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).
To Mr. Johnson regarding issues with the Wolseley Central Brake attachment and comparing it to a superior floating fulcrum design.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 128\3\ scan0207 | |
| Date | 29th June 1910 | |
| C1/B29610. X1130 A JUL RECEIVED Mr. Johnson, Re Wolseley Central Brake. ====================== The sketches herewith show the manner in which this is attached to the chassis. Hitherto the pin on which the blocks fulcrum has been bolted to the frame member (see Fig.1) a construction with which I have had some experience and found unsatisfactory. When attached to the frame in this way, owing to lack of rigidity in the cross member, it is almost impossible to make it retain its proper relationship to the brake drum and any alteration in this relationship causes the blocks to touch only at one place, instead of all round the drum. This gives rise to uneven wear and puts unnecessary stresses on the gear shaft and cross-member, and is a frequent cause, when sufficiently pronounced, of chattering and ineffective brakes. On the new Wolseley cars this has been to some extent remedied by bolting the anchorage on to the gear box (Fig. 2.). This ensures of course greater rigidity and renders it easier to place the fulcrum correctly in relation to the shaft and maintain it in that position. At the same time I do not regard this method of attachment as being so satisfactory as a floating fulcrum, such as is fitted to the Rolls-Royce chassis, as this latter allows the blocks to adjust themselves to the drum and to bed perfectly on it. | ||