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).
Preliminary report on a series of fabric coupling tests.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\M\2April1925-June1925\ Scan45 | |
| Date | 29th April 1925 guessed | |
| PRELIMINARY REPORT ON FABRIC COUPLING TESTS. No. | TYPE | NO. OF REVERSALS. | TIME RUN HRS. MINS. | REMARKS. 1 | Std. Hardy fabrics with RR. Plates to Drg. G.73383. Disc .500" thick. | 61,780 | 1 48½ | This was fitted with stiffener plates with radiused edges. The radius is an improvement on the square corners, but the correct scheme appears to be the flanging as Hardy practice. 2 | Improved Hardy as supplied by makers. Disc .700". | 180,800 | 5 17 | This failed due to rivets breaking which allowed the stiffener plates to dig in and cut the fabric. 3 | Improved Hardy built up in accordance with Lec.2050 Disc .700". | 16,460 | 29 | This fabric was fitted up with the stiffener and distance pieces in accordance with Lec.2050. Immediately the test started it began to heat up due to the fabric not being pinched sufficiently tight and being allowed to fidget in the distance pieces. So far this is the worst fabric we have tested. 4 | Improved Hardy as supplied by makers but re-riveted by RR. | 575,860 | 16 50 | This coupling is fitted with flanged plates as supplied by makers. We then compressed the fabric and re-riveted owing to the failure on No.2. This fabric has been taken off the rig and is still in excellent condition. 5 | The Alpe coupling as supplied by makers. | 24,780 | 43½ | We find on this type of coupling that it fails suddenly. 6 | As No.1. | 399,400 | 11¼ | Radiused plates. 7 | As No.2. Re-riveted by R.R. | 1,144,320 | 33 27 | Rivets replaced after 20 hrs. Fabric still undamaged. 8 | As No.5 with plates and ferrules to Lec.2050 | 9,840 | 17¼ | Disc was moving on plates as soon as test started. Amended 1. | ||