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 a supplier recommending their steel welded seamless tubing over their asbestos-based 'Tuboflex' hose for an exhaust connection.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\3\ Scan008 | |
| Date | 17th March 1933 | |
| X 1276 TELEPHONE: TOTTENHAM 4106-7. ON ADMIRALTY LIST. TELEGRAMS: "AEROFLEXPHONE, LONDON." BENTLEY'S CODE. DIRECTORS: M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} C. GILLMAN. MAJ. SIR F.{Mr Friese} R.{Sir Henry Royce} MALONE. M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} C. MANN. R.{Sir Henry Royce} D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} MILLAR. THE POWER FLEXIBLE TUBING CO., LTD., "MANUFACTURERS OF 'TUBOFLEX' FLEXIBLE METALLIC TUBING" "AEROFLEX" Pneumatic Hose DERBY WORKS, FINSBURY PARK, LONDON, N. 4. MONOMARK:- B.C.M./METFLEX. 17th March 1933 Messrs. Rolls-Royce Ltd., DERBY. Ref: Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Lid.{A. J. Lidsey}6/KT. LID{A. J. Lidsey} Dear Sirs, In reply to your favour of yesterday, under the above reference, regarding flexible metallic tubing between the floating power unit and the main silencer. We do not recommend the TUBOFLEX type of hose for this purpose as, in the first instance, it is provided with a thread of asbestos yarn running through the windings of the metal forming the tubing, which yarn would perish very soon with the heat, and in the second place, it is made from such thin metal that it would not be advisable to have it for the duty stated. We should however like you to try our Steel Welded Seamless Tubing with specially close and fine corrugations, making it reasonably well flexible for the work. This tubing could be welded to your rigid steel exhaust piping, provided the usual care is taken when welding steel tubing of thin gauge. This Steel Welded Seamless Tubing could stand any amount of heat, as long as it was below melting point of the metal and it would always remain reasonably flexible to take up the restrained movements of the engine. We could only provide this tubing in millimetre dimensions. (We have recently acquired the British patent rights for the manufacture of this hose and all our tools are still millimetre sizes.) | ||