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 Adamant Engineering Company discussing the characteristics of Marles steering gear, specifically regarding road shocks and irreversibility.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 28\2\ Scan034 | |
| Date | 11th August 1932 | |
| X4094 Telegrams: "ADAMANT, Phone, Luton." CONTRACTORS TO H.M. ADMIRALTY, WAR OFFICE & AIR MINISTRY. Telephone: LUTON 1818 (2 Lines). ADAMANT ENGINEERING COMPANY, LIMITED (Incorporating J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} C. THREADGOLD & SONS, Established 1878). Engineers and Founders. SPECIALISTS in the DESIGN and MANUFACTURE of HIGH PRECISION TOOLS, JIGS, FIXTURES, etc. SPECIAL MACHINES, SPECIAL MACHINE TOOLS and ACCURATE PRODUCTION WORK. SOLE MANUFACTURERS and SALES AGENTS for the MARLES and MARLES-WELLER STEERING GEARS. Directors: S. CARLTON SMITH, A.M.I.MECH.E., M.I.P.E. ENG. LT.-COMMANDER F.{Mr Friese} G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} MATRAVERS, R.N., M.A. (CANTAB.), A.M.I.MECH.E., M.I.A.E., M.I.P.E. O.{Mr Oldham} CARLTON SMITH, M.A. (CANTAB.), F.I.S.A., M.I.P.E., Secretary. ALFRED SLATTER, M.I.E.E. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} W. HAZEL, F.I.S.A. Your Ref. HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Gry{Shadwell Grylls}/1/K T Head Offices, Works and Design Dept.: Our Ref. FGM/AGS/CB. DALLOW ROAD, LUTON. 11th August, 1932. Messrs. Rolls-Royce Ltd., DERBY. Dear Sirs, We beg to acknowledge with many thanks receipt of your favor of the 10th instant, reference as above, contents of which we have carefully considered. We have noted that the trouble you are experiencing at the present moment with your own steering, which is of the worm and nut type, is the difficulty in eliminating road shocks, and in this connection we would say that our experience has been that with this particular type of steering this trouble is generally present. As regards the Marles Steering, we would state that this type of gear is not designed to be irreversible, and we would add that so far as we are aware there is no modern steering which is truly irreversible, otherwise all castor action would be eliminated, and a car fitted with irreversible steering would almost certainly wander. The design of the Marles Steering has been carried out to form a compromise between the elimination of road shocks at the steering wheel, high efficiency, and at the same time it is designed to be self-centring, and we are of the opinion that in the matter of road shocks it is definitely better than the worm and nut steering. The helix angle of the standard Cam made for the R7 - 1 - | ||