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).
Use of Hartford Shock Absorbers to address springing complaints on post-war cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 78\2\ scan0371 | |
| Date | 3rd January 1921 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to CJ. c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to PN.{Mr Northey} c. to BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} c. to Hm.{Capt. W. Hallam - Head Repairs} X3461 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1/LG3.1.21. X.3923 X.3461 "HARTFORD" SHOCK ABSORBERS. X.4426 X.3745 The complaints of springing which we hope to overcome by fitting Hartford Shock Absorbers, occur on the 1500 post-war cars which we have on the road fitted with thick leaf springs, it also happens, unfortunately, that owing to the thick leaf springs squeaking the majority of those cars are fitted with gaiters and the leaves are always kept well lubricated. With cars fitted with thin leaf springs, the demand for shock absorbers is nothing like as urgent. This is proved by the fact that on the pre-war cars fitted with the thin leaf cantilever springs, we had no demand for shock absorbers. 6.EX Car which is being used by Mr. Royce is fitted with thin leaf springs without gaiters; we do not suppose the leaves have been greased since the car was sent to W.W., nine months ago. Therefore, 6.EX Car is not representative of the cars with which we are having complaints. If we fit our 4-stage shock absorbers to a car which has thick leaf springs which are continually greased, we do not get sufficient friction to overcome customers complaints. PN{Mr Northey}, EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}, HY{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} and Hm{Capt. W. Hallam - Head Repairs} have been convinced, by actual tests, of the effectiveness of Hartford shock absorbers to overcome the complaints we are receiving from customers on 40/50 H.P. cars fitted with thick leaf springs. The Hartford shock absorber contd:- | ||