Roped Hydraulic LULA – How Does It Work?

The LULA elevator is a specialty lift adding accessibility to public buildings with 2 to 3 levels. LULA stands for Limited Use Limited Application. The most common drive for the LULA is “roped hydraulic”. The roped hydraulic system allows the LULA to work with a very shallow pit.

The hydraulic jack resides in the hoistway between the rails. A pulley is attached to the top of the jack. Two hoisting cables tie things together. One end is attached to the cab. The other end is tied to a fixed point at the base of the rails. The controller and hydraulic pump reside in a nearby machine room. This elevator needs a shallow pit.

The roped hydraulic system uses the pulley to give it a 2:1 movement ratio. For every 1 foot that the jack moves, the cab moves 2 feet. This is how the unit can operate without digging a deep hole for the hydraulic jack.