Patent ID: 7588274

Claim:
A hand-held tool for manually lifting and carrying with one hand a single building block having an upper surface and opposing inner walls defining a cell formed therein, the tool comprising: a generally V-shaped body having a first end defining a generally planar pad adapted to engage an inner building block wall, a nose extending from an upper portion of the first end and adapted to engage the upper surface of the building block adjacent to the inner building block wall engaged by the first end of the body, and first and second elongated legs extending away at an acute angle from one another, the first leg defining a handle, and the second leg configured to be disposed within the cell of the block and extend substantially the distance between opposing walls thereof; and a foot pivotally connected to a free end of the second leg and having a generally planar pad portion configured to engage an opposite inner wall of the building block as the first end of the body; whereby the second leg is inserted into the cell of the building block until the nose engages the upper surface of the building block, and upon exerting a lifting force on the first leg, the first end of the body engages the inner wall of the building block and the foot engages the opposite inner wall of the building block so as to exert opposing forces to the opposite inner walls of the building block enabling the building block to be manually lifted by the tool.