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).
Improvements to vehicle batteries, side lights, and charging systems.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 59\1\ Scan157 | |
| Date | 11th October 1927 | |
| HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} ) FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} (HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} is struck through, EFG is written underneath and also struck through) C: [illegible text struck through] WOR{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} [illegible text struck through] CWB [illegible text struck through] re. BATTERIES. I understand bigger batteries are being fitted to R-R cars for theatre work, and parking. Two or three things occur to me: (1) Probably it is not a question of capacity but the amount of charge available - i.e. they ought to have garage charging (very small trickle current.) If this is so no advantage is obtained by larger batteries: it will still become discharged however big it is. (2) Secondly, our side lights are uncomfortably bright. My 7-EX. has tissue paper inside. Chrysler's have tiny lamps so that the side light current which is on for parking could be reduced by 50% to 75% = 1/2 to 1/4 of what it is now: this would make the difference. (3) Also, since it is not necessary to park with the rear lamp burning because it is next to the pavement, a switch could be used for this, interlocked with the charging switch perhaps, so that one cannot go on the road with the rear light out unless turned off by the switchbox. Perhaps some of these ideas are unwise or impossible: I give them for what they are worth. You will remember that in future work we are arranging for a separate switch for turning off the charge instead of the magneto. It will also be remembered that we are trying to considerably reduce or cut off the charging current when the battery is fully charged. At present the driver does not know one way or the other. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||