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 Dunlop Rubber Co. Ltd. regarding the failure of Goodyear Rims and planned investigations.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 159\1\ scan0069 | |
| Date | 10th January 1921 | |
| COPY OF A LETTER RECEIVED FROM:- THE DUNLOP RUBBER CO. LTD., HOLBROOK LANE, FOLESHILL, COVENTRY. Your Ref.- Wd{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead}14/NJ4121. Our Ref.- FJK/CMH. 10th January, 1921. Messrs. Rolls Royce Ltd., Nightingale Road, DERBY. Dear Sirs, Dunlop Wire Wheels with Goodyear Rims with movable flange for straight-side tyres. Replying to your letter of the 4th inst. and confirming our conversation with your Mr. Whitehead to-day, we understand that your technical committee have decided not to use any more of the 32 x 4 1/2" Straight Sided Rims which we have imported from America, and that you have also advised your American Company not to use the Wire Wheels fitted with these rims, which were sent them some time ago. We have carefully inspected the six rims referred to in your letter and while one or two of them have in the flange gap what appear to be minute fractures, we are unable to discover any signs of distress in the others. It is, however, very difficult to determine whether the rims are sound or otherwise by mere visual examination, and we, therefore, propose to carry out some physical tests which will give us some reliable data on the subject. We enclose a small section cut from the well of the rim that failed when being fitted to your chassis No.106 A.E. This specimen was taken from a portion of the rim that was unbroken and on examination you will observe that the fracture appears to start from the inside of the rim whereas the out-side is apparently sound. This is rather surprising as one would think that if failure were likely to take place, it would occur on the outside where the metal is in tension and not on the inside where it is in compression. Our conclusion is, therefore, that the rims have been manufactured from faulty material. As soon as the above tests on the rims have been carried out, we will let you have a full report and in the meantime we are doing everything possible to produce rims on our own plant from suitable English steel. Since speaking to your Mr. Whitehead, the steel suppliers have promised delivery by road next Saturday, and if the material comes to hand accordingly we should be manufacturing rims early next week and could let you have a delivery of wheels a few days thereafter. While your decision not to fit any more of the American | ||