6.6 Crane Forks & C-Hooks

Crane Forks & C-Hooks

Crane forks and C-hooks occupy a special position among lifting accessories: they are suspended from the crane hook but lift loads directly, without the need for slings or other lifting accessories between the device and the load. Although very different in design, they share the same engineering principles—direct load attachment, integral balance, and clearly marked rated capacity—so they are considered together here, with differences noted where relevant.

---

1. Crane Forks (Pallet Forks / Self-Balancing Forks)

• Purpose: Lifting palletised or similar loads suspended directly from the crane hook—effectively converting a crane into a rough forklift for yards, construction sites, and loading bays.
• Nature: A general-purpose device, usually supplied as a standard product with adjustable fork tines and, on many designs, a self-balancing frame that keeps the forks level as the load changes.
• Geometry: The tines slide fully under the pallet; the frame's suspension point is arranged so the combined centre of gravity of device plus load hangs directly beneath the hook.

           CRANE FORKS                          C-HOOK
              |                                   |
        [ SUSPENSION EYE ]                  [ SUSPENSION EYE ]
              |                                   |
        +-----+-----+                      +------+
        |   FRAME   |                      |      |
        +-----+-----+                      |      |  <- counterweight
              |                            +------+
        [TINE] [TINE]  <- under pallet     | throat
        ================                   +------+
           PALLET LOAD                     [ COIL / PIPE ]

2. C-Hooks (Coil Hooks)

• Purpose: Lifting hollow loads such as pipes, paper rolls, or coils of steel—the C-shaped lower arm passes through the bore of the coil so the load is cradled on the arm.
• Nature: Usually designed to lift a specific load (single-purpose equipment): the arm length, throat depth, and counterweight are matched to the coil width, diameter, and mass.
• Construction: Fabricated from profiled plate or rolled beam sections, with an integral counterweight above the arm so the empty C-hook hangs level and, when loaded, the load's centre of gravity sits on the plumb line below the crane hook.

Design Variations

• Crane forks are available with fixed or adjustable tine spacing and with fixed or self-balancing frames; adjustable designs allow the tines to be set to the pallet width and the suspension bale to be positioned over the combined centre of gravity.
• C-hooks range from simple fixed-throat designs for one repetitive coil size to adjustable-arm versions covering a family of coil widths; wider coils need deeper throats and heavier counterweights.

Why Counterbalancing Matters

The fundamental law of suspension (Section 2.1) applies: a suspended device will rotate until its centre of gravity lies directly beneath the hook. Without an integral counterweight, an empty C-hook would tip forward, and a loaded one would tilt and allow the coil to slide off the arm. The counterweight positions the device's own CoG so that both empty and loaded states hang near-level.

---

3. Marking, Rating & Safe Operation

• Rated capacity and self-weight: Both devices must be clearly marked with their rated capacity (WLL) and, because the device's own mass is significant, its self-weight—the crane hook load equals load plus device tare (Section 1.3, LOLER Reg 7 marking).
• Single-purpose discipline: A C-hook designed for one coil size must not be used on a different width or mass of coil without the manufacturer's confirmation.
• Trial lift: Raise the load just clear of the ground and pause: confirm the device hangs level, the load is stable, and (for forks) the pallet is fully seated on both tines before travelling.
• Travel discipline: Lift smoothly, avoid swing, keep the load low, use tag lines where needed, and never carry people on the device.

---

4. Inspection & Rejection Criteria

Crane forks and C-hooks are lifting accessories: pre-use visual checks before every lift and thorough examination by a Competent Person at least every 6 months (LOLER Regulation 9(3)(a)(i)).

Any unauthorized modification—extending tines, welding on extra eyes, or grinding the frame—invalidates the certification and requires withdrawal from service.