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).
Recent Lucas electrical equipment developments, including a high-speed ignition coil, armature construction, and an electric starter switch.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27\2\ Scan393 | |
Date | 24th October 1935 | |
R [handwritten] GRY{Shadwell Grylls} [handwritten] X1204 [handwritten] Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} and Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} [struck through] E.2/HP.24.10.35. c. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}, Ey, He/Hst. [struck through] Ey/RD [struck through] re Electrical Equipment. During a brief visit to the Show after the Lunch yesterday Oliver Lucas showed me a few of the latest developments they have in train as follows:- High Speed Ignition Coil. They have now been able to hot up one of their standard types of coils to give up to approaching 30,000 ignitions per minute, or approaching 5000 r.p.m. on a 6 cylinder engine. The coil has an increased current consumption. There is no demand apparently for this speed at the moment, but Messrs. Lucas are preparing for the future. Actually this coil is not as good as those we have developed for the SpectreCodename for Phantom III, which will definitely operate at 30,000 sparks per minute, at which speed the Lucas coil is beginning to misfire. Armature Construction. I was shown a new type of armature with all steel finish obtained by inserting the conductors endways through 'tunnelled holes in the armature stampings, and twisting the conductors at each end with a hydraulic forming machine. This is an old scheme applied with somewhat new methods of production and certainly makes a more mechanical job than using banding wires. In applying this scheme there are certain difficulties which Lucas must have overcome, and I think we should obtain further particulars of it. Electric Starter Switch. Lucas, and most other people seem to have given up using copper brush switches entirely for handling the heavy starting current. The latest type I saw shown consists of a floating disc which is forced into contact with two plain copper faces on which it can lie flat. It is extraordinary | ||