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).
Five detailed proposals for improving vehicle steering, concluding that the current slow steering setup is best for safety.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\P\July1926-September1926\ Scan081 | |
| Date | 27th August 1926 | |
| TO B.J. FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} C. to WOR.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} CY. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} re. STEERING. We have endeavoured in all directions to improve the steering of our car, but no modifications have proved themselves so practical as the very best scheme and proportion of the following (1) Reducing the speed of the steering - probably this should be carried slightly further. (2) Increasing the dia. of the worm - this we have carried as far as is practical, that is, there is positive disadvantage in making the steering more irreversible. (3) Damping the axle movement relative to the frame - this item has been carried as reliably and as perfectly as we believe possible with present knowledge by our Special double acting hydraulic dampers (50% up and 100% down.) (4) Additional damping friction in the steering mechanism on the axle - this we are carrying further by adding special friction washers to the pivots. This item we are hoping to still further improve by substituting hydraulic damping for mechanical friction. We have not at the moment found a sufficiently perfect and practical design for this but have the matter in hand. (5) Suitable flexibility in the longitudinal buffer springs - this item has been tried in nearly every combination, but it is now suggested that the combination of opposing buffer springs and set-up springs may give the best results. This is in effect equivalent to using the Silver Ghost opposed buffer springs at one end of the longitudinal tube, and the set-up buffer springs suggested by me for the Goshawk and Phantom at the other. These alone (it will be remembered) did not give satisfaction, but may in combination with our older scheme give us the best possible combination. It will be seen that all our work has been in the right direction, and that there is no wonderful novel departure in this mechanism which has given any improvement over our standard productions, and we find no-one shewing signs of having so exhaustedly tested every hopeful combination. Finally we would ask PN.{Mr Northey} and other members of Sales who have demanded a quick steering, to realise that for safety, and to give the customers satisfaction, we are obliged to forego their particular wish for a rapid steering, assuring them that we must understand that no combination of parts is known at present by us that will give the advantages they are seeking, and those necessary to give safety and satisfaction to the average driver, and that even very fast, large, and heavy cars, such as the Hispano, Packard, Bentley, etc, are all fitted with slow steering. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||