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).
Clutch failure, including details of the pressure plate fabric and a broken spring distance piece.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 71\4\ scan0265 | |
| Date | 23th June 1925 | |
| X8840 Hotel de France, Chateauroux, Indre, France. GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux}I/Crn.23.6.25. To: "HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}" From: G.W.Hancock. We wired you this morning, as follows :- " Ninety three NK pressure plate fabric " " required for clutch fabric torn from " " rivets - Hancock. " We have received your wire, reading :- " Hancock return to Derby Ninetythree NK " " to be built up and moderate testing " " continued - Hives. " Re clutch fabric. On dismantling clutch this morning, we found that the pressure plate fabric had sheared off three quarters of the way round. These holes appear to be countersunk too far for the tubular rivets, allowing very little surface to hold fabric to plate. This is hardly safe to continue running, so we wired you as above. The spring distance piece, previously reported to you broken, we find is in four pieces. It is quite probable that the clutch slipping has occurred as a result of the fabric becoming loose, causing a slight jamming of plate. The clutch brake does not give the appearance of doing much work. We have taken the crank out of bearing, and these bearings are in a sound condition. There are signs of fine pieces of white metal being embedded in them, otherwise, as stated, they are in good condition. G.W.Hancock. | ||