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).
Temporary scheme for adding friction and a self-centring spring mechanism to the 20 HP steering column.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 106\3\ scan0134 | |
| Date | 28th January 1927 | |
| To BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}5/LG28.1.27. XS430 20 HP. STEERING. XS450 With further reference to our request for a temporary scheme for putting friction in the 20 HP. steering column. We have tried out a very temporary device and consider the results to be promising. We therefore think it would be worth while completing the scheme and should like you to provide an easy hand adjustment giving say a 50% variation either way from the specified load. In addition, we are particularly anxious to try experimentally on the 40/50 a scheme by which the steering is made to self-centre by springs working either in the steering box or on the pendulum lever; R.{Sir Henry Royce} made a similar sort of suggestion some time ago, and we feel that if we could give him experimental evidence that the idea was a success we might get a very big improvement in the steering. The appended sketch illustrates what we consider to be desirable. The idea is that by having the springs set up, a considerable self centering load is imposed as soon as the steering leaves the central position and this load does not increase very much on either lock. In our opinion the main benefits conferred by this device are :- (1) Vertical pivots can be used, thereby eliminating low speed wobbles, which always come up when we put friction behind the side steering tube springs. contd :- | ||