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).
Premature failure and chemical analysis of a Watford EW6 magneto contact breaker.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 65\3\ scan0351 | |
| Date | 25th March 1929 | |
| X7791 To Roy{Sir Henry Royce}/JT. from EFC* EFC2/T25.3.29. WATFORD EW6 MAGNETO CONTACT BREAKER FAILURES Further to your enquiry regarding the Watford magneto contact breaker which had prematurely failed on one of the experimental cars, we are not completely satisfied that we should be debited for this. The reason is that we have another contact breaker which has also prematurely failed, making a black deposit over the contact breaker lever. We have brought this black deposit to the notice of our Chemical laboratory who state that this is a compound of platinum and does not contain any carbon. We are therefore of the opinion that in the first instance any road failure must have been due to some cause in the running of the contact breaker itself. It is also the case that our test people inform us that it could not possibly occur as a result of petrol or oily vapour. We are testing the ventilated cam cages which Mr. North himself handed to me and at some later time we may be better able to know the exact cause of the failure. In the meanwhile as the contact breaker now handed to you requires repair, we would like to put it to Messrs. Norths that if we agree to pay for the previous repair, they would be prepared to repair the present one free of charge. EFC | ||