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).
Experiment to install a Peregrine Gearbox into a Bentley Chassis to save weight and cost.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 2\4\ B002_X 127 128-page32 | |
| Date | 22th January 1934 | |
| To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Gry.{Shadwell Grylls} c. to Nor. c. to K.{Mr Kilner} c. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Hsy. Peregrine Gearbox in Bentley Chassis. ------------------------------------ The origin of this experiment was to save weight by an amount of about 40 lbs. (There should also be a reduction in cost)+ When we instructed the experiment we altered the gear ratios to be as near as possible the high ratios of the Bentley box, and at the same time used coarser pitch gears (10 D.P.) to try and obtain the same tooth strength. The capacity of the original side shaft thrust race was thought to be on the small side. Not being able to get a larger one in the existing space the somewhat cumbersome arrangement shown was substituted. On the road the gearbox behaved excellently, the small synchromesh cones giving just as good an operation as the normal box. We next ran the usual dynamometer test of half an hour full throttle 2000 r.p.m. on top, 3rd and 2nd gears, and half an hour on 1st gear at the same torque as 2nd gear, ending with one minute full torque. No gears jumped out of mesh and no trouble was experienced. A 50 : 50 mixture of Whitmore's Compound and Motorine C. was used, the maximum temperature reached being 120°C. after the run on 2nd gear. The whole test was then repeated using Motorine C. only as the lubricant. Again no trouble was experienced. During the runs on 1st gear the sliding gear was tested for freedom on the splines every 5 minutes, as we have met cases of the splines binding in 1st gear. There was no sign of a "picking up" of the 1st gear teeth at the conclusion of the test. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/H.Grylls. Attached: Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}996 & Ex.11319. | ||