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).
Proposed arrangement for hand control of autolock dampers for the Spectre model.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 95\4\ scan0015 | |
| Date | 15th April 1935 | |
| +342 SECRET. To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} from HDY.{William Hardy} c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} HDY.{William Hardy}1/HP.15.4.35. Hand Control of Autolock Dampers. SpectreCodename for Phantom III. With reference to the proposed arrangement of hand control of the autolock dampers, as shewn by HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1848 we attach diagram 1 which gives our interpretation of this scheme. According to our diagram it will be seen that:- (1) The increase of effectiveness of the damper when moving the hand control from "weak" to "strong" hardly appears to be sufficient when compared with the range that is obtained in our present dampers, even allowing for the greater stability of the SpectreCodename for Phantom III. The check to rolling by the dampers, which is found to be of value on our present cars, will not be available to anything like the same extent as we are accustomed to. (2) As suggested, the Autolock principle is not available to any useful extent when the dampers are "set "weak" and there is, therefore, not always the protection from the "throw down" of the rear end which we understand is necessary. With regard to alternative schemes of hand control, one suggestion is that by slight modifications, as we show on the sketch, the damping can be varied, as shown by diagram 2. In this case, at "weak" damping the Autolock action is fully available or available to whatever extent is found to be desirable. As the control is strengthened the curve is lifted bodily but the maximum is not increased. CONTINUED:- | ||