A lifting apparatus (1) for raising and lowering loads or heavy loads, the lifting apparatus (1) comprising:
- two frame assemblies (2, 3), a lower frame assembly (2) and an upper frame assembly (3), which are positioned one above the other with respect to a vertical direction (Z), and are able to be oriented so as to be in parallel with one another;
- lifting and pulling means (H1-H4) each of which extends in a respective lifting and pulling means plane unique to each of the lifting and pulling means (H1-H4), wherein the lifting and pulling means planes are oriented so as to be side-by-side and mutually parallel to each other;
- a tensioning device;
- oblique pulling means (S1-S4) each of which extends in a respective oblique pulling means plane unique to each of the oblique pulling means (S1-S4), wherein the oblique pulling means planes are positioned side-by-side and mutually parallel to each other and are oriented so as to be at right angles to the lifting and pulling means planes, and wherein the oblique pulling means (S1-S4) extend between the two frame assemblies (2, 3) and are able to be wound and unwound by means of the tensioning device;
- a raising and lowering device;
- wherein the lower frame assembly (2) is arranged suspended on the upper frame assembly (3) by a respective one of the lifting and pulling means (H1-H4), such that the lower frame assembly (2) are able to be raised on the upper frame assembly (3) by winding the respective one of the lifting and pulling means (H1-H4) using the raising and lowering device, and the lower frame assembly (2) are able to be lowered with respect to the upper frame assembly (3) by unwinding the respective one of the lifting and pulling means (H1-H4);
- wherein each of the lifting and pulling means (H1-H4) is deflected at least once in the extension thereof in order to stabilize the lower frame assembly (2), which is movable, with respect to the upper frame assembly (3), in at least one first lateral direction (R1) which is transverse to the vertical direction (Z), such that a diagonal portion (H1d-H4d) of each of the lifting and pulling means (H1-H4), which extends in a first diagonal direction so as to be inclined relative to the vertical direction (Z) as a result, intersects with such a diagonal portion (H1d-H4d) of another one of the lifting and pulling means (H1-H4), which diagonal portion is directly adjacent and extends in a manner inclined in a second diagonal direction opposite from the first diagonal direction;
- wherein a course of each of the lifting and pulling means (H1-H4), extending in the respective lifting and pulling means plane, also extends between the two frame assemblies (2, 3),
- wherein, for each of the lifting and pulling means (H1-H4), two directly adjacent of the oblique pulling means (S1-S4) intersect with one another such that the lower frame assembly (2), which is movable relative to the upper frame assembly (3) in a second lateral direction (R2) at right angles to the first lateral direction (R1) and transversely to the vertical direction (Z), is stabilized relative to the upper frame assembly (3) and with respect to the second lateral direction (R2).