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).
Reliability and failures of different steel wires used for springs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 158\4\ scan0130 | |
| Date | 4th March 1937 | |
| - 2 - In reviewing the situation therefore, whilst we agree that heat treated and tempered carbon steel wire combined with the modified form of spring which prevents surging or periods, is giving good results, it will still be subject to failures on the road, as evidenced by the fact that we have had two failures in less than four hours running on the rig when using both the improved wire and the improved spring. I am not putting this matter forward purely controversially, but merely to make sure that the position is clearly understood. The foregoing is an accurate statement of facts, and from it can be clearly deduced the simple issue that apart from cost when used on the same form of spring, chrome vanadium is the most reliable wire we yet know, as hard drawn wire is still quite unuseable on any of our products, springs breaking as fast as they put up in a matter of a few hours, and whilst we are obtaining good results on the combined issue of the improved spring and the heat treated and tempered carbon steel wire over the same period, we have broken two springs on the rig, and we know of a third which has broken in the hands of the Experimental Department, it should be remembered the total number of these springs in use is small, being confined to approximately a gross. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} | ||