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).
Letter from Ethyl Export Corporation regarding valve steel and bearing material tests for Bentley and Plymouth engines.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 150\1\ scan0105 | |
| Date | 30th March 1936 | |
| CABLEGRAMS: ETHYLPORT, LONDON. TELEGRAMS: ETHYLPORT, SOWEST. Handwritten: R.H.P - Please note & return [Signature] Files 1282 ETHYL EXPORT CORPORATION Incorporated in the State of Delaware, U.S.A. with limited liability. THAMES HOUSE, MILLBANK LONDON, S.W.1 Telephone: VICTORIA 8520 Handwritten: Swdl.{Len H. Swindell} Please note [Signature] Head Office: 135 EAST 42ND STREET NEW YORK, U.S.A 30th March, 1936. W. A.{Mr Adams} Robotham Esq., Experimental Department, Messrs. Rolls-Royce Ltd., Nightingale Road, DERBY. Dear Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}, I have just received a letter from Heron, and repeat herewith two paragraphs contained therein. I would be interested to have both Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}' and your reactions to the latter paragraph, and if you think it worthwhile I would certainly like to let our laboratory have some bearings made from your material. "Thanks for the drawings of the Bentley valves which I have passed on to Jardine with an order to make twelve valves. The steel to be used in these valves has not been settled yet, but I am in favour of using the 18 chromium 2 nickel with .5% silicon. For the Bentley valves it is my opinion that silicon in excess of 1% is a disadvantage in a martensitic steel. However, I am awaiting Stelliting and forging tests by Wilcox-Rich on some of the 18-2 steel which they have imported from Firth's. You may know that we have done a very large amount of testing of bearing materials and oils here in Plymouth engines. I told Bartholomew that Rolls had a new bearing material and he stated that he would be very interested to test this material in a Plymouth engine under the same conditions that have been used for copper, lead and cadmium-nickel. He stated that if it would be possible to get such bearings no attempt would be made to determine composition. The bearings would be returned to Rolls after test and full details of the tests supplied. You might like to approach Robotham or Hives in this matter." You may remember mentioning, the last time I was in Derby, that you had a Bentley engine available which might be useful for research work in our laboratory at Detroit. I mentioned this tentatively to Heron and it appears that our laboratory might be interested in having one of your engines but they have not yet come to any definite decision, and in any case I thought I would write to you again to ask you whether that offer would still be open if they wanted an engine. With kind regards, Yours sincerely, [Signature] FRB/BB | ||