Raybestos Brake linings. Raybestos was founded in 1905 when Connecticut was home to several fledging automobile manufacturers, including Locomobile. At that time, auto makers needed a brake lining which would prevent a car from rolling backward as well as forward, and the wire-woven asbestos could withstand sudden stops and heavy frictional heat. Over the next several decades, the company continued to invest resources in research and development; it pioneered the development of the molded brake lining and mobile clutch facings. Other Raybestos products included brakes and brake service equipment, rivets, packings, fan belts, car mats and hoses, wicks for range burners, and oil stoves. The Raybestos Company was one of the first employers in Connecticut to offer its workers an employee savings plan with matching funds (10%) contributed by the company. Raybestos-Manhattan, Inc., a division of Raybestos, contributed heavily to WWII production. In addition to auto parts for military vehicles, product applications included materials used on planes, battleships, landing barges, and anti-aircraft guns. During WWII Raybestos brake blocks were used to stop the world's heaviest plane, the Constellation, and the new materials developed by the company's researchers served as useful alternatives to rubber and other "essential" raw materials.