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).
Ignition issues with the 'Falcon' engine, covering contact breaker performance at high revs and preparations for spark vision tests.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 36\1\ scan 101 | |
| Date | 15th February 1916 | |
| R.R. 259 A (400 T) (S C. 599 15-2-16) G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} 1546. -4- Contd. above about 5000 or 5500 revs, a ~~slight~~ chain of sparks in the Contact Breaker, due to the bouncing of the platinums, but this has no effect on the firing of the engine, which was quite unfaltering at the highest speeds reached. We had trouble with the ignition of the "Falcon" with this machine, above about 1500 engines revs, but this was traced to the Remy 12 cylinder distributor which we were using. X. 2823C The Bosch Z.R.6 with R.R. contact breaker, is being adopted for the duration test, combined with the spark vision test, in one of the outhouses of the Experimental Shop. To-day we have been rigging up the apparatus, but will be running to-morrow. We have fitted hard grey fibre off an old Bosch rocker to the R.R. rocker, in place of the fibre wich wore away, and have polished the cam with emery cloth, but I believe we shall get a better hardened and better finished cam ready in time for the duration test. We are doing our best to get it through, and shall in any case fit it to the machine, as soon as it is ready. X. 2818H.S. For the spark vision test we used the rocking table made for the crankshaft deflection test (see sketch made by Mr. Elliott) to get a large range of advance. Now that we have seen the whole range of movement however, we are content to view the R.R. contact breaker through 52° or so of the most interesting part of its rotation, namely, just before, and 40° after the "make" position. This we do by means of the 26° or so of the advance on the "ignition" magneto. This, we think is good enough as an arrangement for inspecting the R.R. contact breaker during the duration test. Mr. Hives requires the rocking table for the crankshaft deflection test. OY. | ||