Patent ID: 7491156

Claim:
A fixed weight dumbbell and barbell system to facilitate exercising in a safe, convenient and economical manner comprising, in combination: a generally cylindrical handle having a central gripping section and cylindrically shaped opposed end sections with enlargements between the central gripping section and the opposed end sections, the end sections having a diameter and an axial length less than the diameter and axial length of the central gripping section, the opposed end sections having free ends formed with male screw threads for the minority of their axial extents, the enlargements being formed with planar bearing surfaces facing away from the central gripping section, the handle being fabricated of stainless steel; a pair of similarly configured weights, each weight including a cast iron inner center and a rubber coated outer layer, each inner center having a torus-shaped configuration with a planar outwardly facing surface and a parallel planar inwardly facing surface with a central cylindrical bore and a periphery extending between the surfaces, each outwardly facing surface being formed with a recess providing an axially extending face and a radially extending face, a pair of copper bushings with inner and outer axial components press fit into the bore from the inwardly and outwardly facing surfaces and inner and outer radial components in contact with the inwardly facing surface of the inner center and the radially extending face of the recess, the combined lengths of the axial components for each inner center being less than the axial length of its associated inner center to thereby form a gap between the bushings of each weight; a locking nut with female threads threadedly coupled to each free end of the handle for securing one weight on each free end of the handle, the diameter of the free ends of the handle being less than the diameter of the bushings for the rotatable coupling there between the weight and the handle and with each inner radial component in sliding contact with an adjacent bearing surface of the enlargement and each outer radial component in bearing contact with an adjacent locking nut; an end cap secured with respect to each end of the handle, the end cap including a generally planar first part having a circular section in contact with the outer layer overlying the exterior surface of the inner center and outwardly extending ledge, the end cap including a generally planar second part overlying the first part and having a peripheral section in contact with the outer layer overlying the exterior surface of the inner center and a recessed center; three equally spaced screws extending through each end cap and outer layer and extending into the inner center to join the end caps with respect to the weights, each screw having a head in contact with a second part of an end cap; and a brand label adhesively secured to the recessed center of the second part of each end cap to hide the screws and providing an exposed surface for indicia.