A lightweight and flexible load bearing shackle that is configurable in operation. The shackle includes a bow made of a plurality of loops of synthetic fiber rope (e.g., polypropylene, nylon, polyester, polyethylene, Aramid, acrylic, mixtures of several fibers, co-polymer fibers, straight, braided, twisted). The loops of fiber rope may be contained within a sheathing configured as a single loop. The sheathing is secured together to form a receptacle (opening) in each leg of the bow that is reinforced with an eyelet. The eyelets may be split eyelets that include a first/second side mounted to a first/second side of the receptacle that are then secured together over the receptacle. A connection pin may be secured between the eyelets. The shackle may include a spacing mechanism (e.g., casing that connection pin traverses, connection pin that has wider center portion) between the legs to maintain the legs a certain distance apart.

A safe metal free and hookless winch rope includes a stopper knot formed at an end of the winch rope that is opposite an end of the winch rope intended to be wound around a winch, and a plurality of brummel style openings formed inline along at least a portion of the winch rope. The stopper knot can be selectively inserted into any brummel style opening of the plurality of brummel style openings to wrap around an object during a winch operation and the stopper knot will be securely held in the selected brummel style opening when the winch rope is under tension during the winch operation.

Disclosed invention is a method to create slings in a rope and the product of the method. The splice in the present invention creates the splice primarily in the eye of the sling as opposed to the body of the sling. By creating the splice in the eye, the amount of rope needed for the splice is reduce, allowing for greater flexibility in the length of the resulting sling, and lower overall weight.

Disclosed invention is a method to create slings in a rope and the product of the method. The splice in the present invention creates the splice primarily in the eye of the sling as opposed to the body of the sling. By creating the splice in the eye, the amount of rope needed for the splice is reduce, allowing for greater flexibility in the length of the resulting sling, and lower overall weight.

Apparatus for adjusting the length of a support sling includes a set of pulleys and may be useful, for example, to allow a moving device to keep an object level when being transported.

Apparatus for adjusting the length of a support sling includes a set of pulleys and may be useful, for example, to allow a moving device to keep an object level when being transported.

The invention relates to a safety link for use in lifting, winching, towing or securing apparatus or similar. The safety link including, a first connection point, a second connection point, and an indicator means positioned substantially between and associated with the first connection point and the second connection point. If an overload force is applied, the forces between the first connection point and the second connection point cause a change in the indicator means, whereby the change indicates the overload to the user so safety checks may be conducted. The invention also relates to a method of use.

The invention relates to a safety link for use in lifting, winching, towing or securing apparatus or similar. The safety link including, a first connection point, a second connection point, and an indicator means positioned substantially between and associated with the first connection point and the second connection point. If an overload force is applied, the forces between the first connection point and the second connection point cause a change in the indicator means, whereby the change indicates the overload to the user so safety checks may be conducted. The invention also relates to a method of use.

Thus there is provided a method of installing rotor blades of a wind turbine to a rotor hub of the wind turbine. The wind turbine has a tower having a tower longitudinal axis. The rotor hub has a first, a second and a third rotor blade connection. The rotor hub is rotated until the first rotor blade connection is at an angle of 90° or 270° with respect to the tower longitudinal axis. The first rotor blade is lifted substantially horizontally and fixed to the rotor blade connection. The rotor hub is rotated so that the second rotor blade connection is at an angle of 90° or 270° with respect to the tower longitudinal axis. The second rotor blade is lifted substantially horizontally and fixed to the second rotor blade connection. The rotor hub is further rotated until the third rotor blade connection is at an angle of 60° or 300° with respect to the tower longitudinal axis. The third rotor blade is lifted at an angle of α=30° with respect to a horizontal and fixed to the third rotor blade connection.

A system for lifting a wind turbine rotor blade, including a wind turbine rotor blade, a lifting device having a sling, the sling supporting the wind turbine rotor blade at a longitudinal position where the wind turbine rotor blade has an aerodynamic profile, a leading edge and a profile chord arranged horizontally, and a leading edge protector having a front portion placed at the leading edge and a lower leg extending from the front portion and placed below the wind turbine rotor blade, wherein the front portion and the lower leg are formed as a sandwich construction having an inner top layer, an outer top layer and a core material, wherein a thickness of the core material increases from a free end of the lower leg towards the front portion in order to reduce a deformation of the wind turbine rotor blade at the leading edge.