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).
Unsatisfactory testing procedures for controllable shock dampers and their control systems.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 151\2\ scan0238 | |
| Date | 5th May 1934 | |
| To By. {R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Bft. c. to EJJ. c. to HX. c. to Wor. {Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} X 4698 Hs {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} /Les.1/KW.5.5.34. TESTING CONTROLLABLE SHOCK DAMPERS. We are not at all satisfied with the way in which cars are still leaving the works without tests being carried out which were instructed by us 5 months ago. THE CONTROL SYSTEM. At the moment the only reliable test on the governor unit is being done by Hx. In order to do this it is necessary to run the rear wheels up to 80 M.P.H. off the ground, which is scarcely a production test. In our Hs {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} /Les.8/KW.6.1.34, we instructed a governor unit test rig, which would mean that every governor unit would be tested by the people that build it. It would then only be necessary for Hx. to ensure that the system was operating, not leaking oil, and that all the air was expelled from the system. DAMPERS. In our Hs {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} /Les.2/KT.29.11.33, we asked that each damper should be pumped up to 2,500 lbs/sq.in. pressure, to see that the damper was capable of dealing with the maximum working oil pressures. So far we can see no sign of such a test coming into operation. A few days ago we noticed that the rear dampers of a Bentley chassis, No. B-198-AH, which had just come off the dynamometer were showing several quite bad oil leaks from joints etc. The worst leak was from the centre of the blank end bush, F.65059, where there was a small hole. This was a case of either faulty machining or faulty material. As we have experienced considerable difficulty in getting the glands not to leak, we undoubtedly must guard against dampers not functioning from shortage of oil due to bad production. We consider that every damper before leaving the bench should be cleaned, rubbed in chalk, and then pumped up to 10 lbs/sq.in. pressure through the filler plug. | ||