ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
                            1996 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN


                      Adopted by the Board of Directors on
                                February 16, 1996






                             TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section 1.        Purpose                                                   1

Section 2.        Definitions                                               1

Section 3.        Administration                                            3

Section 4.        Common Stock Subject to Plan                              3

Section 5.        Options                                                   3

Section 6.        Stock Awards                                              4

Section 7.        Performance Units                                         4

Section 8.        Stock Appreciation Rights                                 5

Section 9.        Termination of Employment                                 6

Section 10.       Adjustment Provisions                                     7

Section 11.       Term                                                      7

Section 12.       Corporate Change                                          7

Section 13.       General Provisions                                        7

Section 14.       Amendment or Discontinuance of the Plan                   8









                            ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
                            1996 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

SECTION 1     PURPOSE
     The purpose of the Plan is to  encourage  Key  Employees  to have a greater
     financial  investment in the Company through ownership of its Common Stock.
     The Plan is an amendment and  restatement of the 1979 Stock  Incentive Plan
     (the  "1979  Plan").  The terms of the Plan will  apply to all  outstanding
     Incentives  granted under the 1979 Plan,  including  those  pertaining to a
     Corporate Change and termination of employment as described  below,  unless
     the  Committee  determines  otherwise.  No  additional  Incentives  will be
     granted under the 1979 Plan.

SECTION 2     DEFINITIONS
     Board:  The Board of Directors of the Company.

     Code:  The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

     Committee:  The Compensation Committee of the Board or such other
     committee as shall be appointed by the Board to administer the Plan
     pursuant to Section 3.

     Common Stock:  The Common Stock,  without par value,  of the Company or
     such other class of shares or other  securities as may be applicable
     pursuant to the provisions of Section 10.

     Company:  Illinois Tool Works Inc., a Delaware corporation, and any
     successor thereto.

     Corporate  Change:  Any of the  following:  (i) the  dissolution of the
Company; (ii) the merger,  consolidation,  or reorganization of the Company with
any other  corporation after which the holders of Common Stock immediately prior
to the effective date thereof hold less than 70% of the outstanding common stock
of the surviving or resulting entity; (iii) the sale of all or substantially all
of the assets of the Company to any person or entity  other than a wholly  owned
subsidiary;  (iv) any person or group of persons  acting in concert,  other than
descendants of Byron L. Smith and trusts for the benefit of such descendants, or
entity becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 30% of
the outstanding Common Stock; or (v) the individuals who, as of the close of the
most recent  annual  meeting of the Company's  stockholders,  are members of the
Board (the "Existing  Directors")  cease for any reason to constitute  more than
50% of the Board;  provided,  however,  that if the election,  or nomination for
election,  by the Company's  stockholders  of any new director was approved by a
vote of at least  50% of the  Existing  Directors,  such new  director  shall be
considered an Existing Director;  provided further,  however, that no individual
shall be considered an Existing  Director if such individual  initially  assumed
office as a result of either an  actual or  threatened  "Election  Contest"  (as
described  in Rule 14a-11  under the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934) or other
actual or  threatened  solicitation  of proxies by or on behalf of anyone  other
than the  Board (a  "Proxy  Contest"),  including  by  reason  of any  agreement
intended to avoid or settle any Election Contest or Proxy Contest.

     Covered Employee: A Key Employee who is or is expected to be a "covered
employee" within the meaning of Code Section 162(m) and the related  regulations
for the year in which an Incentive is taxable to such  employee and for whom the
Committee intends that such Incentive qualify as performance-based  compensation
under Code Section 162(m).

     Disabled:   Eligible  for  Social  Security   disability   benefits  or
disability  benefits  under  the  Company's  long-term  disability  plan.  A Key
Employee shall not be considered  Disabled unless the Committee  determines that
the Disability arose prior to such employee's termination date.





         Fair Market Value: The average of the highest and lowest price at which
Common Stock was traded on the relevant date, as reported in the "NYSE-Composite
Transactions"  section of the Midwest Edition of the Wall Street Journal, or, if
no sales of  Common  Stock  were  reported  for that  date,  on the most  recent
preceding date on which Common Stock was traded.

         Incentive Stock Option:  As defined in Code Section 422.

         Incentives:  Options (including Incentive Stock Options), Stock Awards,
Performance Units and Stock Appreciation Rights.

         Key Employee:  An employee of the Company approved by the Committee for
participation in the Plan on the basis of his or her ability to contribute
significantly to the growth and profitability of the Company.

         Option:  An option to purchase shares of Common Stock granted to a Key
Employee pursuant to Section 5.

         Performance Unit:  A unit representing a cash sum or one or more shares
of Common Stock that is granted to a Key Employee pursuant to Section 7.

         Plan: The Illinois Tool Works Inc. 1996 Stock Incentive Plan, as
amended from time to time.

         Restricted Shares:  Shares of Common Stock issued subject to
restrictions pursuant to Section 6(b).

         Retirement:  Termination of employment while eligible for retirement
as defined by the Company's  tax-qualified defined benefit retirement plan.

         Stock Appreciation Right or Right:  An award granted to a Key
Employee pursuant to Section 8.

         Stock Award:  An award of Common Stock granted to a Key Employee
pursuant to Section 6.

         Stock Ownership Guidelines:  The stock ownership guidelines adopted
by the Board, as amended from time to time.

SECTION 3  ADMINISTRATION

         (a) Committee.  The Plan shall be administered by the Committee. To the
extent  required to comply with Rule 16b-3 under the Securities  Exchange Act of
1934, each member of the Committee shall qualify as a "disinterested  person" as
defined  therein.  To the extent required to comply with Code Section 162(m) and
the  related  regulations,  each  member of the  Committee  shall  qualify as an
"outside director" as defined therein.

         (b) Authority of the Committee.  The Committee shall have the authority
to approve Key Employees for participation;  to construe and interpret the Plan;
to establish,  amend or waive rules and regulations for its administration;  and
to accelerate  the  exercisability  of any Incentive or the  termination  of any
restriction under any Incentive. Incentives may be subject to such provisions as
the Committee  shall deem  advisable,  and may be amended by the Committee  from
time to time; provided that no such amendment may adversely affect the rights of
the holder of an Incentive without such holder's consent,  and no amendment,  as
it applies to any Covered Employee,  shall be made that would cause an Incentive
granted  to such  Covered  Employee  to fail to  satisfy  the  performance-based
compensation exemption under Code Section 162(m) and the related regulations.







SECTION 4  COMMON STOCK SUBJECT TO PLAN

         Subject to Section 10, the aggregate shares of Common Stock that may be
issued  under the Plan,  including  Common  Stock  authorized  but not issued or
reserved for issuance under the 1979 Plan, shall not exceed  10,000,000.  In the
event of a lapse,  expiration,  termination,  forfeiture or  cancellation of any
Incentive granted under the Plan or the 1979 Plan without the issuance of shares
or payment of cash,  the Common Stock subject to or reserved for such  Incentive
may be used again for a new Incentive  hereunder;  provided that in no event may
the number of shares of Common Stock issued hereunder exceed the total number of
shares reserved for issuance. Any shares of Common Stock withheld or surrendered
to pay withholding taxes pursuant to Section 13(e) or withheld or surrendered in
full or partial  payment of the exercise price of an Option  pursuant to Section
5(e)  shall be added to the  aggregate  shares of  Common  Stock  available  for
issuance.

SECTION 5  OPTIONS

         (a)  Price.  The exercise price per share of an Option shall be
not less than the Fair Market Value on the grant date.

         (b)  Limitations.   The  exercise  price  of  Incentive  Stock  Options
exercisable  for the first time by a Key Employee during any calendar year shall
not exceed  $100,000.  Options for more than 500,000  shares of Common Stock may
not be granted in any calendar  year to any Key  Employee.  No  Incentive  Stock
Options may be granted after April 30, 2006.

         (c)  Required Period of Employment.  The Committee may condition
the exercisability of any Option on the completion of a minimum period of
employment.

         (d)  Duration.  Each Option shall expire at such time as the  Committee
may determine at the time of grant,  provided that Incentive  Stock Options must
expire not later than ten years from the grant date.

         (e)  Payment.  The exercise price of an Option shall be paid in full at
the time of exercise in cash,  through the  surrender or  withholding  of Common
Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the exercise price or by a combination
of the foregoing.

         (f)  Grant of Restorative  Options. The Committee shall grant to any
Key Employee a  Restorative  Option to purchase  additional  shares of Common
Stock equal to the number of shares  delivered  by the Key  Employee in payment
of the exercise  price  of an  Option.  The  terms  of a  restorative  Option
shall be identical to the terms of the exercised  Option,  except that the
exercise price shall be not less than the Fair Market Value on the grant date.

SECTION 6  STOCK AWARDS

         (a)  Grant of  Stock  Awards.  Stock  Awards  may be made on terms  and
conditions fixed by the Committee. Stock Awards may be in the form of Restricted
Shares  authorized  pursuant to Section  6(b).  Officers  who are covered by the
Stock  Ownership  Guidelines  may elect to receive up to 50% of their  Executive
Incentive  Plan awards in shares of Common Stock.  The recipient of Common Stock
pursuant to a Stock Award shall be a  stockholder  of the Company  with  respect
thereto, fully entitled to receive dividends, vote and exercise all other rights
of a  stockholder  except to the extent  otherwise  provided in the Stock Award.
Stock Awards (including Restricted Share awards) for more than 500,000 shares of
Common Stock may not be granted in any calendar year to any Key Employee.

         (b)  Restricted Shares.  Restricted Shares may not be sold by the
holder, or subject to execution, attachment or similar process, until the lapse
of the applicable restriction period or satisfaction of other conditions
specified by the





Committee. If the Committee intends the Restricted Shares granted to any Covered
Employee  to satisfy the  performance-based  compensation  exemption  under Code
Section  162(m)  ("Qualifying  Restricted  Shares"),  the  extent  to which  the
Qualifying  Restricted  Shares  will vest  shall be based on the  attainment  of
performance   goals   established  in  writing  prior  to  commencement  of  the
performance  period by the Committee from the list in Section 7(a). The level of
attainment  of such  performance  goals and the  corresponding  number of vested
Qualifying  Restricted  Shares shall be  certified  by the  Committee in writing
pursuant to Code Section 162(m) and the related regulations.





SECTION 7  PERFORMANCE UNITS
         (a)  Value  of  Performance  Units.  Prior to the  commencement  of the
performance  period,  the Committee shall establish in writing an initial target
value or  number of shares  of  Common  Stock  for the  Performance  Units to be
granted to a Key  Employee,  the  duration of the  performance  period,  and the
specific performance goals to be attained, including performance levels at which
various  percentages  of  Performance  Units  will be earned  and,  for  Covered
Employees,  the minimum level of attainment to be met to earn any portion of the
Performance Units. If the Committee intends the Performance Units granted to any
Covered Employee to satisfy the performance-based  compensation  exemption under
Code Section 162(m)  ("Qualifying  Performance  Units"),  the performance  goals
shall be based on one or more of the following objective criteria: generation of
free cash, earnings per share,  revenues,  market share, stock price, cash flow,
retained earnings,  results of customer satisfaction surveys,  aggregate product
price and other product price  measures,  safety record,  acquisition  activity,
management  succession  planning,  improved  asset  management,  improved  gross
margins, increased inventory turns, product development and liability,  research
and  development  integration,  proprietary  protections,  legal  effectiveness,
handling SEC or environmental issues, manufacturing efficiencies,  system review
and  improvement,  service  reliability and cost management,  operating  expense
ratios, total stockholder return,  return on sales, return on equity,  return on
capital, return on assets, return on investment,  net income,  operating income,
and the attainment of one or more performance  goals relative to the performance
of other corporations.

         (b)  Payment  of  Performance  Units.  After  the end of a  performance
period,  the Committee shall certify in writing the extent to which  performance
goals  have been met and shall  compute  the payout to be  received  by each Key
Employee.  With respect to Qualifying  Performance Units, for any calendar year,
the maximum amount payable in cash to any Covered  Employee shall be $5,000,000,
and the  aggregate  shares of  Common  Stock  that may be issued to any  Covered
Employee is 500,000.  The Committee may not adjust upward the amount  payable to
any Covered Employee with respect to Qualifying Performance Units.

SECTION 8  STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS
         (a)  Grant of Stock Appreciation  Rights.  Stock Appreciation Rights
may be granted in connection with an Option (at the time of the
grant or at any time thereafter) or may be granted independently.
Stock Appreciation Rights for more than  500,000  shares of Common
Stock may not be granted to any Key Employee in any calendar year.

         (b)  Value  of  Stock  Appreciation  Rights.  The  holder  of  a  Stock
Appreciation  Right granted in connection with an Option,  upon surrender of the
Option, will receive cash or shares of Common Stock equal in value to the lesser
of (i) the  excess  of the Fair  Market  Value  on the  exercise  date  over the
Option's  exercise  price  or (ii) the  exercise  price  of the  Option  that is
surrendered,  multiplied  by the number of shares  covered by such  Option.  The
holder of a Stock  Appreciation  Right granted  independent  of an Option,  upon
exercise,  will  receive  cash or shares of Common  Stock  equal in value to the
lesser of (i) the excess of the Fair Market Value on the exercise  date over the
Fair Market  Value on the grant date or (ii) the Fair Market  Value on the grant
date, multiplied by the number of shares covered by the Right.

SECTION 9  TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT
         (a)  Forfeiture of  Incentives  Upon  Termination  of  Employment.  All
unvested Incentives shall be forfeited upon termination of employment unless the
terms of the Incentive or Section 9(b) provide otherwise.  The Committee, in its
sole discretion,  may waive this automatic  forfeiture provision at any time for
any Incentive.

         (b)  Termination  Due to  Retirement,  Disability or Death.  Upon death
while  employed  or  termination  by reason of  Retirement  or  Disability,  all
unvested Incentives shall become fully vested and, if applicable, payable to the
Key Employee or to the Key Employee's estate in the event of death to the extent
provided in Section 9(c)(ii).  Notwithstanding the foregoing,  the Committee may
deem an Incentive to be  immediately  forfeited  if,  following  termination  by
reason of  Retirement  or  Disability,  the holder  competes with the Company or
engages in conduct that,





in the opinion of the Committee, adversely affects the Company.

         (c)  Treatment of Incentives Following Termination.

              (i)  Options and Stock Appreciation Rights.

                   (A)  Termination Due to Retirement, Disability or Death.  
                   Upon termination   of   employment   by  reason  of  
                   Retirement or Disability,  Options shall be exercisable  not 
                   later than the earlier of five years after the termination  
                   date or the expiration  of the term of the Options.  
                   Options held by a Key Employee  who dies  while  employed  
                   by the  Company  or after terminating  by reason of 
                   Retirement  or  Disability  shall be exercisable  by the 
                   Key  Employee's  estate not later than the
                   earliest  of two years  after the date of  death,  five  
                   years after the date of termination  due to Retirement or 
                   Disability or the expiration of the term of the Options.

                   (B)  Termination  for  Other  Reasons.   Upon  termination  
                   of employment  for any reason  other than  death,
                   Retirement or Disability, Options vested prior to such 
                   termination  may be exercised  by a Key  Employee  during the
                   three-month  period commencing on the date of termination,  
                   but not later than the expiration of the term of the Options.
                   If a Key Employee dies during such post-employment period, 
                   such Key Employee's estate  may  exercise  the Options (to
                   the extent  such  Options  were vested and exercisable prior
                   to death), but not later than the earlier of two years after
                   the date of death or the expiration of the term of the 
                   Options.

                   (C)  Stock Appreciation Rights.  Sections 9(c)(i)(A) and
                   (B)  shall apply in the same manner to Stock Appreciation
                   Rights.

              (ii) Performance Units. If a Key Employee dies while employed,
                   terminates  by  reason  of  Retirement  or  Disability,   or
                   otherwise terminates without forfeiting  unvested  Incentives
                   pursuant to Section 9(a),  the Key Employee or such Key
                   Employee's  estate in the event of death shall receive a
                   prorated payment of the Performance  Units based
                   on  the  number  of  full  months  of  service  during  the
                   applicable performance  period,  adjusted based on the
                   achievement of performance goals during the performance
                   period. Payment shall be made at the time payments  would
                   have  been made had the  Key  Employee  not  died or
                   terminated.

SECTION 10  ADJUSTMENT PROVISIONS
         In the  event  of a  stock  split,  stock  dividend,  recapitalization,
reclassification  or  combination of shares,  merger,  sale of assets or similar
event,  the Committee shall adjust  equitably (a) the number and class of shares
or other  securities  that are  reserved for  issuance  under the Plan,  (b) the
number and class of shares or other  securities  that have not been issued under
outstanding  Incentives,  and (c) the  appropriate  Fair Market  Value and other
price determinations applicable to Incentives.

SECTION 11  TERM
         The Plan shall be deemed adopted and shall become effective on the date
it is approved by the  stockholders  of the  Company  and shall  continue  until
terminated by the Board or no Common Stock remains  available for issuance under
Section 4, whichever occurs first.

SECTION 12  CORPORATE CHANGE
         In the event of a Corporate  Change,  all Incentives shall vest in each
Key  Employee,  and  the  maximum  value  of  all  Performance  Units  shall  be
immediately  payable in cash,  prorated for the number of days in the applicable
performance period that have elapsed as of the date of the Corporate Change.






SECTION 13  GENERAL PROVISIONS
         (a)  Employment.  Nothing in the Plan or in any related instrument
shall confer upon any  employee  any right to continue in the employ of the
Company or shall  affect  the right of the  Company  to  terminate  the
employment  of any employee with or without cause.

         (b)  Legality of Issuance of Shares.  No Common  Stock shall be issued
pursuant to an Incentive unless and until all legal  requirements  applicable to
such issuance have been satisfied.

         (c)  Ownership  of  Common  Stock   Allocated  to  Plan.  No  employee
(individually  or as a member of a group),  and no  beneficiary  or other person
claiming under or through such employee, shall have any right, title or interest
in or to any Common  Stock  allocated  or reserved  for  purposes of the Plan or
subject to any Incentive  except as to shares of Common Stock,  if any, as shall
have been issued to such employee.

         (d)  Governing Law.  The Plan, and all agreements hereunder, shall
be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of
Illinois.

         (e)  Withholding  of  Taxes.  The  Company  may  withhold,  or allow an
Incentive  holder to remit to the  Company,  any  Federal,  state or local taxes
applicable to any grant, exercise,  vesting,  distribution or other event giving
rise to income tax liability with respect to an Incentive.  An Incentive  holder
may elect to surrender  previously  acquired Common Stock or to have the Company
withhold  Common  Stock that would  otherwise  have been issued  pursuant to the
exercise of an Option or in connection with any other  Incentive,  the number of
shares of such withheld or surrendered  Common Stock to be sufficient to satisfy
all or a portion of the income tax  liability  that  arises  upon the  exercise,
vesting,  distribution  or other event giving rise to income tax liability  with
respect to an Incentive.

         (f)  Non-transferability; Exceptions. Except as provided in this
Section 13(f), no Incentive may be assigned or subjected to any  encumbrance,
pledge or charge of any  nature.  Under such rules and  procedures  as the
Committee  may establish,  the holder of an Incentive may transfer such
Incentive to members of the holder's immediate family (i.e.,  children,
grandchildren and spouse) or to one or more trusts for the benefit of such
family members or to  partnerships in which  such  family  members  are  the
only  partners,  provided  that  (i) the agreement,  if any, with respect
to such Incentives,  expressly so permits or is amended to so permit,  (ii)
the holder does not receive  any  consideration  for such transfer,  and (iii)
the holder provides such  documentation or information concerning  any such
transfer or  transferee  as the  Committee  may  reasonably request.
Any Incentives  held by any  transferees  shall be subject to the same
terms and  conditions that applied immediately prior to their  transfer.  The
Committee may also amend the agreements applicable to any outstanding Incentives
to permit such  transfers.  Any Incentive not granted  pursuant to any agreement
expressly  permitting  its transfer or amended  expressly to permit its transfer
shall not be transferable.
Such transfer rights shall in no event apply to any Incentive Stock Option.

SECTION 14  AMENDMENT OR DISCONTINUANCE OF THE PLAN
         (a)  Amendment  or   Discontinuance.   The  Plan  may  be  amended  or
discontinued by the Board from time to time,  provided that without the approval
of  stockholders,  no  amendment  shall be made  which (i)  amends  Section 4 to
increase the aggregate  Common Stock that may be issued  pursuant to Incentives,
(ii) amends the  provisions of Section 12, (iii) permits any person who is not a
Key Employee to be granted an Incentive,  (iv) permits Common Stock to be valued
at, or permits the exercise  price of Options at the grant date, to be less than
Fair Market Value,  (v) amends the  provisions of Section 8 to change the method
of establishing the amount the Company shall distribute upon exercise of a Stock
Appreciation  Right,  (vi) amends the provisions of Section 7(b) to increase the
value which may be specified for Performance Units or amends any other provision
of the Plan, the amendment of which would require stockholder  approval in order
to continue to satisfy the performance-based  compensation  exemption under Code
Section 162(m) and the related regulations with respect to any Incentive awarded
to any Covered  Employee,  (vii) changes the maximum  number of shares of Common
Stock that may be awarded to any employee in any year





pursuant to Options, Stock Awards or Stock Appreciation Rights, or (viii) amends
this Section 14.

         (b)  Effect of Amendment or Discontinuance on Incentives.  No amendment
or  discontinuance  of the Plan by the Board or the  stockholders of the Company
shall adversely affect any Incentive  theretofore granted without the consent of
the holder.