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).
Proposal to reduce the selling price of the B.III model by making economies in the brake system.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 111\3\ scan0177 | |
| Date | 27th October 1937 | |
| SECRET By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} from Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/AFM.{Anthony F. Martindale} C. HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} C. RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} C. Ds. C. MX.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/AFM.{Anthony F. Martindale}5/AP.27.10.37. BENTLEY 50 BRAKES. To reduce the selling price of B.III. from £1,500 to £800 to make Bentley 50, it is proposed to make economies in the brake system, as follows:- (1) There is to be no mechanical servo. (2) The front and rear drums are to be identical and made of R.R. I/C. with cast in end plates. (3) The front brakes are not to be rod operated as this is expensive with I.F.S. (4) There is to be a common hand and foot brake system. The Americans build their brakes like this and the result is apparently acceptable, but as we have no experience with non-servo assisted four wheel brakes we consider that it is essential to build and try a brake system on these lines before the designers start drawing it. We propose to fit to a Bentley II, brakes as follows:- Front Brakes. Present iron drum, built up spot welded steel shoes held by sheet metal links to give wrapping action, standard Lockheed wheel cylinder and single point adjuster, new carrier plate. Rear Brakes. Bentley III. Girling brakes, without the anti-wrapping cross link. Pedals. A new link system behind the pedal is necessary to operate the single Lockheed master cylinder and the rear brakes. The reasons for using this particular combination of hydraulic and mechanical linkages, are as follows:- If we are not to use a servo we must use wrapping brakes. If the brakes are too self wrapping the result will be very unpleasant and so we exclude Bendix brakes, as we do continued | ||