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).
Letter discussing the semi-flexible joints of a Barkerlite Coupe body for Mr. Royce.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 5\2\ 02-page174 | |
| Date | 28th July 1928 | |
| ATTENTION OF MR. H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} MUNRO. HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} X5830? "CAMACHAHenry Royce's office in West Wittering", WEST WITTERINGHenry Royce's home town. NR. CHICHESTER. SUSSEX. JULY 28th. 1928. EV{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}2/28.7.28. Messrs Barker & Co. Ltd., Olaf Street, Latimer Road, LONDON. W.11. Dear Sirs, RE BARKERLITE COUPE FOR MR. ROYCE. We were not aware of the special construction which you have used on this body until our last visit. We understand that the body base is rigid, and that the pillars and rails have semi-flexible joints consisting of screws with rubber ferrules thus:- We understand that the rubber cannot be carried under the countersunk head, as it is torn up when the screw is tightened. A certain degree of tightness is called for to hold the pieces together. Since the countersunk head fits into the wood, relative movement between the pieces is only possible by bending the shank of the screw, with the ultimate possibility of a fracture at the commencement of the thread. The rubber, although it is set up, is never called into play until the screw has been worked loose. We suggest that, if it is desired to have this type of flexible joint, it would be better to use the following scheme:- The screw head would slide about on the micanite or brass washer and the rubber, if hard enough and sufficiently well set up would take the load. Pardon our saying so, but we do not feel wedded to the idea of flexible joints of this or any other sort. We do not believe that the True Weymann as it is built today has much flexibility in its joints. We do know that the spring steel fixings have given place to ordinary metal plate .125ins. thick or more. We would prefer to see the joint made rigid, by plating with sheet metal, and all the flexibility obtained bending and twisting the intervening ash rails or pillars. The required degree of flexibility would be obtained by shaping the rail thus:- | ||