Company History

Vickers Incorporated was an American industrial-hydraulics manufacturer based in Detroit, Michigan. The company was founded in 1921 by Harry Franklin Vickers — often described as the “father of industrial hydraulics” — whose developments, including the balanced vane pump and early hydraulic power-steering systems, helped establish modern fluid-power engineering. During the Great Depression the business became a division of the Sperry Corporation in 1937, and the Vickers hydraulics product lines were later held by Eaton Corporation following its 1999 acquisition of the operations. Vickers products were distributed broadly across automotive, aviation, industrial, and marine markets throughout the mid-twentieth century.

It is important to distinguish this company from the unrelated British firm Vickers Limited, a shipbuilder and armaments manufacturer. The Vickers described here is the United States industrial-hydraulics company of Detroit, Michigan, which built hydraulic pumps, motors, valves, and power units rather than ships or ordnance.

According to U.S. Navy machinery records, Vickers hydraulic pumps and associated hydraulic equipment were documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels including the aircraft carriers USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and USS Forrestal (CVA-59) as documented naval original-equipment-manufacturer (OEM) machinery. During the decades when this equipment was in service, asbestos was a common material in mechanical sealing and insulation applications across the pump and fluid-power industry.

Asbestos-Containing Products

Vickers did not manufacture asbestos as a raw material. However, according to asbestos litigation records, hydraulic pumps and power units of this era were commonly assembled and serviced with asbestos-containing sealing components — most notably gaskets and shaft packing — that were considered industry-standard at the time.

Gaskets create fluid-tight seals between the mating surfaces of a pump housing, cover plates, and flanged connections. Plaintiffs have alleged that hydraulic equipment of this vintage was originally fitted with compressed asbestos fiber gaskets and that replacement gaskets specified for such equipment were similarly composed of asbestos-containing materials.

Shaft packing was used to seal rotating shafts where they exit the pump or motor housing. Plaintiffs have alleged that braided or compressed asbestos packing was used in fluid-power equipment of this period and that installing, adjusting, or replacing it could release asbestos fibers.

According to court filings, the hazard associated with these components was not limited to initial installation. Because gaskets and packing degrade under heat, pressure, and continuous operation, they required periodic replacement, and each removal of worn material — typically involving scraping, wire brushing, or cutting — allegedly generated airborne asbestos fibers. Individuals seeking to confirm whether a specific Vickers model is associated with asbestos-containing components are encouraged to consult asbestos litigation records, period product documentation, or an attorney with access to product-identification databases.

Occupational Exposure

According to asbestos litigation records, exposure to asbestos-containing components associated with hydraulic pump equipment of this type occurred across a range of industrial and shipboard occupations. The following worker categories appear with regularity in asbestos claims involving pump and fluid-power equipment:

Machinist’s Mates and Shipboard Engineers — Navy personnel who operated and maintained hydraulic machinery aboard ship allegedly worked in direct, repeated contact with gaskets and packing during routine maintenance and overhaul.

Hydraulics and Fluid-Power Technicians — Workers who rebuilt pumps, motors, and power units disassembled housings, extracted worn packing, and scraped old gasket material, tasks that plaintiffs allege could disturb asbestos-containing materials.

Shipyard Workers — Personnel who installed, overhauled, or repaired hydraulic equipment during construction, refit, or drydock periods may have encountered asbestos-containing components associated with this machinery.

Industrial Maintenance Personnel and Millwrights — Because Vickers hydraulic equipment was used broadly in manufacturing, workers who maintained this machinery in factories and plants appear in litigation involving pump-type equipment.

Bystander and Secondary Exposure — Asbestos litigation records also reflect claims by workers who did not perform the maintenance themselves but worked in proximity to those who did, as well as family members who may have experienced take-home exposure from fibers carried on work clothing.

The latency period for asbestos-related diseases — including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos-related lung cancer — is typically 20 to 50 years following initial exposure, so workers exposed during the peak decades of asbestos use may only recently be receiving diagnoses.

Trust Fund / Legal Status

Vickers is classified as a Tier 2 manufacturer for purposes of this reference site. This designation means the company and its corporate successors have been associated with asbestos-related personal injury litigation, but no dedicated Vickers asbestos bankruptcy trust fund has been established. Accordingly, claims involving this equipment are not resolved through a trust fund claims process in the same manner as claims against companies that reorganized under Chapter 11 specifically due to asbestos liability.

Because the Vickers hydraulics business operated through corporate relationships — including its history as a Sperry division and its later association with Eaton — individuals pursuing legal claims may need to account for corporate succession when identifying appropriate defendants. An experienced asbestos attorney can assist in tracing these corporate histories.

For individuals who worked with Vickers hydraulic equipment and were also exposed to asbestos-containing products from other manufacturers — a common circumstance in shipboard and industrial environments — separate trust fund claims may be available through those manufacturers’ established asbestos trusts.

If you or a family member worked with or around Vickers hydraulic pumps and equipment and has since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer, legal options may be available.

Key points to understand:

  • Vickers has been associated with asbestos litigation but does not operate a dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust fund. Claims would be pursued through direct civil litigation rather than a trust claims process.
  • Corporate succession involving Sperry, Eaton, and other entities may be relevant to identifying proper defendants.
  • Workers exposed to multiple asbestos-containing products — as was common aboard Navy ships and in industrial plants — may be eligible to file claims against multiple responsible parties, including manufacturers with established trust funds.
  • The long latency period for asbestos-related disease means that exposure from decades ago can give rise to claims today.
  • An attorney specializing in asbestos litigation can review your work history, identify relevant products and manufacturers, and advise on available legal remedies.

Documentation of your work history — including employers, job sites, job titles, ship assignments, and any product names or model numbers you can recall — is valuable when consulting with an attorney and should be preserved.