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).
Standardisation sheet concerning the supply of Firths road springs for the 20HP chassis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 52\2\ Scan078 | |
| Date | 4th April 1923 | |
| BJ. C.Hs. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} BY1-P14.4.23. STANDARDISATION SHEET FOR FIRTHS ROAD SPRINGS. 20HP. Referring to BJ5/Hl2423, the position in regard to Firths road springs for the 20HP chassis, which is the only one we are anxious about at the moment, is as follows:- As you are aware, an agreement was made with Messrs. Firths some two or three years ago, that they were to put down a spring making plant, with the object of producing our springs. We, on our part, made an agreement that from a certain date, which lapsed about a year ago, we should place orders with them as soon as we were satisfied they were able to meet our requirements. Messrs. Firths have been working for some long time in connection with the foregoing agreement, having put down a special plant, and are now in the position to turn out 20HP road springs. From our experience, as carried out in the Exp. Dept. we have done a very large amount of running with the springs on the bumper. The bumping test has proved that the average life of Firths 20HP road springs is as great as those produced by Messrs. Woodheads. We have therefore reached the stage when as soon as Messrs. Firths are turning out springs and are able to meet our requirements, it is necessary for us on our part, to meet our side of the obligation by placing definite orders for springs, an order for 100 sets has been placed with the object of enabling them to try out quantity production within reasonable limits, but before any of these springs can be despatched on chassis it is necessary that the standardisation sheet should be signed up. With reference to the 40/50, we are not proposing to make any change on this particular type of car with reference to the spring makers, but E.A.C. springs will, in the first place, be produced by Messrs. Firths. In regard to the question of price, this had to be fixed up after Messrs. Firths had decided the cost of production of the springs to them; to this, I believe, a certain percentage had to be added, but in any case it was all in the agreement which I refer to above, and which, I believe, you had knowledge of when it was drawn up. contd. | ||