blue group · The short answer
PARTS OF AN ELEVATOR
Each puzzle word passes the same exact test. The four mappings show how the answer works.
BUTTONS let passengers call an elevator and select a floor, making them the visible control interface for the system.
CABLES support and move the car in common traction elevator systems by running between the car, drive equipment and counterweight.
MOTOR powers the machinery that moves an elevator car, either through traction equipment or a hydraulic pumping system.
SHAFT is the enclosed vertical space through which the elevator car and associated equipment travel between floors.
Why this group was difficult
- Some entries are not visible to passengers
BUTTONS are obvious during a ride, while CABLES and MOTOR are normally concealed and SHAFT names the surrounding passage. - The mechanical terms fit many machines
CABLES, MOTOR and SHAFT can occur in numerous systems, so they require BUTTONS and the vertical-travel sense of SHAFT to become specific. - SHAFT is strongly polysemous
SHAFT may mean a rod, handle, beam of light, mine passage or architectural opening, creating several plausible directions.
How to spot this pattern next time
Begin with BUTTONS and SHAFT because their floor-selection and vertical-passage senses can point to the same system, then verify its hidden machinery.
Do not submit CABLES, MOTOR and SHAFT merely as machine parts. Find a fourth word that identifies one exact machine and confirms the intended senses.
Four useful facts behind the group
- Elevator call buttons request a car, while car buttons select destination floors.
- Traction elevators commonly use steel suspension members connected with a car and counterweight.
- An elevator motor supplies motion to the drive machinery that moves the car.
- An elevator shaft is also commonly called a hoistway in construction and engineering contexts.
Questions players ask
The details people search after seeing the group
What connects BUTTONS, CABLES, MOTOR and SHAFT in Connections?
They are PARTS OF AN ELEVATOR, covering its controls, suspension equipment, drive source and vertical travel space.
How are CABLES used in an elevator?
In a traction system, suspension cables or ropes help support and move the car in coordination with the drive sheave and counterweight.
Why does SHAFT count as an elevator part?
The shaft is the vertical enclosed passage that accommodates the moving car, guide equipment and other parts of the installation.
What is the best anchor for the elevator group?
BUTTONS and SHAFT are the strongest pair because floor controls and a vertical passage together narrow the machine more effectively than MOTOR alone.