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).
Visit to Messrs. Lucas in Birmingham regarding their experimental Bakelite moulding process and junction box fuse clips.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 39\3\ Scan069 | |
| Date | 4th May 1921 | |
| X.3573 To R & E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} from FFC. Extract from -- EFC2/T4.5.21. c. CJ. c. Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} c. Wd.{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead} RE VISIT TO MESSRS. LUCAS, BIRMINGHAM. Accompanied by Mr. Brock, I visited Messrs. Lucas on Saturday April 23rd. X.3513 Bakelite Moulding. We were shown their experimental plant for producing small mouldings in Bakelite. They are only in the experimental stages with this process but hope to develop it. Mr. Brock was of the opinion that what we saw would be most useful to him in deciding what class of mould to make. Samples of mouldings were made in our presence and we were given cigarette ash trays which were made while we were there. Their experimental plant consisted merely of a hydraulic press using oil as the working fluid, the mould being heated at the time of moulding by a small gas ring. The temperature thus attained would not be steady and definite enough on production lines, as care has to be taken to have the temperature within certain limits. Wd.{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead} has reported in his Wd{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead}13/NJ22.4.21 as to the source from which "Bakelite" powder is obtained by Messrs. Lucas. When the powder is heated in the open air it gives off a smell of carbolic acid and becomes a plastic consistency when pressed together between the fingers. The article comes out from the mould with a very nice finish and a rich chocolate colour from this particular powder. As this visit was made on Saturday morning, we did not have time to look round Messrs. Lucas's press tool shop, but they kindly offered to show this to Mr. Brock if he cared to arrange to spend a few hours there another day. X.3514 Lucas Junction Box Fuse Clips. V2515 A Lucas Junction box had been sent to Messrs. Lucas in which our Expl. Dept. had fitted the R.R. type of fuse holder and clips, with an enquiry as to their opinion Contd. | ||