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).
Lubrication systems for front ball joints, sphere, torque tube, and road springs, referencing the Bijur system.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\Q\2April1927-June1927\ 56 | |
| Date | 14th April 1927 guessed | |
| contd :- -3- (b) We do not know how to guarantee a straight central hole down the pendulum lever, and if it wanders the lever will break. (c) It leaves us without a reliable means of lubricating the front ball. At present we take full oil pressure right up to the two ball joints. Actually the brass-pipe used on this job shows no damage from gravel or road dirt. With a little alteration it may be possible to put the oil-pressure pipe inside the side steering tube, or it may be permissible to use the side steering tube between the end plugs as a reservoir for oil and allow it to feed out either end with the motion of the car. (7) Sphere and torque tube. We are feeding the sphere and torque tube from the Bijur system on the experimental car, the pressure being conducted down from the rear gearbox cross member to the torque tube by means of a simple double-coil brass pipe and fed to drip plugs on the sphere and torque tube joint as shewn on prints A-9961 and A-7846 herewith. On the sphere we had to entirely revise the system to feed the oil from a catch-ring down the outside of the pins, using the existing central holes in the pins as an air-escape. The present system of lubrication depends absolutely on getting an occasional shot of oil in the sphere sufficient to bury the joint-ring 1" deep or more. This the Bijur system with its frequent small shots will not do, (we tried it 2 years ago). The system as shewn on A-9961 has run some 5000 miles and promises well. On the torque tube we devised a similar scheme which did not work and returned to the standard scheme as shewn on print with the drip plug vertically upwards and in line with the knife-blade on the baffles. This works like a charm, filling the coupling pot from a bone-dry start within 1000 miles. (8) Road springs. We propose shortly to try some means of feeding the spring gaiters from the Bijur system. At present spring gaiters are not an unmixed blessing because if neglected they harbour water instead of oil. We have in mind that a simple pad and Bijur plug instead of a gaiter may be preferable. (9) General results. The general results from the use of the contd :- | ||