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 to the Managing Director concerning the testing and implementation of a bevel thrust bearing.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 49\2\ Scan042 | |
| Date | 16th November 1921 | |
| X. 4150 CC Mr. Belnap Mr. Fadin Oy2 - G 161121 Nov. 16, 1921 Mr. Claude Johnson, Managing Director, Rolls-Royce Ltd., London, England. Copies attached for Mr. Royce and Mr. Hives. Dear Sir:- Re: Bevel Thrust Bearing [Crossed out text: We note from the unsigned standardization sheet and Ha3/IS 30.9.21, what is being done at Derby in connection with the modification of the thrust bearing for the bevel pinion.] With regard to our own position in the matter, it should be mentioned that we purchased material for the single thrust and plain overrun thrust for the whole of Series 20 (275 cars) of which about one hundred cars were completed at the time that it was proved to be necessary to change to a scheme better adapted to take the reverse thrust of Gleason bevels. Reverse Thrust Scheme: We constructed experimentally the scheme shown on A-927 enclosed. This was fitted on our experimental chassis with the axle box turned over so that it drove forward on the reverse gear, and the car was then driven 100 miles through the worst sanddrifts, etc. we could find, at an average speed of about 7 m.p.h., the method of driving consisting of alternate acceleration full throttle and deceleration with the engine acting as brake, at intervals of about 20 seconds. This was done to bring shock loads on the reverse thrust. The journal bearing was dismantled after this test and was found to be unaffected as regards wear and end play. Similar sets have since been fitted to cars on service, 12 cars which had developed slack in the plain thrust being so fitted to date. (Six of these were imported cars.) Up to date we have had a total of about twenty thousand miles running on these cars, the maximum distance on one car being 4000 miles on the Philadelphia demonstrator. There have been no cases of complaint. | ||