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).
The proposal to stiffen the clutch cover for the Bentley chassis flywheel and clutch.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 85\2\ scan0176 | |
| Date | 24th May 1935 | |
| BY/EWB SCL c. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} x12 BY/Cgh.{W Clough}10/G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} 24.5.35. BENTLEY CHASSIS - FLYWHEEL AND CLUTCH. ------------------------------------ With reference to the proposal to stiffen up the clutch cover with a view to preventing same breathing, causing the clutch pedal to come up against the floorboards, the matter has been discussed fully with Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}, and in view of the fact that the weight of the plate is increased approximately 50% or more it is considered advisable to have the strengthened plate tested experimentally before making any change on production, therefore will you please issue a new detail drawing for this to the Experimental Department immediately. In the meantime it will, of course, be necessary to allow chassis to be delivered with the present cover plate, but the knife edges which at present exist in the disc of the plate immediately behind the clutch operating levers, should be removed, therefore will you please issue this alteration to the Works as soon as possible. To enable us to change over to the strengthened cover plate, immediately the Experimental Department are in a position to standardise same, will you Works please arrange to machine any more forgings to the new detail drawings and machine them down to the present standard drawing in sufficient quantities to keep production going from hand to mouth. BY/Cgh.{W Clough} | ||