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).
The redesign of the senior range connecting rod following engine testing.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 130\3\ scan0155 | |
| Date | 17th December 1940 | |
| Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/CTS.{C. Trot Salt - Carburation} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/TAS.{T. Allan Swinden} Conn. rods. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}7/ML.17.12.40. 1216 SENIOR RANGE CONNECTING ROD. Since the time when we ran a B.60. engine for 24 hours at 160 h.p. on the Test Bed, we have progressively increased the weight of our conn. rod big ends, reducing the thickness of the bearing. The increased rigidity of the big end improved bearing life but we have not obtained the maximum increase in rigidity from the weight we have added. We consider therefore, that it is time we re-designed the senior conn. rod big end and brought it back to somewhere near it's original weight, at the same time increasing it's stiffness as far as possible by re-distributing the material. We should like rods for examination and weights. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||