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).
Failure of an ignition coil on chassis 3-PP, attributing the cause to driver carelessness.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 46\3\ Scan176 | |
| Date | 3rd March 1920 | |
| B3 (100 T) (S.F. 101. 25-10-18.) Bm. 4/133/9. X.3445 EP. {G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} from BY. {R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. OPP. c. CK. {Mr Clark} c. Mr BROCK. BY2-F3.3.20. CHASSIS - IGNITION COIL. X.3716 X.3445 RE FAILURE OF COIL ON CHASSIS 3-PP. Referring to EP {G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} 14/F2.3.20, I do not consider that the failure of the coil in question was the result of the ballast resistance failing, as suggested. It seems quite obvious that the real trouble was that the coil had been left on probably all night, with the result that the primary winding was spoilt. There is no possibility that the failure was comparable with the failures you have had on test, as Mr Brock points out definitely that in this respect, namely, where the primary passes out of the coil, the coil was perfectly satisfactory. It seems to me that the whole point of the failure lay in the coil being switched on all night, which certainly must be considered as drivers carelessness, and from my point of view therefore, I consider that the owner should pay for a new coil. The parts of the ballast resistance which were missing were probably misplaced after the failure occurred when the owner was possibly examining the coil to try and find out what his trouble was. We do not understand your last paragraph, where you say you are taking action to inspect coils, as it is obvious the trouble in question is nothing to do with manufacture at all. | ||