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).
Meeting memo discussing failures on the Bentley Car, including front axle cracking, and the decisions made to rectify them.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 3\6\ 06-page186 | |
| Date | 29th May 1934 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} C. to Dy.{F R Danby} C. to H.I. C. to Ex. C. to RM.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} C. to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} C. to W.A. C. to ROF. BENTLEY CARS. A discussion was held this morning, present By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer}, Dy.{F R Danby}, RM.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}, Hm.{Capt. W. Hallam - Head Repairs} and Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}, to go over the failures on the Bentley Car :- (1) Front axles cracking. (2) Front springs failing. (3) Carburetters flooding and causing fire. The decisions arrived at were :- (1) After examining the axles which had failed it was considered that even our latest production axle has not got a sufficient margin of safety for it to be certain that it will never develop cracks. It was agreed that we should immediately stop producing any more forgings at the present time, and that L. and Dy.{F R Danby} would modify the design to increase the section where the failures occur. As soon as this design is available the dies will immediately be altered and axles produced from it. Now that we have seen actually where the failures occur, it is safe to assume that the new design will be very much stronger. Owing to the fact that we have had two cars with the axles cracked - one a demonstration car doing ordinary running - it will mean that as soon as the new axles are available arrangements will have to be made to change all existing cars. | ||