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).
Letter from Firestone discussing the potential manufacture of a special locking ring device for rims.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 42\4\ Scan141 | |
| Date | 16th June 1920 | |
| For Mr Hives THE FIRESTONE STEEL PRODUCTS CO. Firestone Park Akron, Ohio. June 16, 1920 Mr. Dever Waters, Mfrs. Rep. The Firestone Steel Products Co. 1870 Broadway, New York, N.Y. Dear Sir:- Mr. White has referred to me your letter of June 12th. together with Rolls-Royce letter and sketches, suggesting a locking ring device for our type "C" rims, and in connection with the same wish to advise you as follows:- We can make a locking device similar to the one suggested by the Rolls-Royce Company, however, it will be rather costly, in that it will be necessary to machine the ends of the looking ring for receiving the special T head bolt, and each locking ring will have to be specially fitted to the rim, so that the distance between the slots in the locking ring will be accurate. The cost of this special locking device would run anywheres from $2.00 to $3.00 per rim, and it would be special for the Rolls-Royce Company, as we would not put this locking device on any of our type "C" rims other than those that were furnished to the Rolls-Royce Company. We have never had any complaints relative to the locking rings being thrown from its position when the tire is inflated, and we have had comparatively few complaints of this trouble when running on a flat tire. As you no doubt already know, we are using the same locking device on all of our giant pneumatic rims, and while they do not travel at as high a rate of speed as the passenger car, the liability for them to be thrown off is almost as great as when high speed is attained. When you consider that Packard, Locomobile and cars of this class have always used this rim and have never had any trouble with the locking rim, we can see no reason why it would be necessary even with a Rolls-Royce car. For your information, the volume of Rolls-Royce business would not be sufficient for us to make a real manufacturing proposition out of this locking device, and if we would consent to manufacture the same, as previously stated, it would be special for the Rolls-Royce Company. | ||