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 Corfield Ltd. regarding the development and potential application of Rototherm bi-metal thermometers for motor cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 156\1\ scan0044 | |
| Date | 1st September 1934 | |
| TELEGRAMS: CORFALGAR, TOOT, LONDON. TELEPHONE: LIBERTY 1144 (5 Lines) CABLES: CORFALGAR, LONDON. Rototherm REGD. THE NEW THERMOMETER BRIT. PATENT NO 378314 AND WORLD PATENTS CORFIELD LTD. CONTRACTORS TO THE ADMIRALTY AND WAR OFFICE. DIRECTORS: H.L. BUCKLE. R. {Sir Henry Royce} CORFIELD. MERTON ABBEY LONDON, S.W.19 YOUR REF. OUR REF. LE/HB {C. E. Harcombe} DATE 1st. September 1934. Messrs. Rolls Royce Ltd., Nightingale Road, DERBY. Dear Sirs, We are taking this opportunity of enclosing herewith details of Rototherm bi-metal Thermometers. The development of this instrument is proving extremely successful, and ordinary commercial instruments can be easily guaranteed to give accurate temperature to within plus or minus 1%, and we are at the moment making instruments which will give an accuracy of a ¼° F. {Mr Friese} We are sending you one of our standard Desk models which we shall be glad if you will kindly accept with our compliments, and you will see from the enclosed broad-sheet that instruments are made specially for immersion use. A number of motor car manufacturers have had this type for testing radiator temperatures, and it occurred to us that you might also be interested. One of the features of the Rototherm system is its very high torque, and we have had in mind for some time the development of an instrument of this type for insertion in the cylinder block, the system being approximately 3/8" diameter, and driving a variable resistance operating through the car battery a milliammeter of the moving iron type, if possible, fitted to the dashboard. We feel sure this would give a much more reliable instrument than has previously been possible at a reasonable price, for motor car use, and knowing your interest in developments of this nature and your facilities for instrument work, we wonder if such an instrument would be of use to you. If so, we should be pleased to develop a special system which would be capable of operating the variable resistance. We await your news with interest, and remain, dear Sirs, Yours truly, FOR CORFIELD LTD. [Handwritten Signature] [Handwritten notes top right]: Rm {William Robotham - Chief Engineer} [Handwritten notes left margin]: Hs {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} /Rm {William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Returned as requested by JSeq 7/9/34 [Stamped text]: RECEIVED 4 SEP 1934 RESEARCH DEPARTMENT. [Red circular seal]: ROTOTHERM THE NEW THERMOMETER BRITISH MADE PAT. NO 378314 | ||