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).
Article discussing the development and operation of suction-operated radiator shutters.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 156\1\ scan0022 | |
| Date | 14th October 1930 | |
| Reprinted from The Motor October 14, 1930. SUCTION-OPERATED RADIATOR SHUTTERS A VERY interesting development in connection with the operation of radiator shutters will be put on the market shortly by the Houdaille Hydraulic Suspension Co., Ltd., of 69, Drayton Gardens London, S.W. Recently this concern has given much attention to the control of water temperature by means of automatically operated radiator shutters. It is essential that the means of automatic operation should be powerful to overcome any friction caused by mud or rust, apart from the tension of the spring against which the vanes are moving and which returns them to the closed position. To prevent rattle the shutter vanes must be mounted fairly rigidly, so that it will be realized that a strong pull is necessary in many cases to provide the required degree of opening. In the new R.P. arrangement advantage is taken of the engine suction to provide the required pull; this is very powerful indeed, the small cylinder which is connected with the induction manifold having a 2-cwt. pull with 1/2-in. movement of the shutters. This, it will be appreciated, should be adequate for all purposes, but by only a very slight modification the pull can be increased enormously. The operating piston is very straightforward in design and embodies a control whereby the shutter opening can be varied so that in winter a partial opening is obtained at a predetermined temperature, whereas in summer the vanes open fully at the same temperature. The first thing which occurs to one is that the shutter opening would, with this means of control, vary with the rise and fall of the manifold vacuum. This has been overcome in an ingenious but very simple way by the use of a thermostatically controlled valve which is very compact indeed and opens and closes ports providing a means of communication between the induction manifold and the piston. It is so arranged that when the engine is cold and warming up is necessary, there is no straight-through connection at all. So soon as the desired temperature is attained the thermostatic valve, which is of the sliding type, opens, completing the pipe line circuit, and at once the cylinder is exhausted, thereby opening the shutters. A ball valve, however, is interposed in the pipe line on the engine side of the ports, so that immediately there is any variation in manifold depression the valve is sucked towards the piston and prevents any movement thereof; consequently, the shutters remain open. It is impossible for the vanes to close until the temperature of the water falls, when the thermostatic metal will move the valve to provide an atmospheric connection to the cylinder, whereupon the piston returns to its normal position against the tension of the spring and the shutters close. The outfit can be supplied to car manufacturers at very low cost indeed. [Image Diagram] Labels in diagram: FROM INDUCTION MANIFOLD TO CYLINDER AND PISTON OPERATING SHUTTERS RADIATOR OR CYLINDER BLOCK SLIDING VALVE THERMOSTATIC METALS SHELL Caption below diagram: Thermostatically operated valve used to control the R.P. suction - operated shutter system. [Footer] Temple Press Ltd., 5-15, Rosebery Avenue, E.C.1. | ||