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).
Modifications to strengthen steering pivots after a component failure.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\B\July1918\ Scan4 | |
| Date | 30th July 1918 | |
| To DY.{F R Danby} from E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Copy to EH. ORIGINAL D 2. 30th July, 1918. RECEIVED E8/430718 X.3364 RE STEERING PIVOTS. We send you herewith drawing No.Lec.982 shewing some modifications to steering pivots to strengthen a weak spot which occurs in the pivot opposite the large ball bearing. The drawing actually shews detail F.4101 modified, but the same alteration should be applied to any other details in actual use, such as F.3783. We are forwarding to you the pieces of F.3697 Steering Pivot which broke on the Duke of Westminster's car, which we received from M.de Salamanca in Spain, via our London office. The condition of the material may be confirmed from these pieces, but we think that an examination of the fracture shews that the material is satisfactory. The fracture apparently started opposite to a little groove in the machined radius. We are asking you to be particularly careful in future to make the surface of this radius particularly smooth and polished. The dimension for this radius has been increased from .250 on the broken model to .450, and the section has been made stronger by filling in metal on the inside. The increase in strength due to the smaller bore is about 20%, and we think this will be considerably augmented by the alteration to the radius. (Contd.) | ||