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).
Proposal to redesign the Bentley exhaust system by removing flanges to prevent distortion during welding.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 86\3\ scan0049 | |
| Date | 27th February 1934 | |
| X223 To Sft.{Mr Swift} from E/Lid.{A. J. Lidsey} c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}-By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} E/Lid.{A. J. Lidsey}1/HP.27.2.34. Bentley Exhaust System. We understand that considerable difficulty is experienced in erecting the Bentley exhaust system due to the pipe flange faces distorting when the flanges are welded on to their tubes. We have looked into this matter and do not wish to add weight to the car by stiffening up the flanges to overcome the trouble. As an alternative it is suggested that the Works should make up an exhaust system deleting entirely the flange joint immediately behind the first expansion box and also the flange joint immediately in front of the cut out. In other words the exhaust system from the manifold joint to the tail pipe joint becomes one unit. The advantages are that several welding operations are deleted and two flanged joints done away with. We do not think there are any disadvantages, we believe it is just as easy to drop the exhaust system as a whole as to drop a section of it. This view is confirmed by the Test Dept. We suggest, therefore that Sft.{Mr Swift} should make up an exhaust system on these lines to ascertain if there are any difficulties from the point of view of manufacture and if successful the exhaust system can be handed over to the Expl. Department to be fitted to the next 10,000 miles test Bentley car. Handwritten: Attended to 28/2/34 HH. E/Lid.{A. J. Lidsey} | ||