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).
Failure of the Phantom III foot brake mechanism and the urgency of implementing modifications.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 92\4\ scan0179 | |
| Date | 22th April 1936 | |
| Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} and DY.{F R Danby} c. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Les.{Ivan A. Leslie} [Signature] +306 E.1/HP.22.4.36. re Phantom III Foot Brake Mechanism. --------------------------------- As a consequence of the brake gear failure experienced by Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Les.{Ivan A. Leslie} due to the rebound strap jamming the brake cable, and also of a failure of a fork which was attributed to the same cause, we instructed certain changes on N.Sch.4775. This scheme also shows improvements to the equaliser for the foot brake which were necessary, due to the fact that we found the standard mechanism had entirely insufficient travel and freed itself by shearing a pin on the pull rod. The intention was to get these improvements on 32-EX, and then instruct them on production, but this has not been done. It was agreed that we should not disturb production at the time the scheme was issued, but introduce it before Phantom III cars left these works. Personally I am of the opinion that not a single Phantom III chassis should be allowed to go out from here without these modifications on, as a failure such as experienced by Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Les would be a very serious matter, and it was only by good fortune that there were no serious consequences in the cases where failure occurred. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} [Signature] | ||