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).
Expressing disappointment over a four-week delay for laminated road springs from supplier Firths.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 52\2\ Scan013 | |
| Date | 15th November 1921 | |
| To Wd. {Mr Wood / Mr Whitehead} - from Wor. {Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to Hs. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} " " BY. {R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} " " EP. {G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} " " Hy. {Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} " " Roy. {Sir Henry Royce} " " Ms. X4429 I am astonished and disappointed that we have to wait probably four weeks from the date of your memo, before we can expect any laminated road springs from Firths. This will take us into December before Mr.Hives has springs in his possession, with which to experiment. I believe Mr.Hives wants three months to test, so that possibly it will be March of next year before we are in a position to give instructions to Firths to go on with production. It is very disappointing to find that Firths do not see the advisability of making some main plates without leaves, and letting us have these in a very few days, so that our Experimental Department could test them, and so assist them to get the heat-treatment of these leaves right. We have had some experience ourselves on this matter, as I pointed out to you. We made 2000 main plates when we were in trouble some few years ago, and we certainly heat-treated these plates much better than those we were receiving from Woodheads, and never had one of these plates break. I am still of the opinion that providing Firths could send us in some main plates, and I submit that they could do this in two or three days, because we could make them in our own Works in that time, that it would help to push the job along. I even go further and say if they are averse to supplying main plates that they could make up complete springs in about a week's time, so that we could test their steel and heat-treatment. I believe a policy of getting these made, without waiting for jigs and tools etc. would mean a saving of time and be of great assistance to both Firths and ourselves. [Signature] | ||