Manhole cover lifting hook

A lifting device for lifting a manhole cover having a hook-receiving hole, comprising:

• an elongated lever rod having a load part at one end thereof and a handle on an opposite end thereof, said lever rod comprising an elongated bar having a shallow bend intermediate the ends thereof so that the bar has a shallow upwardly opening V-shaped configuration;
• a support member fixed to said bar in the vicinity of said bend and projecting downwardly therefrom, and a roller supported on said support member adjacent the lower end thereof;
• said load part of said rod having therein a substantially spherical cavity, said load part also having therein a narrow slot extending longitudinally of said lever rod and in communication with said cavity, said slot opening downwardly through the underside of said rod;
• and
• a hook swivelly and pivotally mounted on said load part and depending downwardly therefrom for engagement with the hook hole in the manhole cover;
• said hook including an elongated rodlike portion which projects downwardly through said slot and has a sidewardly projecting hook part fixed on the lower end thereof, said rodlike portion also having a ball-shaped portion fixed to the upper end thereof and rotatably retained in said spherical cavity for permitting the hook to both rotate about the longitudinal axis of the rodlike portion and vertically pivot along the longitudinal direction of the lever rod.