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).
Complaints about thick leaf springs and the proposed solution of using thinner, stiffer, unlubricated springs to improve ride steadiness.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 54\3\ Scan039 | |
| Date | 3rd October 1921 | |
| To BJ. from R. {Sir Henry Royce} c. to CJ. c. to Wor. {Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to Hs. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Wd. {Mr Wood / Mr Whitehead} c. to BY. {R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} X2628 RS {Sir Henry Royce's Secretary} /G3.10.21. X. 2628 - RE SPRINGS. I understand that we are continually receiving complaints of the cars fitted with thick leaf springs. I quite realize that some of the complaints might be due to the split long leaf that was used in some of the cars, permitting lateral flexibility and also that some of the complaints may be due to the springs being too flexible, combined with insufficient damping friction, which would give a want of vertical steadiness, but I understand that whatever the fault is, it has been cured in all cases by changing to thin leaf springs which probably have greater damping effect, but it may be that when we fit the thin leaf springs we use a stiffer spring, because I understood that although the thin Leaf spring reduced the tendency for the leaves to squeak when unlubricated, it did not very materially, when lubricated, increase the vertical damping. Perhaps, however, the situation can be somewhat explained by the fact that the thin leaf spring is not so liable to squeak and therefore can be run dry, in which case it very materially increases the damping, and therefore solves the problem of steadiness of riding, because it can be used unlubri-cated. I should be glad of Mr. Hives' and Mr. Flatfords' report as to whether these conclusions are correct. I believe that the changing of the springs is the least expensive policy, especially when we are able to get the springs at a more reason-able cost, such as the cost for instance, that they can be contd:- | ||