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).
Request for two experiments to be conducted on front pivots and steering components to investigate fractures.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 2\12\ B002_X168-page027 | |
| Date | 10th March 1913 | |
| FHR3/L12313 March 10th 1913. To Mr Wormald & Mr Spinney X168 Re Front Pivots. Will you please have the following experiments made at once:- (1) Bolt f.axle to some angle plates or in such a way to hold it vertical as it stands on the car. Or simply jack up a chassis so that both wheels are off the ground, prepare a drive for the English near side wheel by electric motor or other suitable means so as to view the wheel at the same speed as it will go with a car travelling between 50 or 60 miles per hour, fit a balance weight so as to throw the wheel a reasonable amount out of balance, that is, as much out of balance as it might have in practice. Find out what effect this has on the steering gear then introduce slack in the joints of the cross steering tube, during this test it is best to hold the steering wheel as still as possible. Run this test for a long time to see whether it produces any fracture similar to the one which has taken place. (2) Experiment. Bore a hole in the felloe of the near side wheel so as to introduce a joint for a connecting rod which is coupled to a crank on a shaft that can be run at a high speed so as to vibrate the wheel in the same way it might take place with succession of road bumps; this will be working the wheel on its steering pivot. After running this a long time with the joints in the cross steering tube in good condition introduce slack in these joints and repeat the experiment; if either of these experiments produces the fracture that we have found introduce the spring buffers into the cross steering tube to see if these would have any beneficial effect on reducing the liability to fracture. F.H.R. 10/3/13 [Handwritten note, bottom left] Mr Wormald, copy, 12.3.13 idem Spinney 12.3.13 | ||