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).
The static load and torque testing of a Dover Ltd. steering wheel for the Goshawk II experimental chassis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 154\3\ scan0137 | |
| Date | 11th July 1922 | |
| X4557 To R.{Sir Henry Royce} From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to P.J. c. to H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} c. to Ms. c. to HY.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} ReS/LG11.7.22. GOSHAWK II. STEERING WHEELS. X4557 We have tested one of the steering wheels supplied by Messrs. Dover Ltd. and which are fitted to the experimental Goshawk chassis. We carried out a static test in which the wheel was held in a suitable clamp on the circumference and torque was applied to the steering tube. The torque was balanced so that there was no bending on the tube. The wheel stood a load of 6000 inch lbs. At this load the steering tube collapsed. Examination of the wheel showed no sign of failure. The celluloid covering has not cracked. We then rested the wheel on a block and loaded the centre of the hub. The wheel was placed so that it was dished outwards and the spokes of the wheel were in compression and bending. In this way the wheel stood a load of 500 lbs., with .3" deflection in the centre of the hub. After that, the deflection and permanent set increased rapidly. At the finish the aluminium centre with the hub and spokes were torn out of the steel tube forming the rim. Although the spokes are fixed to the rim by rivetting over the spokes, it was the steel tube which gave way not the rivetting. One feature of the test was the surprising ductility of the hub. The spokes were bent through an angle so that instead of being in compression they were in tension and it was then the steel rim failed. contd:- | ||