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).
Chronic 2nd gear noise, weighing the use of synchromesh against a proposal for helical gears.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 15\5\ Scan339 | |
Date | 12th September 1932 | |
HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} X7310 R2/M12.9.32. Sent off 15.9.32. C. to SG.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} WOR.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} HDY.{William Hardy} X.7310. X.5310. GEARBOX - SYNCHROMESH & HELICAL SECOND. While at Le CanadelHenry Royce's French residence we were struck with the noise of the 2nd. gear, and concluded that we had got a bad one, but it is now understood to be chronic. It was previously suggested that we needed a synchromesh second, which I said we could not do at the moment, and it would be very doubtful if it would work on so low a gear. Now it has appeared to many of us that the easy change on this gear is not so urgently needed. I think that helical gears only is quite a good and possible idea, and we should try to embody it in all our future work - i.e. more silent second without synchromesh, but the jaw clutch change will render changing to this gear less liable to damage the gear teeth. I will ask HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} when he is here tomorrow how I came to miss hearing that this was being made. Also I am not sure if Derby are waiting for anything from WW. It was pointed out by HDY.{William Hardy} that as carried out by Derby the second speed pinion revolves at nearly double engine speed all the time the car is in the top gear, which does not seem passable as there are also two other pairs of gears meshing at high speed, churning and heating the gearbox oil. It would seem better to put the jaw clutch on the 3rd motion shaft. Anyway it will need some extensive changes in the box dimensions. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||