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).
The features and benefits of the Stabifix device, focusing on its anti-skid, springing, shock-absorbing, and spring-saving capabilities.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 15\6\ Scan156 | |
| Date | 1st January 1931 guessed | |
| -4- guiding sockets fitted on to two guiding rods. The upper guiding sockets are spring-fixed to the top rod by spiral springs. The top rod is firmly fixed to the chassis frame and the bottom rod to the rear axle. The tendency of the chassis springs is to extend the shears. They are pressed together by vertical forces against the resistance of both chassis springs (besides the two small spiral springs). The shears consist of from three to seven flat steel plates, layered crosswise, one upon another, with small Ferodo-asbestos sheets between them. The tension of the pivot can easily be changed by adjusting the nut. [underlined] The effect of Stabifix on other features of the Car. [/underlined] Stabifix is not one of those Car accessories, the advantages of which are accompanied by numerous disadvantages in other directions. On the contrary, Stabifix combines with its main quality of an anti-skid protective device, a number of highly satisfactory subsidiary advantages with no resulting evil effects elsewhere. 1. [underlined] Stabifix is an effective protection against slipping. [/underlined] [strikethrough] Experience has shown that the device not only prevents skidding [/strikethrough] but also, in most cases, wheel slipping also. This can be explained as follows:- To cause slipping (even when the normal conditions of slipping are present, such as applying the brakes when surface grip is insufficient) it is necessary to give the Car a sudden start or jerk which overcomes the suction of the rubber profile on the road surface. In most cases this initial jerk is produced by the transversal force when skidding. If there is no skid there is no jerk and tendency to slip does not materialise. 2. [underlined] Stabifix is a serviceable springing device. [/underlined] As the movement of the shears can be regulated by loosening or tightening the nut, it affords, at the same time, a springing device, with a very wide range of adjustment. It becomes possible to make the Car heavily or lightly sprung, as desired, and so accommodate the car to any road conditions, or personal taste. 3. [underlined] Stabifix is an unrivalled Shock-absorber. [/underlined] Stabifix radically suppresses all rolling movements of the body, which on long journeys seriously detract from the passengers comfort, besides being injurious to the Car. When passing over a bump, the body makes one soft bounce and then returns at once to its normal position of rest, whereas, hitherto, the body would only return to rest after a succession of bounces. The shock absorbing effect of the gear, when travelling over potholes is in fact astonishing. It is no exaggeration to say that the Stabifix device makes potholes unnoticeable, the reason being that the wheel concerned does not sink into the hole, but is carried over it on account of the inertia of the rear axle and chassis construction. A Car fitted with the Stabifix device can, in fact, maintain a speed average over bad roads studded with holes, such as the ordinary car can scarcely maintain on good roads. 4. [underlined] Stabifix prevents Springs breaking. [/underlined] Broken springs are the result always of a one-sided strain, which means overloading one spring. As the Stabifix device makes such one sided strains impossible, and distributes all forces and load evenly over both rear Wheel springs, | ||