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).
The testing of hydraulic shock absorbers, focusing on oil leakage and chatter issues.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\O\2January1926-March1926\ Scan133 | |
| Date | 2nd February 1926 | |
| Exptl: Report. To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} c.c. to CJ. BJ. c.c. to RG.{Mr Rowledge} H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} c.c. to DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c.c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} Exptl: No. Ref: Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/RnL/LG25. 2. 26. HYDRAULIC SHOCK ABSORBERS. X235 Y8520 While the mechanical features of the RR. shock absorber now appear to be satisfactory (we have completed over 50 hrs. on the bump), we are rather concerned about the oil leakages taking place from the gland on the lever shaft. In the ordinary way we run these shock absorbers on the bumping rig and cool them with a jet of water. Under these conditions oil leaks out of the gland fairly slowly but an appreciable quantity is not lost until the shock absorber has been running a good many hours. We consider that under these circumstances the shock absorber is very much cooler than it would be in a hot climate on the road. We have therefore been running these shock absorbers without any cooling. We find that at the end of half an hours running, one-third of the total quantity of oil in the shock absorber leaks out through this lever and gland. When it has fallen to this level, the shock absorber ceases to lose oil in any quantity, but air passes the piston, gets into the system, and the shock absorber chatters. As we have previously pointed out, the chatter is very objectionable and can be heard from the drivers seat. Although the suggested modifications may overcome the chatter, we shall still have the leak. We suggest that the gland of this lever requires radical alteration. contd :- | ||