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).
From Mr. Olley discussing reports on ignition systems, comparing Delco, Bosch, and other American equipment.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 37\1\ scan 111 | |
| Date | 1st June 1921 | |
| X3199 Oy3/G1.6.21. June 1st 1921. To: Mr. Belnap, cc. Mr. Nadin. Mr. Bagnall. Mr. Hulley. Mr. Southern. Mr. Caswell. From Mr. Olley. X.4284. Re Mr. Royce's Reports on Ignition. X.3199 X.4275. Mr. Claude Johnson's letter to you of May 5th deals amongst other things with a report of mine on the Delco ignition for the Liberty engine written in 1918. This is only one of two reports, the essential part of which was quoted in connection with my letter of April 5th, 1921 to Mr. Claude Johnson for the attention of Mr. F.H. Royce and Works Committee. Referring to Mr. Royce's memo on battery ignition, May 30, 1918, the defect of running backwards has been overcome in the Bosch battery ignition sent on 4-EX by a trailing point on the rotor as used by us on our standard battery ignition. This trailing point is not generally used on American cars because of the very few occasions when hand-starting is used. Any maker of a jump-spark distributor will readily agree, however, to fit a trailing edge on the rotor. With regard to Mr Royce's letter on electrical accessories (R5/G9.4.21) re. electrical accessory work being in a very unsettled and unsatisfactory state, I do not think Mr. Royce intends this remark to apply to the United States, where, if anywhere, the electrical fittings of automobiles have been throughly standardised. One certainly cannot regard as unsatisfactory the electrical equipment of the average American car, which in all our experience gives admirable satisfaction is service Mr. Royce's remarks that the Delco equipment is the only American equipment which they have seen which is of a quality worthy of their consideration, and that the American Bosch equipment is experimental, are, of course, correct. The reason, however, is not that the Delco people are the only people who know how to make battery ignition but that they have had the monopoly of the quality trade whereas the quantity trade has been in the hands of the Connecticut Ignition Co., Auto-Lite, Remy, Wagner and others. Contd. | ||