Sperry Marine — operating as the Sperry Gyroscope Company through the mid-twentieth century — headquartered in Great Neck, New York, was the United States Navy’s primary supplier of gyrocompasses, autopilot systems, gyroscopic stabilizers, and navigation instruments for surface combatants and auxiliary vessels from World War II through the Cold War era. Sperry gyrocompasses were installed as the primary compass system on virtually every class of Navy surface vessel — destroyers, cruisers, carriers, amphibious ships, and auxiliaries — with Sperry gyro systems providing the continuous true-north heading reference required for navigation and weapons system alignment. According to asbestos litigation records, Sperry gyrocompass motor assemblies incorporated asbestos-containing electrical winding insulation in the high-speed gyro motor stators and rotor assemblies, creating exposure for Quartermaster and Interior Communications Electrician ratings who maintained and repaired Sperry gyro systems in naval vessel navigation spaces and gyro rooms.

Company History

Sperry Gyroscope Company was founded in 1910 by Elmer Sperry, who developed the marine gyrocompass and established the company that would supply navigation instruments to the United States Navy for the following seven decades. Sperry became the Navy’s dominant supplier of gyrocompasses with the adoption of the Sperry gyrocompass as the standard naval navigation instrument for surface vessels, eventually producing hundreds of gyrocompass systems per year for Navy ship construction programs during World War II and the postwar fleet buildup.

Sperry gyrocompass systems used high-speed gyro motors spinning at 6,000 to 12,000 RPM within the gyro element assemblies, with the electrical motors driving the gyro wheels incorporating electrical winding insulation materials. The motor winding insulation used in Sperry gyro motor assemblies through the mid-twentieth century incorporated asbestos-containing electrical insulation consistent with the electrical motor manufacturing specifications of the era. Quartermaster and Interior Communications Electrician ratings performing gyrocompass maintenance and repair — removing and replacing gyro motor assemblies, performing gyro element overhaul, or servicing gyro motor electrical connections — encountered asbestos-containing motor winding insulation materials during gyro system maintenance.

Asbestos-Containing Products

According to asbestos litigation records, Sperry gyrocompass motor assemblies incorporated asbestos-containing materials in electrical winding insulation.

Gyro Motor Stator Winding Insulation

Plaintiffs alleged in asbestos lawsuits that Sperry gyrocompass gyro motor stator assemblies incorporated asbestos-containing electrical winding insulation in the stator coil windings and slot liner insulation of the high-speed gyro motors. Interior Communications Electricians and Quartermasters performing gyro motor replacement or gyro element overhaul on Sperry gyrocompass systems encountered the asbestos-containing motor winding insulation materials during gyro motor maintenance and replacement operations.

Gyro Motor Rotor Winding Insulation

Sperry gyrocompass rotor motor assemblies incorporated asbestos-containing electrical insulation in rotor winding and commutator insulation. Maintenance personnel overhauling Sperry gyro motor rotor assemblies at naval shipyards or during at-sea maintenance encountered asbestos-containing rotor winding insulation materials during gyro motor overhaul.

Gyro System Control Panel Wiring Insulation

The control panels and power distribution panels of Sperry gyrocompass systems incorporated asbestos-containing electrical wiring insulation in the control circuit wiring and power supply connections. Interior Communications Electricians performing control panel maintenance and wiring repairs encountered asbestos-containing electrical insulation in Sperry gyrocompass control systems.

Occupational Exposure

Navy Interior Communications Electricians and Quartermasters

The primary exposure population for Sperry gyrocompass asbestos materials consists of Navy Interior Communications Electricians (IC) who performed gyrocompass system maintenance and repair aboard surface combatants, and Quartermasters who operated and performed basic maintenance on Sperry navigation systems in navigation bridge and gyro room spaces. According to asbestos litigation records, Sperry gyrocompass systems were installed aboard virtually every Navy surface vessel class, making IC Electricians assigned to surface ships regularly involved in gyro system maintenance throughout their shipboard service.

Naval Shipyard Instrument and Navigation System Workers

Instrument repair and navigation system workers at naval shipyards performed Sperry gyrocompass gyro element overhaul and motor replacement during ship overhaul availabilities, encountering asbestos-containing motor winding insulation in Sperry gyro motor assemblies during instrument shop overhaul operations.

Sperry Marine and predecessor entities have been named as defendants in asbestos personal injury litigation brought by Navy veterans who maintained Sperry gyrocompass and navigation system installations. No asbestos bankruptcy trust fund has been established for Sperry Marine / Sperry Gyroscope Company. Workers and families with Sperry-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 gyrocompass or navigation system maintenance on Sperry equipment aboard Navy vessels or at naval shipyards:

  • No bankruptcy trust exists for Sperry Marine. Claims require civil litigation.
  • Maritime claimants — Navy IC Electricians, Quartermasters, and shipyard navigation instrument workers — may have options under admiralty and maritime law.
  • Multiple defendants are typically named; manufacturers of the electrical insulation materials incorporated in Sperry gyro motor assemblies may have asbestos bankruptcy trusts.
  • Service records documenting IC Electrician or Quartermaster rating, vessel assignment, and navigation system maintenance duties can establish gyrocompass exposure history.