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 to A. W. Claremont discussing options for improving acceleration, including superchargers and freewheels.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\T\2July1928-December1928\ Scan166 | |
| Date | 24th October 1928 | |
| Copy to DJ. LHS.{Lord Herbert Scott} FN. CWD. BX. HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} C. SG.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} ORIGINAL "ELMSTEADHenry Royce's home in West Wittering", WEST WITTERINGHenry Royce's home town, CHICHESTER. 24th. October 1928. A.{Mr Adams} W. Claremont Esq., X523 / Y7310 Y281 X5310 My dear Mr. Claremont, It is realised amongst the R-R technical people that our cars, to hold their premier position, must have increased acceleration, at least for moderate speed traffic, and although we are doing all that is possible to improve the efficiency of the engine without spoiling its smoothness and silence, we believe this is insufficient in view of the relatively heavy bodies that are fitted to both our chassis. We are therefore considering other means of increasing the torque at the road wheels. We have come to the conclusion that the supercharger idea is, (though excellent and necessary for a racing car) not the solution that it is advisable to adopt for a town carriage. We have therefore decided that the nearest available way is by a more easily obtainable low gear for difficult traffic conditions, and for rapid acceleration. Many years ago, for ease of changing gear, we schemed a freewheel on the side shaft of the gearbox. We never had pluck enough to adopt this because we feared some accidents through people trying to coast down dangerous hills on one of the lower gears with their brakes in imperfect order. The situation is now much altered, as there is a strong demand for a more easily available 3rd. speed, and also the brakes are very much more reliable than they were 20 years ago when we schemed this device. It has also been suggested in many other freewheel devices that a means for cancelling the freewheel could be fitted. We are therefore proposing to again test out the value of the freewheel side shaft combined with a positive clutch which can be used to cancel it when it is desired to do so, for instance, in case of a failure of the freewheel, or in case of a desire to negotiate a dangerous hill on one of the lower gears with the engine acting as a brake. We enclose a sketch shewing how we should apply this combination, which we think is eminently practical. (NOTE: This freewheel was always insisted upon by the late Mr. Ernest Claremont, to be fitted to the cars driven by himself.) (1) | ||