Patent ID: 7624845

Claim:
An apparatus for the adjustment of the inter-car distance in a double-deck elevator comprising, hoisting ropes connected to a car frame, the car frame supporting a plurality of elevator cars along guide rails, at least one separate adjusting rope, and a plurality of diverting pulleys, a first elevator car being suspended in the car frame so that it is supported by the at least one adjusting rope and the diverting pulleys, the adjusting rope is moved by an adjusting mechanism that is located off of the car frame, the adjusting mechanism moves the first elevator car relative to the car frame while another one of the elevator cars is stationary relative to the car frame, the adjusting mechanism being non-driven when the hoisting ropes move the car frame, wherein the adjusting mechanism comprises a rope drum to which a first end of the adjusting rope has been secured, and wherein at least part of the adjusting mechanism is disposed in an elevator machine room, a second end of the adjusting rope being secured to a floor of an elevator shaft.