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).
Vehicle component testing, covering wiring simplification, a sphere boot, felts on hub caps, and engine coupling lubrication.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 81\2\ scan0175 | |
| Date | 7th October 1924 | |
| (14) Wiring (cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary}) The engine wiring is much simplified. Two standard H.T.wiring tubes are used held in double polished aluminum clips either side of the top water pipe. Two shorter tubes of exactly similar construction are mounted transversely at the front end, held in a similar clip on the coil bracket, to take the H.T.cables over to the coils. All lamps are grounded on their brackets as at present. (15) Boot on sphere. (Prints #15.) This was put on during the test. The first 5200 miles was run without it and there was much dust in the sphere. The second 4700 miles was run with the boot and the sphere was absolutely clean. (16) Felts on inner rear hub caps. (Prints #16). These were put on at 5500 miles. At about 8000 miles the car stuck floods in the province of Quebec and on several occasions was in mud and water up to the hubs. The front hubs showed mud collected in the brass spinning but none passed the felt and the oil was clean and ball bearings perfect. The rear hubs, rear axle and torque tube contained a grinding compound of mud, water, and oil. All ball bearings were ruined also the axle gears. After 4700 miles of similar conditions, but not so severe, with felts in the rear hubs the hubs have been inspected. All oil is clean and bearings in good condition, although some dirt has entered the brake drum. The felts have not scored the nut on which they bed. Oil has not escaped from the hub. (17) Lubrication of Engine Coupling. Lubrication of the sphere is by pipes to the side of the frame. We also used the same scheme with a flexible tube for lubricating the middle joint in the torque tube. The oil nipples are under the bonnet on the right hand side in the position vacated by the steering box. We used alemite nipples, but do not propose to do so in practice because of the probable use of grease or unsuitable oil, and probable entry of dirt, if these parts are available for lubrication at the ordinary Service station. We therefore propose to make fittings suitable for use of oil gun, as used by England. We now propose to connect the clutch-trunnion lubrication also (at present by Alemite nipple) to the same location, by means of a flexible metal Alemite hose. | ||