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).
Technical report detailing issues and potential improvements on various vehicle components including steering, electrical systems, and Dunlop wheels.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 46\2\ Scan158 | |
| Date | 15th April 1922 guessed | |
| contd:- -3- that with irreversible steering we may be better with the minimum friction in the front pivot, so that the work to be done by the inefficient steering mechanism, shall be less (combinations to be tested). I have also come to the conclusion that the cross steering tube might have the ball necks and whole joint made say 10% larger in dia. but keeping the parts as light as possible. It will be better however, for the sake of weight, to keep the longitudinal ones the same size as at present. One would naturally suppose the cross steering tube had much greater shocks than the longitudinal one and also we intend to continue the use of the set up spring buffers in the rear end of the long steering tube. Spare fuse wire. It was intended for provision to be made for carrying the spare fuse wire ( not on 4-Goshawk-11) Starter switch. This should have copper sleeve instead of bronze if fairly well made it should have good contact all round. - (not the case in 4-Goshawk-11). Mixture control on instrument board should be on the same angle as board - (not correct in 4-Goshawk-11 - not on 5-Goshawk-11). Battery box. Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} reports this has broken away at the front end owing, he thinks, to insufficient powerful control fore and aft. Generator. Impossible to remove cover for inspection of commutator and brushes. Dunlop wheels. (1) Very difficult to remove inner hub and brake drum. (2) Serrations should have registering spigots and chamfer where possible as in 40/50. (3) Left hand threads should be avoided, ordinary driver mechanics do not understand them. It does not appear essential to have left hand threads on oil cap - (how arranged on 40/50). (4) The nut on the end of the driving shaft is unnecessarily large and has a 3/16" diam. split pin. This pin must be bent to be got in and is very difficult to get out, either a much smaller nut and pin should be used, or a locking plate. (5) The lock for the nut on the axle tube is a set screw and is not very convenient - it is impossible to see when holes are opposite, one has to poke about with a piece of wire - it would be better if a visible lock plate was used. contd:- | ||