Diverter valve manipulator tool

A manipulator tool for use in a swimming pool installation including:

• a skimmer on the side of a pool having a main drain on the bottom floor thereof;
• said skimmer having a top opening and a bottom suction outlet;
• said main drain having a suction outlet;
• and a tee fitting having an upper socket fitted within the bottom of the skimmer suction outlet, a lower socket connected by a pipe to the main drain suction outlet, and a branch socket connected by a pipe to a circulating pump;
• a diverter valve having a hollow body including an upper cylindrical portion provided with a circumferential bottom shoulder thereon, an intermediate cylindrical portion, and a lower semi-circular wall portion provided with a diagonal bottom wall thereon;
• said diverter valve mounted within the skimmer suction outlet with the shoulder on the bottom of the upper cylindrical portion resting on the rim thereof and the lower semi-circular wall portion residing within the interior of the tee fitting such that the diagonal bottom wall thereof resides opposite the lower socket and the branch socket thereof;
• said manipulator tool comprising:
• a driver member including an upper hollow hub portion having a depending cylindrical skirt portion provided with side openings and a rectangular slot on the bottom thereof;
• an inner guide member having an upper end portion extending up into the hollow hub portion of the driver member and having a lower elongated axial portion depending downwardly within the skirt of the driver member such that the bottom thereof extends below the bottom of the skirt;
• an elongated handle having one end portion secured to the upper hollow hub portion of the driver member and the upper end portion of the inner guide member;
• and
• an adapter ring adapted to encircle the upper cylindrical portion of the diverter valve and secured so as to lie above the shoulder thereof, said adapter ring having a rectangular projection on the top surface thereof;
• whereby while the circulating pump is running a pool operator by holding onto the upper end of the elongated handle extending out of the top opening of the skimmer can remotely position the inner guide member such that the lower elongated axial portion thereof is drawn by the water being discharged out of the suction outlet of the skimmer into the interior of the upper cylindrical portion of the upper cylindrical portion of the diverter valve with the skirt thereof encircling over the upper cylindrical portion of the diverter valve so that the bottom rectangular slot thereon engages the rectangular projection on the top of the adapter ring on the shoulder thereof, thereby enabling the pool operator to remotely rotate the diverter valve to a desired setting within the suction outlet by twisting the upper end portion of the elongated handle.