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).
Various servo-assisted gear control systems and freewheel mechanisms.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\U\2January1930-September1930\ Scan092 | |
| Date | 3rd September 1933 | |
| this would be noisy. It is one of the doubtful points, but we might put in freewheel connection so that the car would freewheel on 3rd., which might be preferable if we had 2nd. and 4th. no freewheel. Whatever type of gear we have the 3rd. speed brake drum would be driven round at the same speed for the same ratio; with .70 it would be slower than with .74. (9) The best control I have so far found would be to have a shaft parallel with transmission having the necessary cams for each gear. This would be rotated by a servo to follow the control lever on the steering column. A good point of the single camshaft control of the gears is that 2 gears cannot be engaged at one time by the failure of the servo, such as might be the case with independent toggling servo controls. (10) Vacuum servo is not very good as it demands that the throttle shall be closed, and has other defects. Engine oil pressure is nearly right (gearbox driven pump will not do,) and another alternative I have thought of is electro-motor say worm driven to control shaft. This should be protected (patented) if new, as it promises to be useful. In this case the steering column has a quick make and break switch always on one of the 4 contacts, the motor runs round and breaks the circuit, end pull of the series motor (size of a klaxon) could control brake for quick stop, armature of motor could be solid iron so as to revolve slowly. (11) You will see that with either of these servos we should change in sequence (which is preferable) and we need not touch clutch or accelerator and lose time on a hill (or we could interlock if preferred) and one might think this would be ahead of everybody, if we could get it made and proved before others steal a march upon us. (12) For an immediate alternative for ladies and occasional drivers, we have freewheel sideshaft which is not bad with our good gears. Get this tested and available for sale, to offer if they wish. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||