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 from Rolls-Royce of America Inc. to London regarding the design of the thrust bearing for the bevel pinion.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 49\1\ Scan232 | |
| Date | 19th October 1920 | |
| X4150 Oy5/G - 19.10.20. Oct. 19th 1920. Mr. Claude Johnson, Managing Director. Rolls-Royce Ltd., London, England. Attention: Mr. Bailey & Experimental Dept. Dear Sir:- Re: Thrust Bearing for Bevel Pinion. Mr. Platford tells us that your attention has already been drawn to the fact that there is a considerable thrust due to the use of Gleason bevels when the car over-runs or when it is pulling in reverse. This thrust at present is taken on a plain washer, whereas the standard practice with Gleason gears is to take it on a ball/roller thrust bearing of some sort. Or I believe that so far we have found no disadvantage through this practice, which is a survival of the straight bevel design. We should be glad to know, however, whether in the larger number of cars you have now produced you find that this plain bearing gives trouble or needs any special attention, or whether it is the cause of any development of over-run noise in cars which have run some time. Is it the intention of Derby to substitute a ball thrust for the plain thrust on subsequent series of cars ? We feel that under exceptional circumstances of backing out of snow for examples, the plain thrust might give trouble. We find that theoretically the reverse thrust is 72 per cent of the forward thrust. Very truly, yours, ROLLS ROYCE OF AMERICA INC. MO/G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} PER ___________ | ||