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).
Use of artillery wheels, comparing their weight and strength to alternatives.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\N\October1925-December1925\ Scan53 | |
| Date | 24th October 1925 | |
| [Stamp: ORIGINAL] TO CJ. FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} R1/M24.10.25. C. to - BJ. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} PN.{Mr Northey} re. ARTILLERY WHEELS. [Handwritten: X4586] [Handwritten and crossed out: X5809] Replying to your CJ3/E211025., I agree to artillery wheels being used [Underlined: where the owners insist upon it], but we should not recommend them because they are 15% heavier, considerably less strong, and would not give so long warning before they collapsed. You will see that my views [Handwritten above: objections] are supported by our competitors, but I will not go so far as to prohibit their use on cars intended as town carriages, when the owners insist upon something different to an open wire wheel. I agree that covering discs for wire wheels are objectionable, and that disc wheels (Michelin pattern) are also undesirable. The figure mentioned above of 15% is based upon your statement of 7 lbs. in 47 lbs. I believe however that if they are carefully compared, wheel and hub, with the latest pattern of Dunlop well-base rim, the difference in weight will be considerably more than the 15%., [Underlined: and if we were to increase the whole chassis in the same proportion it would ruin its reputation.] R.{Sir Henry Royce} [Stamp: RECEIVED] | ||