Drive system for wire rope hoists

A traction drive system for wire rope hoists comprising a hoist cage arranged to traverse a substantially vertical path, a traction sheave positioned at one end of said path, an idler sheave positioned at the other end of said path, two drums mounted for rotation upon said hoist cage, a loop of rope for supporting the cage and having one end wrapped around and attached to a first one of said drums, said loop of rope extending from said first drum around said traction sheave and said idler sheave and having the other end wrapped around and attached to the other one of said drums, said drums being mutually coupled for rotation at different peripheral speeds for taking up and paying out the ropes thereto at different speeds, the mutual coupling and the direction of the wrapping of the wrapped portions of the ends of said rope loop upon said drums being arranged to provide for one end of the rope loop to be taken up on one drum while the other end of the rope loop is paid out from the other drum in response to mutually coupled drum rotation with the rope speed being greater from the drum from which the rope loop extends downwardly.