Patent ID: 8800724

Claim:
A free-standing hoistway for an elevator in a building, the building having a building height and a plurality of building floors, the elevator having an elevator car adapted to articulate vertically between said building floors, the hoistway comprising: a plurality of cages configured to be stacked one upon another to extend the hoistway substantially the height of the building, each of said plurality of cages surrounding and defining a vertical segment of a hoistway interior of the hoistway in which said elevator car articulates, each of said plurality of cages cage having: at least two cage walls coupled to one another around a perimeter of said hoistway interior, each of said cage walls having: a cage height substantially coextensive with said vertical segment; two support struts disposed vertically and parallel one another a spaced distance apart, each support strut having a C-channel geometric shape, each support strut having: a support strut interior surface adjacent to said hoistway interior; and a support strut exterior surface disposed substantially parallel to and a spaced distance from said strut interior surface, said strut exterior surface and said strut interior surface thereby enclosing and defining at least one elongate strut cavity extending substantially coextensive with said cage height; a plurality of horizontal cross members disposed upon and adjustably coupled to said support strut interior surfaces at selected vertical distances along the hoistway interior and between said two support strut struts; at least one diagonal brace disposed on said support strut interior surface between said cross members and extending between said two support struts; vertically adjustable coupling means disposed within the strut cavity, the adjustable coupling means being configured to secure said cross members and said at least one diagonal brace to said support struts in a fixed position within the strut cavity, the vertically adjustable coupling means, having: a toggle plate positioned within a cavity of the C-channel of the strut; wherein the cross members are removably fastened to the toggle plate via a fastener; and adjoining means for adjoining each of said cage walls to two adjacent cage walls; at least one sill support beam extension for each one of said plurality of building floors, said at least one sill support beam extension coupled to said support struts and extending between said hoistway and said one of said plurality of building floors; wherein the vertically adjustable coupling means is configured to vertically adjust the vertical position of said cross members and said at least one diagonal brace within the strut cavity.