*What is a sling hitch?
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Hitches in lifting‬‏ The sling cradles the load while both eyes are attached overhead. As with the choker hitch, more than one sling may be necessary to help ensure load control. Sling-To-Load Angle. The Sling-to-Load Angle is the angle formed between a horizontal line and the sling leg or body.
*Three Main Hitch Types
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There are many subtle hitch variations, each sling configuration generally falls into three main categories:
*Vertical Hitch
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A vertical hitch is the most obvious way to secure a load to a crane or other lifting device. One end of the sling is fastened to the load, the other to the lifting device, normally with hooks. This method is appropriate for loads with ready-made attachment points, but you will want to use taglines in addition to keep the load from spinning and twisting the sling during the lift. It is also the easiest to determine the lifting strength of a sling in the vertical configuration, since it is at full capacity.
*Choker Hitch
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To form a choker hitch, you pass one end of the sling through the eye of the other to make a “choking” loop. This sort of hitch is useful to secure cylindrical loads in particular, but it also works for loads that don’t have a direct attachment point. You can calculate the working load limit of a sling in a choker hitch by measuring the angle of the choke point and consulting lifting charts for the sling.
*Basket Hitch
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In a basket hitch, the two legs of the sling hang down to distribute the weight of the load evenly as they support it. For particularly heavy loads, this type of hitch might be best, as (at its strongest) it can handle double the weight of a single leg vertical hitch. But, in order to get the most out of a basket hitch, you may need to use a lifting bar or beam to position the legs of the sling properly. This hitch is not ideal for awkward, difficult-to-balance loads.
Keep in mind that these will look different depending on the type of sling you use and how many legs your sling assembly has. But, these hitch concepts hold no matter what sling(s) you are using.