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).
Typed letter discussing design criticisms and proposals for sheet steel wheels and spare wheel covers.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 160\1\ scan0062 | |
| Date | 19th January 1939 guessed | |
| -2- 16" dia. Sheet Steel Wheels. (1) We were very pleased with the general appearance of the sample disc for the steel wheel to your drawing No.WD.{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead}74. Our criticisms were as follows:- (a) The overall dimensions of the caps is approx. 3.000" greater than on our design of spring-on disc. (b) The spider being attached to the wheel made it as bad for being housed as a wire wheel. We do not want to lose these advantages of the steel wheel without a fight. We confirm that you proposed to make a revised scheme for a disc similar to No.WD.{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead}74 but held on by means of a screw thread or bayonet catch on the end of the front wheel hub cover which you may modify to suit your design. The disadvantages of this scheme lie in the fact that any damage to the disc entails damage to the hub end. We would prefer a scheme whereby the revolving fixing nut instead of screwing into a spider attached to the wheel, reached down and engaged a bayonet in the hollow of the wheel containing the fixing bolts. We handed you a print of the hub - PD.240 and send herewith GL.{G. Linnett}861 shewing the mechanism of the wireless earth, and PD.341 our proposed spring-on disc. Again in order that we may come to a conclusion as to the merit of each scheme we would like a provisional quotation for 1000 discs for each design including our own. Spare Wheel Covers. We need an economical design of spare wheel cover for both the wire and sheet steel wheels. We suggested that you gave us a provisional quotation for 200 sets of wheel covers of your normal design for wire wheels fitted with discs. Cont'd..... | ||