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).
Modification, testing, and cost of a Bentley side spare wheel carrier.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 114\3\ scan0215 | |
| Date | 3rd March 1937 | |
| 1013 To EY. Copy to Dn. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} HPG. Rmy/Les.{Ivan A. Leslie} Re Bentley Side Spare Wheel Carrier - LeC.5252. In order to produce the wider entrance Bentley body a wheel carrier moved 3 ins. forward from the present position on LeC.5252 was produced. This carrier has been bumped for 17 hours using 3" cams, when a front spring broke and the test had to be discontinued. It is fitted to 3.B.4 now doing 10,000 miles in France. We understand that Sales would like to standardise this carrier when possible in order that they may introduce the wider entrance Bentley coachwork. In the meantime we learn from EY/RD. that Messrs. Thrupp & Maberly are repeatedly ordering the present standard spare wheel carrier moved three ins. forward, in order that they may produce this new body. Their requirements are met by bending the tubes of the present carrier and the result cannot be very good. The cost of the carrier we are told by G/Rb{R. Bowen}, would be 15/- per chassis less than the present design, and although in Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Les.29/JH.8.1.37 the weight is said to be 3 lbs.6 ozs. more, we now understand that this amount has been recalculated at something in the neighbourhood of 1 lb. We are also told by G/Rb{R. Bowen} that the cheapest way of producing the central tube is to obtain it as a welded steel tube from the Britannia Tube Co.Ltd. bent to shape for the sum of 4/6. In order to make this possible a slight modification to LeC.5252 is required for the fixing of the diagonal stays, and this is shown on LeC.5549 herewith. There is no change in the fundamentals of the design to necessitate another bump test. We would be glad if you would instruct this modification to the original scheme. We are going ahead with bump and 10,000 miles tests of the whole scheme lightened by reducing all the pressings one gauge, at the same time cheapening the construction still further by the use of welding for the distance pieces. If, | ||