Northern Pump Company, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was a manufacturer of hydraulic gear pumps, hydraulic power units, and fluid power equipment for naval, industrial, and commercial applications. Northern supplied the United States Navy with hydraulic pumps for gun mount training and elevation drive hydraulic systems, dual-purpose gun mount hydraulic power units, steering gear hydraulic pumping units, and general hydraulic service applications throughout naval vessel weapon and steering systems. Northern hydraulic pumps driving gun mount and turret hydraulic systems provided the fluid power for training and elevation of naval gun mounts from 3-inch to 8-inch caliber, with Northern pump hydraulic power units installed in destroyer, cruiser, and battleship gun mount machinery spaces. Northern pump products incorporated asbestos-containing packing materials in pump shaft seal assemblies and asbestos-containing gasket materials in pump body and end cover joints, with Machinist’s Mates and Gunner’s Mates maintaining Northern hydraulic pump systems in gun mount and steering spaces encountering asbestos materials during pump maintenance operations.

Hydraulic Pump Shaft Seal and Packing Asbestos

Northern pump shaft seals incorporated asbestos-containing materials:

  • Hydraulic pump shaft packing — Northern hydraulic gear pumps used in Navy gun mount and steering gear hydraulic systems incorporated asbestos-containing packing materials in pump shaft stuffing box or mechanical seal assemblies, sealing the rotating pump shaft against hydraulic fluid leakage. Machinist’s Mates and Gunner’s Mates performing hydraulic pump shaft seal maintenance removed and replaced asbestos shaft packing materials in Northern pump seal assemblies during routine hydraulic system maintenance operations
  • Gun mount hydraulic power unit maintenance — Northern hydraulic power units providing fluid power for destroyer and cruiser gun mount training and elevation systems required periodic pump maintenance including shaft seal replacement. Gunner’s Mates maintaining gun mount hydraulic systems performed Northern pump seal maintenance in the gun mount machinery spaces, encountering asbestos shaft seal and packing materials during each seal maintenance evolution

Pump Body and End Cover Gasket Asbestos

Northern pump body joints incorporated asbestos-containing gaskets:

  • Pump body and end cover gaskets — Northern hydraulic gear pump body and end cover joints used asbestos-containing compressed gasket materials at the pump body-to-end cover flange faces, providing oil-tight sealing on the hydraulic pump housing assembly. Machinist’s Mates performing Northern pump overhaul operations requiring pump body disassembly removed and replaced asbestos-containing body and end cover gasket materials during the pump disassembly and reassembly process
  • Hydraulic system manifold and valve gaskets — hydraulic system control manifolds and valve assemblies associated with Northern hydraulic power units incorporated asbestos-containing gasket materials at manifold section joints and valve body connections. Engineering ratings performing hydraulic system maintenance on Northern hydraulic power unit manifold and valve assemblies encountered asbestos gasket materials during manifold and valve maintenance operations

VA Claims for Veterans Exposed to Northern Pump Products

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from Navy hydraulic system maintenance. Machinist’s Mates and Gunner’s Mates who maintained Northern Pump Company hydraulic pumps and power units in naval vessel gun mount and steering gear spaces and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.