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).
Proposing the use of automatic controls for chassis engines to simplify driving.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 133\4\ scan0019 | |
| Date | 16th June 1934 | |
| Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} 4703 To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} and Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} from E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} E.H/HP.16.6.34. c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} By/NW.{N. Walker - Patents} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Wst. R/PSN. re Chassis Engines - Automatic Controls. We have been lately giving some attention to schemes for making the car more automatic to drive. We have always felt that as time goes on this is an inevitable development to relieve the driver more and more of having to perform operations with controls based on a certain amount of knowledge of what is happening, or following parrot like the directions of an instruction book. Under this heading we put the hand control of the throttle and ignition levers. The Americans have already got further on that we have in this respect it must be admitted, and on many of their vehicles sold today the steering wheel is entirely free and clear except for the Klaxon button. Another reason lying behind this change is that it is far more economical to have the small automatic device located close up to the instrument requiring to be controlled than to instal a set of expensive rods and levers passing up through the steering column, and furthermore an appreciable amount of weight can be saved in this way. From our experience also we know that these automatic devices today are very reliable, as an example we quote the thermostat operating the radiator shutters, and can perform the work called for better than the average driver. We, therefore, propose to wash out as a beginning the throttle control lever from the steering column as we can see no reason why a thermostatic device should not control the throttle stop and provide the necessary change of position from a fast to a slow idling speed, consequent upon the change in temperature during the warming up period. We are told occasionally that the throttle control is used for starting away a car from rest on a hill or changing to a lower gear under certain circumstances, but we believe these difficulties are very small and mostly due to idiosyncrasies of | ||