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).
Testing and performance of Bendix drives on Goshawk engines, noting issues with flywheel teeth damage.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 40\6\ Scan037 | |
| Date | 12th June 1922 | |
| x3592 To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Hsl/T12.6.22. RE GOSHAWK BENDIX. x3592 So far we have not completed one of the Bendix units that were instructed some time ago, arranged that the pinion strikes normal surfaces when thrown out. We have now four Goshawk cars, including No.4 at West WitteringHenry Royce's home town, running with Bendix drive, which we have arranged the stop on the thread so that it acts in a similar manner. These Bendix drives are working satisfactorily. We have, very early on, tried different angles of thread, i.e. the first Bendix drive which was made for the Goshawk had a very slow angle thread which would not engage readily and was not thrown out of gear when the engine was started due to the pinion jamming on the stop as originally arranged. We do not think we can improve upon the present angle of thread which is similar to the Marmon. We consider that the present Bendix drives fitted to the Goshawk work as well as any Bendix drives we have tried. We do not believe that we shall be ever entirely satisfied with the Bendix drive. We notice on the cars (Goshawk) that the teeth on the flywheel get damaged at three points where the engine stops on compression. We feel that it is only a matter of time before these teeth get so badly damaged that the gears jam and then it will be a most fearful job on the Goshawk to get them free. Oy. has written from America as follows :- Contd. | ||