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).
Modifications and performance of new Lucas head lamps on an experimental Bentley.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 61a\2\ scan0196 | |
| Date | 5th January 1934 | |
| WST 86116 To WCR. from E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} E.1/HP.5.1.34. C. Mr. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}By.Cx.{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Est.By/RD.NV. re Bentley Head Lamps. ------------------- The Bentley head lamps with the latest Lucas modification have been fitted up on our blue experimental Bentley, and I tried this car last night, taking HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Wst. with me. Personally I think these lamps are a great improvement on the previous ones, and the provision for side illumination just in front of the car seems to be of just about the right proportion. There is no doubt that the local lighting provided by the small prismatic lens in front of the lamp is something that we have wanted for a long time. It is not sufficient to illuminate a concentrated area 60 yds in front of the car for safe driving under modern conditions, particularly when very small wing lamps are employed. HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Wst. demonstrated to me the glare effect caused by the direct illumination from the bulb which escapes on this lamp from the upper half of the annulus between the prismatic lens and the reflector and which exists with all normal lamps in which the filament is directly exposed to view. This direct light is the source of most of the glare with the head lamps full on affecting cars or pedestrians at close quarters and could be eliminated without detracting from the illuminating qualities of the lamp as Wst. suggests by use of the Zeiss reflecting mirror which turns this waste light to useful purpose. Another important point is that this waste light would throw up a deadly screen of reflected glare affecting the driver's vision in mist or fog under conditions when he would possibly be able to use the head lamps or when running into sudden banks of mist. Wst. will ask Messrs. Lucas to develop an improvement covering this point. I am personally of the opinion that we ought to take an interest in making the lighting of the car as useful as possible under all conditions as it is extremely gratifying to an owner to find that he can use his car with facility when visibility is poor. To this end we are obtaining from Lucas' one of their latest fog lamps with flattened beam of the type that I have been using on my own car for the last two years in the form of the Benjamin fog lamp with prismatic front glass, which spreads the light across the extreme width of the road and is excellent in fog. This lamp requires somewhat similar | ||