Subject:
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Re: dimensions in patents (was Re: 8 millimeters or 5/16 inches?)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Thu, 22 Jul 1999 19:22:18 GMT
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Viewed:
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1670 times
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Robert Munafo wrote:
> In lugnet.general, Eric Brok writes:
> > [...] Did you realize, the famousTLG brick patent concerned only *the tube
> > connectors* under the brick as an *improvement* to the existing brick, not
> > changing the brick idea, the studs or the dimensions.
>
> Although this is primarily only of interest in the United States, I want to
> point out that the United States patents held by TLG do not seem to include any
> dimensions. In fact, I believe this is common for all mechanical patents in the
> United States. The idea being, that the size is irrelevant. If an object is
> built by your design, it's still your patent regardless of how big the object
> is (more or less).
>
> For some examples, see:
>
> 2 x 8 Duplo brick with holes
> http://www.patents.ibm.com/cgi-bin/viewpat.cmd/USD0378838__
>
> Ldraw part 30036, 8x6x2/3 wing
> http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?pn=USD0380020__
>
> Ldraw part 32034, Technic #2 angle brick:
> http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?pn=USD0387399__
>
> 2 x 6 conducting plate
> http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?pn10=US04552541
>
> I don't know what in the world this one is:
> http://www.patents.ibm.com/cgi-bin/viewpat.cmd/USD0394473__
>
> Related to the "original basic brick", I think the relevant US patents are
> 3005282 (Christiansen, October 1961) and 3638352 (Christiansen, February 1972)
> both of which are often referenced in the other patents' text, usually in the
> general description establishing precedent. They are not available on the web
> site because they're too old.
>
> - Robert Munafo
Thanks for the info Robert. As a child, I remember looking at the old Lego sets
that I got in the early 1960's and wondering what the heck "PATENT PENDING"
(followed by a list of large numbers) was all about. I still have some early
1960's Samsonite (as well as European) Lego sets with the Patent Pending message.
I'll have to go and check the numbers for the above ones.
Gary Istok
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | "PATENT PENDING" message (was Re: dimensions in patents)
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| (...) The message was present on parts in the US at least until around the mid 1970's. My best friend has some 4 x 4 black plates that he had in high school and purchased in the US (probably from a police station set like 354, 370/585, or 381/588). (...) (25 years ago, 22-Jul-99, to lugnet.general)
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