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).
Secret memorandum discussing potential improvements to the steering and front spring arrangement.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\L\Jan1924-March1924\ Scan74 | |
| Date | 2nd February 1924 | |
| R.R. 285A/100 T/ (S. H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} 159. 11-9-20) G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} 2690 TO HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} BA.) FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} RG.{Mr Rowledge} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer}) Copy to CJ. HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} PN.{Mr Northey} EE. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} SECRET. R5/M19. 2. 24. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} A.{Mr Adams} C. 11. STEERING & FRONT SPRING ARRANGEMENT. X9420 X9430 Re. N.sch. 1735. I cannot see anything to alter or improve in the general arrangement. Be sure the pendulum lever is strong enough. It looks somewhat weak for torsion near the lower end. The bracket for the back end of the spring should be worked at and strengthened to give an alternate design for the one Mr. Hardy and I schemed before I left, and which is feared by HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} may not be strong enough. Regarding the shocks from potholes on PN{Mr Northey}'s car, these are because of the roughness of the road striking the tyres sideways. (In our standard cars we use in the longitudinal steering tube opposing springs not set up. It is evident for the present we must go on with these until we have proved something better.) I think this car must be fitted with set up springs, or no springs. (You will remember that I thought we should eventually go in for more irreversible steering.) For the moment I suggest we try set up springs in both directions, either at both ends or the rear end, and we put very little initial set - say 20 lbs., a quick rating and ample length and clearance, so as to attempt something a little better than our old standard, which is the only one that should go out of the Exp. Dept's hands. As we found before PN.{Mr Northey} does not like a slow[er] steering than our standard, and says Hispano is too slow, but let us all try the modification we have suggested, which is in hand. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||