The extra weight of a load in the car is offset by friction in the pulleys, or is resisted by some sort of locking mechanism or brake. The car is counterbalanced by adjustable iron weights (similar to the sashes in a double-hung window). A dumbwaiter consists of a car enclosed in a shaft and suspended by ropes or chains from a pulley or pulleys above, so that it may be raised or lowered by means of a hand rope. ![]() Some old dumbwaiters have been boarded up, some turned into closet space, and these may be relatively easy to restore: if the pulley mechanism remains, it may need only new ropes. ![]() With the box and ropes removed, old dumbwaiter shafts often were used for retrofitted plumbing, electrical, or HVAC lines. A dumbwaiter-a little elevator that’s basically a box or a tray run by ropes and pulleys-is useful for bringing groceries to an upstairs kitchen, moving laundry from bedroom to basement, and hauling suitcases down from the attic. ![]() The owners of the 1890 house in Peoria restored the existing manual dumbwaiter, which travels up and down three storeys. (Illustration: Old House Journal Archive) Dumbwaiters were in use as early as the beginning of the 19th century-and probably earlier.
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