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).
Advantages and considerations of hydraulic steering damping.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\Q\January1927-March1927\ 66 | |
| Date | 1st February 1927 | |
| HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} TO BA/HDY.{William Hardy} } FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} } (At Le CanadelHenry Royce's French residence.) [strikethrough]C. to BJ. WCR. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer}[/strikethrough] HYDRAULIC DAMPING OF STEERING. [handwritten] [strikethrough]X235[/strikethrough] X8431 X8425 One naturally must not expect too much from this, but I believe it will justify itself if it has the advantage in - (1) Consistent results. (2) Freedom from change through wear. (3) Avoiding wearing parts unnecessarily. even if it makes no difference in shunting at slow speeds, because the leakage holes must be small, but the whole resistance any damper sets up cannot I think be more than 10% of the resistance of the tyres on the ground while standing. I cannot understand that if the car is standing and at its highest resistance to shunting even a small leakage hole should not effectively relieve the damping resistance. We are fairly well satisfied with the spring loaded cross steering tube balls. This has many advantages over anything we have tried, including simplicity, but I do not know if the hydraulic can do more, or do it more consistently. It will be noticed and I call especial attention to it, that all other damping friction should be removed - i.e. the steering heads should have the least possible friction which is dependent on the weight of the car, roller upper bearing and ball thrust - i.e. when we can get enough damping by independent damper, either hydraulic or mechanical, or sufficient in the cross steering tube ball joints. The great fear with this latter is that it will probably cause excessive wear of the balls and pad, but there is just the possibility that owing to the joint being free from rattles, it will wear less. [stamp] MADE AT CROXLEY [/stamp] R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||