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).
Methods for thermostat-controlled radiator shutters (louvres) and the installation of thermometers.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 39\4\ Scan021 | |
| Date | 29th May 1919 | |
| W.H. 233 A (100 T) (S.F. 275. 16-4-19) C. 2354. Mr. Hives. To. OY from BN.{W.O. Bentley / Mr Barrington} Bn{W.O. Bentley / Mr Barrington}13/P29.5.19. RE LOUVRES. Your ref. Cy4/F13.5.19. We are interested to hear that firms are using hot air on the radiator to operate the thermostat controlling the radiator shutters, but I do not thing that is sufficiently certain to warrant departing from the more expensive scheme of emersing the thermometer in the radiator water. One would expect that the scheme you indicate would vary according to the speed of the car, and altogether it does not appear to be a desirable scheme, except that it is perhaps very simple. The direct operation is certainly preferable from a simplicity poit of view, to the scheme using oil pressure. Were you not going to obtain some examples of this Sylphon tubing for us, or are these already on the way ? As I think you know, we had intended to design and construct radiator shutters which could be fitted to the existing cars to the front of the radiator, and we are incorporating for this purpose on the first chassis we are now building, a distant reading thermometer. It is not certain however whether these temporary shutters in front will spoil the appearance of the car, and therefore will be allowed. This is at the moment under discussion, in any event I think we should fit the thermometer so that the driver can benifit by knowing what his water temperature is, and thus be warned against driving too hot or too cold, and it also enables him to select properly the amount of blanking of the radiator required for the winter. Bn.{W.O. Bentley / Mr Barrington} | ||