Henry Vogt Machine Company, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, was a manufacturer of forged steel gate valves, globe valves, and check valves for high-pressure steam and fluid service — including valves used in US Navy propulsion plant piping systems aboard surface combatants and submarines. Vogt valves appeared in steam system applications requiring forged steel construction for elevated temperature and pressure service, including main steam, feedwater, and auxiliary steam systems throughout the surface ship and submarine fleet.

Asbestos in Vogt Valve Construction

Henry Vogt valves used asbestos-containing materials in valve body and stem sealing:

  • Valve stem packing — the stuffing box packing sealing the valve stem in Henry Vogt gate and globe valves used compressed asbestos packing rings in standard Navy valve specifications. Machinist’s Mates and Hull Technicians repacking Vogt steam system valves removed deteriorated asbestos packing and installed new asbestos packing rings during scheduled maintenance — generating asbestos fiber during packing removal and cutting of replacement packing stock
  • Bonnet gaskets — the bonnet-to-body joint gaskets sealing the Vogt valve pressure boundary used asbestos spiral-wound or sheet gasket materials at the bolted joint. Valve overhaul requiring bonnet removal disturbed the asbestos bonnet gasket at each overhaul interval
  • Valve body companion flange gaskets — the flanged connections joining Vogt valves to the steam piping system used asbestos-containing ring gaskets, disturbed at each valve removal and reinstallation

Steam Plant Applications

Henry Vogt valves served in multiple Navy steam plant applications:

  • Main steam system valves — high-pressure main steam stop valves and main steam bypass valves in destroyer, cruiser, and carrier steam plants used forged steel valve construction with asbestos packing in high-temperature service
  • Feedwater system valves — feedwater control and isolation valves in Navy boiler feedwater systems used Vogt-style forged steel valves with asbestos stuffing box packing
  • Auxiliary steam system valves — the auxiliary steam systems serving distilling plants, heating, and auxiliary equipment throughout the ship used globe and gate valves with asbestos packing in lower-pressure steam service

VA Claims for Veterans Exposed to Henry Vogt Machine Company Products

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from valve maintenance in Navy engineering plants. Engineering ratings who performed maintenance on Henry Vogt and other valve manufacturers’ products with asbestos-containing stem packing and gaskets and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.