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).
Difficulties and solutions for the two-unit battery installation in the Phantom frame.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 168b\3\ img163 | |
| Date | 26th March 1928 | |
| V-7535P DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/26.3.28. R.{Sir Henry Royce} from DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. BJ. Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} EFC. PHANTOM BATTERY IN FRAME. X.7555/6. With regard to EFC1/T1323, concerning the two unit battery in the frame, we investigated the difficulties complained of when in Derby last week. The principle difficulty was entirely due to the batteries being a close fit in the box. This was due to the use of temporary batteries with wooden containers made up from existing 40/50 cells, and this difficulty entirely disappears when proper moulded batteries are used. The remaining question, namely, whether the battery could be inspected and filled with reasonable facility, it was demonstrated that the frame cross member did not interfere with either of these operations. The only point that will have to be watched is the body cross member, and this we can control by issuing instructions on the coachbuilders drawing. The battery on the sports car is of course rather specially situated, the heelboard coming across the two halves, but it was ascertained that in this case the fillers were visible and accessible. This indicates that it is not necessary to take the batteries out each time it is desired to inspect or fill them. We should like to point out that the battery in the frame will never be as accessible as when on the running board. We understand that in fact the running board position is very rarely used, nearly all our cars having batteries in the frame fitted by the coachbuilders. These are done badly from a mechanical and electrical point of view, and in addition present the maximum of inaccessibility. We believe it is necessary to take the battery down in this case each time it is desired to inspect or fit, so that the R-R scheme should be a definite improvement on this. The object of using the temporary batteries was to avoid the somewhat expensive dies until we had ascertained that the scheme was practical. We might also point out that with FAC.10, which is practically identical with FAC.7, any difficulties now experienced with the Phantom will be still further reduced. DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} | ||