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).
Engine bearing materials and design, comparing whitemetal with aluminium tin alloy.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 115\3\ scan0137 | |
| Date | 29th November 1937 | |
| -2- Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Swdl.{Len H. Swindell}1/AP.29.11.37. It is only when bearings are overloaded as per the present Bentley intermediate mains that we depart from Whitemetal and use Aluminium tin alloy. (3) We realise that from a production point of view the deletion of the liners is an advantage in the case of a solid shell material as the Aluminium-tin, but does this advantage still hold good with the case of whitemetal steel backed bearings.? (4) It is premature to state whether with the deletion of liners, a dowel in one half only, with nothing other than nip to prevent the other half floating endways, would be satisfactory. The above arrangement is being tried out on a big end bearing experimentally. We have proved on Phantom III. big end bearings that dowelling in one half only is satisfactory where the bearing halves are flanged to locate and prevent endways float. (5) In respect to the quotation that main bearings fitted without liners have covered 3,000 miles running satisfactorily on Wraith III, we would point out that - (a) Dowels are employed in both bearing halves for location. (b) The bearings are Whitemetal steel backed shells. (c) That no opinion can be formed at a distance of 3,000 miles under 'easy' conditions or without inspection of the bearings. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Swdl.{Len H. Swindell} | ||