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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).
Detailed explanation of the operation of a compressed air-actuated clutch and steering mechanism.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 147\4\  scan0198
Date  15th May 1941 guessed
  
the flange 55 on the extension 54 of the driving member 51
of the second clutch and the member 53 secured on the
shaft 41. By admitting compressed air to one end of
the cylinder 60, the piston 59 is moved to the other end
5 of the cylinder and moves the outer race of the bearing 62
into engagement with the flange 55 so as to move the
clutch member 51 away from the clutch member 50
sufficiently to disengage the second cone clutch. By
admitting compressed air to the opposite end of the
10 cylinder 60, the piston 59 is moved in the other direction
and the outer race of the bearing 62 engages and moves
the member 53 and the shaft 41. The shaft 41 moves
the clutch member 43, which is secured on it, away
from the clutch member 44 to disengage the first cone
15 clutch: compressed air is admitted to and exhausted from
the cylinder 56 through suitable connections, not shown.

The operation is as follows :- When the vehicle
is to travel in a straight line, the cylinder 37 and
both ends of the cylinder 60 are open to exhaust so that
20 the slipping clutch 30-31-32 is disengaged and both the
cone clutches 43-44 and 50-52 are engaged. The shaft 41
is not driven but both pinions 45 and 49 are clutched
to it and lock the shafts 27a and 27b against rotation.
The internal gears 23a and 23b are thus held, so that
25 the shaft 14, driven by the engine through the main
clutch 13 and gear box 15, drives both shafts 16a and
16b and both sprocket wheels 17a and 17b at the same
speed. To turn the vehicle compressed air is first
admitted to one or other end of the cylinder 58,
30 depending on the direction of the turn, so that one
or other of the cone clutches is disengaged. Compressed

9.
  
  


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