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).
Stiffness of a dashboard and its relation to steering gear rigidity and material hardness.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 68\2\ scan0031 | |
| Date | 2nd December 1926 | |
| X8500 EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} Abt. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Sft.{Mr Swift} Wer. D3n BY7/H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} 2.12.26. RECEIVED DASHBOARD STIFFNESS Referring to EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}10/H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} 4.11.26. I have had an opportunity to carefully check the actual board taken from a chassis where it was suggested it affected the rigidity of the steering gear. Personally, I was not able to see any real connection between the phenomena of an insufficiently rigid column related to the dash, and the softness of the dashboard. Technically, the stiffness of the material depends absolutely upon the gauge of thickness. We have examined this and find the material is up to size. This being so, I am quite certain that whatever result was obtained in the direction of improving the rigidity of the steering column, this was an indirect result which would possibly have been obtained if the same dashboard had been put back after the outfit had been dismantled. It is practically certain that the supposed softness of the board bears no relationship to the phenomena described. Turning now to the Brinell hardness of the board which it was suggested was the cause of the trouble, the difference is two points, and such a difference in degree of hardness is hardly measurable. If a strip of the material is taken and loaded until it bends, that is to say, two points up or down would hardly affect the result. This last point has nothing to do with the general position. I have merely mentioned it as a point of interest. The technics of the case are as described above. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} By | ||