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).
The failure and testing of Galli-ator radiator shutters fitted to the 4 EX experimental car.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\G\June1921\ Scan69 | |
| Date | 23th June 1931 | |
| 4 EX ORIGINAL To R.{Sir Henry Royce} From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c.c. to CJ. c.c. to EH. c.c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c.c. to Ds. c.c. to HY.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} c.c. to EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} c.c. to E.W.T. for R.R. Inc. X3764 X3901 PARTS FITTED TO 4.EX CAR. Galli-ator Shutter in front of Radiator. On the way back from W.W., these shutters failed to operate. We wedged them full open in order to prevent the water being boiled away. We found on examining them that we had, during the examination at W.W. upset the adjustment of the valve operated by the thermostat. On the way back, with the shutters wedged right open, the water in the radiator boiled. It was a very hot day and we had a following wind, but we think it shows that if these shutters are to be considered as a permanent fitting, they reduce too much of the area of the radiator. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} calculated the area to have been reduced 20%. We are sure that we cannot permanently sacrifice any of the area in the radiator. We have had the car on the dynamometer in order to watch when these shutters open and how much they open. We first of all measured by means of a spring balance how much power was required to operated the shutters. We found it took 6 lbs. pull in order to open the shutters fully; this includes the spring for closing them. The diameter of the diaphragm which operates the shutters is approx. 2.75". We fixed a mercury gauge to the pipe from the induction pipe to the diaphragms to measure the vacuum. We found that the shutters did not contd:- | ||