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).
Challenges and solutions for producing a suitable Widney unbroken line top bonnet hinge for Bentley cars.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 84\3\ scan0168 | |
Date | 1st February 1937 | |
To EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} Copy to DS. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} SHC. HPS.{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Steadman. E/Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}5/MN.1.2.37. [Handwritten note] Std- This seems a depressing state of affairs. Has Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} really done the best possible. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Bonnet with Widney Unbroken Line Top Hinge - Bentley. Ever since last September, 1935, we have been endeavouring to persuade Messrs.Hallam, Sleigh & Cheston, the Manufacturers of the Widney unbroken line top bonnet hinge, to produce a hinge suitable for use on Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars. In the end they had to admit that they could not do it so we have had to do the job for them. We have taken a standard Widney hinge, known as type H.34, and details of the hinge sections are shown on drawings Nos.H.23/34 and H.22, which we enclose herewith. It was essential to do this as we were told that tools for a special hinge would cost at least £600. Having to accept the standard hinge we have to accept 135º of opening which will entail the use of some sort of prop from the dashboard to hold the side plate in a horizontal position. This we suggest we can best investigate after the bonnet has been fitted to a car. The other contingency forced upon us is that we must use with this hinge a steel bonnet either of .036 or .048?. There is not room for the double thickness of the present gauge of aluminium, and apart from the difficulty of folding such thick material the opening would be still further reduced from 135º. For the first bonnet we suggest that the Expl. Dept. use the thinner gauge. Although we have used the standard hinge type H.34 we have been told that we can shear out certain of its sections in order to fit our rear bonnet support and this we have done. In order to get one sample hinge for the Expl. Dept. to fit on a car we have sent a blueprint of our scheme LeC.5486, of which we now send you the original, to Messrs.Hallam, Sleigh & Cheston and have asked them to supply the two halves of the hinge together with the bonnet opening stops and the central brass rod. All the remaining parts, it is intended, we should make as they have no facilities for doing this. The first set they will make without details but we think details should be available for the hinge parts when subsequent supplies are required and to enable you to make the details we send you Hallam, Sleigh & Chestons drawings H.23/34 and H.22. Cont | ||