Elevator system

Claim 1

Elevator apparatus that is arranged to move within a vertical hoistway between duty stations that includes a car movably contained within the hoistway, a lifting frame secured about the outside of the car that includes opposed stiles which pass vertically along the sidewalls of the car, said frame being positioned within a vertical plane that passes through the center of gravity of the car whereby the car is balanced within said frame, one of said opposed stiles receiving electrical conductors for operating various car related circuits, a pair of hollow guide rails vertically disposed in said hoistway in front of said stiles, said rails being aligned with said stiles along the sidewalls of the car so that the rails and stiles are situated one behind the other within the hoistway whereby the amount of usable space within the hoistway is maximized, guide means acting between the body of the car and the rails for guiding the car along a vertical path of travel as it moves within the hoistway, electrical means passing through at least one of said hollow guide rails for bringing electrical conductors to terminal means located at the duty station, drive means connected to the frame for raising and lowering the car within said hoistway, a counterweight slidably contained within the other of said hollow guide rails, and a single pulley means carrying a rope for suspending the counterweight from the top of said frame to offset the weight of the car, and a horizontal bracket secured between the upper ends of the rails, and means for suspending said single pulley means centrally in said bracket.