An elevator system comprising multiple elevator cabs operating independently in an elevator shaft. Each cab comprises a pair of underslung suspension cables, equally spaced apart from the center of the cab; a lift motor at a top surface of the shaft having an axle with a traction sheave at each end of the axle; each set of suspension cables connected at a first end to a hook at the top surface, engaging a pulley connected to a counterweight, engaging a first traction sheave, engaging a cab pulley, slung under the cab, engaging a second cab pulley and terminating at a second end connected to the top surface. Each set of four cab pulleys of each elevator cab is progressively and symmetrically located closer to the center of each cab, so that suspension cables, counterweights, pulleys, hooks, lift motors, axles, and traction sheaves will not horizontally or vertically conflict with each other.

A transportation system for a building with multiple floors includes a shaft in the building, a traction sheave drive type elevator and a lift. The elevator vertically conveys persons using an elevator car that is movable in the shaft together with at least two counterweights, the elevator car and the counterweights moving in opposite directions. The elevator car and the counterweights are driven by drive engines with traction sheaves. The lift vertically conveys objects and is designed as a self-propelled lift. The lift has a lift platform designed as a vehicle for supplying goods, which vehicle can be brought in and out the shaft and which lies, when located in the shaft, within a vertical projection of the elevator car.

According to the present invention, a single counterweight is used for a plurality of cars of a multi-car elevator installed in a single elevator shaft to provide a counterweight function with the same weight to the cars, or counterweights equal in number to the plurality of cars are used. A counterweight rope of single counterweight, which connects the cars, may be connected to a car rope or a car pulley. All the ropes are disposed on imaginary radial straight lines disposed in different directions based on a center vertical line of the car. The multi-car elevator according to the present invention uses a minimum space. The multi-car elevator may be implemented by minimally changing an elevator in related art.

The invention relates to an elevator arrangement, which comprises one or more elevator units to be moved in an elevator hoistway, said unit(s) including at least an elevator car, and possibly also a counterweight, roping connected to an elevator unit, which roping comprises a plurality of ropes, and a moveable supporting structure in the elevator hoistway for supporting the aforementioned one or more elevator units below it via the aforementioned roping, and a rope pulley or rope pulley stack of the supporting structure in connection with the supporting structure, around which rope pulley or rope pulley stack the aforementioned roping travels, and from which the roping travels down to an elevator unit. The roping travels from the aforementioned rope pulley or rope pulley stack down to an elevator unit, in connection with which is a first rope pulley or rope pulley stack and a second rope pulley or rope pulley stack, which are disposed non-coaxially in relation to each other, their rotation axes being separate from each other in the lateral direction, and in that the first part of the ropes of the roping traveling from the rope pulley or rope pulley stack down to the elevator unit travels to the elevator unit, to the first rope pulley or rope pulley stack that is in connection with the elevator unit, under the pulley or stack, and onwards back up to a rope anchorage arrangement, and the second part to the second rope pulley or rope pulley stack in that is connection with the elevator unit in question, under the pulley or stack, and onwards back up to a rope anchorage arrangement. The invention also relates to corresponding guidance of compensating roping, as well as to a method wherein the service range of the elevator car is increased.

An elevator system comprising multiple elevator cabs operating independently in an elevator shaft. Each cab comprises a pair of underslung suspension cables, equally spaced apart from the center of the cab; a lift motor at a top surface of the shaft having an axle with a traction sheave at each end of the axle; each set of suspension cables connected at a first end to a hook at the top surface, engaging a pulley connected to a counterweight, engaging a first traction sheave, engaging a cab pulley, slung under the cab, engaging a second cab pulley and terminating at a second end connected to the top surface. Each set of four cab pulleys of each elevator cab is progressively and symmetrically located closer to the center of each cab, so that suspension cables, counterweights, pulleys, hooks, lift motors, axles, and traction sheaves will not horizontally or vertically conflict with each other.

An elevator system has a car assembly including a first elevator car, a second elevator car, a counterweight, and a drive machine unit having a traction sheave and a traction device guided over the traction sheave. The traction device is connected to the car assembly and the counterweight on opposite side of the traction sheave. An adjustment mechanism enables the second elevator car to be adjusted in relation to the first elevator car within the car assembly. The adjustment mechanism has an adjustment device, a first adjustment traction device and a second adjustment traction device. The first adjustment traction device and the second adjustment traction device are guided over the adjustment device. The first adjustment traction device and the second adjustment traction device are connected to the second elevator car on one side of the adjustment device and to the counterweight on the other side.

An elevator arrangement includes a plurality of elevators in a building, which plurality includes a plurality of zoned elevators moving in an elevator hoistway, which have different ranges of movement of the elevator car in the building to each other, and which zoned elevators each have a top limit and a bottom limit of the range of movement of the elevator car, to above the top limit and to below the bottom limit of which range of movement travel of the elevator car of the zoned elevator in question is prevented. The vertical location, in relation to the building, of the top limit and/or bottom limit of the range of movement of the elevator car of each aforementioned zoned elevator can be changed. The arrangement also comprises a lobby elevator, the range of movement of the elevator car of which differs from the ranges of movement of the elevator cars of the aforementioned zoned elevators, and the stopping floors of the lobby elevator comprise a plurality of lobby floors, each of which is a stopping floor of one or more zoned elevators belonging to the aforementioned zoned elevator plurality. A method is provided for re-adjusting the elevator arrangement, wherein the range of movement of the elevator car of the zoned elevator in question is changed to reach to a different height in the elevator hoistway by changing the vertical location in relation to the building of the top limit and/or the bottom limit of the range of movement of the elevator car of the zoned elevator in question.

A transportation system for a building with multiple floors includes a shaft, a traction sheave drive type elevator and a lift. The elevator that vertically conveys persons has an elevator car which is movable in the shaft and at least two counterweights which are movable together with the car in the shaft in a direction of movement opposite to the direction of movement of the elevator car. The elevator car and the counterweights are driven by drive engines with traction sheaves. The lift that vertically conveys objects may be a self-propelled lift. A lift platform of the lift overlaps at least partly a vertical projection of the elevator car, whereby preferably the vertical projection of the lift platform is smaller than the vertical projection of the elevator car.

An elevator system includes an elevator car movable in an elevator shaft, a suspension means extending in the elevator shaft, a drive machine associated with the suspension means and a controllable coupling apparatus arranged on the elevator car. The suspension means has a coupling element that the coupling apparatus can be coupled to by assuming a coupled position and from which the coupling apparatus can be uncoupled by assuming an uncoupled position, as a result of which a drive connection between the elevator car and the suspension means can be established and released. The elevator system has a securing device that can assume a securing position and a release position and that, in the securing position, secures the coupling apparatus in the coupled position against leaving the coupled position.