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).
Inter-office correspondence concerning spring shackle rattles and an investigation into Belflex non-metallic shackles.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 4\6\ 06-page06 | |
| Date | 9th June 1922 | |
| X433 INTER-OFFICE CORRESPONDENCE ROLLS-ROYCE OF AMERICA, INC SPRINGFIELD, MASS. Oy5 - G 9622 June 9, 1922 CONFIDENTIAL Dear Hives: Re: Spring Shackle Rattles Replying to yours Ha5/LG 11.5.22, on this subject, see my letter Oy1/G 16.11.21 to O.J., copy to you, re oilless bushings, with attached folder describing the Belflex non-metallic shackles. You should really see this folder, which is very fully descriptive. Ball is a locomotive engineer of some standing. He has recently been up here with a Willys-Knight sedan which had done 20,000 miles. We took a ride on rough roads and found the car to ride distinctly more silently as regards transmission and chassis noise and as regards noise of chains (it was wintertime) than any car of similar type or even than a Rolls-Royce after a similar distance. The Willys-Knight has Hotchkiss drive. The front shackle of both front and rear springs had been replaced by flat discs of thermoid fabric, as shown in attached sketch. The rear shackles were as shown in the folder I sent. Although it is possible that change of climate might affect the shackles, there is no doubt in my own mind that this system should be investigated. The Belflex Corp. have made dozens of breakage tests under repeated deflection on various types of springs fitted with these shackles, and in every case have broken the spring before the shackle. Particulars of several tests are in the folder I sent. (I am arranging to forward another copy of this folder to you personally.) | ||