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).
Gearbox alignment issue on the 20HP chassis and a proposed solution.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 75\1\ scan0275 | |
| Date | 1st June 1923 | |
| X4247 WR c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} BY14-P4. 6. 23. 20HP CHASSIS GEARBOX. RE TOP GEAR WORKING OUT. Referring to EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}'s memo on the above subject, EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}7/H29523, I do not see what we can do to cover the position given in the last paragraph of the memo referred to, as obviously accurate alignment is necessary, and providing you have accurate alignment and a reasonable spring pressure I do not think trouble can possibly develop in service. From information supplied by SFT{Mr Swift}, it appears to me that this is decidedly a case of faulty alignment which must have occurred before the car was despatched, unless it should happen the customer should have had his gearbox down, which I think is very unlikely. In order to make sure that the dowelling of the top and bottom halves of the Crankcase is good, I have arranged to have proper ground bolts used to fit holes and these bolts would be definitely large so it will be impossible to fit them except in their correct positions. This scheme is preferable to two dowels, as the dowels themselves are liable to be damaged and the area of the dowel is small, and generally speaking, not very adequate to the work demanded from it, whereas the fitting of the ground bolts gives a large area to keep the two cases in alignment and one that should not go wrong. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} | ||