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 S.U. Carburetter Co. Ltd. regarding Neoprene diaphragm failures and swelling in pumps.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 149\3\ scan0105 | |
| Date | 13th January 1940 | |
| TELEPHONE: BIRMINGHAM EAST 1171 TELEGRAMS: FLEXCARBUR, BIRMINGHAM. Handwritten: Petrol Pumps Handwritten: F.J. Hardy Handwritten: 1263 THE S.U. CARBURETTER CO. LTD. PROPRIETORS:- MORRIS MOTORS LTD. VISCOUNT NUFFIELD CHAIRMAN OLIVER BODEN, O.B.E. VICE-CHAIRMAN T.C. SKINNER, M.I.A.E. MANAGING DIRECTOR ADDERLEY PARK, BIRMINGHAM, 8. 13th January, 1940. YOUR REF: Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/MHR.{M. H. Rigby} 10/JH. OUR REF: RLK/MRC. Handwritten: M.H.R Messrs. Rolls-Royce Ltd., DERBY. Dear Sirs, We are in receipt of your letter of 12th inst., and would state that a few of the original Neoprene diaphragms we supplied to you were not fitted with the red fibre washers, nor were any of those supplied to our other customers in the early part of last year. We had a few cases of swelling, causing trouble in the manner you have described, and that is the reason why the washer was fitted. There are however, probably 100,000 of these diaphragms in use, and the number of failures owing to swelling has not been large. It has been caused in every case by the use of Benzole mixture, and since this fuel has been no longer available the failures on the early 1939 pumps have ceased. We believe you have very few of the Neoprene diaphragms in use without the fibre washer, and such ones as there are in use in this country are unlikely to give any trouble under present circumstances. It is possible that Benzole mixture is still available in France, and this may account for the trouble you have recently experienced there. Generally speaking, any of Ctd. | ||