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The investigation and proposed solution for piston knock, involving slotted pistons.


Identifier  ExFiles\Box 48\1\  Scan188
Date  28th August 1928 guessed
  
contd :- --2--

and the knocks more severe, on a piston which did not 'bed'
uniformly and was subject to local high spots. It seems
to indicate that the audible knock was resulting from some of
these local spots losing the film of oil when reversed at the
end of the stroke which had previously been maintained when in
motion. This would account for the momentary increase in
resistance experienced.

Some tests were tried on a production car suffer-
ing from particularly bad knocks in which the pistons - ordinary
standard ones - were further slotted horizontally about half way
down the skirt, as per appended print, in an endeavour to increase
the local flexibility without altering the flexibility of the side
as a whole.

The results were very promising and effect a cure
inasmuch as the knock could not be detected without listening
against a rod pressed to the bottom of the cyl. and then only
faintly. These slotted pistons were the identical ones which
had previously given trouble.

We are arranging to test this out on the pedestal
pistons and thereby, should this slotting prove beneficial,
experience the other advantages we anticipate this type of piston
to possess.

We therefore recommend that the std. pistons be
slotted, in addition to the usual slots, in the manner shewn on
the sketch as we think this would be a quick means of assisting
production over some of the troubles with knocks which they are
encountering. At the same time we will pursue our tests with
pedestal pistons.
Hs {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} /A.C.Lovesey.
  
  
From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).


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