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).
Improvements to road spring design, materials, and associated components.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 3\1\ 01-page180 | |
| Date | 9th July 1913 | |
| O.J. From F.H.R. for Messrs. Wormald, Madin & Spinney. Re Road Springs. Handwritten top right: R12/E14213. Mr. Wormald. (Copies sent to Messrs Mr Johnson & Mr Hives) National Spring F.H.R. 9.7.13 We are anxious to carry no more weight of steel about our road springs than is necessary. I have seen records of wonderful road springs made on the continent from high-class alloy steel, say Van. Chrome. We ought not to be using poor springs poorly hardened and tempered when we know that there are better materials and better practice in hardening. We cannot expect to alter or improve the practice of out-side firms, so that we ought either to make ourselves or find better makes even if we have to go on the continent. Do we carry more weight of springs than our competitors? i.e. lbs. of complete car per lb. of road spring, it is possible that there is more deflection under our springs. } x248 I suggested clipping off the corners of the inverted springs - which has not yet been done. "A" } x 49 I do not like carrying the second plate so far through, it seems like adding weight and preventing either piece doing any useful work, to prevent the wear of the roller doing any harm to the spring plate, I think that we ought to use a piece which could be added say as a drop forging in this case-hardened thus:- "B" } x237 Does the spring show any sign of rubbing or knocking between the spring and the flanges of the roller? In the tests of my springs I had the plan tried of making all the plates of the spring to be made up of all equally thick plates and all curved to one radius just as they came from the rolls when unloaded - the idea being that with such springs the stresses shall be proportionate to "n" the number of leaves. } xj2 I have pointed out before that shock dampers should not be needed when you demand that spring leaves shall be oiled, instead of oiling the spring remove the shock absorbers, our practice of demanding that spring leaves shall be oiled and shock absorbers kept on it is inconsistent. } x189 With the inverted springs I hope that we shall not want oiled leaves or shock absorbers. The correct percentage of friction for road spring was found by experiments to my instructions some time ago but I have forgotten the exact results and also whether such results were obtained. } x34 Handwritten left margin: 489 7 Hives meeting 21st 13 189 Hives letter 14.1.15 | ||