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).
Difficulty of replacing the fan belt on Bentley chassis and proposing a new belt design.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 86\5\ scan0023 | |
| Date | 3rd May 1934 | |
| X 274 W/S. To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} and Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} from E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} Sft.{Mr Swift} Roy.{Sir Henry Royce} E.1/HP.3.5.34. re Bentley Fan Belt. With reference to the question of the difficulty of replacing the fan belt on the Bentley chassis, the original LeC. designs show a space of .550 between the starter jaw on the engine and the suspension bracket to which the engine is anchored. The depth of the section of the rubber fan belt which has to be withdrawn through this space is specified as .5" and this is the dimension shown on the fan belt detail drawing. What has happened is that the clearance for the belt to pass on the chassis has for some reason or other got smaller, and on the other hand the fan belts are very much oversize, more particularly the Dunlop belts which are being used on the Bentley which have been moulded with a rounded back instead of a flat top section as specified which has increased the depth to .6. The Goodrich belts which we use on our RR. chassis are much nearer the drawing size and actually we have walked up to a Bentley in the shop and with a certain amount of difficulty passed a Goodrich belt through the restricted space at the starter jaw. In view of the large number of Bentleys on which this replacement difficulty will arise sooner or later, I suggest that we ought to have a new belt made having a depth of section that will pass the starter jaw, and that this belt should be used for all replacements and for future Bentley production, thus, when the present belts are worn out on their respective chassis they can be cut away and the replacement belt will go in without any difficulty. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} | ||