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).
Oil flinger tests for a Bentley Rear Axle.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 84\4\ scan0043 | |
| Date | 20th October 1934 | |
| To Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} x202 20.10.34. Bentley Rear Axle - GB.619. Oil Flinger Tests. Further to report 1.10.34. The complete test axle, modified to N.S.4194 (i.e. the drain hole, and bridge piece slot in the wall of the banjo casing blanked off) as statically tested (1.10.34) was arranged to run on the tilting rig whilst inclined at 30° to the horizontal. The drive was applied via the N.S. wheel, the inclination being downwards towards the O.S. wheel. With the correct - horizontal - level of oil in the axle, the axle shaft was rotated at speeds up to 1,000 r.p.m. the flow of oil being meanwhile observed through windows placed at vantage points in the axle tube, and also in the axle casing. At slow speeds (up to 500 r.p.m. approx.) the oil picked up by the crown wheel travelled down the face of the wheel, and along the differential box to the roller bearing, whilst at higher speeds (1000 r.p.m. approx.) the oil was thrown directly on to the bearing, through which it was then carried into the axle tube, gradually building up to the level of the oil flinger. At the first attempt the oil appeared to travel from the inside of the differential box, along the axle shaft, into the axle tube, but closer observation during a retest showed that the majority of the oil passed through the roller bearing. Having passed into the axle tube, the oil was definitely trapped until the level of the baffle plate was reached, when, except at high speeds, the flinger was rendered useless. The axle is now in the process of modification to N.S.4193 - i.e., "PERFECT OIL SEAL" gland fitted into a housing covering the roller bearing - Fig. 5. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/W.Bell. | ||