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).
Letter concerning the development of an instrument board control switch using American-made components.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 39\3\ Scan030 | |
| Date | 3rd March 1921 | |
| X 3513 March 3rd. 1921. ROLLS-ROYCE OF AMERICA INC. SPRINGFIELD, MASS. Cy 2/G3321. Dr. E.W.Hives, Dear Hives:- X.1362. Re: Instrument Board Control X.3513. X.3686. X.3764. X.805. Many thanks for your long reports on the subjects of American parts, of which you have sent us copies. We feel that your endorsement of the desire on your part to secure good American material and of the ability of the American makers to produce such material, has been of the greatest benefit. We have now secured a sample of a new instrument board control switch of good quality, which is being developed by Westinghouse for the high-class trade. It is entirely constructed of fairly solid sections of metal or of non-hygroscopic insulation materials (Bakelite Micarta or similar stuff). We are trying to develop a model exactly suited to our requirements from either the American Bosch, the Westinghouse or the Connecticut Telephone, for 4-EX. It will be roughly as follows :- (For sketch see original - X.1362) The "control switch" when"on" will make a connection supplying current to the -ve bus bar of the junction box (in existing cars) and when "off" will break this connection and earth the magneto (in addition to the steering column switch), thus cancelling the magneto and battery ignition | ||