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 Houdaille Hydraulic Suspension Co. Ltd. discussing a new hydraulic shock absorber model.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 25\2\ Scan090 | |
| Date | 15th July 1920 | |
| Copy From: THE HOUDAILLE HYDRAULIC SUSPENSION CO.LTD D.C.D./D.S 41, New Bond Street, LONDON W.1 15th July 1920 Messrs. Rolls Royce Ltd. DERBY Dear Sirs, Ref: ROY{Sir Henry Royce}14.MG.17.7.25. Re Shock Absorbers. We thank you for your letter of yesterday's date, and note what you write. Our new Hydraulic Shock Absorber, which is British-made and is now in production, varies from our existing Houdaille in the following particulars:- (1) The radius of action of the Impellor is almost a complete circle, enabling if necessary short lever arms to be fitted, without any possibility of anything breaking in the inside. (2) It is a good deal lighter and somewhat smaller, particularly in depth. (3) The connecting link is completely different and much simplified. (4) The method of recuperation viz., of keeping the working or hydraulic chamber always full of the hydraulic medium, is different and of greater capacity. (5) The design is such that the cost of production is reduced, and the employment of various leather washers is done away with in nearly every joint. This model has been subjected to severe tests during the last 12 months, but we shall not publicly market it for sometime, reserving our output for Car Manufacturers who standardise them. We have laid down the first Series of 40,000 pairs, and have already taken one Contract for fitting to a well-known car for 20,000 pairs. If you would care to make a trial of these, which we are quite prepared to Guarantee for 12 months, the same as we do the Houdailles, we shall be very pleased to send you a Set next week for this purpose. We ask you to bear in mind that the shorter the lever arms that you can employ, the better in this model, so that if you accept our proposal, please state the length of lever arm that you require, likewise the length of the connecting link, so that we may send them to you of the required measurements. ENCLOSURE NO 531 | ||