Patent ID: 7290815

Claim:
An apparatus for providing a hoist sling useful for lifting a pallet of material using a hoist; comprising: a) first and second skids for being disposed underneath the pallet of material so as to support the pallet thereon as the pallet is lifted, each said skid having first and second ends and upper and lower surfaces, each of said first and second ends having a channel therein; b) first and second spreader frames each having first and second ends and upper and lower surfaces, said spreader frames being criss-crossed so as to be disposed above said skids and the pallet of material; c) a common load bearing member being disposed above said first and second spreader frames, said common load bearing member having a first, upper end and a second, lower end, wherein said first, upper end is connected to the hoist so that the pallet of material can be lifted by the hoist; d) a plurality of skid load bearing members each having first, upper and second, lower ends being substantially vertically disposed about the pallet of material so that one skid load bearing member is disposed on each corner of the pallet, wherein each said skid load bearing member is rod shaped, a lug being disposed on said lower end of each said skid load bearing member, wherein one said lug is disposed on said lower surface of each of said first and second ends of said first and second skids so that said skid load bearing member passes through said channel on each of said first and second ends of said first and second skids to permit the skid load bearing members to support the weight of the pallet of material that is supported by the first and second skids; and e) a plurality of anchor lines each having first and second ends, one said anchor line connected to and extending from each said first, upper end of each said skid load bearing member to said common load bearing member to permit the hoist connected to the common load bearing member to lift the first and second skids, wherein one said first end of each said anchor line is connected to one said first, upper end of each said skid load bearing member and one said second end of each said anchor line is connected to said second, lower end of said common load bearing member, wherein one said anchor line passes over one end of each said first and second spreader frames so that each said anchor line is kept separated from each other said anchor line as the pallet of material is lifted by the hoist.