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).
Letter from Vauxhall Motors discussing spring suppliers and the specifications required for ordering.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 170\3\ img120 | |
| Date | 13th July 1939 | |
| VAUXHALL MOTORS Ltd CONTRACTORS TO THE ADMIRALTY, WAR OFFICE & AIR MINISTRY. TELEPHONE NUMBER 2600 LUTON. LUTON. BEDS. TELEGRAMS CARVAUX, TELEX, LUTON WHEN REPLYING PLEASE QUOTE OUR REF. YOUR REF. 13th. July 1939 W.A.Robotham Esq., [REDACTED] Rolls-Royce Limited. DERBY. Dear Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Thanks for your letter. Will advise you when we can arrange visit. Saw Frank Woodhead last night. His new concern, Toledo Woodhead of Sheffield, will be a first-class source of supply in a few months, with the only modern spring making equipment in the island. He will make his own steel. Believe you can get good springs from him and he proposes to call on you. There is one proviso, however, to getting good springs at a reasonable price, i.e. to leave the detail design up to the spring maker and not dictate every detail as Rolls-Royce do at present. After all, all that you can buy is a given standing height at normal load, a given true rate ( which is the most important thing) a given minimum life and a given maximum friction. Just four things, which control your ride completely. - The rest is up to the spring maker. Thus I find in the States that Eaton can supply perfectly good springs for any job from a telephone call without any drawing. All I tell them is - (1) Length between eyes at normal load. (2) Bore of eyes (wrapped and broached) (3) Description of eyes (wrapped up or down or "Berlin", i.e. central.) (4) Width of steel ( 1 3/4"; 2"; 2 1/4") (5) "Opening" of spring. This is the vertical height | ||