Below the Hook Lifting Devices and Industrial Lifting Equipment

Below the hook lifting devices are crane attachments engineered to handle loads that standard rigging hooks and slings can't address safely or productively.

Where a bare hook and chain sling is a general-purpose solution, below the hook devices are purpose-built — designed around the specific shape, weight, fragility, or orientation of the load being handled. A steel mill moving coils needs a different tool than an aerospace facility handling composite panels or a paper plant managing large rolls.

Capacities range from 20 pounds for repetitive ergonomic applications to over 100 tons for heavy mill duty crane service. All devices are designed to ASME Specifications B30.20 and BTH-1, and can be configured as standard off-the-shelf tools or fully custom-engineered solutions.

Mechanical Below the Hook Lifting Devices

Tri-State Overhead Crane supplies a full line of Harrington mechanical lifting attachments for overhead cranes — purpose-built devices engineered to handle specific load types that standard rigging can't address reliably. Whether you're lifting steel coils in a mill environment, moving palletized loads with a bridge crane, or handling sheet and plate material in a fabrication shop, there's a purpose-built attachment designed for the application.

Crane Lifting Magnets

For ferrous metal handling applications, crane lifting magnets are a highly effective below the hook solution. Tri-State Overhead Crane supplies electromagnetic, permanent, and pneumatic lifting magnets from Industrial Magnetics Inc. — engineered for reliable performance in demanding environments like steel service centers, scrap yards, and heavy manufacturing.

Benefits of Below the Hook Lifting Devices

The right below the hook attachment improves every aspect of a lifting operation:

• Load control — Purpose-built devices grip, cradle, or support loads in ways that slings and chains can't, reducing the risk of load shift, damage, or dropped load incidents.
• Cycle time — Attaching and releasing a dedicated lifting device is faster and more repeatable than rigging and derigging slings on every lift.
• Worker safety — Engineered attachments eliminate the need for workers to manually stabilize loads during picks, reducing strain injuries and OSHA exposure.
• Custom fit — Standard off-the-shelf devices cover most applications, but when your load is unusual — oversized, fragile, asymmetric, or extremely heavy — TSOC can custom engineer a solution to ASME BTH-1 specifications.

Why Choose Tri-State Overhead Crane for Your Lifting Equipment?

With over 65 years of experience in the material handling industry, Tri-State Overhead Crane brings a capability set that goes beyond distribution. Our in-house engineering staff, fabrication facility, and field service team allow us to handle the full lifecycle of a below the hook lifting device — from initial application assessment through custom design, fabrication, installation, and ongoing inspection and repair.

We have thousands of devices in operation across industries including Aluminum, Steel, Paper, Railroad, Defense, Automotive, Aerospace, Medical/Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Semiconductors, and Chemical. Whether the requirement is a standard off-the-shelf pallet lifter or a fully custom engineered solution like this Custom Lifting Beam Assembly for a specialized heavy lift application, TSOC has the expertise and infrastructure to deliver it — at any capacity, for any industry.

All below the hook lifting devices are designed to ASME Specifications B30.20 and BTH-1.

Ergonomic Below the Hook Lift Assists & Custom Lifting Devices

Tri-State Overhead Crane partners with our ergonomic lifting division, Ergonomic Partners, to extend our below the hook capabilities into custom-engineered lift assist solutions. Where TSOC handles industrial-scale crane attachments, EP specializes in purpose-built ergonomic devices designed to reduce worker strain and improve handling precision for repetitive or complex pick-and-place applications.

• Vacuum Gripping Devices — For boxes, cartons, bags, sheets, panels, pails, drums, coils, and rolls.
• Pneumatic and Mechanical Lift Assists — Custom-designed tools to pick, manipulate, and place parts where a positive grip is required.
• Magnetic Lifting Devices — For lifting and holding steel components from small pieces to large plates and blocks.
• Manipulator Arms — Rigid arm lift assists for reach-in applications and precision part placement.
• Upenders and Inverters — Standard and custom-designed solutions to reorient product during handling.

TSOC engineers, fabricates, and services below the hook lifting devices for any application — from standard catalog attachments to fully custom-engineered solutions for heavy industrial crane service. We serve clients from coast to coast, Canada, Mexico and are especially focused in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida, and Oklahoma. Ready to discuss your application? Contact us to speak with an engineer.