Abstract: The brake catching device precludes the occurrence of excess speeds of an elevator car or counterweight in downward travel direction. At the front side of a housing there is provided a recess extending throughout the entire housing height, and at one end of such recess there is arranged a brake plate adjacent which there extends a free leg of a guide rail. A trapezoidal or tapered bracket member is inserted into the recess at the part thereof neighboring the free leg of the guide rail. This bracket member has a substantially rectangular-shaped extension protruding out of the housing. The bracket member is provided at the side confronting the guide rail with an upwardly inclined cam having a substantially U-shaped cross-section. Both front surfaces of the cam server as rolling tracks for roller shafts arranged at a cylindrical catching roller.