Patent ID: 8171715

Claim:
A shackle apparatus comprising: a. an arcuate body; b. a first arm connected to said arcuate body, said first arm comprising: (i) a first lower end located at an opposite end of said first arm from said arcuate body, said first lower end comprising a first shoulder extending outwardly from said first arm; (ii) a first transverse bore extending through said first shoulder; and (iii) a retaining bore extending through at least a portion of said first shoulder and intersecting said first transverse bore; c. a second arm connected to said arcuate body, said second arm comprising: (i) a second lower end located at an opposite end of said second arm from said arcuate body, said second lower end comprising a second shoulder extending outwardly from said second arm; (ii) a second transverse bore extending through said second shoulder, said second transverse bore comprising a nut receiving section and an interior section, wherein said nut receiving section comprises a circumferential groove with a diameter greater than that of said nut receiving section, said nut receiving section being located in at least a portion of said second shoulder of said second arm and said nut receiving section having a diameter greater than that of said interior section; d. a retaining member disposed between said first and second arms, said retaining member integrally formed with said first and said second arms; e. a bolt received within said aligned first and second transverse bores, wherein said bolt comprises: (i) a head; (ii) a threaded portion located opposite of said head; (iii) a slide relief area adjacent to said head of said bolt, said slide relief area having a smaller diameter than the mid-section of said bolt and said first transverse bore; (iv) a mid-section of said bolt, connecting said first slide relief area to said threaded portion; and (v) a longitudinal groove extending from said first slide relief area along at least a portion of said mid-section of said bolt; f. a nut, which threadably engages said bolt in said nut receiving section of said second transverse bore in said second shoulder; and g. a retention means received within said retaining bore; wherein said first and second arms are substantially parallel to each other, and said first and second transverse bores are in axial alignment.