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).
Standardization of Tele-control shock absorbers for the Continental Phantom II and a proposed improvement to the control's placement.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 19\1\ Scan285 | |
Date | 4th July 1933 | |
X7120 To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} C. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} C. to EH. C. to C. C. to Cr.{Mr Cra???ster / Mr Chichester} C. to R.{Sir Henry Royce} C. to Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} Re. ADJUSTABLE SHOCK DAMPERS. PHANTOM II. We are arranging to issue a Standardisation Sheet to fit Tele-control shock absorbers on to Continental Phantom II. We only expect to order these shock absorbers in small quantities because we expect to replace them as soon as possible with our own controllable dampers. One advantage we expect to get out of fitting a Hartford Tele-control is that it should accelerate our own scheme. At the present time the Works are proceeding slowly on the parts of the shock dampers which would be affected by fitting any form of control, so that as soon as we are in a position to standardise it should not be long before we could get them on production. It will be realised that the decision so far is only to fit Tele-control Hartfords on the Continental car in place of the standard Hartfords. Our present standard car with low rating springs is very urgently requiring control for the shock dampers. It is practically as fast as the Continental car, and with the low rating springs is much worse for control at high speeds. Next week we propose sending to London a 40/50 car (22-EX) fitted with low rating springs and our scheme of adjustable shock dampers. This scheme has made progress recently and if one bears in mind that a car with low rating springs which usually has a heavy body can never have the same control as the Continental car with high rating springs, the shock absorbers arrangement as fitted to 22-EX. is very good. We expect about the same time to be able to fit the same arrangement to Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}'s. car. One improvement we propose carrying out which we think will be appreciated is that we propose fixing the shock absorber control on to the steering column in the place of the present mixture control. With the latest semi-expanding carburetter the mixture control is only used for starting. We think therefore that this can go on the dashboard. The shock absorber control can be operated many times during the journey and it is not nice to have to reach over the passenger to get at it. With the control on the steering column it makes it very much more attractive. The driver can anticipate a 'donkey-buck' bridge with the hard position and release it immediately afterwards. It does give us an R.R. feature as the control is beautifully light to operate, very different to the Tele-control. | ||