Patent ID: 8033773

Claim:
A method of operating a parking facility for motor vehicles, the parking facility comprising fixed parking places arranged above each other, each parking place having a first guide for a pallet, the pallet being displaceable along the first guide, and a lift disposed alongside the fixed parking places which carries a second guide for the pallet, the pallet being displaceable in the second guide, the method comprising: pivoting the second guide of the lift down towards the first guide of a fixed parking space to be approached relative to the lift about an axis of inclination, non-connectedly setting an end of the second guide of the lift facing the fixed parking place down on a supporting surface connected to the fixed parking place, further pivoting the second guide of the lift after the end is set down onto the supporting surface about a horizontal parking-place-side pivotal axis, the pivotal axis extending transversely to a displacement direction of the pallet and being defined by a support point of the end of the second guide of the lift on the supporting surface, until the guide of the lift is in a horizontal position, stopping the lift alongside the fixed parking place such that the second guide of the lift is aligned with the first guide of the fixed parking place, and displacing the pallet between the first guide of the fixed parking place and the second guide of the lift once the first and second guides are in alignment and the second guide is in the horizontal position, wherein the axis of inclination extends parallel to the pivotal axis; and the second guide extends along at least a portion of the pallet when the lift alone holds the pallet.