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).
Letter to F.H. Royce regarding Stanton's patents for engine spark and carburation control.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 41\4\ Scan014 | |
| Date | 9th February 1929 | |
| COPY OY-2 February 9th, 1929. Mr. F.H. Royce, West WitteringHenry Royce's home town, Sussex, England. My dear Mr. Royce: RE ENGINE Stanton's Patents for Spark & Carburation Control Mr. Wallace Potter of Potter & Johnston introduced to us a Mr. W.F. Stanton who has developed basic patents on the use of the "indicator diagram" to control - Spark Advance. Automobiles & Aircraft. Mixture. Ratio at carburetter. Automobiles & Aircraft. Degree of supercharge. Aircraft. Licenses are carried by General Motors, Pratt & Whitney aircraft, and others, none of which are exclusive. Aircraft. The devices on aircraft engines are under development by Pratt & Whitney at Hartford. We have not seen them but doubtless could do so if you were interested. One interesting point as regards aircraft is the fact that the control of supercharge by "indicator" will automatically compensate for altitude, engine temperature, and even for a change from aviation to commercial fuel, and promises economies for long distance flying. Automobiles. A very old experimental car rigged up with crude devices did not make for a finished demonstration but at least showed that no sort of fine mechanism is called for. Apparatus. This is shown diagrammatically in attached sketch. Ignition Advance. The control of the spark advance depends on the balance of pressure on either side of a piston, two points being chosen on the "optimum" indicator diagram at which it is considered that equal pressures should exist. "Samples" of the pressure from one cylinder are taken at these two points. For convenience one point is taken as top dead center and another at some time during the firing stroke at which the pressure should be equal to that at - continued - | ||