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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).
Design, layout, and illumination of a proposed combination instrument group for RR and Bentley chassis.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 62\2\  scan0317
Date  1st August 1934
  
86135

To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} and Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} from E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer}
E.6/HP.1.8.34.

c.c. Gr.{George Ratcliffe} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Wat. By/MD.

re Instrument Groups - RR. and Bentley.

With reference to the work we are doing in connection with Smith's for obtaining suitably grouped instruments for our chassis, we are now getting some useful results in the form of a sample mock up for part of the Bentley scheme, namely, a combination group of the tachometer, ammeter, oil pressure gauge and clock.

The clock face is arranged at the top of the dial in between the ends of the tachometer scale, but we are asking Smith's if the winder and hand adjustment will be sufficiently accessible in this position, or alternatively if the clock face can be moved to the bottom of the dial without interfering with the tachometer scale.

The dials for the ammeter and oil pressure gauge are of quasi rectangular form and are overlapped on to the main dial on the edges adjacent to the scales.

This overlapping effect is convenient insofar that it brings the scales of the subsidiary instruments into the position where they are required, but it somewhat displays the raw edge of the dial plates and also leads to an untidy effect where the windows in the main dial plate are not entirely obscured.

We have therefore suggested that the main dial plate should be in the form of a nicely finished moulding with chamfered apertures where the clock face, ammeter, and oil pressure gauge scales appear, which would provide a complete finish, and would not call for any exact colour matching of all the dial plates. The scales can still be brought into the present position by overlapping the subsidiary dial plates in front of the body of the speedometer but behind the main dial.

With regard to the illumination of this sample group, I have not personally inspected it, but recent experience of the Graham Paige which has a similar group shows how objectionable this illumination can be when driving at dusk, or at night time, when visibility is not particular good.
  
  


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