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).
Chassis conference agenda discussing different remote control gearbox and overdrive options for the Phantom III.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 161a\3\ scan0188 | |
| Date | 6th June 1939 | |
| AGENDA FOR CHASSIS CONFERENCE - 6TH. JUNE 1939. PHANTOM III. REMOTE CONTROL. This particular feature is, of course, not confined to Phantom III. but is one of the main reasons for the production of a box which shall be universal in its application, and includes an overdrive which can be put in or out of action by the movement of a small control lever without resource to clutch operation. The position in regard to this is unchanged. As pointed out in the discussion, and remarked upon in the Minutes of our Meeting on April 26th, the box is a year away, and represents our next major development in gearbox design. With reference to the suggestion that we would rig up a scheme by which the 'Normanville' could be tried out on one of our existing boxes, this matter is having attention, and we expect to be able to fit the 'Warner' overdrive and box to one of our B.V. cars in about two months' time. With reference to this question of more easy control of the change gear, as the result of fully considering the schemes for an overdrive, we are of the opinion that we could produce a 4-speed box with an hydraulic control, which would halve the travel of the clutch and reduce the effort on the gear change by 50%. This is, of course, a remote gear change, which would be located on the steering column. It is considerably cheaper and lighter than either the American type of overdrive or the 'Normanville', and uses the existing box practically as it stands, and therefore could be introduced as an improvement considerably earlier than could be achieved in the case of the 'Normanville'. [Handwritten note] SUMMARY OF DIFFERENT CHANGE-SPEED GEARS | ||