Patent ID: 7032943

Claim:
An apparatus, for the loading and unloading of materials comprising: a.) a housing configured to operatively engage a lift line; b.) a load-engaging member having a loaded position and a released position, the load-engaging member configured to move between the loaded position and the released position, the load-engaging member comprising a hook having an interior section and a mouth providing access to the interior section and configured to pivot between the loaded position and the released position; the hook being in the loaded position when the mouth of the hook is situated between the housing and the interior section of the hook and being in the released position when the mouth of the hook is at least level with the housing and the interior section of the hook; c.) a cable having a load end operatively attached to the load-engaging member and a control end, wherein the cable further has a first position and a second position, wherein the cable is configured to move from the first position to the second position by the application of a linear force to the control end of the cable, wherein the cable is further configured to transmit linear force applied to the control end of the cable to the load-engaging member, whereby the load engaging member may be moved from the loaded position to the released position by the application of linear force to the control end of the cable, wherein the cable and load-engaging member are configured so that when the cable is moved from the first position to the second position, the load-engaging member is moved from the loaded position to the released position; d.) a load-activated lock configured to secure the cable in the first position, and to thereby prevent the inadvertent movement of the load-engaging member from the loaded position to the released position, when a load is suspended from the load-engaging member, wherein the load-activated lock has a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein when in the locked position the load-activated lock is configured to engage the cable and secure the cable in the first position, wherein when in the unlocked position the load-activated lock is further configured to release the cable whereby the cable may be freely moved between the first position and the second position, wherein the load-activated lock is in mechanical communication with the hook, whereby the application of a load to the hook will move the load-activated lock from the unlocked position to the locked position.