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).
Test results on the average rate of oil displacement in self-adjustable hydraulic shock absorbers.
| Identifier | Morton\M9\ img081 | |
| Date | 9th November 1931 | |
| ORIGINAL To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} c. Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. Ds. EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} X.235 X.7920. X.5520. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}2/AM9.11.31. SELF ADJUSTABLE HYDRAULIC SHOCK ABSORBERS. In view of your suggestion that it might be possible to make the hydraulic dampers adjust themselves with speed, the attached report shows the result of a number of tests to ascertain the average rate of oil displacement in the damper. The main point we believe that you wished us to establish was whether the mean rate of oil displacement when running at 20 - 30 M.P.H. with low damper loads over a bad road, was any less than the mean rate of oil displacement with high damper loads at 50 - 60 M.P.H. on a good road, i.e. could we get a good low speed ride with any prospect of high speed control. It will be seen from the figures that the rate of oil displacement in the former case is certainly not more than half that in the latter case, and therefore if a scheme could be evolved which was dependent on quantity flowing only, and independent of reversal of flow, there seems to be a good chance of it being successful. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Copy of report attached. | ||