An elevator or lift is a cable-assisted , hydraulic cylinder -assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or decks of a building , vessel , or other structure . They are typically powered by electric motors that drive traction cables and counterweight systems such as a hoist , although some pump hydraulic fluid to raise a cylindrical piston like a jack . In agriculture and manufacturing, an elevator is any type of conveyor device used to lift materials in a continuous stream into bins or silos . Several types exist, such as the chain and bucket elevator , grain auger screw conveyor using the principle of Archimedes' screw , or the chain and paddles or forks of hay elevators . Languages other than English, such as Japanese, may refer to elevators by loanwor...