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).
Mechanical tyre inflation pump, the 'Pompe Gergovia', as a potential accessory for customers.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 149\5\ scan0126 | |
| Date | 22th October 1928 | |
| S/W. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} 7993 CWB9/GM/22.10.28. MECHANICAL TYRE INFLATION. As you are aware, we get from time to time enquiries regarding mechanical inflation of tyres and many people seem to think that we [should] fit some kind of air pump for this purpose. All our enquiries into this matter seem to show that such a pump is more likely to be a source of trouble than otherwise, but whilst in Paris recently I was shown an attachment to a cylinder in the place of a sparking plug which seems to be very effective. This is called the Pompe Gergovia and sells at the price of about 10/6d. It has been very thoroughly tested by Parsons, who confirms that he can find no trace of either exhaust gas or of oil in the air discharged, and our much shorter tests here seem to confirm this result. It appears to pump up a 20 h.p. tyre from zero to 35 lbs in about 4½ minutes and a 40/50 h.p. tyre in about 9 minutes. The latter is rather long, but it would of course be seldom used for pumping a tyre from zero. All that is necessary to do is to remove a sparking plug, and the makers advise that one of the end plugs, Nos. 1 or 6, should be removed, screw in the pump element lightly into the sparking plug hole and run the engine at about its ordinary slow running speed when standing. It would assist us materially to be able to advise any customers who wish for some such device, that we have found this quite satisfactory, and to list it amongst accessories. Would you please therefore test it and advise us whether you can see any objection to its use, either from the point of view of the engine or from the point of view of the tyres. The pump is being sent to you by separate post. CWB. [Signature: CWB] | ||