Elisha Otis' son Charles improved on the device that slowed a speeding this, whether or not the rope broke
He worked on this device 
while living in Yonkers, New York in 1852, and had ... His wife later died, leaving 
Otis with two sons, one at that time being age 8... [DOC] [TLE] Elisha Otis | American inventor | Britannica.com [PAR] Oct 3, 2016 ... Elisha Otis, American inventor of the safety elevator, shown in an ... safety device 
to prevent it from falling if the lifting chain or rope broke.