Raybestos-Manhattan, Inc. was a major manufacturer of asbestos-containing friction materials and asbestos textiles — including brake linings, clutch facings, asbestos cloth, asbestos yarn, and specialty asbestos woven and braided products used in industrial and military applications. Raybestos-Manhattan’s asbestos textile division produced asbestos materials for use in Navy applications: asbestos cloth for fire protection, asbestos textiles for packing and sealing, and compressed asbestos materials for gasket and sealing applications. Raybestos-Manhattan’s asbestos products were used at naval bases, aboard naval vessels, and in the vehicle and equipment fleets maintained at Navy installations. Raybestos-Manhattan is also documented in the asbestos litigation corpus in the context of early Navy knowledge of asbestos health hazards — reflecting the Navy’s documented awareness of asbestos-related risks during the era of continued Raybestos-Manhattan product use. Publicly filed asbestos litigation records document Raybestos-Manhattan Inc.: the Raybestos-Manhattan Asbestos Textile Division, compressed asbestos in the Navy material context, early Navy asbestos hazard knowledge documentation, and Raybestos-Manhattan in formal asbestos proceedings.
Documented Asbestos — Raybestos-Manhattan in Naval Litigation
Raybestos-Manhattan Asbestos Textile Division
Compressed Asbestos — Navy Material
Navy Knowledge of Asbestos Hazards — Raybestos Context
Raybestos-Manhattan — Formal Litigation
Raybestos-Manhattan Products in Naval Applications
Asbestos friction materials: Raybestos-Manhattan manufactured asbestos brake linings and clutch facings used in military vehicle fleets maintained at naval bases and shipyards. Motor pool mechanics who serviced vehicles equipped with Raybestos-Manhattan friction materials were exposed to asbestos from the worn brake and clutch lining dust.
Asbestos cloth and textiles: Raybestos-Manhattan’s asbestos textile products — cloth, yarn, and woven materials — were used in Navy engineering spaces as fire protection, heat shielding, and insulation materials. The cutting and handling of asbestos textile products released asbestos fiber during use.
Compressed asbestos sheet: Raybestos-Manhattan’s compressed asbestos sheet materials were used as gasket material for industrial and naval machinery applications — a direct competitor to Garlock and Crane Packing in the Navy gasket material market.
VA Claims and Legal Options — Raybestos-Manhattan
Navy veterans who were exposed to Raybestos-Manhattan asbestos friction materials, asbestos textiles, or compressed asbestos sheet during naval service, and who subsequently developed mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease, may qualify for:
- VA service connection under VA asbestos-claim guidance for veterans with documented duty involving Raybestos-Manhattan asbestos products in vehicle maintenance, engineering, or boiler room applications
- Civil claims against Raybestos-Manhattan successors based on documented asbestos textile and friction material use in Navy applications
Key documents:
- DD-214 or service records — documenting naval service in ratings or positions involving vehicle maintenance or engineering space work with Raybestos-Manhattan products
- Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease
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Exposure documentation derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records including Raybestos-Manhattan Asbestos Textile Division formal identification, compressed asbestos SBR Navy material documentation, documentation of early Navy asbestos hazard awareness in the Raybestos-Manhattan product context, asbestos fiber percentage variation in Raybestos-Manhattan products, and Raybestos-Manhattan in formal asbestos litigation including Blackman v. Asbestos Defendants. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.