|abbr=on}} in diameter in the tower leg with a stroke of {{convert|10.83|m|ftin|abbr=on}}: this moved a carriage carrying six sheaves. Five fixed sheaves were mounted higher up the leg, producing an arrangement similar to a [[block and tackle]] but acting in reverse, multiplying the stroke of the piston rather than the force generated. The hydraulic pressure in the driving cylinder was produced by a large open reservoir on the second level. After being exhausted from the cylinder, the water was pumped back up to the reservoir by two pumps in the machinery room at the base of the south leg. This reservoir also provided power to the lifts to the first level.<ref>Harriss 1975, p. 93</ref>

The original lifts for the journey between the second and third levels were supplied by Léon Edoux. A pair of {{convert|81|m|ft|abbr=on}} hydraulic rams were mounted on the second level, reaching nearly halfway up to the third level. One lift car was mounted on top of these rams: cables ran from the top of this car up to sheaves on the third level and back down to a second car. Each car travelled only half the distance between the second and third levels and passengers were required to change lifts halfway by means of a short gangway. The 10-ton cars each held 65 passengers.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k106381w/f187.image|title=La Tour de Trois Cents Mètres|author=Eiffel, Gustave|year=1900|publisher=Société des imprimeries Lemercier|location=Paris|language=fr|pages=171–3}}</ref>