Identify this shackle ?

[Gouvernail]

whst is the purpose of this fitting? Who made it? Price new? 
 

*No visible brand markings.

* the “roller” does not move. it is  welded in place

*the black knob is held to the shaft with a tiny pin

* the black knob turns a machine screw that is smaller than 1/4 inch and screws the shackle shut 

* or the knob screws counter clockwise to open the shackle 

the roller doesn’t roll. It never rolled. It is welded in place 

 

[Grande Mastere Dreade]

tiny too..    an early version of a low friction ring?

 

[Brass]

Meant to have a line eye spliced tight around the 'roller', like a J Lock, or  captive main halyard shackle? 

 

[Russell Brown]

Can I have it?

 

[Fiji Bitter]

Seems special but is a perfectly normal snapshackle to me, because I've got one on my prick downhaul.

Like Brass said, it's used like a J-lock, with a screw locking function.

I drilled out the thread because screwing is too cumbersome, and the spring is very strong. Never shook loose yet.

 

[Navig8tor]

Looks like the Mark one version of a halyard end fitting designed to be eye spliced.

What makes it likely Mark one is the threaded pin,  think that was changed to a smooth spring loaded pin for easier faster use.

That said sometimes these fittings would accidentally open, usually at the worst possible moment and this locking pin may have been a solution for that but a bit cumbersome to use.

 

[zenmasterfred]

Sheet shackle w/ the splice around the turned part and they were pretty reliable.  Not head friendly in a windy take if you were on the foredeck.

 

[DtM]

^^^^ this. Especially getting whacked around the head.

 

[Gouvernail]

This was great!! Thanks!! A million uses have come to mind !!

 

[ctutmark]

pretty sure that was a Nicro-Fico alternative to a J-lock, intended for jib sheets

 

[Locus]

pretty sure that was a Nicro-Fico alternative to a J-lock, intended for jib sheets

This. They were fun to unscrew on a flogging jib during sail changes. Circa 1995? I think. Definitely Nicro 

 

[zenmasterfred]

pretty sure that was a Nicro-Fico alternative to a J-lock, intended for jib sheets

Yup, as I said above, jib sheet shackle and really hard on the foredeck person's head when flapping about.

 

[Mr Moab]

They don't do the mast any favors either. They were effective in their day, but there are better alternatives now. 

 

[TJSoCal]

I drilled out the thread because screwing is too cumbersome, and the spring is very strong. Never shook loose yet

Maybe not, but I've seen spring plunger snap shackles accidentally come loose when the lanyards got snagged. One race twice within about 30 seconds on a hoist, after which we were fresh out of spin halyards.

This seems better if you want to be able to open it somewhat quickly without tools but absolutely, positively don't want it to come open unintentionally.  But a Tylaska type is probably a better balance between security and quick opening.

 

[huwp]

They don't do the mast any favors either. They were effective in their day, but there are better alternatives now. 

Hence elephant ears on jibs

 

[Doug Halsey]

I'm not really a hoarder (well maybe about some things). But I happened to find these in the 1981 Nicro Fico catalog 

 

[DtM]

A fantastic piece of hoarding.

What else you got?

 

[El Borracho]

Seen them on running backs/checkstays where they are occasionally undone to run the standing part forward. 

 

[ROADKILL666]

I'm not really a hoarder (well maybe about some things). But I happened to find these in the 1981 Nicro Fico catalog 

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I think you have a hoarding problem mine is tools