The invention relates to a braking or holding device for a lift cage which is guided in a shaft along vertical guiding rails (2). A roller (9) provided with a friction surface (12) on the envelope surface thereof is movably held, as a braking element, in a pressure body (19) of the braking device, held on the lift cage. The axis of the roller (9) extends normally to the longitudinal direction of the guiding rails (2). The roller is movably guided, by staggered shoulders (11), in a gap (20) of the pressure body, which extends parallel to the associated guiding rail (2), said gap (20) comprising a groove (21) for receiving the friction surface (12) of the roller (9). The distance between the groove (21) and the guiding rail (2) narrows towards one end of the groove, such that the friction surface (12) of the roller (9) lies on the guiding rail (2) in this position and in the groove (21) in position (41). Furthermore, in this position, the shoulders of the roll (9) lie on the gap (20) near the groove (21), in position (41), such that further displacement of the roller (9) is prevented. The gap (20) and the groove (21) extend from a recess (31) defining the inactive idle position, towards both sides, and the roller (9) is connected to an
actuator which defines the inactive idle position of the roller and can be remote-controlled by a lift
control system, said
actuator being embodied in such a way that it subjects the roller to actuating forces oriented substantially perpendicularly to the guiding rail, and thus holds the roller (9) in the recess defining the inactive idle position thereof, as long as the braking or holding device remains passive, and as soon as the braking or holding device is active, the
actuator is, in turn, controlled by the lift
control system, moving the roller out of the idle position towards the guiding rail and bringing it into contact with same. The groove (21) and the gap (20) are formed, over the regions in which they exert a gripping or friction action on the shoulders (11) or the gripping surface (12) of the roller (9), in the activated state of the braking or holding device, in such a way that the roller (9), following the reversal of the direction of displacement of the lift cage, moves autonomously back into a position wherein it can be brought back into the inactive idle position thereof by the return forces of the actuator controlled by the lift
control system, and the actuator is embodied in such a way that it brings the roller from this position into the recess defining the inactive idle position thereof, before the roller is pulled into the opposite groove or gap and thereby brakes in the opposite direction.