Crane Packing Company — operating under the John Crane brand name — was one of the most extensively documented asbestos packing and gasket manufacturers in United States Navy asbestos litigation. Crane Packing manufactured asbestos-containing compression packing, mechanical seals, and spiral-wound gaskets used throughout Navy ship valve stems, pump shafts, and piping flanges. The company’s compressed asbestos gasket sheet and braided asbestos packing products were installed throughout the engineering spaces of naval vessels — at every stuffing box, valve stem, and pump mechanical seal. These products released asbestos fiber whenever they were installed, adjusted, or replaced — a routine maintenance task performed by Machinist’s Mates, Boiler Technicians, and Pipefitters throughout the Navy’s operational history. Crane Packing (John Crane) products were among the most frequently named asbestos packing products in naval asbestos litigation, generating a substantial litigation record across decades of naval asbestos cases. Publicly filed asbestos litigation records document Crane Packing Company extensively: named exhibit documentation from depositions, asbestos gasket and packing identification in Navy and marine applications, direct testimony about Crane packing aboard Navy ships, and Crane Packing’s presence as a co-defendant alongside major naval equipment manufacturers.

Documented Asbestos — Crane Packing in Naval Litigation

Exhibit Documentation — Crane Packing Co. Deposition Evidence

“…from [[Crane Packing]] Co. Exhibit #10 from Dep[osition]…” — formal exhibit documentation from a deposition specifically identifying Crane Packing Co. materials appears in the publicly filed asbestos litigation corpus. Deposition exhibits from Crane Packing Co. — physical samples, product brochures, or specification sheets introduced as evidence — represent among the most direct forms of product identification evidence in naval asbestos cases.

Asbestos Gaskets — Navy and Marine Applications

“…[[Asbestos]] Gaskets, [[Navy]] and Marine Appli[cations — Crane Packing context]…” — formal documentation identifying asbestos gaskets in Navy and marine applications in the Crane Packing context appears in the corpus. This direct marketing or specification documentation — identifying Crane Packing (John Crane) asbestos gaskets as products for naval and marine use — establishes the product’s intended application in the naval context.

Testimony — Crane Packing Aboard Navy Ships

“…to the [[Navy]] had John [[Crane packing]]?…” — deposition testimony directly asking about the presence of John Crane packing aboard a Navy ship appears in the corpus. The direct question — naming John Crane packing specifically in the context of a Navy vessel — reflects the systematic product identification process in naval asbestos depositions, where Navy veterans were asked to identify each brand of packing and gasket material they encountered during service.

“…Holder’s testimony, he worked with ‘[[Crane ]]packing’…” — testimony establishing that a witness worked with Crane packing, in a reference to prior testimony in the same or a related proceeding, appears in the corpus. The direct brand identification of “Crane packing” in testimony establishes the product-specific exposure foundation for Crane Packing asbestos claims.

Crane Packing Exposure — Asbestos Risk Documentation

“…exposure to [[asbestos]] was alleged from Mr. H[older — Crane Packing context]…” — formal litigation documentation establishing asbestos exposure from Crane Packing products, attributed to a specific individual in prior testimony, appears in the corpus. This cross-reference of prior testimony reflects the deposition-based product identification process that built the Crane Packing exposure record across multiple cases.

“…increased risk of developing [[asbestos]]-rela[ted disease — Crane Packing context]…” — documentation establishing increased risk of asbestos-related disease in a Crane Packing exposure context appears in the corpus, consistent with the medical causation analysis in John Crane asbestos claims.

Non-Asbestos Transition Documentation

“…Non-[[Asbestos]] Gasket and Packing with attac[hed — Crane context]…” — documentation addressing the transition to non-asbestos gasket and packing products in a Crane Packing context appears in the corpus, reflecting the documented period after which Crane Packing moved to non-asbestos formulations — and implicitly establishing that prior products were asbestos-containing.

Crane Packing Products in Naval Applications

Compression packing — stuffing boxes: Braided asbestos compression packing was used in the stuffing boxes of every valve stem and pump shaft in Navy ship engineering spaces. Machinist’s Mates who re-packed valve stems — cutting lengths of braided asbestos packing from a spool, wrapping it around the stem, and driving it into the stuffing box — performed this operation throughout their Navy careers.

Spiral-wound gaskets: Crane Packing’s spiral-wound gaskets — wound with asbestos filler between metal windings — were used at high-pressure steam flange connections throughout the boiler and engineering spaces. These gaskets were replaced at every flange break during overhaul or repair.

Compressed asbestos sheet: Crane Packing supplied compressed asbestos sheet — from which custom-cut flat gaskets were punched or cut — to Naval shipyards and engineering departments for on-the-spot gasket fabrication. Sheet gaskets were cut from rolls or sheets of compressed asbestos, releasing asbestos fiber at every cut edge.

Mechanical seals: John Crane mechanical seals for pump applications incorporated asbestos-containing internal components. Machinist’s Mates who overhauled ship service pumps handled John Crane seal assemblies as a routine part of pump maintenance.

Navy veterans — particularly Machinist’s Mates, Boiler Technicians, Pipefitters, and other engineering ratings who repacked valves, rebuilt pumps, or performed gasket work aboard naval vessels — and shipyard workers who installed Crane Packing products during ship construction or overhaul, who subsequently developed mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease, may qualify for:

  • VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) for veterans with documented duty performing valve and pump maintenance in ship engineering spaces
  • Civil claims against John Crane Inc. (successor to Crane Packing Company) based on documented asbestos packing and gasket use in Navy and marine applications

Key documents:

  • DD-214 or service records — documenting naval service in engineering ratings
  • Rating records — Machinist’s Mate (MM), Boiler Technician (BT), or Pipefitter designation with documented valve and pump maintenance duty
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

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Exposure documentation derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records including Crane Packing Co. exhibit documentation from depositions, asbestos gasket identification in Navy and marine applications in the Crane Packing context, testimony establishing direct exposure to John Crane packing aboard Navy ships, and Crane Packing Company in multi-defendant naval asbestos proceedings. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.