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).
Trial and implementation of Bentley front aluminium composite brake drums.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 85\1\ scan0010 | |
| Date | 24th January 1936 | |
| To RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} 4256 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/AFM.{Anthony F. Martindale}12/KW.24.1.36. Bentley Front Aluminium Composite Brake Drums. In view of the satisfactory results obtained with the rear drums, we would like to try a pair of front drums made to Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}55. Will you obtain 4 castings and machine two of them. Until the results of our experiments on rear drums are available, we do not wish to instruct liners for these drums. However we will have available plenty of material as the rear liners can be cut down to make front ones. When 6-B-IV goes to France it will be fitted with 14" drums in accordance with Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}'s instructions. These have been modified and we hope they will be more successful than the 14" drums on 5-B-IV. Should this not be so we will change to standard 12" axles, but with the aluminium shoes lined with Ferodo S.5805 affixed with normal rivets, and fit the aluminium drums for the remainder of the 10,000 miles test. The rear drums will have to have a special dust excluder, but the front drums should be interchangeable with GB.2008 without modification. They will, however, need their own special hubs to allow for the increased thickness of the end plate. If it is desirable to buy new ones out will you please obtain 4, but if standard ones can be adapted 2 will be sufficient for the time being. The 12 taper bolts for same will be the same as those used on the rear drums. We would be obliged if you would prepare all this material so that there need be no delay in assembling the drums when required. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/A.F.Martindale. | ||