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 discussing the market and technical situation for automobile transmissions in the United States.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 137\5\ scan0074 | |
| Date | 17th April 1929 | |
| OY 8 Mr. A.{Mr Adams} F.{Mr Friese} Sidgreaves, Rolls Royce Limited, London, England. Dear Mr. Sidgreaves: April 17th, 1929. cc - Mr. Royce Mr. Bailey Mr. Hives GEARBOX - SECTION 6030 We are very anxious to present a true picture of the extraordinary situation which is arising in the United States in the matter of automobile transmissions. We have already written on several occasions about the internal-geared transmissions of the Ahlm-Pearson patents, which have been developed by Warner Gear Co., Durant, Detroit Gear & Machine, Morse Chain, and others, and which are now being fitted as standard on Durant, Graham-Paige, Stutz, Auburn, Franklin, Duesenberg, and other cars. The fact that Chrysler have now equipped themselves to fit a four-speed transmission made in their own plant under these patents, on all five models of their cars (selling from $3000 down to $700) commencing this summer between May and August, has created a situation in which most of the attention of the industry is concentrated on the one matter of transmissions. External Gear Design. Meanwhile the pioneer of this design, namely the design using a "spool gear" with two internal trains, who sold out his patent rights to the Warner interests some years ago, has been working for four years on the assumption that the conventional box with external engagement could acheive equal silence at far less expense. His work has been with a manufacturer of medium-priced cars whose name we have promised to protect. They are now at the "semi-manufacturing" stage, producing lots of 50 boxes, and will announce their gearbox in the late summer. -continued- | ||