These eye bolts are designed with a shoulder at the point where the eye and the shank come together. This shoulder design reduces bending stresses on the shank and allows the eye bolt to be used for angular lifting if the shoulder is properly seated in the load. Use plain or regular eye bolts (non-shoulder) or ring bolts for vertical loading only. Angle loading on non-shoulder bolts will bend or break them.
Use shoulder eye bolts for vertical or angle loading. Be aware that lifting eye bolts at an angle reduces the safe load. Always apply load to eye bolt in the plane of the eye, not at an angle. Lifting eye bolts are used for the overhead lifting of equipment and machinery. They feature a threaded shank with a ring or loop at one end called the eye.
The most common types of eye bolts used in industrial applications are: nut eye bolts, machinery eye bolts and screw eye bolts. All three types come in two styles: plain and shoulder. Each type comes in different sizes and finishes. For example, an eye bolt with a 1/4 inch shank can typically hold up to 600 pounds at a straight pull (no angle). However, at a 15 degree angle, the maximum weight capacity drops to 480 pounds (80% of the “straight pull” weight capacity).
