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).
Letter to Leyland Motors discussing the use and properties of a new aluminium-tin alloy for big end bearings.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 116\3\ scan0030 | |
| Date | 26th August 1937 | |
| Handwritten top middle: 102 Dec Handwritten top right: X August 26th 1937. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}9/AP. H.Spurrier Esq., Jr.{Mr James Royce}, Leyland Motors Ltd., LEYLAND, Lancs. Dear Mr.Spurrier, Thank you for your letter of August 25th. I hope to come to Leyland before long. I do not know what you are now using for big end bearings, but as you have probably heard, we have developed an aluminium-tin alloy with which we have now had 18 months production on the Bentley. We have also standardised it on the R.R. 25/30. In our opinion this bearing material has all the characteristics of lead-bronze without the disadvantage of having to run it at higher clearances than that of whitemetal. It likes a hard shaft but will run as a big end bearing at a Brinell as low as 340. In production we actually run it on nitrided shafts. Like Lead-bronze it requires very adequate lubrication. We found that we had to overhaul the oiling system of the engine to obtain completely satisfactory results. On the other hand, it seems able to run indefinitely at unit pressures up to 2500 lbs/sq.in., whereas whitemetal dies rapidly when you ask it to carry 18,000 lbs/sq.in. Mr.Devereux is marketing this alloy, and we are working with him to help anybody who wants to use it, to get the best results. If you want to go further with it, write either to him at High Duty Alloys or to me. I shall be away on holiday for the first three weeks in September. Yours sincerely, Handwritten in right margin with arrow pointing to text: This is in 1173. not about bearings. | ||