A lifting sling apparatus for lifting, holding, and transporting materials. More particularly, the invention relates to a lifting sling comprising a reinforced heavy-duty fabric body, such as, for example, a geotextile fabric, i.e., a synthetic fabric made from polypropylene, polyester, or other like synthetic materials, having heavy-duty sling webbing loops and reinforcement webbing on the body.

A lifting sling apparatus for lifting, holding, and transporting materials. More particularly, the invention relates to a lifting sling comprising a reinforced heavy-duty fabric body, such as, for example, a geotextile fabric, i.e., a synthetic fabric made from polypropylene, polyester, or other like synthetic materials, having heavy-duty sling webbing loops and reinforcement webbing on the body.

A loop structure includes a first element having a first loop, and a second element having a second loop, the first loop interlocking with the second loop. Each of the first and second elements include a plurality of strands, wherein at least a portion of the strands are formed from a flexible material. The strands of the first and second elements are processed in a textile-like manner into one of a braided, woven, knitted, or enmeshed structure defining at least two webs spaced-apart along a longitudinal direction of the first and second elements. The strands are divided into longitudinally extending sections between the webs, the sections forming wings that connect the webs. In the first element, the wings form the first loop, and in the second element, the wings form the second loop.

The disclosure provides a sling including a sleeve, a first eye formed by a first splice, and a second eye formed by a second splice. The sleeve includes braided strands and has a first end portion, a second end portion, and an intermediate portion between. The sleeve also defines a hollow inner volume. The first splice is made by the first end portion extending into and along part of the hollow inner volume proximate the first eye. The second splice is made by the second end portion extending into and along part of the hollow inner volume proximate the second eye. A hollow load bearing portion is defined in the intermediate portion between the first splice and the second splice.

The disclosure provides a sling including a sleeve, a first eye formed by a first splice, and a second eye formed by a second splice. The sleeve includes braided strands and has a first end portion, a second end portion, and an intermediate portion between. The sleeve also defines a hollow inner volume. The first splice is made by the first end portion extending into and along part of the hollow inner volume proximate the first eye. The second splice is made by the second end portion extending into and along part of the hollow inner volume proximate the second eye. A hollow load bearing portion is defined in the intermediate portion between the first splice and the second splice.

An anchoring platform is disclosed for captive aircraft that addresses problems when handling captive aerostats, including excessive workload required to switch between flying and anchored states. The anchoring platform includes an anchoring device. Cords, together with a confluence point, are wound into the anchoring device, by the winch. The structure for anchoring the captive aircraft is the cradle which bears the aerostat, while the winch exerts tension to hold same static in the structure.

An anchoring platform is disclosed for captive aircraft that addresses problems when handling captive aerostats, including excessive workload required to switch between flying and anchored states. The anchoring platform includes an anchoring device. Cords, together with a confluence point, are wound into the anchoring device, by the winch. The structure for anchoring the captive aircraft is the cradle which bears the aerostat, while the winch exerts tension to hold same static in the structure.

A hoisting system for hoisting a load includes: i) a main winch system having a main rope with an end connector mounted to an end of the main rope, ii) an auxiliary winch system having an auxiliary rope having at least one rope connector of which at least one is a splitable rope connector, the auxiliary rope comprising a first section and a second section connected to the first section via the splitable rope connector, wherein the splitable rope connector comprises at least two connector parts that are releasably connected with each other for allowing quick disconnection and reconnection between the second section and the first section, wherein the connector parts (are configured for releasably connecting with the end connector of the main rope, and iii) a hang-off point placed and configured for at least temporarily holding a respective rope connector of the auxiliary rope for transferring the load to the hang-off point. The system may include two auxiliary winch systems.

The present disclosure provides for a portable vehicle hardtop removal apparatus for improved vehicle hardtop removal and replacement features in order to efficiently remove and replace hardtops of many types of vehicles, in a safe and convenient manner, for people's enjoyment. The portable vehicle hardtop removal apparatus comprises a upstanding support member removably connected to an upstanding swivel member that is fixed to the horizontal support arm. A lift boom extends from the upstanding support member, and a hoist line extends along the upstanding support member and the lift boom. An elongated spreader tube is connected to a distal end of the hoist line, and a plurality of straps removably connect the elongated spreader tube to a vehicle hardtop for its removal. The lift boom is positionable from a lifting position to a collapsed or folded transport position for efficient transportation of the portable vehicle hardtop removal apparatus to any destination.

A protection sleeve is provided for a wire rope to prevent the wire rope from contacting other components in an oil and gas operation. The protection sleeve, in some embodiments, has a body that substantially corresponds to the wire portion of the wire rope, and the protection sleeve has specialized flaps at the ends of the body that correspond to thimble eyes of the wire rope. The protection sleeve may have a variety of configurations to accommodate different aspects of a wire rope or any other device that necessitates protection.