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).
Ongoing investigation into rear axle failures, specifically concerning Hypoid gears and testing methods.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 136\5\ scan0251 | |
| Date | 9th May 1930 | |
| RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} From Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}3/MJ.9.5.30. X-066 REAR AXLE FAILURES. We must continue our investigations on the failure of the Hypoid gears. The one important result we have so far achieved is that we have made a "recovered" gear fail on Whitmore's Compound. We think that it is most important that we should repeat the test on another set of "recovered" gears. If we are able to repeat the result, we should take another failed gear and cut the teeth out and get a figure for the surface hardness of the un-failed portion of the teeth. We think that we should also take a pair of gears and give them, say, twice the normal amount of lapping, and put them up to Mx.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} for test. If they pass we should give them double the original amount of lapping and repeat the test. Having got down to the fact that apparently the surface hardness of the teeth has a marked effect on the tendency to fail, we think that we should pursue it to the limit. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||