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).
Investigation into the failure of a starter switch on chassis VAL-46.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 168a\2\ img400 | |
| Date | 6th October 1938 | |
| 6139. To Ry. c. to a.{Mr Adams} c. to By/M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} c. to B - br.{T. E. Bellringer - Repair Manager} c. to M - Ch. c. to W - G.d. c. to Hd.{Mr Hayward/Mr Huddy} KM/R.27/Jn.6.10.38. re Failure of Starter switch on Chassis VAL-46. L. Wood. We have investigated the above failure, and find that it was due to the presence of a small foreign body between the armature and yoke, so wedged as to permit the carbons to close but not the copper contacts. Thus, on operating the switch, the carbons were made to carry the full load current which would rapidly cause them to become incandescent, and melt the light armature holding the top carbon. We have reproduced this failure with identical results. If any work is done to the car with the cover of the main switch removed, care must be taken that no small particles, such as small pieces of flex, etc. have dropped in the switch, as the position of it, facilitates the trapping of any small bodies between the armature and yoke at the hinge end. If the switch were mounted the opposite way up, this type of failure would be extremely unlikely. However, if the switch is examined before the cover is fixed, and sealed, no failure of this kind should occur. KM/KJ. | ||