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).
Development and use of a 'home-made' recording accelerometer to measure car performance.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 113\2\ scan0057 | |
| Date | 1st April 1924 | |
| [illegible stamped text] X1709 EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}11/HSO.4.24. re. Recording Accelerometer. We attach hereto photostats of two charts obtained on a 'home-made' Recording Accelerometer which we thought would interest you. In dealing with customers' complaints and even complaints from our own demonstrators and drivers etc. there has always been some controversy about the performance of different cars, and we have had to rely solely upon personal impressions which cannot be remembered nor relied upon. We are indebted to Mr. Wyer and Mr. Maddocks for the making of this gadget. It was very quickly and cheaply made from an old gramaphone motor and no claim is made as to its originality. It is after the design of the Lanchester Accelerometer which gave us the idea after reading an article about it. We have an endless band of paper moving at a definite rate. This enables us to record time for hills, distances etc. We can get an ink graph of the maximum acceleration of the car on any of its gears and any revs. of the engine. We can also record the maximum braking of any car, which records can be measured off in feet per second per second. We can also record the tractive resistance of the car. There are sundry other points which can be noted and recorded and also investigated by means of this graph, and it appears to have considerable possibilities. The only objection which we have against it and which is a point raised by Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} is that we are not certain of the "miles per hour". We have found, however, that we have been able to get quite definite comparative results by using a good speedometer. So far it has helped us considerably in dealing with doubtful complaints as regards power and braking, and it is very helpful in so far as such comparisons can be taken very quickly without a considerable amount of running. Apart from this, we certainly have a definite record which can be filed and referred to at any time when required. EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} | ||