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 discussing ongoing testing, noise issues, and material choices for dampers and connecting links.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 152\1\ scan0243 | |
| Date | 21th January 1937 | |
| 1293 Experimental Department 21st. January 1937. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Les.11/AP. Gordon Armstrong Esq., Waltham Works, BEVERLEY, E.Yorks. Dear Mr.Armstrong, Thank you for your letter of the 15th., the damper with smaller valves and the extra connecting links. From a brief test we find that although the noise from the smaller valves is less, the damper is still not quiet. This particular damper loses a considerable amount of oil when running from the disc at the end of the shaft and from the valve adjusting nut. We have tightened this nut without benefit. In fact we should be quite pleased to have a spare tin of your shock absorber oil. I have arranged for the valves and bellows etc. to be despatched to you for the new dampers. The attached print will show their assembly. It will be the best arrangement for the lever of the damper to be off-set for the rear and straight for the front. Our Chief Designer, Mr.Elliott, has asked me to enquire from what material the shock absorber casings are made. He suggested that "Mayzak" No.3. was the strongest material for this type of die-casting. At the moment the valve type dampers are still intact. They have run for 13 hours on the Bumper. The rubber in a pair of the connecting links has disintegrated after 9 1/4 hours running. As in any case we should make our own connecting links, their failure will be more interesting to you than to us. On our test rig we have just blown one of the plugs out of the transfer passage on the large valve damper. continued | ||