An elevator system, suitable both for normal operating situations and for emergency situations, includes an elevator car that can be displaced directly or indirectly within an elevator shaft, a guide means that is connected to the elevator car, a derailment protection device that is connected to the elevator car, and a guide rail that has a first subregion which works together with the guide means and is used to guide the elevator car along the guide rail, and that has a second subregion which works together with the derailment protection device. A clearance between the derailment protection device and the second subregion of the guide rail is large enough that the derailment protection device and the second subregion of the guide rail remain spaced apart from each other during the normal operating situations.

A running system for an elevator. The running system comprises a car (21), running rails (1), and a driving mechanism, the car (21) is moved on the running mils by means of the driving mechanism, and the running system does not comprises a traction part. Further disclosed is a multi-car elevator running system: the running system is provided with a plurality of cats (21) and at least two set of running rails (1), and each set of running rails (1) can be used for the movement of line cars (21); the running system is further provided with at least one switching mechanism and driving mechanism, the car (21) is moved on the running rails (1) by means of the driving mechanism, different running rails (1) are connected by means of the switching mechanism, and the car (21) is switched to the different running rails (1) by means of the switching mechanism. By means of the configurations, the safety of the elevator during running can be enhanced, the high-speed running of the cars can be implemented, and the speed requirement of a high-rise elevator cart be satisfied.

A rack for a stairway guide suitable for providing good grip in curves comprises a bendable strip body, said bendable strip body comprising a first main side and a second main side, the first main side being provided with a series of equidistant engagement elements, each element being chosen from i) a hole, and ii) a protrusion. Both longitudinal sides are provided with a series of indentations. Being bendable, a stairway guide can be manufactured easily by bending the rack in the desired shape defined by the stairway guide.

A method for forming and smoothing a hollow-profile guide rail of an elevator system uses a smoothing apparatus to smooth mutually opposing surfaces on a hollow-profile guide rail. The smoothing apparatus includes a guide device, a removal device and a pressing device. The guide device has rollers for moving in a low-friction manner in a longitudinal direction along a first of the opposing surfaces and to thus guide the smoothing apparatus along the first surface. The pressing device has spring elements to press the removal device away from the guide device and toward a second of the opposing surfaces. The removal device has a rasp element to remove material from the second surface during a movement in the longitudinal direction along the second surface.

A conveying-path rotary switching unit that is a conveying path switching device includes a base, stators arranged along conveying paths for branching for a conveying carriage, a first conveying path provided on the base, and a second conveying path that is provided on the base and is different from the first conveying path. As for a conveying path on which the conveying carriage travels, the first conveying path and the second conveying path are switchable by rotation. The stators are used for both the first conveying path and the second conveying path in a shared manner.

An elevator rail guides moving bodies of an elevator system. The moving bodies serve in particular as a car for the transport of people or goods or as a counterweight. The elevator rail has more than one guide contour including a guide contour 6 that interacts with a guide shoe such that in a first horizontal direction, a relative horizontal movement between the guide contour and the guide shoe is delimited at least on one side, and such that in a second horizontal direction, perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, a relative horizontal movement between guide contour and the guide shoe is delimited on both sides. The elevator rail has a hollow cross section bordered in a closed manner. The elevator rail has at least three of the guide contours that are formed on the outer surface of the elevator rail.

A counterweight for an elevator system has an asymmetrical cross section in a horizontal sectional plane. The asymmetrical cross section results in an improved connection of the counterweight to a guide rail, a reduction in a number of components, in particular guide rails, for the elevator system, and a reduction in an installation space for the elevator system thereby simplifying installation of the elevator system.

A safety brake for a traveling body in an elevator system brakes against a brake rail oriented in a traveling direction. The safety brake includes a housing with a catch element and a brake pad attached to the housing opposite one another. The catch element is mounted on the housing such that an application movement of the catch element relative to the housing is possible, and the application movement reduces an opening width between the brake pad and the catch element. At least the catch element or the brake pad has a notch for fitting around a protrusion of a brake rail during braking. The opening width corresponds to at least twice the depth of the notch.

A foldable elevator structure having a plurality of members is shown having each current member sequentially attached between a preceding member and a succeeding member. This connection schema continues until the last member is attached to the first member and a completed enclosed structure is formed such that all members have been attached. In this fashion, the foldable structure is foldable between each set of two adjacent members.

An elevator system includes a hoistway, a rail extending along the hoistway and an elevator car located in and movable along the hoistway. A drive assembly is operably connected to the elevator car and includes two or more wheels engaged to opposing surfaces of the rail. The drive assembly is configured to apply an engagement force to the rail to both support the elevator car at the rail and drive the elevator car along the rail.