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).
Responding to points on materials like Bakelite, machine yoke design, iron castings, office logistics, and production turnover.
| Identifier | Morton\M6\ img091 | |
| Date | 4th June 1928 guessed | |
| treacherous, and if for any reason an arc travels across a flat surface it immediately carbonizes the surface and the spindle or terminal is earthed. For terminal bushings, either inside or outside where there is any chance of condensed moisture, such as occurs in Foundries, or capstans, this material is failing, and we cannot find anything better than mica or micanite bushes and washers. (15) You have frequently criticised the use of the Bakelite ring for carrying the brush gear of our 6A and 6B sizes of machines. We are sending you a sample with the brush holders mounted upon it, and it in turn mounted upon its supporting ring. We should be glad of your comments after inspection, as we feel that such a design is far safer and more reliable than any method of separately insulating the brush spindles, particularly in small machines where space is limited. Please do not overlook the fact that such machines have to be satisfactory even on 600 volts D.C. circuits. (16) We have also been giving our careful consideration to the type of yoke, and have definitely come to the conclusion that whilst we may be providing work for our own Foundry in making a certain number of cast iron yokes for D.C. Machines, that we are losing money and time in having to deal with two different types of yokes, and we must decide quickly one way or the other either to definitely cut out the cast iron yoke and only keep the one type of steel yoke, or, alternatively scrap the present designs and adopt the design of machine fitted with cast iron yokes and laminated poles as shown on drawing B.397 enclosed herewith. Until we arrive at a definite decision we can neither prepare lists or arrange our stocks to enable us to give reasonably quick deliveries. (17) We can obtain orders for iron castings from outside firms at competitive prices, providing we can produce sound castings and give prompt deliveries, but firms must have quick service. (18) Reverting to your letter of the 14th inst., together with your preliminary notes, I would add the following remarks. Items 1, 2 and 3. - I entirely agree. Item 4. I think it would pay us to house all the office staff in a new office building rather than to spend money in taking another works bay into the existing offices and moving all the tools. If we discarded the present office, and put them back into the works, it would enable all the electrical work to be dealt with at one end of the works, and in close proximity to the existing electrical stores, impregnating plant and test Department. Item 5. I cannot see any reason why we cannot obtain a turn-over of £250,000 per annum, but the work will have to pass through the Drawing Offices and works quicker than it is doing at present. Item 6. We do not provide food for the workers, neither do we | ||