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).
Letter from Maybach explaining a now-discontinued device designed to prevent engine overspeed in their gearboxes.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 128\2\ scan0071 | |
| Date | 24th March 1931 | |
| MAYBACH-MOTORENBAU G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} m.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} b. H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} BETRIFFT: MAYBACH GEARBOX. EMPFANGER: ROLLS-ROYCE LTD. DERBY. TAG: 24/3/31. BLATT 2 fact that the car all at a sudden speeds up the idling engine to correspond with the car speed. A bad crash is to be felt in the car. This will always occur when proceeding as you have described. As we saw a certain risk in this possibility, some years ago, we developed a device which increases the engine speed by opening the throttle, automatically and without interference of the driver, while the claw is being overrun, after preselection on steering wheel. A patent application on this device has been made in Germany and will also be made in England within the term of priority. We had this device fitted to some of the very first cars equipped with overspeed gears; experience, however, has proved this precaution to be superfluous, because the drivers never operate in the manner tried and described by you. For this reason we do not fit this device any more to our present cars with single and double overspeed gears. Anyhow, with all the large quantities of gearboxes which we have delivered these recent years, no complaint has arisen which could be brought in connection with the difficulty you have mentioned. The question of royalties will be dealt with in a separate letter. Yours faithfully MAYBACH-MOTORENBAU G.m.b.H. Enc: 1 drawing 15911. [Signature] Drucks-Nr. 39 | ||