Roped hydraulic elevators are vertical transportation cabs lifted by a cable system attached to a pair of hydraulic cylinders. Each telescoping hydraulic jack is about half the height of the shaft, and with the assistance of the cables the cab can travel roughly twice the distance the piston has to move.

This system is an advance over other hydraulic elevators, and is a variation on the holeless hydraulic system which also requires no underground borehole.

The cables multiply the cab's travel relative to piston movement. The stated arrangement allows roughly twice the piston stroke as vertical cab travel while keeping the hydraulic equipment above the base.