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 to a supplier regarding the redesign of overweight springs for a Phantom II.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 52\2\ Scan199 | |
| Date | 21th January 1930 | |
| +4429. print returned.. Expl. Dept. HS {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} /Rn. {Mr Robinson} 1/MJ. Jan. 21st.1930. Messrs. Thos. Firth & Sons, Ltd., Norfolk Works, SHEFFIELD Dear Sirs, With reference to your letter HWP/AR/462/1. We have looked at the spring drawings which you have sent us, but now that you have inserted the weights we consider that the springs are too heavy. We have never broken a Phantom 11 rear spring on any of our tests, some of which have been most intensive. A standard Phantom 11 1,150 lb. rear spring having a maximum deflection of 13" weighs 79 lbs. The spring we are asking for has only a maximum deflection of 9.8". We therefore think it imperative that the total weight of the springs should not exceed 70 lbs, and should preferably be nearer 65 lbs. We naturally appreciate that you can only obtain these results by using fewer plates, and the effect of using fewer plates is one of the things we want to test. We would therefore ask you to re-design spring 'A' and definitely endeavour to get the weight nearer 65 lbs. We not that you say in your opinion, fewer plates would not make the spring satisfactory in operation. We presume that you are thinking of the loss in leaf friction which we propose to replace by added shock absorber loading. If this is not the case, we should like to know of what you were thinking. With reference to the front spring we do not want this to exceed 35 lbs. and should be glad to know that the spring you submitted is about this weight. We are prepared to take delivery of these springs with solid eyes and shall proceed to subject them to an | ||