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).
Issues with noisy Lucas dynamos, attributing the fault to the belt drive and recommending a retrospective improvement.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 55\2\ Scan087 | |
| Date | 16th January 1920 | |
| PN. {Mr Northey} from EP. {G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} c. to BJ. c. to R. {Sir Henry Royce} c. to CJ. c. to Bn. {W.O. Bentley / Mr Barrington} c. to Ck. {Mr Clark} c. to E. {Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to Da. {Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to Hs. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Wor {Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} , X 3435 EB13/F16.1.20. X.3014. - RE NOISY LUCAS DYNAMOS. X.3772. X.516. X.3735. With reference to your memo to BJ. the above, PN {Mr Northey} 11/DB {Donald Bastow - Suspensions} 14.1.20, the point raised by you with regard to the dynamo cutting in at lower speed is one which we have been urging at the works as an improvement for some considerable time, bearing in mind your early complaints with reference to the present type not being satisfactory for town use. With regard to the last paragraph of your memo, relating to the silence of dynamos, we quite agree that the noise from the dynamo drive is no better on present cars than on the early post-war cars, and although it may be pointed out that we have not recently complained of dynamo noise, it is because we know that the noise is not due to the dynamo itself, but chiefly due to the belt drive. The fault of this we were able to explain to the Experimental Dept. which has since had their serious attention. Our energy, therefore, has been spent in pushing for improvement rather than delaying deliveries, or complaining about the present cars. An improvement in this direction has been fixed on the 10,000 miles trials, cars, and has been recommended for standard by Mr. Hives. We should be glad, therefore, if every effort could be given to assist in getting this standardised as quickly as ever possible, which I am recommending should be retrospective, this ebing I consider the only satisfactory way of dealing with the present position. We are at present making the best of the material we have got on the cars before leaving the works, the dynamos themselves not being noisy. EP. {G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} | ||