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Gleason Files Suit For Patent Infringement

23 June 1998

Gleason Files Suit Against Klingelnberg, Oerlikon, and Liebherr For Patent Infringement

    ROCHESTER, N.Y.--June 23, 1998--The Gleason Works, a subsidiary of Gleason Corp. , said today it has filed suit against Klingelnberg-Oerlikon Geartec Vertriebs-GmbH of Huckeswagen, Germany, Oerlikon Geartec AG of Zurich, Switzerland, and Liebherr-America, Inc. of Newport News, Virginia for patent infringement.
    According to the complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of New York, The Gleason Works alleges the infringement of U.S. Patent No. 4,981,402 granted on gear-making machines that produce some of the most complex gears in use today. The allegedly infringing machines are Oerlikon's C22 and C28 or other CNC multi-axis bevel and hypoid gear-generating machines.
    The Gleason Works seeks damages and a permanent injunction preventing the defendants, and their selling representatives, from selling or using any infringing machine in the United States during the remaining life of the patent, which expires in 2008.
    Located in Rochester, New York since 1865, The Gleason Works is recognized worldwide for its high-quality products and is a leader in the development and manufacture of technologically advanced gear-production machinery and tooling. The Gleason Works is also an acknowledged leader in the theory of bevel gear design, and in the application, testing, and analysis of prototype and production bevel gears.