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).
Requesting urgent tests on the torsion and stiffness of a front axle system for a 40/50 HP chassis.
| Identifier | Morton\M1.A\ img004 | |
| Date | 1st October 1921 | |
| RECEIVED [Stamp with date wheel set to NOV 1921] To HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} FWB - PRELIM. TESTS OF FRONT AXLE STIFFNESS ORIGINAL RE FRONT WHEEL BRAKES ON 40/50 HP. CHASSIS. [Handwritten note]: see HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/1/29 original 20.12.21 [Handwritten note]: X3441 Mr. Royce wishes you to test the value of the present front axle system in torsion. He suggests that a method would be to either lock the existing front wheels to the stub axle on a chassis, and load them by weights acting at the radius of this wheel, or replace the wheels by levers of the same length as the wheel radius. Secure the ends of the levers and pull or push the chassis forward by a known force, so that not only would the torque be measured, but it would act in approximately the same way as the torque does in practice on the chassis.* He expects that we shall find it desirable to increase the width of the base of the front springs where they are attached to the front axle. In connection with this same job he would also like to ascertain the value of the present front axle section, and suggests that this might be done by bolting the axle to a vertical base, and then hanging weights from the end of the axle until fracture is obtained. As this job is rather urgent, could you put these experiments in hand forthwith. N.Schemes 978 and 979 illustrating the above, herewith. *On going into this matter we find that in order to reproduce the conditions on a front axle fitted with brakes, i.e. not to overload cross-steering levers and tubes, it seems necessary to use the wheels and lock them to the stub axles. [Handwritten note]: Prints etc in HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} original HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/1/29 20.12.21 DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} [Signature] | ||