Technical objections to the Maybach gearbox and considering alternative 'Easy Change 3rd' gear schemes.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 6\2\ 02-page091 | |
| Date | 29th May 1930 | |
| SG. {Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} from E. {Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} COPY. Y5-3 R1/M29.5.30. re EASY CHANGE 3rd. I have deferred answering your memo. SO4/E26530 until today with a view to getting a definite ruling on the Maybach gearbox while HS. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} was at WW. This gearbox has faded out of the picture. It has some technical objections:- (a) The sideshaft is running faster than usual and there is a wheel idling at 1.4 times engine speed when box is on direct drive. (b) To get 2nd. gear on the side lever change it is necessary to have the easy change in the 3rd gear position, otherwise a ratio equivalent only to the 3rd gear is obtained due to the drive passing through the wrong pair of constant mesh gears, and the driver would have to correct this by switching his easy change into 3rd. There is also the desire to have something exclusively RR. rather than boost a device in use on other cars. There is also the feeling that the easy change is not urgently called for on RR. cars, the majority of which are chauffeur driven. Mr. Royce is of the opinion that it would be better to wait until we have the complete epicyclic box ready, rather than fit any half way easy change schemes unless circumstances compel otherwise. It therefore resolves itself into a question of how far sales of chassis are likely to be affected during the period that may elapse before the epicyclic gear is available to the public, and whether this calls for an intermediate scheme. In memo. R1/M26.5.30. there are 3 schemes quoted of the intermediate variety: No. (3) the epicyclic 3rd so far as can be seen is not likely to materialise. We are therefore left with (1) and (2), of which the following remarks can be made:- (1) CONSTANT MESH 3rd. - FITTED TO A P. 1. GEARBOX. This is a silent 3rd. without being particularly easy to change and requires development of this latter feature before | ||
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).