John Crane Inc., headquartered in Morton Grove, Illinois (and formerly known as Crane Packing Company), was one of the primary manufacturers of mechanical face seals, pump shaft packing, and fluid sealing products for marine and industrial applications in the United States. John Crane supplied mechanical seals and asbestos-containing compressed packing to the US Navy for use in shipboard pump systems, valve assemblies, and rotating machinery throughout naval vessels. John Crane mechanical seals and asbestos-containing pump packing were used in fire main pumps, bilge pumps, fuel oil service pumps, freshwater pumps, and other shipboard machinery requiring shaft sealing. Asbestos-containing packing products manufactured by John Crane — including braided asbestos packing, compressed asbestos sheet packing, and asbestos-containing ring packing — were used in valve stems and pump stuffing boxes throughout naval vessel piping and machinery systems. Navy Machinery Repairmen and Boiler Tenders installing and replacing John Crane packing products in shipboard machinery encountered asbestos fiber released from the packing materials during packing removal, cutting, and installation operations.

Mechanical Seal and Pump Packing Products and Asbestos

John Crane’s Navy products incorporated asbestos-containing materials:

  • Braided asbestos pump packing — John Crane braided asbestos packing used in pump stuffing boxes throughout Navy shipboard machinery was compressed against rotating pump shafts to prevent leakage. Navy Machinery Repairmen replacing pump packing in fire main pumps, bilge pumps, and auxiliary machinery pumps removed old asbestos packing and installed new asbestos packing by cutting braided packing material to length and pressing it into the pump stuffing box, with each packing replacement releasing asbestos fiber from the braided packing material during the cutting and removal operations
  • Valve stem packing — John Crane braided and ring asbestos packing used in valve stems throughout Navy shipboard piping systems was replaced during valve repacking operations by Machinery Repairmen who removed old asbestos packing from valve glands and installed new packing material, releasing asbestos fiber during the packing removal and installation process
  • Mechanical face seals with asbestos components — John Crane mechanical face seals used in some shipboard applications incorporated asbestos-containing materials in seal face assemblies or seal cartridge construction consistent with mid-century mechanical seal construction for marine applications

John Crane products were used in naval shore facility mechanical systems:

  • Naval shipyard and shore facility pump systems — naval shipyard pump systems, naval industrial facility rotating machinery, and naval shore facility utility systems used John Crane mechanical seals and packing products in their pump and valve infrastructure, with naval facility maintenance workers replacing John Crane packing materials in shore facility mechanical systems

VA Claims for Veterans Exposed to John Crane Products

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from Navy sealing and packing products. Machinery Repairmen, Boiler Tenders, and other Navy personnel who replaced John Crane packing and mechanical seals in naval vessel and facility mechanical systems and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.