Abstract: To prevent elevator rope stretch effects when a horizontally transferable elevator cab (18) is rolled onto and off of an elevator car frame (10), an elevator car/floor lock (31) includes a bolt (47) which extends across the interface between the car frame and the building and engages a strike (39). Jack screw (44) and solenoid (60) embodiments are shown. To take the weight off the lock bolts so that they may be retracted to permit moving the car frame vertically in the hoistway, strain gages (64, 65) or load sensors (62, 63) provided in or adjacent the bolts sense the weight supported thereby, and a pretorque program (FIG. 6) provides armature current to the hoisting motor to raise or lower the car frame sufficiently to reduce the load on the bolts to nil.

Abstract: A first slidable auxiliary pinion (58a) on the bottom of a horizontally moveable elevator cab A (FIGS. 2-6) disposed on a car frame (14) or a landing is moved out from under the cab toward another car frame (13) or landing by means of a motorized pinion (56) until it engages a motorized pinion (57) on the adjacent car frame (13) or landing, which then pulls the auxiliary pinion and the entire cab toward the other car frame or landing until a main rack (45) fixed to the bottom of the cab engages a motorized pinion (34) on the other car frame (13) or landing, which pinion then pulls the entire cab onto the other car frame or landing. The auxiliary racks (58a, 58b) may be mounted on a common auxiliary rack member (58), or may be separate. The auxiliary motorized pinions (55, 56, 57) may be bidirectional, or may be; and auxiliary pinions (32C, 33C, 34C) may be; mounted on the same shaft with main pinions (32b, 33b, 34b).

Abstract: Elevator cabs A-C move upwardly through three or more contiguous overlapping hoistways 38-40 in the upper decks of double deck car frames 41-43, and move downwardly through the hoistways in the lower decks (or vice versa). To switch between decks, the cabs are offloaded from the hoistways into auxiliary elevators 50, 51 at the terminal ends of the shuttle, and are moved to be adjacent to the other deck by the auxiliary elevator and loaded thereon for the trip in the opposite direction. A second embodiment has additional auxiliary elevators 64, 65 and additional cabs D, E so that loading and unloading of passengers do not delay movement of the cabs in the hoistways.

Abstract: A particular elevator (1-9) is commandeered to transfer an emergency cab F to (or near) a floor where an alarm has been sounded. The commandeered car is brought to the floor FF where the emergency cab is parked. The fire cab is exchanged for the normal cab C on the commandeered car, and is then carried to (or near) the alarm floor for responding to the alarm. Passengers in the normal cab may exit through landing doorways (23). Emergency personnel have access to the alarm area through emergency hoistway doors (27). A rack and pinion horizontal motive means for moving the cabs is illustrated (FIG. 12 ).

Abstract: Horizontally moveable elevator cabs A-E are transferrable between the car frames (72) of two elevators HI, LO in adjacent hoistways which extend between at least three levels (GND, MID, SKY) of a building, and between the car frames and landings L, R at said levels. The vertical movement of cars in the hoistways is synchronized, and transfer of elevator cabs between landings and car frames is simultaneous.