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 an article on a competitor's silent four-speed internal-underdrive transmission and suggesting experimental development.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 136\4\ scan0026 | |
| Date | 14th February 1927 | |
| S/W AR X2061 Oy2-E-21427 February 14, 1927. Mr. Basil Johnson, Rolls-Royce, Ltd., London, England. For Mr. F.{Mr Friese} H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Royce. (Copy for Mr. Hives " " Mr. Haldenby " " Mr. Nadin) Re Gearbox Dear Mr. Royce: May we draw your attention to the article on "A four-speed internal-Underdrive Transmission" on p.247 of the S.A.E. Journal for February. This is the transmission about which we wrote a few months back after having received a demonstration on a "Star" car. It is standard on the Star light truck. The interest in the article in the journal is that it gives full particulars of the internal and external gears etc. The Durant Co. is one of the few remaining who use a separate gearbox and have therefore been able to build the two speed unit forward from the old three speed transmission, by shortening the engine coupling. The degree of silence obtained was even better than the silence of third speed in the best "New PhantomCodename for PHANTOM I" box we have heard. In fact there was no "sing" from the gears, and only a very slight "geary" noise. Also the shift was so easy that it could be made silently up or down by easing the accelerator without declutching. Considering the extremely satisfactory demonstration which showed the internal gear drive to be practically silent although the gears were a rough job and the external gears unground, may we suggest that in any new four speed gearbox developed experimentally there might be considerable advantage in trying out such an arrangement for "two silent high gears". Yours very truly, Maurice Olley MO/E [STAMP: RECEIVED FEB 23 1927] | ||