PURPOSE: To reduce frictional resistance between guide rails and guide shoes by causing the fastened ends of a balance rope fastened to a car and a counterweight to move as the car rises and falls.

CONSTITUTION: A main rope 10 is fastened at one end to a crosshead channel 4 and is wound on a drive sheave 11 and a deflecting sheave 12 which are disposed at the top of a shaft. The other end of the main rope 10 is fastened to a counterweight 13 for balancing a car 1. A balance rope 27 for balancing the main rope 10 is fastened at one end to the underside of a movable element 23 via a hitch member 26. The balance rope 27 is wound on a tensioning sheave 31 disposed in a pit 30, and is fastened to the underside of the counterweight 13. When the car 1 is on the uppermost floor, the car-side fastened end of the balance rope is moved toward the center of the car 1, and when the car 1 approaches the lowermost story, the hitch member 26 is moved toward the counterweight 13 to reduce the forces applied to guide shoes 7, 8.