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).
Teething troubles with the King-Seely petrol gauge, focusing on pressure build-up and pipeline unions.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 44\2\ Scan169 | |
| Date | 7th July 1928 | |
| To DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}, from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} X34038 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/LG7.7.28. KING-SEELY PETROL GAUGE. We think that this instrument is now through its teething troubles, but there is one point which has recently cropped up. Ingenious petrol pump proprietors put a leather or rubber sheet flap round the neck of their nozzles to prevent splashing. They hold this in position over the mouth of the filler gauge and if they are careful to press the flap well down and the pump delivers sufficiently rapidly, they build up a positive pressure in the tank and blow the gauge. Hobsons are recommending putting an obstruction in the centre of the filler so that an air-tight joint cannot be made in this XXX manner. We do not think we can cater for operations of this kind but are carrying out tests to see how difficult it is to blow the gauge in this manner with our standard vent holes. One other point is the unions to be utilised in the pipe line. Hobsons say King-Seely have tried all kinds but have found a narrow seated cone to be most effective. They also want us to use their thread and to keep air lines complete in stock - they say at all cost they want to prevent garages soldering nipples and unions on to air lines as they never dry out the lines properly afterwards - if a line breaks they want us to send a customer a complete new line. We attach details of their union. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||