# US 11,027,944 B2 · Climbing elevator transfer system and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,944 B2 - Document ID: US11027944B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/840,578 - Filed: 2017-12-13 - Published: 2019-03-14 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-08 - Assignees: Otis Elevator Company - Applicants: Otis Elevator Company - Inventors: Kiron Bhaskar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027944B2 ## CPC - B66B 9/003: {for lateral transfer of car or frame, e.g. between vertical hoistways or to/from a parking position} - B66B 11/0407: {actuated by an electrical linear motor (in the counterweight B66B17/12)} - B66B: ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS ({apparatus for raising or lowering persons on theatrical stages or the like A63J5/12} ; funicular railbound systems with rigid ground-supported tracks and cable traction, e.g. cliff railways, B61B9/00; arrangements of ammunition handlers in vessels B63G3/00; hoists, lifts, or conveyors for loading or unloading in general B65G; braking or detent devices controlling normal movements of winding drums or barrels B66D; ship-lifting devices E02C; garages for many vehicles with mechanical means for lifting vehicles E04H6/12; hoists for feeding ammunition or projectiles to launching apparatus or to loading mechanisms F41A9/00) ## Abstract An elevator system comprising: a plurality of hoistways, each having at least one rail; at least one car moveable along and between the plurality of hoistways and having: a drive assembly operably connected to the car and including two or more wheels engageable to opposing surfaces of the rail of a hoistway along which the car may move, the drive assembly configured to apply an engagement force to the rail to both support the car at the rail and drive the car along the rail; and at least one shuttle moveable transverse to the plurality of hoistways for transferring the car between the hoistways. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An elevator system comprising: a plurality of hoistways, each having at least one rail; at least one car moveable along and between the plurality of hoistways and each car of the at least one car having: a drive assembly including: two or more wheels engageable to opposing surfaces of the rail of a hoistway of the plurality of hoistways along which the car may move, the drive assembly configured to apply an engagement force to the rail to both support the car at the rail and drive the car along the rail; and for at least a first wheel and a second wheel of said two or more wheels, a wheel hub motor, each said wheel hub motor comprising: a rotor connected to a rim of the respective first wheel and second wheel; and a stator nonrotatably connected to a shaft; and at least one shuttle moveable transverse to the plurality of hoistways for transferring the at least one car between the hoistways, wherein: said at least one shuttle comprises at least one rail positionable in registry with the rail of one of the hoistways to receive a car from or transfer a car to that hoistway and to suspend said car for movement between that hoistway and another of the hoistways. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein: each said wheel comprises a tire mounted to the respective rim rotate with the rotor of the wheel hub motor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein: each hoistway has a first said rail and a second said rail; each said car has at least: a first pair of wheels oppositely engaged to the first rail and comprising said first wheel and a third wheel; and a second pair of wheels oppositely engaged to the second rail and comprising said second wheel and a fourth wheel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 further comprising: at least one device for compressing the first pair of wheels to the first rail and the second pair of wheels to the second rail. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising: a transfer rail, at least one of the at least one shuttle being configured to suspend a car from the transfer rail for movement between the hoistways. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5 wherein the shuttle comprises a wheel hub motor to drive the shuttle along the transfer rail, the shuttle wheel hub motor comprising: a rotor connected to a rim of a wheel of the shuttle, and a stator nonrotatably connected to a shaft. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The elevator system of claim 5, wherein:. the transfer rail is a pair of transfer rails; the shuttle has respective wheels engaging the rails of the pair of transfer rails; the at least one rail of the shuttle is a pair of shuttle rails depending below the transfer rails. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising: a track, at least one of the at least one shuttle being supported atop the track. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein: the at least one shuttle comprises: a first shuttle at a first level; and a second shuttle at a second level different from the first level. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein: for each hoistway, the at least one rail comprises a first rail and a second rail. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein: the car has doors only on one side. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method for using the system of claim 1, the method comprising: driving the car along a first of the hoistways; acquiring the car by the shuttle; moving the shuttle transverse to the hoistways to align the car with a second of the hoistways; and driving the car along the second hoistway. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the second hoistway comprises a dedicated car maintenance location and the driving along the second hoistway comprises driving to the dedicated maintenance location. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein: the acquiring comprises driving the car so that its wheels disengage the opposing surfaces of the rail of the first hoistway and engage opposing surfaces of a rail of the shuttle. ### Claim 15 An elevator system comprising: a plurality of hoistways, each having at least one rail; at least one car moveable along and between the plurality of hoistways and having: a drive assembly: operably connected to the car; including two or more wheels engageable to opposing surfaces of the rail of a hoistway along which the car may move; configured to apply an engagement force to the rail to both support the car at the rail and drive the car along the rail; and comprising for at least a first wheel and a second wheel of said two or more wheels, a wheel hub motor within a rim of the respective first wheel and second wheel; and at least one shuttle moveable transverse to the plurality of hoistways for transferring the car between the hoistways, wherein: each hoistway of the plurality of hoistways has an electrical contact rail; and the at least one car has at least one electrical contact shoe for engaging the electrical contact rail for powering the car. ### Claim 16 An elevator system comprising: a first hoistway; a second hoistway; a guide rail including: a first guide rail portion extending along the first hoistway; a second guide rail portion extending along the second hoistway; and a transfer rail spanning the first hoistway and the second hoistway and supporting a transfer, carriage wherein; the transfer carriage has one or more wheels engaging the transfer rail; the transfer carriage has a transfer carriage rail depending below the transfer rail; the transfer carriage includes a direct drive prime mover to move the transfer carriage along the transfer rail; and the direct drive prime mover is a wheel hub motor having a rotor surrounding a stator, an elevator car movable along the first guide rail and second guide rail and the transfer carriage rail; and a drive assembly operably connected to the elevator car and including two or more wheels engaged to opposing surfaces of an engaged rail of the first guide rail, the second guide rail, and the transfer carriage rail, the drive assembly configured to apply an engagement force to the engaged rail to both support the elevator car at the engaged rail and drive the elevator car along the engaged rail; wherein the elevator car and the drive assembly are configured to allow for travel of the elevator car in a vertical position along the first guide rail portion, and to transfer from the first hoistway to the second hoistway via the transfer carriage. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The elevator system of claim 16, wherein the two or more wheels engage the rail via an engagement force applied by one or more of a spring element, or a mechanical, electrical or hydraulic actuator. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The elevator system of claim 16, wherein the rail includes a rail web connected to rail flanges, the wheels disposed on opposing sides of the rail web.