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).
Telephone conversation about overcoming difficulties with lead bronze bearings, including manufacturing processes in the USA.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 173\2\ img150 | |
| Date | 1st March 1934 | |
| To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}3/MJ.1.3.34. LEAD BRONZE BEARINGS. I spoke to RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} at Indianapolis, Indiana, on the telephone yesterday morning. It was a wonderfully clear line and conversation could be carried on without difficulty. The call was made as a result of Wor{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager}'s. anxiety for us to get out of our Lead Bronze difficulties at the earliest possible moment and we do not wish RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} to stay in U.S.A. any longer than is essential to obtain all the information necessary on Lead Bronze. RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} said that he was leaving Allisons for good today (March 1st.) and proceeding to Detroit. He said it was essential that he should go to Detroit to visit General Motors Research, Allisons being a branch of the General Motors, all the laboratory research work is being done at Detroit. He said there were also one or two questions as regards patents which it was necessary for him to obtain information on. He said that he was making arrangements to sail on March 15th. He said he would endeavour to leave earlier if possible but he considered that if we carried out the recommendations he had already sent over as regards getting the necessary equipment that would be the most important point to expedite the production of satisfactory bearings. He confirmed that we must have the induction type furnace and that to attempt to make bearings without it would be a waste of time. The furnaces they are using at Allisons are the spark type but he said the people who are producing these furnaces in England have all particulars of what are being used at Allisons. We shall require a stove to heat the shells to 1050°C. before pouring. The flux they use to prevent oxidization is boric acid powder. Briefly, the secret of Allison bearings is the use of induction furnaces which keeps the metal in a turbulent state whilst it is being melted and also very special care has to be taken with the quenching. RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} on the 'phone expressed himself absolutely satisfied that our difficulties with lead bronze bearings should disappear as soon as we have the necessary plant to produce them in the correct way. The composition of the alloy used is Electrolitic copper 99% pure, Lead 99% pure, and 1% Silver. As a result of our conversation with RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} we are of the opinion that we ought to lay out the plant as described by him. We think that to attempt any compromise in the manufacture would be a waste of time. It is a long and expensive process to go through all the tests necessary to prove that the bearings are satisfactory and cover the whole range of conditions that we | ||