Patent ID: 9248994
Filing Date: 2016-02-02
CPC Classification: B66B

Claim Text:
1. An elevator system having an elevator car that moves along a first vertical track, moves along a second vertical track horizontally offset from the first vertical track, and moves horizontally with a car transfer mechanism between the first vertical track and the second vertical track, the first and second vertical tracks being positioned within a shaft, the elevator system comprising: each of the first and second vertical tracks including a separate car drive system having a flexible supporting means, each of the supporting means extending continuously between opposite ends of an associated one of the vertical tracks and being movable and stoppable along the associated one of the vertical tracks with the elevator car at floor stops; the elevator car having a controllable coupling mechanism for coupling to and decoupling from each of the supporting means, the supporting means supporting and moving the elevator car in the shaft when coupled; each of the first and second vertical tracks including a vertical guide rail for guiding the elevator car, the vertical guide rails each having an interruption section and the interruption sections being horizontally aligned; the car transfer mechanism having a horizontal displacement unit with a vertical guide rail piece, the guide rail piece guiding the elevator car in the horizontal displacement unit and, when the car transfer mechanism is positioned in either of the first and second vertical tracks, spanning the interruption section in the associated vertical guide rail, the horizontal displacement unit when positioned in defined horizontal transit positions of the elevator car having the vertical guide rail piece directly aligned with the vertical guide rails of the vertical tracks; and the elevator car having a brake mechanism for temporarily fixing to the guide rail piece.