Crane Co., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, was one of the United States’ largest manufacturers of valves, pipe fittings, and related fluid handling equipment for industrial, marine, and commercial markets. Crane Co. supplied the US Navy with gate valves, globe valves, check valves, butterfly valves, and pipe fittings for installation in shipboard steam, seawater, fuel oil, and hydraulic piping systems. Crane Co. branded valves and Crane-subsidiary products — including Crane-Deming pumps and Crane-Valve products — were used throughout naval vessel piping systems in both the engineering spaces and the ship’s service systems. Crane Co. valves manufactured through the mid-1970s used asbestos-containing braided stem packing in valve gland assemblies and asbestos-containing body gaskets between valve body and bonnet sections. Navy Machinery Repairmen and Boiler Tenders performing routine valve maintenance operations — valve repacking, valve overhaul, and body gasket replacement — on Crane valves in naval engineering spaces encountered asbestos fiber released from the disturbed packing and gasket materials during each maintenance event.

Valve Stem Packing and Body Gasket Asbestos

Crane Co. valve products incorporated asbestos-containing materials:

  • Gate and globe valve asbestos stem packing — Crane Co. gate valves and globe valves in Navy steam, seawater, and fuel service used asbestos-containing braided packing in valve stem stuffing boxes. Navy Machinery Repairmen repacking Crane valves during routine valve maintenance removed compressed asbestos packing from valve glands and installed new asbestos packing, with the packing removal and cutting operations releasing asbestos fiber from the disturbed packing material into the engineering space work area during each repacking operation
  • Valve body bonnet gasket materials — Crane Co. valve body-to-bonnet joints used compressed asbestos gaskets sealing the valve body assembly. Machinery Repairmen performing valve body overhaul on Crane valves during major maintenance periods removed and replaced these asbestos body gaskets during valve disassembly operations
  • Steam service applications — Crane Co. valves in Navy high-pressure steam service required more frequent packing maintenance due to the thermal cycling and operating pressures of steam system service, increasing the frequency of maintenance events and corresponding asbestos exposure for engineering ratings performing valve repacking operations on steam line Crane valves

Check Valve and Specialty Products

Crane Co. check valves and specialty items used in Navy applications:

  • Check valve disc and seat gasket materials — Crane Co. check valves in Navy piping service incorporated asbestos-containing seating gasket materials in check valve disc and seat assemblies consistent with mid-century check valve construction, with valve maintenance personnel encountering these gasket materials during check valve overhaul operations

VA Claims for Veterans Exposed to Crane Co. Products

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from Navy valve maintenance activities. Machinery Repairmen and Boiler Tenders who repacked and overhauled Crane Co. valves in naval vessel and facility piping systems and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.