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).
Steering experiments and suggested improvements for PN and Mr. Horlick.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 20\2\ Scan074 | |
| Date | 12th April 1920 | |
| X.963. To CJ. from R.{Sir Henry Royce} c. to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} (to act as indicated) c. to En. c. to De. c. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} R2/C12.4.20. X.97563 RE STEERING - PN.{Mr Northey} AND MR. HORLICK. C115/E9.4.20. X.3491a. X.2628 X.3482. X.891 As far as I am concerned our steering is, all things considered, the best by far that I have ever touched. There may be possibilities beyond my knowledge. I should like therefore a few experiments made, and then if no improvements can be offered to Mr. Horlick we shall have to examine the 135 HP. Detrich, but I should prefer not to do so until we have seen the possibilities of our arrangements under these conditions. X.1242 I have before suggested rendering - (1) our steering gear less reversible by the use of plain (instead of ball) thrust bearings in the steering column, using fibre washers instead of the ball washers, possibly one ball and one plain (upper or lower) might be found preferable. (2) Adding a small amount of damping friction at the axle pivot pins by changing the ball thrust to a plain thrust. (3) I now add that we might use a pivot pin in the front axle which is vertical in the front elevation, abandoning the centre point steering in the first case, and (4) in the second part of this experiment obtain true central point steering with a vertical pin, by the use of Michelin disc wheels (.3 and .4 should have some effect on camering re Mr. Horlick). X.891 (4) may be considered the only perfect arrangement. For PN{Mr Northey}'s complaint either use quite irreversible steering (No.1 has this tendency) or arrange the control of the Contd. | ||