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).
Use of Schatz versus Hoffman ball bearings to solve a 'clonking' issue in the Wraith gearbox.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 8\11\ 11-page159 | |
| Date | 21th February 1939 | |
| c RHO c Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c EY c Hc. 628 LA{L. A. Archer}4/T21.2.39 BALL BEARINGS - WRAITH GEARBOX With reference to Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}'s memo Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}3/MH{M. Huckerby}20.2.39. We quite agree with Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} that it would be unwise to fit to gear boxes pieces which have not been properly tested, but it must be remembered that the reason we tried a box with a pair of Schatz Ball Races fitted was to prove out whether our "clonking" trouble was due to the excessive end play in the Hoffman type of bearing we are at present using - the Schatz bearings being available and had little or no end play. The Schatz bearings were definitely a great improvement in the gear box tested, as reported in LA{L. A. Archer}12/T16.2.39. We still feel a lot of our trouble would disappear if we could use the present Hoffman race but with the end play reduced as suggested in RHC{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer}3/FH.18.2.39. With regard to the last paragraph of Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}'s memo, we have already had to send to Paris a gear box owing to a complaint of "clonking". We have also had to attend to one of the London Trials Cars for the same complaint. It will be appreciated that we are trying to avoid this trouble occurring in customers hands. LA{L. A. Archer} | ||