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).
Improving gear changes, dismissing a cycle change gear idea and considering a free-wheel arrangement.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 181\M11\ img148 | |
| Date | 11th March 1919 | |
| To EH. from R.{Sir Henry Royce} Copy to CJ. SRN. PN.{Mr Northey} HN.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders} Mr. Claremont. EASY CHANGE IDEAS from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} 11th March, 1919. R6/G11319. RE CHANGING GEAR. The idea you describe of using a cycle change gear for synchronising the standard change gear would not, I fear, be found a success, because the time given for the little gear to synchronise the big one would be too short. However, if such a scheme would be of any use it can be done in a much simpler way, and has been under consideration for some time. I therefore cannot encourage you to expend money and time on the ideas that you give, which, although one agrees are correct in theoretical principle, would quite fail in practical application. I have received a letter from Mr. E.A.Claremont urging us to consider adopting our old arrangement of free wheel, which I originally fitted to the two-cylinder cars when they were found to be so difficult in changing down to the second speed (which was a very big drop) This letter has caused us to consider that it may be worth while experimenting further in this direction if we find any difficulty in changing when using a light free plate clutch, and the standard form of change gear we are fitting to the new 20 H.P. car, and the following scheme has come to mind:- The side shaft of the gear box has its main wheel driven from the engine made into a free wheel in one direction only, that is, the direction of overrun. When in this condition a change down can be easily obtained, as it depends upon nothing more than accelerating(Contd) | ||