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 to The Gates Rubber Company detailing the results of comparative belt testing.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 135\1\ scan0218 | |
| Date | 7th October 1938 | |
| Experimental Dept. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Std.8/MH.{M. Huckerby} 7th. October 1938. The Gates Rubber Company, Sales Division Inc., Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. 1135 For the attention of Mr. Winser. Dear Sirs, We thank you for letters of Aug. 31st. and Sept. 20th. and have pleasure now in enclosing some information on the tests which we have carried out to date. These tests are not yet finished but we are giving you the results as far as we have gone. These figures only cover one of your belts and a Dayton Cog belt, but some running has also been done on one of the belts made by our suppliers under license from the Manhattan Belt Co., and after four hours on the first belt of this type tested failure was experienced, taking the form of the belt turning inside out and running inverted on the pulley. This failure is the type which we met before with this brand of belt and has been shown to be due to stretching and breaking of the cords on one side of the belt. So that on the tests made so far your belt has certainly come out on top both as regards endurance and freedom from slip - we are returning the failed belt to you herewith for your examination. (under separate cover). The running times before failure with the three types of belt tested (11½ hours Gates, 6 hrs. Dayton, 4 hours British supplied belt) do not sound very impressive alongside your 387 hours with the Gates belt for Massey Harris, but, of course, we do not know what the relative duties demanded of the belts are - certainly what we areasking seems to be a tough proposition! | ||