Raybestos-Manhattan, Inc. was a major manufacturer of asbestos-containing products including asbestos valve packing, asbestos textile products (woven cloth, tape, and cord), and asbestos brake and friction materials. Through its Asbestos Textile Division, Raybestos-Manhattan manufactured asbestos packing and textile products supplied to the United States Navy for use in valve stuffing boxes, pump shaft seals, and pipe insulation wrap throughout Navy ships. Raybestos-Manhattan’s “Raybestos Asbestos Packing” was a specifically branded product — marketed under that name — that was used aboard Navy vessels in engineroom valve and pump maintenance. Publicly filed asbestos litigation records document Raybestos-Manhattan’s Asbestos Textile Division extensively, with personal testimony naming Raybestos Asbestos Packing, formal division documentation, manufacturing scope documentation, and 1975 asbestos fiber records.

Documented Asbestos in Raybestos-Manhattan Navy Products

Raybestos Asbestos Packing — Named Brand Product

“…The Raybestos Asbestos Packing name appear[s in the record]…” — formal documentation specifically addressing the “Raybestos Asbestos Packing” product name appears in the publicly filed asbestos litigation corpus. The fact that “Raybestos Asbestos Packing” had a recognized brand name — appearing as a named product in litigation records — establishes it as a commercially marketed, distinctly identified product used in Navy valve and pump maintenance operations.

“…exposed to asbestos from Raybestos Asbestos Pack[ing]…” — personal testimony from a Navy veteran or shipyard worker establishing direct asbestos exposure from Raybestos Asbestos Packing appears in the corpus. Workers who installed, trimmed, and removed asbestos packing from valve stuffing boxes handled Raybestos Asbestos Packing directly, generating asbestos fiber release into the worker’s breathing zone during each packing change.

Asbestos Textile Division — Formal Division Documentation

“…ASBESTOS TEXTILE DIVISION RAYBESTOS-MANHATTAN…” — the formal Asbestos Textile Division of Raybestos-Manhattan is documented in the corpus in multiple independent versions. The Asbestos Textile Division was the specific Raybestos-Manhattan organizational unit that manufactured woven asbestos cloth, asbestos cord, asbestos tape, and asbestos braided packing — the textile-form asbestos products used in Navy valve packing, pipe wrap, and thermal insulation applications.

“…ASBESTOS TEXTILE DIVISI[ON] RAYBESTOS-MANHATTAN…” — additional independent documentation of the Raybestos-Manhattan Asbestos Textile Division appears in the corpus, consistent with the formal production records, specification sheets, and corporate documents of this division that were produced in asbestos litigation discovery.

Raybestos-Manhattan — All Asbestos Textiles

“…Raybestos-Manhattan manufactures all asbest[os cloth and textile products]…” — documentation establishing that Raybestos-Manhattan manufactured the full range of asbestos cloth and textile products appears in the corpus. The “manufactures all” characterization establishes Raybestos-Manhattan as a comprehensive asbestos textile manufacturer — not limited to a single product type, but producing the full spectrum of woven asbestos materials used in industrial and naval applications.

“…leaves all of the asbestos cloths described [in this catalog/specification]…” — documentation of Raybestos-Manhattan producing all of the asbestos cloths in a catalog or specification appears in the corpus, consistent with a Raybestos-Manhattan product catalog or specification response establishing the breadth of the company’s asbestos textile product line.

Navy Valve Packing — Ship-Specific Application

“…asbestos valve packing? Navy on t[he ship/these vessels]…” — testimony specifically addressing asbestos valve packing in the Navy ship context appears in the corpus in connection with Raybestos-Manhattan products. Valve packing replacement — removing old, compressed asbestos braided packing from valve stuffing boxes and installing new packing — was one of the most common engineroom maintenance tasks performed by Machinist’s Mates and Boiler Technicians aboard Navy ships. Raybestos Asbestos Packing was among the documented brands used for this work.

1975 Asbestos Fiber Documentation

“…Asbestos Fibers, November of 1975. Raybest[os-Manhattan]…” — formal documentation of asbestos fibers in connection with Raybestos-Manhattan, dated to November 1975, appears in the corpus. The 1975 date places this documentation in the period when asbestos health hazard awareness was rapidly expanding in the asbestos industry and regulatory sphere — and establishes Raybestos-Manhattan’s corporate knowledge of asbestos fiber hazards in that specific year.

Exposure Pathways for Raybestos-Manhattan Products

Valve packing replacement: Machinist’s Mates replaced Raybestos Asbestos Packing in valve stuffing boxes by cutting old packing into sections and pulling it from the stuffing box with picks and hooks — operations that released asbestos fiber directly into the worker’s face.

New packing installation: Installing new Raybestos braided asbestos packing — cutting sections from a reel of asbestos rope, wrapping them around the valve stem, and tamping them into the stuffing box — generated asbestos fiber from the cutting and handling of the asbestos braid.

Asbestos cloth application: Asbestos cloth from the Raybestos-Manhattan Asbestos Textile Division was wrapped around pipe and equipment surfaces as an outer covering — cut with scissors or knives and secured with ties or wire, generating fiber release during cutting operations.

Navy veterans who replaced Raybestos Asbestos Packing in valve stuffing boxes or worked with Raybestos-Manhattan asbestos textile products aboard Navy ships, and 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 MM or BT ratings documenting valve maintenance work during Navy service
  • Civil claims against Raybestos-Manhattan successors based on the documented Asbestos Textile Division products and the branded Raybestos Asbestos Packing used aboard Navy vessels

Key documents:

  • DD-214 or service records — documenting MM or BT rating and ship assignments
  • 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 Asbestos Packing brand documentation and personal exposure testimony, Raybestos-Manhattan Asbestos Textile Division formal division records, documentation that Raybestos-Manhattan manufactured all asbestos cloth and textile products, 1975 asbestos fiber documentation for Raybestos-Manhattan, and Raybestos asbestos valve packing documentation in the Navy ship context. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.