Easy To Understand

That’s the bottom of an old elevator shaft. As it true for many small old elevators, the rails that guide the cab are located diagonally across the shaft – in this case on the far right (visible) and near left (not really visible).  If you look at the base of the rail at the far right corner you see a “buffer.” That’s the last safety feature in case of the cab free-falling, and would only come into play if the main safety feature (a brake that grabs the rails) has failed as well as the cables. In case you’re having a hard time seeing it, the buffer is that very large spring in front of the rail. The function of those springs is so clear, even a coyote can understand it and purchase it from the Acme Corporation.