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).
Instrument board illumination, referencing the 1933 Buick and proposing new designs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 105\2\ scan0050 | |
| Date | 15th February 1933 | |
| X5530 To Cxr from E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. Sr. For. PN.{Mr Northey} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Bxx re Instrument Board Illumination. Referring to the latest 1933 Buick instrument board, we find there is nothing new in the system of illumination employed but the instruments themselves have been made much easier to read by increasing the size of the dials and the boldness of the lettering. We think the evenness of the illumination would not be good enough to satisfy us permanently, and that the scheme of concealed lighting with bevelled instrument glasses we propose to use on the new Peregrine panel will be beyond all doubt a better job. It is true we were unable to judge the Buick under absolute conditions of darkness but there appeared to be definite unevenness and in the case of the dual instrument very little light at all on the face of the lower gauge. We find that the use of bold white lettering in the place of silver is a distinct help to obtaining a good effect with the minimum of lighting, and we think it would be worth while to make up a set of dials of this type to try on our 20/25 HP. patch, similar to the dials on the tachometer and speedometer on the Bensport. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} | ||