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).
Requesting better inter-departmental cooperation on experimental designs, citing cylinder head modifications as examples.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 93\4\ scan0088 | |
| Date | 18th November 1936 | |
| 319 To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}6/AP.18.11.36. Could you arrange to check up with us before designs are issued relating to current experiments. At the moment we do not always work efficiently. One instance of this is that of LeC.5343 which shews the deturbulating of the 4 port head, the compression ratio being 5.84 : 1. If we wish to restore the compression ratio to 6 : 1 a further head must be made having longer valves and a lowered combustion chamber roof. The above have had to be detailed and regarded more or less as a separate issue by the Experimental Department and yet are almost identical to the heads which are being made for trial to our own drawing. (Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}241.) In this we deturbulate and restore to standard compression ratio by machining off the face which does get an experiment carried out at the minimum of cost. In a similar way LeC.5348 has been issued for the six port head, but in view of our recent report shewing the advantages of the 4 port head this renders the 6 port head obsolete as far as further experiments go. There are often instances of the above and closer co-operation when an experiment is to be tried and which needs an alteration to existing design, would be to the benefit of both Departments. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||