Falk Corporation, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty power transmission equipment — reduction gears, flexible couplings, and shaft couplings — for marine propulsion applications throughout the mid-twentieth century. Falk reduction gears and propulsion shaft couplings were installed in United States Navy destroyer, cruiser, and carrier propulsion plants, transmitting shaft power from the main turbines to the propulsion shafts. According to asbestos litigation records, Falk reduction gear casing assemblies incorporated asbestos-containing compressed gasket materials at gear casing cover joints and inspection port flanges, creating exposure for Machinist’s Mates who performed reduction gear maintenance in naval vessel main machinery spaces.

Company History

Falk Corporation was founded in Milwaukee in 1891 and grew into one of the nation’s preeminent manufacturers of power transmission gearing for heavy industrial and marine service. The company supplied the United States Navy with double-reduction gears for installation in steam turbine propulsion plants aboard destroyers, destroyer escorts, cruisers, and carriers, with the reduction gears reducing the high rotational speed of the main turbines to the lower shaft speed required for efficient propeller operation.

Falk reduction gear casings were assembled with asbestos-containing compressed sheet gasket materials at the gear casing cover joints and inspection access plates, consistent with the gasket material specifications used throughout Navy propulsion machinery of the mid-twentieth century. Machinist’s Mates performing reduction gear maintenance — removing gear casing covers for lubricating oil system inspection, gear tooth inspection, or bearing inspection — encountered the asbestos-containing gasket materials at the gear casing cover joints during each maintenance access operation.

Asbestos-Containing Products

According to asbestos litigation records, Falk reduction gear and coupling assemblies incorporated asbestos-containing materials at casing and housing joint interfaces.

Reduction Gear Casing Cover Gaskets

Plaintiffs alleged in asbestos lawsuits that Falk reduction gear casings incorporated asbestos-containing compressed gasket materials at the gear casing cover joint faces. Machinist’s Mates removing reduction gear casing covers for periodic gear inspection, lube oil system service, or bearing replacement encountered and disturbed the asbestos-containing compressed gasket at the casing cover joint face during each cover removal operation.

Coupling Housing Flange Gaskets

Falk flexible couplings and propulsion shaft couplings incorporated asbestos-containing compressed gasket materials at coupling housing flange joints. Machinist’s Mates performing coupling inspection and maintenance in propulsion shaft spaces encountered asbestos gasket materials at coupling housing flanges during coupling maintenance.

Reduction Gear Lube Oil System Gaskets

Falk reduction gear lube oil supply and drain systems incorporated asbestos-containing compressed gasket materials at flanged piping connections within the gear casing lube oil system. Machinist’s Mates servicing reduction gear lube oil systems encountered asbestos gasket materials at lube oil system piping flanges during gear lube oil system maintenance.

Occupational Exposure

Navy Machinist’s Mates

The primary exposure population for Falk reduction gear asbestos materials consists of Navy Machinist’s Mates who performed reduction gear maintenance in naval vessel main machinery spaces. According to asbestos litigation records, reduction gear maintenance in Navy main machinery spaces was performed in the confined spaces where the reduction gears were installed, with Machinist’s Mates working directly on the gear casing covers and lube oil system connections during each maintenance evolution.

Naval Shipyard Workers

Shipyard workers performing reduction gear overhaul at naval shipyards accessed Falk reduction gear casings for gear inspection, bearing replacement, and lube oil system overhaul during scheduled ship availabilities, encountering asbestos-containing gasket materials at gear casing cover joints during gear overhaul operations.

Falk Corporation has been named as a defendant in asbestos personal injury litigation brought by Navy veterans and industrial workers who performed maintenance on Falk reduction gear and coupling installations. No asbestos bankruptcy trust fund has been established for Falk Corporation. Workers and families with Falk-related asbestos claims must pursue compensation through the civil litigation system.

If you or a family member developed mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis after performing propulsion reduction gear maintenance on Falk gear installations aboard Navy vessels or at naval shipyards:

  • No bankruptcy trust exists for Falk Corporation. Claims require civil litigation.
  • Maritime claimants — Navy Machinist’s Mates and shipyard workers — may have options under admiralty and maritime law.
  • Multiple defendants are typically named; other manufacturers of insulation and gasket materials installed in Falk reduction gear systems may have asbestos bankruptcy trusts.
  • Service records documenting Machinist’s Mate rating, vessel assignment, and engineering plant watch station can establish reduction gear maintenance duties.