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).
Production of two Litra frames with John Thompson's, focusing on material thickness and component manufacturing.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 113\5\ scan0164 | |
| Date | 10th March 1944 | |
| 1010. Chassis To :- Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} -S- EM/Les.1/JB.10.3.44. SILVER RIPPLE FRAMES. Re: Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}3/SW.26.2.44. I have visited John Thompson's to discuss the two Litra frames requested in your memo. The situation at the moment is that John Thompson's are investigating the position of their tools which are now stored away and the various problems with regards to the production of two frames in .080" thick material. I have asked for the side-members, the cruciforms and the front gussets to be in .080" material, but suggested that the remaining details should be in .104" as B.V. The pressings will be made to the interior thickness of the B.V. components, so that the exterior dimensions will be reduced by the difference in thickness of the material. There is a gusset which boxes-in the rear end of the frame over the arch which they propose to produce in .104" material, as it would be very awkward to make in the thinner gauge material, with existing tools. The most difficult part of the frame will undoubtedly be the bent front pan which has never been produced by John Thompson's. You may remember that all the bent front pans fitted to frames were produced by HPS.{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr} and supplied complete to John Thompson's. I have tried to suggest that John Thompson's should produce the front pans for these frames and in consequence, they have requested a set of drawings as soon as possible. I would be grateful, therefore, if you could let me have two sets of drawings for the bent front pan for this purpose. John Thompson's stated that they felt that the frame in .080" material would raise certain difficulties due to the fact that the material was too thin for normal rivetting without extra support. It was agreed, however, that we were anxious to try such frames and that results could only be obtained after trial. P.T.O. | ||