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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).
Development of a quieter epicyclic gearbox, considering helical gears and synchronous mesh systems.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 15\5\  Scan180
Date  20th December 1930
  
HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} } FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce}
DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} (At Le CanadelHenry Royce's French residence.)

A7310

R1/M20.12.30.

C. to SG.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} WCR.
C. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer}

25HP. & 45HP. GEARBOX.
EPICYCLIC UNITS.

X 7310
X S310
x 523

I am very anxious to get a specimen gear made of the type we are proposing to fit with the ordinary box to see if it promises to be silent enough, or whether we shall have to make it helical. Perhaps to save time we ought to make two, cutting the teeth of one straight, and the other helical.

I think BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} had better send me a drawing of what is being, or is about to be made. I probably shall have time to study the details more closely, and may make some improvements towards a simpler or better design. It generally takes much time and several attempts before anything gets to its best and simplest state.

Our second attempt at a better gear should be/the accelerated train which I believe will make a silent 2nd. and 3rd., and fairly silent 1st., without much trouble, even with straight gears.

Also the system of brakes and pawls may prove a very practical scheme of changing ( our scheme equivalent to synchronous mesh. ).

If this should prove as I think it is possible it should be worth an attempt, and I think the train of gears should be made and tested for silence.

It will be realised that a great deal of expensive time of DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/HDY.{William Hardy}, DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}, and R.{Sir Henry Royce} has been put into this work at WW. and it will be worth while to spend the smaller amount extra (on the most hopeful schemes) to get some results, especially as we are proposing something similar to this for aero work.

For the present we ought not to spend any more time and money on Salerni, and also the friction control train that Mr. Hardy and I were working upon.

Mr. Elliott might consider copper lined brakes on his aero engine gears, and also our synchronous mesh with positive pawls, and also the self lapping complete ring exactly balanced brake that I schemed for the friction controlled change gear. Metal lined brakes could work with extremely small clearance, as shewn by multi-plate type: this requires very rigid construction.

I have no word of what is happening at Derby about the car change gear work, but don't trouble to write to me unless some information is wanted - rather spend the time in getting along with the work.
  
  


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