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).
Reprint from 'Motor Commerce' magazine detailing Delco-Remy ignition sets and trends.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 163\7\ img042 | |
| Date | 24th September 1921 | |
| Reprinted from “Motor Commerce,” September 24, 1921. Delco-Remy Ignition Sets Featuring Evidences of a Trend for which Specialist Provision is made, and Results assured by War-time Experience. A Set for Every Type and Make of Engine. [Image Caption] A Delco Combined Starter, Generator, Ignition Timer and Distributor, Condenser and Coil Set as used on the Buick. IT was stated awhile back in a sort of pre-season’s synopsis of motor developments that nearly 60 per cent. of next season's American car engines, and a smaller proportion of truck motors—excluding Fords—would have battery and coil-ignition and dynamo lighting combined. The trend is still too feeble here to suggest a like development within so near a period, but the fact that there is a trend generally towards multi-cylinders—e.g., eights and super-sixes with double sets of plugs firing simultaneously as well as being available for single ignition—indicates that matters are moving in a like trend. We have thought it well to show readers a collection of battery-and-coil ignition means—of the Delco-Remy interests whole variety of the world’s motor merchandise. Delco-Remy ignition sets are fitted also by a couple of score of other makers, which explains some of the varieties of outfits here illustrated. Here in Europe these sets are beginning to interest manufacturers, in which respect the late war gave a big fillip more especially as regards air-craft and tank motors. And in a like measure of importance that ordeal being the most important of any, the success attending it has set the seal of reliability, and electrical worth on the battery system of ignition as such, and on the Delco-Remy apparatus in particular where concerned. On Speed cars, as recently as the Indianapolis race, the British Sunbeam among the first nine home was Delco-equipped, and in the more recent Grand Prix race in France, the three successful Duesenbergs, and the Talbot-Darracq (5th place) and the two Talbots (placed 8th and 9th) were similarly equipped. Again, as recently as last week's voiturette race, the winning Talbots were Delco-equipped. The latest Sunbeam “Sports” models are fitted with the Remy timers shown in Fig. 4. Hence it will be deduced (1) that there can be no cavil as to the dependability of Delco-Remy outfits, and (2) that variety of these outfits is a proof of the chassis and engine makers’ increased recognition of the fact. Delco-Remy Outfits for all Needs It would occupy more space than is available even to list the variety of Delco-Remy standard ignition sets, not to mention others, which from being evolved more or less for a special purpose during the war, have not yet passed into the standardized category. It is the purpose of the composite pictures to indicate something of the variety of these sets. A complete set comprises: motor-generator combined with a skew-gear driven vertical low-and-high tension timer-distributor for either manual or self-governing (automatic) advance and retard, a step-up coil and condenser and switch. In its simplest form the timer with distributor is available mounted on a column with a spiral-pinion at the end of the shaft—e.g., No. 9 in Fig. 2—the whole being fashioned to socket into a foot-bracket bolted to the engine in such a position as will enable the pinion to engage with a similar gear member on the valves shaft. Between these extremes there is roughly about a score of varieties of these sets. Generally the Delco units are the more elaborate, and we believe also correspondingly more expensive. The groups in Figs. 1 and 2 will give an idea of some of the varieties. For instance there are Nos. 1 and 13 in Fig. 3, and shown sectionally in Fig. 5; | ||