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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 of a graphite-lubricated plate clutch for Mr. Williamson's chassis, including an extract from his letter.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 20\1\  Scan025
Date  13th November 1914
  
Wor{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager}/Mcr3/dl31114.

X872

Re Mr. Williamson's Chassis.

13th. November, 1914.

J.{Mr Johnson W.M.}

Extract from Mr. Williamson's
letter of the 7th. November, 1914.

"New Type Plate Clutch, this I
have suggested should be designed
in a similar manner to that used
by the Simplex Motor Company of
Sheffield, and to be lubricated
by Dry Graphite instead of Oil.
I have pointed out after considerable
experience with Italian Cars fitted
with Oil lubricating Plate Clutches,
that there is always a great drawback
in using them, for, in the first
place, the Oil has to be of a
certain thickness, say one-third
paraffin to two-thirds lubricating
Oil; the chamber containing the
plates has to be filled to a certain
depth, which is usually determined
by a plug in the side of the recept-
acle, it is also often necessary
every so many miles to thoroughly
wash out this chamber and refill with
oil. I understand that the plate
clutch as designed and fitted by
the Simplex Motor Co. is entirely
satisfactory with Dry Graphite"

We may assure Mr. Williamson that his car
will be fitted with a Plate Clutch and
that the method of lubricating same will be
by graphite. We ourselves have done quite
a large amount of experimenting with Plate
Clutches and we do not propose to use oil
in view of our previous experience. Our
  
  


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