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).
Issues with battery ignition, including running backwards and wear on platinum points.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 37\1\ scan 035 | |
| Date | 12th June 1918 | |
| To EFC. from R.{Sir Henry Royce} c. to CJ. X3199 12th June 1918. R6/G12618. X.800 X.3199 X 562 X1818 X 3299 X1819 X.3173 - RE BATTERY IGNITION. X.3199 We do not expect the battery ignition to be proof against running backwards until we advance and retard the distributor with the contact maker. Regarding the wear on the platinum points, I think you should take particular care that ourselves, Delco, and Remy use the same material for the primary contact breaker. Then assuming the same material to be used, a comparison should be made of the life of these contacts. It has always been a surprise and somewhat of a mystery to me how well the contacts on the magneto compared with those of a trembler coil. The result you have obtained in this respect with the R.R. ignition appears to be disappointing, though otherwise the ignition appears to work exceedingly well, and the current of .72 amperes at 12 volts does not seem greater than the old battery trembler ignition which used 1.5 at 6 volt, and is quite satisfactory providing that we can get sufficient life out of the primary contact breaker points. Regarding running backwards, it has occurred to me that whilst starting an engine by turning the propeller on to a compression, the rebound from this compression may give such a velocity to the propeller that the engine would run backwards, although the cylinders are fired correctly for running forward. It would be difficult to experiment in this direction, without risking an accident to the experimenter, but Contd. | ||