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).
Developments in rubber usage, free-wheels, engine mountings, and fuel, with references to American manufacturers.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 179\3\ img129 | |
| Date | 31th March 1932 | |
| -7- HE/RA.1/MA.31.3.32.cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} Rubber. The technique of using rubber in the chassis is being developed rapidly. General Motors have quite a large independent factory devoted to this subject. The most interesting development is a process they have for sticking rubber directly onto steel. They do this by brass plating the steel surface, and the rubber appears to stick to this with the greatest tenacity. They demonstrated to me that the tensile strength of the joint was equal to that of the rubber. The process is being used on the crankshaft dampers of Chrysler, Pacard, and several other manufacturers. Rubber is also stuck on running boards of pressed steel. In some of the rubber engine mountings the vulcanising process has eliminated a number of pieces. Free Wheel. This is fitted to various cars, and its main attribute as previously mentioned appears to be that when it is placed behind the gearbox it simplifies gear changing. There was no indication that the American public had taken to this device wholeheartedly although the manufacturers have convinced themselves that it effects a saving on an average of 15% of consumption and reduces engine wear appreciably. However it brings up brake and generator problems. Engine Mountings. Since the success of the Chrysler floating power mounting, everyone is adopting a similar scheme of endeavouring to produce an arrangement giving the same result, of their own. I believe our own scheme of isolating the engine and then using it to damp the frame movement is a very valuable one. Engine Power Output. The improvement in fuel proceeds continuously pioneered by General Motors Research Laboratory. The latest development being the Hydrogenation process one out come of which has been the safety fuel previously described. Generally speaking, | ||