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).
Advantages and potential issues of a vacuum feed system for petrol supply.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 40\4\ Scan006 | |
| Date | 24th April 1919 | |
| X 3579 COPY. EH1/LG24.4.19. To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from EH. c. to CJ. c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} X.3503 - RE VACUUM FEED FOR PETROL SUPPLY X.3317. We have been very favourably impressed by the Vacuum Feed on the "Buick" Car. One feels a great relief to get away from the pressure system. The chief advantage of course, is that there is not a multitude of connections to be kept air tight and also no matter how long the car has been kept standing, the petrol is there ready for starting up. It is a great advantage on the "Buick" to be able to go up to the car, get straight into the Drivers' seat and operate the starter and for the engine to start up right away. The distribution on the "Buick" when the engine is cold, is also very good so that the engine does not require the warming up that we require on ours. We think that the vacuum feed system will always be alright on an expanding type of carburetter i.e. a carburetter similar to what we use. Where we anticipate it would give trouble, would be on a carburetter similar to the Claudel or the Zenith, where, if the throttle was kept wide open at low speeds there would not be sufficient vacuum in the induction pipe to lift the petrol. We ran an Auto Vac on a 40/50 HP. car which is used at the works, on there, we had several failures due in each case to the float being punctured. One could attribute the failures Contd. | ||