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).
Visit to Adamant Engineering Co. to investigate and resolve issues with faulty steering cams.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 153\2\ scan0328 | |
| Date | 16th June 1937 | |
| RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} from Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/FJH.{Fred J. Hardy - Chief Dev. Engineer} c. to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} 1300 Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/FJH.{Fred J. Hardy - Chief Dev. Engineer}3/AB.16.6.37 VISIT TO ADAMANT ENGINEERING CO. ON 9.6.37 RHC{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer}/Mr.Goodall and the writer visited the Adamant Co. in connection with the large number of faulty steering cams now being supplied to Production. After demonstrating to them on our rig the faults of which we complain agreement was reached that the causes are (a) eccentricity of track in relation to bearing cones, and (b) destruction of generated shape by buffing. It was decided that we should try a number of production cams with the bearing cones ground before final broaching of the bore and without buffing of the track. This should give a considerable improvement. The eccentricity caused by the final broaching will now exist between the bore and the cones, instead of between the cam track and the cones. A certain amount is permissible in the bore owing to the flexibility of the long cam tube, but the cam track must be concentric. We brought back with us two specimen cams which had not been buffed. One of these is to be built up in a steering gear to determine whether the tool marks on the surface can be felt. The success or otherwise of the elimination of buffing depends upon the ability of the Adamant Co. to maintain their normal standard of finish. In any case it will be better to receive a few cams with small lumps on the surface rather than a lot of cams with large hollows as are now produced by buffing. The Adamant Co. asked us to consider a modified method of fitting cams to tubes in which the bore of the cam is not touched after hardening, and the tube is pressed in with a large interference - 0.003" to 0.009". This method is the one used by Gemmer. We agreed to try this experimentally and they are going to send us two Wraith cams suitable for fixing by this method. This procedure would greatly reduce the possibility of the bore being eccentric to the bearing cones, but depends upon the tube pressing in true with the bore. Despite the fact that we sent them drawings and patterns for our cam testing rig about four months ago, they still have no satisfactory way of checking cams. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/FJH.{Fred J. Hardy - Chief Dev. Engineer} | ||