Product Spotlight | Crosby Shackles
Product Spotlight | Crosby Shackles
Crosby is one of the most recognizable names in the rigging industry, and has been for over 100 years. Crosby makes over 2,000 rigging and lifting products to meet all your hoisting needs, and Hercules SLR is proud to be an Authorized Crosby Distributor and a Certified Crosby Repair Center.
Focusing today on Crosby shackles, as Crosby says, “there is no equal”. When you buy Crosby, you’re getting some attributes that are guaranteed when you buy their rigging and lifting equipment. The attributes that make Crosby shackles stand out from the rest include:
- Design – Crosby carbon shackles have the highest design factor (6 to 1) in the industry. Crosby purchases only special bar forging quality steel with cleanliness and guaranteed hardenability. All material chemistry is independently verified prior to manufacturing to assure that strength, ductility and fatigue properties are met.
- Closed Forged – Each shackle is closed die forged which allows for an increased cross-section that, when coupled with quenched and tempering, enhances strength and ductility. Close tolerance holes and concentric pins with good surface finishes are provided by Crosby and are proven to provide improved fatigue life in actual use. Crosby shackles are fatigue rated as well as load rated.
- Quenched and Tempered – All Crosby shackle bows and pins are quenched and tempered, which enhances their performance under cold temperatures and adverse field conditions. Crosby’s Quenched and Tempered shackles provide the tensile strength, ductility, impact and fatigue properties that are essential if they are to perform time after time in adverse conditions. These properties assure that the inspection criteria set forth by ANSI will effectively monitor the ability of the shackles to continue in service.
- Identification and Application Information – Crosby
forges “Crosby” or “CG”, the Working Load Limit, and the Product
Identification Code (PIC) into each bow and “Crosby” or “CG”, and the
Product Identification Code (PIC) into each pin of its full line of
screw pin, round pin, and bolt type
anchor and chain shackles.
Crosby creates a variety of different shackles ranging in size, type, class, capacity and more to exceed the toughest demands of any industry, including land-based and offshore energy, construction and infrastructure, cargo handling and towing, marine, mining, and transportation. Below we take a bit of a closer look into a few of the key shackles in Crosby’s extensive library – But if you aren’t seeing something you’d like to know a bit more about, reach out! Our experts are always happy to help.
Anchor Shackles >>>
A screw pin anchor shackle can be identified by it’s larger round “O” shaped bow. They are sometimes referred to as bow shackles, however, a bow shackle typically has a larger, more defined “bow” area than an anchor shackle. This “bow” we’re referring to allows for single or multiple leg slings to be collected in the bow, and for it to be sideloaded. This is an essential process used in a variety of material handling applications, making anchor shackles one of the most widely used of the shackle family.
<<< Wide Body Shackles
You can pick out a wide-body shackle from it’s much larger bow cross-section. This wider shape provides an array of advantages, especially in heavy lifting applications. The significant gain in the sling bearing surface eliminates the need for a thimble and makes for an easier time dealing with synthetic Nylon and Polyester slings. It also increases the useable sling strength, which can greatly improve the overall life of wire rope slings.
Chain Shackles >>>
Screw pin chain shackles are often known as D-shackles (or dee shackles) which refers to the “D” shape. This design is narrower than a bow or anchor shackle and generally has a threaded pin or pin close. Their design enables efficient movement of materials, particularly in compact lifting environments. Don’t be fooled by the name “chain shackle”—this type of shackle is used primarily with single-legged wire rope slings and various attachment points. The smaller loop is designed to take high loads primarily in line. Side and racking loads may twist or bend a D or chain shackle.
Theatrical shackles are specially designed for the entertainment industry. They are designed with all the strength and dependability of a standard shackle but have a black finish that allows it to blend in with the stage surroundings. This allows theatrical riggers (also known as grips) to rig in a safe and dependable way, using industry-standard equipment without distracting from the on-stage action.
Crosby supplies one of the most-used theatrical shackles in the entertainment industry which features a flat black baked-on powder coat finish which gives it the matte black, easy to blend in look you see in the photo.
Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Shackles
ROV shackles are a piece of equipment that is heavily relied on in the subsea industry. In the early days of subsea rigging, standard shackles were being used, but since work with these shackles are done completely by divers or remotely operated vehicles, standard shackle pins and nuts were far too difficult to work with. ROV shackles are specially designed with handles to allow for different robotic grips which make this far easier. They are also made with industry-standard colors to be highly visible which makes them much easier to locate under their conditions.
Shackle Variations
As you saw above, with the anchor shackles and chain shackles, we
featured two different variations of that shackle – A screw pin shackle
and a round pin shackle or bolt type
shackle.
Screw pin shackles
Screw pin shackles feature a threaded pin that is inserted through the ears and tightened. These shackles are often the choice for applications where slings and other hardware are being changed out often, and they are not recommended for permanent or long-term use. Screw pin shackles can be used in multi-leg sling assemblies and where side-loading may occur, but the WLL must be accounted for.
Tip: Be cautious of a live line where the screw pin is being rotated, torqued, or twisted because it can cause the pin to unthread itself. This is also why it’s important to tighten the pin prior to each lift.
Round Pin shackles
Round pin shackles have a round unthreaded pin that is secured in its place by a cotter pin. This variation is the most popular in tie-down, towing, suspension or applications where the load is in a strict line. They are known for performing well under conditions in which they are subject to torque or twisting and are not recommending for overhead lifting. They are also not recommended for use in attaching multiple-leg slings or in any application where load sliding is a possibility.
Bolt Type Shackles
Bolt type shackles can look similar to a round pin shackles at first glance but are a more secure option. It features a combination of a bolt and nut along with the cotter pin. These shackles can be used in any applications appropriate for the round pin shackle or screw pin shackle – With the ability to handle rotation or torque. These are often the most popular choice for permanent or long-term installations because the nut and cotter pin combination eliminate the need to tighten the pin prior to each lift!
How to Choose a Shackle?
- Refer to the manufacturer’s table for the safe working load limit (WLL) of the shackle. The rated capacity should always be printed on the shackle and be visible.
- Shackles are sized according to the diameter of the bow section rather than the pin size – So never use a shackle if the distance between the eyes is greater than listed in the manufacturer’s table.
- Always consult the manufacturer if you are using shackles in extreme conditions such as temperature higher then 204°C or lower than -40°C or exposure to corrosive fumes.
7 Quick Tips For Using Shackles
- Inspect shackles regularly and replace any that show any of the following:
Stretching and wear- Bending
- Distortion, surface blemishes, wear, and fractures
- Never replace the shackle pin with a bolt or unidentified pin – You risk the bolt being bent by the load or possibly completely failing.
- Do not allow a shackle to be pulled at an angle, this will cause the legs to open. Avoid this by packing the pin with washers to center the shackle.
- Avoid using a screw pin shackle or fit pins in contact with moving parts if the pin can roll and unscrew. If the load shifts, the sling can unscrew the shackle pin.
- Do not use round pin shackles restrained by only a cotter pin for overhead lifting.
- Never force, hammer or wedge shackles into position.
- Never exceed a 120-degree lifting angle when using multiple-leg slings.
Why shop around? When you buy Crosby rigging equipment from Hercules SLR, you don’t just get a shackle or an eye bolt—You get unparalleled asset management service (did we mention it’s free?), qualified inspection technicians for service & preventive maintenance and peace-of-mind knowing your equipment is safe to lift, hoist or move.
See your Crosby gear from purchase, all the way to service with Hercules SLR’s extensive product selection, inspection & service team, asset management, testing and more.
——————————————————————————————————————————————
The Hercules Group of Companies encompasses a wide portfolio of products and services across 7 diverse companies.
