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).
Request for a report on the 20 HP gearbox freewheel and a discussion on potential clutch and flywheel design improvements.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 13\7\ 07-page036 | |
| Date | 24th August 1929 | |
| HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} & DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} C. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} X7300 R/DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}1/M24.8.29. X5310 X5300 X7300 20 HP+ TRANSMISSION. We should like a report on the position of the freewheel in the sideshaft on the 20 HP. gearbox, (N.schemes 2767, 2881, etc.) as we are anxious to have this feature tried with a view to shaping future policy. It is considered that the Phantom arrangement of clutch with a spring loaded backing plate gives a smoother clutch than the 20 HP. type with a twisted driven disc, and it is intended to design a clutch for the 20 HP. embodying this feature. The opportunity would also be taken to rivet the ferodo to the driven disc, and it is thought that with the increased cooling resulting from this, the diameter of inertia is no more than now. (With the freewheel the moment of inertia is not so important). The construction of the SS.{S. Smith} clutch permits a smaller overall diameter of flywheel for the same clutch diameter than on the 20 HP., and in addition the moment of inertia of the 20 HP. flywheel is much greater in proportion to the engine capacity than that of SS.{S. Smith} Advantage might be taken of these two features to reduce the diameter of the clutch pit on the 20 HP. so enabling the front end of the chassis to be still further lowered. Probably the moment of inertia of the SS.{S. Smith} flywheel might be slightly increased with advantage. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||