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).
Visit to Dunlop to review progress on the anti-skid properties of the Silent Tread tyre.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 45\2\ Scan210 | |
| Date | 17th January 1930 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} From Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} c. to EG. Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to Ba. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} [handwritten]X40[/handwritten] Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson}5/W.17.1.30. We have paid a further visit to Messrs. Dunlops' to see what progress they have made with the improvement of the Anti Skid properties of the Silent Tread tyre. We found that they had made an extensive series of tests on the subject of road holding qualities of tyres generally. They have laid down in their works a stretch of road surface on which they can make skidding tests. They have also built a piece of road with varying banking to determine the resistance to side slipping of various tread patterns. They have already carried out a great many tests but one of the greatest difficulties is the innumerable road surfaces with which they have to contend. We have established that the surfaces in which we are most interested is that which, under conditions of rain, gives the poorest adhesion and we have quoted to them the conditions where it is possible to spin the back wheels of a car when accelerating [handwritten]on[/handwritten] [strikethrough]in[/strikethrough] top gear. So far their tests have not included such a surface. Their preliminary [strikethrough]bacteriological[/strikethrough] results show that on an ordinary wet Tar Macadam road the difference between the distances in which a stop can be made on the Triple Stud and the Silent Tread tyre is only about 15%. | ||