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).
Endurance tests of magneto components, including tungsten points and bakelite gears.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 40\2\ Scan252 | |
| Date | 11th April 1928 guessed | |
| -4- Contd. Our endurance test will also show up the endurance of the platinum points. We have suggested to Messrs. North the use of tungsten points as on the Lucas machine, and their answer runs as follows :- "We will carry out tests with tungsten points on the EW6. magneto and will advise you of the result. We have tested other types of magnetos with tungsten points and the results we have obtained in this direction lead us to think that with the relation of the various details as they are in the EW6. the results from this magneto with tungsten points will be as good as it is possible to obtain with any combination using such points. Whether the low speed test and the leaktest will show figures sufficiently good we are unable to say until we have completed such tests." With regard to the use of all-bakelite gears, Messrs. North say - "We have made large numbers of magnetos with steel pinions and bakelite gears but found such magnetos definitely noisier than those in which both the gear wheel and pinion are in bakelite. The difference was so marked that we are now using bakelite pinions on all our magnetos." This does not appear to agree with the results noted with Lucas magnetos, which have a steel pinion and a bakelite wheel. It will be seen from the above that the position in respect of these magnetos is rather bad. We feel that we have done nearly everything possible to help Messrs. North to obtain the results which have been given by one or two of the Lucas machines. In addition to all the technical information which we have passed to them, we have loaned them one of the satisfactory Lucas machines, | ||