Patent ID: 8042849

Claim:
A skimmer basket lifting tool, comprising: a) a lifting handle having a proximal and a distal end; b) a base portion, the base portion being a substantially rectangular prism and including an attachment point for engaging the distal end of the lifting handle and having a lower portion that is substantially planar for making direct contact with a skimmer basket crossbar; and c) a pair of opposed skimmer basket crossbar engagement elements offset from one another along the length of the base portion, extending downward from the base portion at opposite ends thereof, and oriented such that rotation of the base portion, following insertion of the base portion into a skimmer basket housing, results in reversible engagement of the opposed crossbar engagement elements with the skimmer basket crossbar, thereby enabling the skimmer basket to be lifted from the skimmer basket housing, wherein: i) the pair of opposed skimmer basket crossbar engagement elements are parallel squared hooks with planar interior and exterior surfaces oriented such that the planar bottom surface of each engagement element is parallel to the planar lower portion of the base portion and such that the outer side surface and outer back surface of each engagement element is coplanar with the outer side surface and outer back surface of the base portion; ii) the pair of opposed skimmer basket crossbar engagement elements each further comprise a planar front rim member oriented perpendicular to and extending upward from the planar bottom surface; iii) only the pair of opposed skimmer basket crossbar engagement elements extend downward from the base portion, and iv) the base portion and the pair of opposed skimmer basket crossbar engagement elements are formed from a monolithic mass of material such that no mechanical attachment means is required between the opposed engagement elements and the base portions.