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).
Issues with the burning of side-lamp bulbs related to battery charging schemes.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 163\6\ img168 | |
| Date | 9th June 1932 | |
| R...from PN.{Mr Northey} Copy to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Wst. By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} WOR.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} Tx. WST X6016 PN.{Mr Northey}1/WT9.6.32. Burning of side-lamp bulbs. Referring to Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Wst.4/KT.3.6.32 I cannot see that we should be justified in altering the present standard scheme whereby full charge is obtained on the S. & T. position, in view of the fact that by fully charging only when the headlamps were switched on very unsatisfactory cutting-in speed resulted, especially felt by those owners whose cars are normally used in and around London, and at night. It is more embarrassing for an owner, and damaging to our reputation, for a car battery to be found in a discharged state just when it is most wanted than the risk of the same battery having a short life because of too little care having been taken by the driver to switch off the charge when the battery did not require charging. I can see no reason why the driver should not understand fully that a small amount of attention to his charging-switch will make all the difference to the life of his battery. It is not unusual for this consideration to be given on cars, and at least, in this way we shall be able to provide for a sufficiently low cutting-in speed to enable town batteries to be charged. High electrical pressures such as 16 volts do not arise unless the battery is already in a very highly charged condition, which drivers might reasonably be instructed to avoid. [Handwritten diagram with labels] C S&T HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}&T PVC Sumr B & Winter B PN.{Mr Northey} | ||