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).
Design and placement of a sports toolbox and running board.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\R\January1928-March1928\ 20 | |
| Date | 17th January 1928 | |
| DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}) (At Le CanadelHenry Royce's French residence.) Copy to DJ. WCR. SPORTS TOOLBOX & RUNNINGBOARD. X8390 X8380 X8580 R3/M17.1.28. REC'D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} & DESPATCHED FROM WW. 20.1.28. I quite agree that the step should be continuous, but should prefer to carry weight of tools behind back axle. Small tools can be carried in one or two leather bags, which I term "brief bag" scheme. You cannot carry jack, pump, wheel spanner, and starting handle and grease syringe in this way, but room for these may be found in the back or under the bonnet, or under the scuttle. But if you must have a toolbox in the runningboard I believe that the design you shew is not the best possible: stronger language, it is poor and very expensive. Would it be good to use tubular step-irons (parallel or taper): if so they could be long enough to pass right across the box. Anyway I think the step-iron should go right across because the face bolting is so short vertically, and so very expensive to form. You will say we wish to take the box down, and it must be watertight. Could you not be satisfied with two step-irons and remove these from the frame side? If not the tubular ones could be made watertight in so many ways, also sufficient box space could be formed between the step-irons, using each side so that the faired part would not be used as box. I should prefer a symmetrical shape thus - The lid{A. J. Lidsey} might open all the length. The longitudinal strength would be upper member of girder formed by the sides, and lower member by the bottom, cross strength by ends of box and step-irons. I cannot believe that the shape of this box can make a quarter of a mile per hour difference in speed, but agree that it must not have flat ends or step-irons below the bottom. Find simpler details for holding down lid.{A. J. Lidsey} We shall get into trouble and would ruin the Bank of England unless we can scheme something simpler to make. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||