An elevator may include a brake apparatus such as a safety apparatus or a service brake, for example. The brake apparatus may be designed to generate a stepped braking force for braking an elevator car of the elevator. A plurality of brake cylinder assemblies may be configured so as to supply different braking forces. The brake cylinder assemblies may in some cases include a piston, a spring, and a brake pad. Moreover, a valve assembly may be utilized by one or more of the brake cylinder assemblies. Additional features of the brake apparatus may involve a compressor, a pressure accumulator, a pressure regulating valve.

Provided is a tower lift including a rail module extending in a vertical direction, a carriage module provided to be movable along the rail module by magnetic levitation, and a brake device integrated with the carriage module and configured to move along the rail module, wherein the brake device includes a base body structure having a relative position fixed with respect to the carriage module, and providing an inclined surface, and a brake structure moving along the inclined surface of the base body structure to stop a drop of the carriage module by selectively coming in contact with the rail module, the rail module is between the base body structure and the brake body so that the brake structure is in contact with both side walls of the rail module, and the brake structure stops the drop of the carriage module when power for driving the tower lift is cut off.

The invention relates to a mechanical brake operator system suitable for linear motor elevators providing low-cost and reliable braking without the need of power transmission for rope-less linear motor elevators. The mechanical brake operator system is also used by single-car or multi-car linear motor elevators operating on linear, curved, or branching trajectories.

A drive machine for an elevator includes a motor module including at least a motor, a drive shaft, and a first transmission wheel, which are provided with a common rotational axis and connected coaxially to each other. The drive machine further includes a traction module including at least a traction wheel engageable with elevator hoisting ropes, and a second transmission wheel, which are provided with a common rotational axis and connected coaxially to each other. The motor module and the traction module are positioned side by side with their rotational axes parallel, such that the traction wheel and the drive shaft are side by side, and the first and second transmission wheels are side by side. The drive machine further includes an endless drive member passing around the first and second transmission wheels. An elevator comprising said drive machine is also disclosed.

Disclosed is a stationary mechanical brake system providing safe and reliable braking for linear motor elevators. The stationary mechanical brake system is also used by single-car or multi-car linear motor elevators operating on linear, curved, or branching trajectories.

A drive unit may be employed by an elevator system with vertical guide rails in two shafts, a horizontal guide rail that connects the vertical guide rails in the two shafts, independently movable elevator cars guided via guide rollers, and a rotatable rail segment configured to be transferred by the drive unit from a vertical alignment into a horizontal alignment so that the elevator cars may be transferred between shafts. The drive unit may include a first interface for at least indirectly fastening the rotatable rail segment to the drive unit, and a second interface for at least indirectly fastening the drive unit to a shaft wall in the first or second elevator shafts.

Elevator inspection systems having an elevator car moveable within an elevator shaft, a camera mounted to the elevator car and operable to inspect components of an elevator system, at least one hidden-component located within the elevator shaft, wherein the at least one hidden-component is a component of the elevator system that is located such that the camera cannot achieve direct, line-of-sight inspection of the hidden-component, and at least one mirror fixedly mounted to the elevator shaft and positioned such that when the camera views the at least one mirror, the camera can capture a reflected image of the at least one hidden-component.

An elevator system includes an elevator car, at least one elevator drive arranged in an elevator shaft and a support strap, wherein the elevator car is arranged in the elevator shaft for movement via the support strap by the elevator drive. A brake system includes a car braking unit associated with the elevator car and a drive braking unit associated with the elevator drive. The car braking unit and the drive braking unit can together be controlled from a common brake control device. The brake system can be used for new elevator system installations and for retrofitting existing elevator systems.

An adjustable brake controller of an elevator brake including a DC bus, first terminals for connecting the brake controller to a first magnetizing coil, second terminals for connecting the brake controller to a second magnetizing coil, a first controllable power switch coupled between the first terminals and the DC bus, the first controllable power switch being configured to supply electric power from the DC bus to the first magnetic coil responsive to a first control signal, a second controllable power switch coupled between the second terminals and the DC bus, the second controllable power switch being configured to supply electric power from the DC bus to the second magnetizing coil responsive to a second control signal, and a controller configured to generate the first and the second control signals for controlling the first and second power switches, respectively, with a brake open mode and a brake holding mode.

An elevator with a brake device for braking a car and/or keeping it stationary on at least one braking rail. The brake device has at least two brake shoes situated opposite from each other, and at least one brake clamp with two clamp arms for opening and closing clamp jaws acting on the brake shoes. In certain embodiments, only one of the clamp arms is connected to the car in pivoting fashion via a bearing with a pivot axle that is affixed to the car, oriented parallel to the direction of travel. In certain embodiments, the brake clamp is supported on the car in such a way that the clamp jaws, by pivoting together in the same direction, are able to follow a movement that is forced on a brake shoe due to local position deviations of the associated braking rail.