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 from The British Thomson-Houston Company Ltd. regarding a distributorless magneto and alternative ignition system for a 20 HP car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 57\2\ Scan250 | |
| Date | 17th May 1928 | |
| On Admiralty, War, India and Colonial Office Lists. THE BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON COMPANY LIMITED ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS and MANUFACTURERS. HEAD OFFICE & WORKS: Rugby. REGISTERED OFFICE: CROWN HOUSE, ALDWYCH, LONDON, W.C.2 LONDON WORKS: NEASDEN LANE, WILLESDEN, N.W.10. BIRMINGHAM WORKS: BLACKHEATH, Nr BIRMINGHAM. COVENTRY WORKS: ALMA STREET, & LOWER FORD STREET. BRANCH OFFICES: BIRMINGHAM, BELFAST, BRISTOL, CARDIFF, DUBLIN, GLASGOW, LEEDS, LIVERPOOL, LONDON: CROWN HOUSE, ALDWYCH, W.C.2. & MAZDA HOUSE, NEWMAN ST, OXFORD ST, W.1. MANCHESTER, MIDDLESBROUGH, NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, SHEFFIELD, SWANSEA. TELEPHONE Nº 4104 TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS: ‘ASTEROIDAL, COVENTRY’. CODES: A.B.C. BENTLEY’S GENERAL, LIEBER, LIEBER’S 5 LETTER, SCHOFIELD, WESTERN UNION AND WESTERN UNION 5 LETTER. Lower Ford Street, COVENTRY. May 17th 1928 PLEASE REPLY TO ENGINEERING DEPT. AND QUOTE REFERENCE LG Messrs. Rolls Royce Limited, DERBY For the Attention of E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Fowler Clark Esq. Dear Sirs, DISTRIBUTORLESS MAGNETO FOR 20 HP CAR With reference to your letter of the 7th inst., and further to ours of the 11th inst., we understand that your requirements are for an alternative ignition system comprising a magneto less distributor but complete with contact breaker to operate with some standard type of distributor head. In order to effect the change-over from one system to the other, a combined high and low-tension switch would also be required. [Handwritten: Yes No] This question of alternative ignition is one that has received our serious attention for the past few years, and we agree that it is desirable that the contact breaker be kept integral with the magneto, since the timing of the ignition system is thereby greatly simplified. Our experience has also indicated that it is also very desirable to retain the magneto as a complete unit, mainly for the reason that the timing of the ignition system to the engine is reduced to its simplest form and should occasion arise, the engine can be re-timed without expert knowledge. Bearing this in mind, we have developed a system in which the magneto distributor and contact breaker function for both the magneto and coil units. This system has been adopted with success on cars such as the Sunbeam and Clement Talbot and is also being tested out by Messrs. Bentley Motors. Another important | ||