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).
Visits to Morris and Rover to investigate clutch linings and flexible engine mountings.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 128\2\ scan0224 | |
| Date | 12th June 1934 | |
| X22-0 To Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} To R.{Sir Henry Royce} To Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} To Ds. To EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}12/KW.12.6.34. Clutch Trouble and Flexible Engine Mounting. In view of our present difficulties on clutches we visited Coventry and Birmingham to find out what we could about cork clutch linings. Morris are at present using these and we visited their Clutch Dept. The largest vehicle on which they fit them is the one-ton truck. Generally speaking they have few service troubles. They use engine oil in the clutch. The Terraplane use a special oil of exceptionally low viscosity; therefore as would be expected Morris have more trouble with dragging clutches and have to use special provision for freeing the driven member from the flywheel face. Other data is given on the attached sheet. We visited the Rover Company, whom we know have been using a very flexible engine mounting for over a year. We found that they had also purchased a Terraplane. They had carried out many experiments in an endeavour to make the clutch work smoothly with a very flexibly mounted engine, and in the process of this had invented a clutch linkage as per the attached sketch. However, finally they found that by using an Aerens type of control between the pedal and the engine they got a satisfactory job with a minimum of complication. This they have been using for over 12 months, in conjunction with a single plate dry clutch. Rovers have used cork clutches in the past though they are not using them now. They were not very clear as to why they had abandoned cork clutches in favour of Ferodo and did not seem to have any particularly unpleasant recollections on the subject. Their success with the clutch operation that is independent of the engine movement encourages us to believe that we shall not have to depart very far from our present clutch lining. | ||