Patent ID: 7874404

Claim:
An elevator system comprising: a hoistway defined by a surrounding structure; an elevator car and counterweight located in the hoistway; a machine, having a drive motor and a drive sheave, located between the elevator car and a sidewall of the hoistway, the drive motor drivingly coupling and suspending the elevator car and counterweight via the drive sheave and at least one flat rope, wherein the flat rope is made from a reinforceable traction material and the drive sheave, which has an axis of rotation parallel to the sidewall, is positioned from the drive motor along the sidewall and the axis of rotation; first and second support columns located on opposite sides of the hoistway relative to each other, each of the support columns extending vertically from a bottom portion to a top portion of the hoistway between the elevator car and said sidewall of the hoistway, each of the support columns having a dimension in a direction from the sidewall toward the elevator car and perpendicular to the axis of rotation, the drive sheave having an outside dimension in the direction that is less than or equal to the support column dimension in the direction.