The protection for the Weider license bench followed from the complete
destruction of my rights
by the
US-Examiner!
These
six US-Patents are the cornerstone of the Weider License Bench, which was
marketed from
about
1983
in the Weider Muscle and Fitness Magazines in the USA, GB
and Canada via licensees.
1. The Flanigan Patent
which secured the
telescopable post with the assembly of components of
any
types
along the top and side.
This also includes the vertical and horizontal line
consisting of the vertically standing post with
horizontally
diverting tubes and poles. (Too tubes linie for a
bar!)
(Here in the Flanigan Patent this alignment is
confirmed as “novelty” by the US Examiner
Pinkham
although
he hand long since seen this “novelty” in my invention but had blocked it
with a long
dumbell.)
2.
The
Faust
Patent,
which secured the “flat bench”, the “Variete”, the bar, the press
bench, the
inclined
press bench and the name “Multi” Purpose
Exercise Bench.
The
inserting of vertically telescopable adjustable and lockable elements and
the exchange of
components to
or upon a post or a flat bench (with vertical posts) is
the content of my invention.
See in index -
German patent and
Prototype.
See
letter
by patent attorney
PA Rehmann
to the
“German Patent Office” in Munich in which he explained the nature of my invention.
3.
The
Murphy Patent, secures the rights of vertical, telescopable posts with
barbell supports
(for the holding of a horizontally positioned barbell), located
opposite of a pull machine!
Barbell supports are equipped with grips of a bar (pipes),
for dips, which are horizontally
welded onto the barbell supports.
4.
The McIntosh Patent secures
the rights of the telescopable, adjustable and lockable posts
which are attached either as barbell supports by the sides of a flat bench (lounger etc.) or
used separately on their own without bench.
5. The Rogers
Patent secures the rights for inserting, interchanging and
assembling tubes and
components into, onto or above the hollow
vertical posts of a flat - or incline bench. The
height of the tubes and components is telescopically adjustable and lockable.
6.
The Owens
Patent
secures the rights of the bar, lat- and triceps machines,
rowing machine,
curling table and the incline bench, which are definitely components
belonging to a
Multi Purpose Exercise Bench. ( Weider License Bench)
In this respect an excerpt of the statement by
US Patent Attorney Koch:
The Buckeye Barbell, Continental, and Para Body
Systems are all similar to the Weider system in certain aspects.
The systems each include various vertical
telescoping portions. The Para Body Systems ad shows only vertically
aligned tubes and barbell supports
and no horizontally aligned tubes.
The Para Body, therefore, also does not infrige the claims. The
Continental and Buckeye Systems also show
vertically aligned extending barbell supports. In addition to
these barbell supports, both Continental and
Buckeye include horizontal bars mounted on vertically
telescoping portions of the benches. These horizontal
bars are apparently provided so that
dipping exercises may be perfomed with these systems. Although these
systems both show the parallel
bars, we find that they are not within the scope of the claims. The claims recite
upright supports
including tubes extending over and parallel to the bench and dumbbell
bar supports for
supporting a dumbbell telescopically receivable in the horizontal tubes..
Neither Continental nor Buckeye show such dumbbell bar supports
associated with any horizontally aligned
tubes.