Tire Service Equipment Manufacturing Concludes Litigation, Enforces Patent Rights

Tire Service Equipment Manufacturing Co. Inc. (TSISSG) announced the conclusion of its patent infringement litigation against Gaither Tool Co. in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank has entered a consent judgment and injunction finding that Gaither’s U.S. Bead Bazooka line of tire bead seaters infringes on TSISSG’s U.S. Patent 6,179,033, which covers TSISSG’s Cheetah Cannon product, and finding that Gaither induced infringement of TSISSG’s patent.

The Court entered a permanent injunction enjoining Gaither from “directly or indirectly making, using, selling, offering for sale or importing or causing or inducing others to make, use, sell, offer to sell, or import” all of Gaither’s Bead Bazooka products in the United States for the term of U.S. Patent No. 6,179,033. 

As a result of the injunction, TSISSG’s patented Cheetah Cannon bead seater remains as the only push button, automated discharge bead seater, covered by U.S Patent No. 6,179,033, on the market in the United States.  The Cheetah Cannon represents the next evolution of TSISSG’s classic Cheetah line of bead seaters, and is available in a range of models through TSISSG’s nationwide distribution network.

This is the second time Gaither has been required to remove a product infringing on TSISSG’s patents in the U.S.  The injunction applies to Gaither’s entire line of Bead Bazooka products, including model numbers BB6L, BB9L and BB12L.

Randy Kindel, vice president of sales at TSISSG said, “We are pleased that we have again successfully enforced our valuable patent rights and maintained our position as the most innovative tire bead seater supplier in the United States. Our technological advantage began with our patented CH-O5 Cheetah line of tire bead seaters and now continues with our Cheetah Cannon tire bead seaters, and will continue with even newer innovations.”