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).
Use and performance of flexible versus solid battery connections on post-war chassis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 45\3\ Scan085 | |
| Date | 7th December 1928 | |
| Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} W/S (CWB). X4054? C. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} C. EF C. H BY11/G.7.12.28. BATTERY CONNECTIONS. Referring to CWB12/GM.5Y.12.28. the flexible battery connection has been a standard on all our post-war chassis. Originally we used Exide cells alone, later when P. & R.{Sir Henry Royce} batteries were introduced we insisted on having a similar flexible connection. We have in service thousands of these batter-ies and complaints are remarkably few, the life of the batteries being quite satisfactory of the two types, i.e. P. & R.{Sir Henry Royce} and the Exide. Our Repair Department has given me figures on a number of occasions which are in favour of the Exide. The battery which has solid connections run in with lead is the P. & R/ 20 HP., but the 20 HP. Exide was fitted with flexible connections similar to the 40/50 HP., and here again although half the total number of 20 HP. chassis delivered are fitted with Exide cells no complaint has been registered against them. If the connections get loose it is undoubtedly because they have never been correctly tightened in the first place. The amount of lead and brass is not sufficient to flow under normal conditions, and expansion effects as between cell and cell are taken care of by the bend in the flexible connection. The expansion of ebonite which is the material from which the cells are made is three times that of lead or brass, and therefore if cells are burnt up with solid connection there is a tendency for the plates to be pulled about or the joints of the cells to be destroyed, particu-larly in the case of the larger cell. I do not think that one case of failure from an obviously loose connection should condemn a practice which has given excellent results on some 4/5000 batteries, over a period of eight years. We feel certain that if the connections are correctly made the complaint in question will not recur. We do not agree that with the surfaces of the nuts under discussion, and the relatively thin deposit | ||