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).
Letter from F.H. Royce to A. W. Claremont discussing Mr. Lanchester's 1925 patented crankshaft damper.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 25\3\ Scan260 | |
| Date | 13th May 1927 | |
| COPY TO - BJ " HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} " RY "ELMSTEADHenry Royce's home in West Wittering" WEST WITTERINGHenry Royce's home town. 13th. May 1927. A.{Mr Adams} W. Claremont Esq., My dear Mr. Claremont, re Mr. LANCHESTER'S CRANKSHAFT DAMPER - PATENTED 1925. From the specification you will see that Mr. Lanchester realises, probably referring to our work, that "it has been proposed to provide a solid friction damped resilient drive between the "engine crankshaft and the auxiliary timed mechanism". This may be looked upon as a device for silence of the gears and not a damper - see page 2., 110th line. On page 3. he then describes how the damper and halftime gear are combined, and in line 30. the damper is now limited to "a few degrees of angular movement being limited by springs, and "by a frictional or fluid frictional device, preferably the latter". I read this that it does not limit him to fluid friction, but that the same device can have ordinary friction, and still be controlled by his description. Claims 1. and 2. undoubtedly limit him to fluid, but claim 3. says "substantially as herein-"before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings". Here I take it that the illustration only refers to one particular design embodying fluid friction, whereas the description includes friction other than fluid friction. You will understand that we want to use this device almost immediately as we find it is simpler and better than the separate units we have been using on our standard production cars. Attached is a copy of a memo. to Derby on the same subject - (R3/M11527.) Yours v.{VIENNA} sincerely, (Sgd.) F.H. ROYCE. | ||