06/27/2012

Rock Island, Illinois (June 14, 2012) – Inpro/Seal® LLC, a global leader in engineered bearing and system protection for rotating equipment, is pleased to announce that a federal court in Chicago has entered judgment that its Current Diverter Ring® (CDR®) does not infringe a patent asserted by Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW).  On September 16, 2011, Judge James B. Zagel of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois entered an order regarding the scope of protection offered by ITW’s U.S. Patent No. 7,193,836.  ITW subsequently acknowledged that Inpro/Seal’s CDR does not infringe its patent as interpreted by the court, and Judge Zagel today entered an order granting judgment of non-infringement in favor of Inpro/Seal.  Today’s order affirms Inpro/Seal’s longstanding position that its CDR does not violate ITW’s patent.
 
Inpro/Seal’s CDR uses proprietary conductive filaments to protect bearings installed in motors and coupled equipment from stray shaft currents generated by variable frequency drives (VFD’s).  The CDR provides a low impedance path to ground– safely diverting these harmful currents away from the bearings and preventing premature bearing failure. 

“We are gratified that the court has re-affirmed our position on this case.  Inpro/Seal has always maintained the utmost respect for intellectual property and patent protection.  This judgment allows Inpro/Seal to get back to the business of serving customers with high-performing technology and same-day shipments” stated Mark Lee, Vice President and General Manager of Inpro/Seal.

The inventor of the original bearing isolator, Inpro/Seal has been delivering innovative sealing solutions and outstanding customer service for more than 30 years.  Their technologies increase the reliability of rotating equipment and provide real cost savings by improving the mean time between repair (MTBR).  Inpro/Seal’s superior customer service and streamlined production processes allow for same or next-day shipments on most products, even new designs.  Headquartered in Rock Island, Illinois, Inpro/Seal maintains a global sales and distribution network to provide responsive, localized support to customers worldwide and manufactures in both the United States and United Kingdom.  Inpro/Seal is a business unit of Waukesha Bearings and Dover Corporation.