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).
Article from 'The Motor' magazine explaining the principle, operation, and components of the Houdaille Hydraulic Suspension system.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 25\2\ Scan001 | |
| Date | 3rd February 1914 | |
| The Motor 25 3rd February, 1914. THE HOUDAILLE HYDRAULIC SUSPENSION. The Principle of Dual Activity for Both Shock and Recoil Absorption. ONE does not need to be a particularly brilliant observer of the functioning of the various units of a motorcar in order to make the statement that the question of suspension is still a matter in which there is considerable room for improvement. There have been a large number of ideas propounded for improving the suspension of cars, and there are a number of devices on the market, the aim of which is that goal. Quite a popular piece of mechanism with our French cousins is the Houdaille shock absorber, which is now being placed upon the English market, and an examination of its principle and its method of operation is certainly a matter which enables one to state that it has a number of claims for consideration. There are many theoretical considerations in a shock absorber, and one can, in fact, even deduce tinct portions, there being the compensator proper, and then what may be termed the recuperator reservoir. The construction is circular and is of small diameter, the external appearance being quite neat and not so much of an eyesore as not infrequently is the case with shock absorber devices. The interior compartment is divided into two separate portions by a partition wall, the wall in question being a vertical dividing piece. This is firmly fixed, being let into a recess in the casing, and the rotating portion or paddle-arm piece operates within the fixed portion. The rotating piece is connected on an extension of the spindle to the lever, through which the motion is conveyed from the axle. The main body of the apparatus is, of course, bolted to the frame of the chassis, and the connect- Image Labels: Oil valves Non return Oil valve with ball Part of regulating valve Component parts of the Houdaille Hydraulic Suspension and one method of fitting it to a car. sound arguments against their action, but the Houdaille system goes a step farther than the main general principle, in that it is so designed as to guard against not only the direct shock from the road but also to absorb the recoil. A little consideration shows that this line of argument is a sound one, and it is hardly an exaggeration to state that the dual functions are important desiderata. One can trace the origin of the basic principle adopted in the recoil absorber so frequently fitted to quick-firing guns; the main purport of the apparatus is automatically to adjust the strength and flexibility of the springs to the varying road conditions or weight carried, so as to ensure the maximum of comfort to the occupants. Then, again, there is the question of the life of the tyres, and this only takes a subsidiary place to the actual comfort of the passengers. The Houdaille apparatus consists really of two dis- ing rod is usually attached to a plate bolted to the spring pad. Of course, there is a ball joint at each end of the connecting rod, so as to permit of the necessary movement. The method by which the Houdaille hydraulic suspension guards against the violent recoil shock caused by the action of the springs in regaining their normal camber after having been extended by an excessive bump, is the hydraulic resistance brought into being within the compensator chamber owing to the movement of the paddle-arm portion, the flow of the fluid being restricted. Whilst the spring may jump up more or less readily enough against the fluid, the return motion is retarded by a strong hydraulic braking effect. One can easily see that after striking a bad obstacle on the road the rear axle, or one side of it, may be quite out of contact with the ground, and the force which caused this state of affairs to come into being must have | ||