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).
Material, design, and strength testing of back axle tubes.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\V\March1931-September1931\ Scan203 | |
| Date | 19th May 1931 | |
| ORIGINAL BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} (BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} is crossed out) C. to SG.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} WOR.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} RR. (crossed out) C. to HY.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} Div. HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} P. 2. BACK AXLE TUBES. With reference to your BY2/M12531., these back axle tubes were designed with the special object that they would be fairly easy to make by avoiding the very large diameter tube and flange. Regarding the material of these tubes I was not aware that we had adopted material too stiff for ordinary tube work. One would expect that the type of steel used in bicycle tubes would suit our purpose. The construction of our axle all the way from the outer ends right through the box is probably the strongest type of axle for a given weight of material, and therefore ought to be strong enough if made from the best tube material. I propose that we obtain tubes in the material suggested by the makers, and let HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} and L. have them [handwritten] for a thorough test. I am not afraid of fatigue, as unlike the revolving type of axle the stresses are not reversed, and it should shew any weakness by deflection. We believe the present material was adopted in the Silver Ghost days because an occasional car side-slipped against the kerb and had an unknown shock which caused the tube to take a permanent set. We think this would happen in any case, being merely a matter of how severe the shock. Hundreds of axles of the revolving type have been bent by similar mishaps, and resulted in wheel wobble, which naturally has to be corrected [handwritten 'd' added], sometimes unwisely. [Circular Stamp Text]: RECEIVED 21 MAY 1931 [Handwritten number top right]: 87350 | ||