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).
Comparing freewheel, jaw clutch, and synchro-mesh gearbox designs from various automotive manufacturers.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\U\2January1930-September1930\ Scan270 | |
| Date | 2nd September 1930 guessed | |
| (2) FREEWHEEL & JAW CLUTCH. STUDEBAKER. (1) Only applied to 4th. & 3rd. The specimen borrowed last week failed before leaving London and was changed for a Graham-Paige - very recently adopted. (2) Does not go far enough and seems unreliable. (3) Two pairs of gears always running. SYNCHRO-MESH SCHEME. (1) Only applied to 4th. and 3rd. (2) Two pairs always in mesh. But as far as we know this is the only scheme worth considering good, but it is the property of General Motors, and also does not seem to go far enough towards complete solution to last long. We have given Derby a design for a freewheel which failed and is thought by all of us not good enough to endeavour to perfect it. It should however be as good as Studebaker. We have helical gears which were reported to be insufficiently silent. On this point they should be as good as Studebaker, Synchro-mesh (Cadillac and other General Motor Companies), Maybach, & Packard, all of which depend on the same type of gears. Easy change was jaw clutch first engaged by alternate jaw - (should be equally as good as spool gear as regards change.) One other design was sent of an epicyclic 3rd. and 4th., with lower gears than ordinarily, but I did not consider this perfect enough to make so stopped the expense of a trial of this scheme, which had advantages of those mentioned above. It is difficult to imagine all the work and worry that DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}, DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/HDY.{William Hardy}, and myself have put into this work, which naturally from history is the most difficult problem of the car work, but be assured that the matter is now having first attention. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||