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).
Tyre and rim experiments, detailing performance during punctures, high-speed cornering, and potential safety modifications.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 42\1\ Scan092 | |
| Date | 17th October 1927 guessed | |
| contd :- -2- It very often happens when reversing after a puncture to draw into the road-side. Messrs. Dunlop also demonstrated the fact that a tyre could be burst when rounding a corner at speed without leaving the rim. When this test was repeated with a beaded edged tyre, it immediately came off. On 10-EX car at Brooklands recently, a 6.75" tyre punctured at about 90 m.p.h. on a rear wheel, but did not come off. As a result of these trials we do not think that the well based tyre will cause trouble in leaving the wheel and wrapping itself round the brake mechanism at speed. If further trouble occurs Messrs. Dunlop demonstrated that it is possible to fit 3 equally spaced pieces some 3" long on the lines of the old security bolt flange which can be pulled into position after the tyre has been fitted, thereby filling up small portions of the well based rim and making the removal of the tyre impossible unless the wire edge has been strained with large tyre levers. They state that they have tried out all sorts of rims on the lines of the Michelin pattern but have not found them necessary. Also that numbers of people have raced on std. well based tyres, though it is their practice to fit safety devices in the rim where required for the peace-of-mind of the driver. We have done over 25,000 miles of experiment running in France on well based tyres without any record of trouble due to the cover leaving the rim. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/W.A.Robotham. | ||