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).
Test report on a Falcon 10 engine camshaft drive failure and subsequent endurance testing.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 43\3\ Scan145 | |
| Date | 8th March 1927 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. to EX. Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. Rg.{Mr Rowledge} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} (Avenue Malakoff, Paris) Y9003 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rml/T1 8.3.27. RE FALCON 10. CAMSHAFT DRIVES. Y3844 In view of the failure experienced on the vertical camshaft drive when running on the hangar, we commenced a series of tests to determine whether there was any material difference between the load thrown on this drive when the engine was on the hangar and on the test bench. All the tests were carried out with the 3/8" spring drive shaft. We fitted up the vertical drive witht the splines deleted, and an easily accessible extension on the bevel wheel carrying a pin through which the load was transmitted. Starting with two 3/8 duralumin pins, we steadily decreased their strength until both the camshafts were being driven through one soft duralumin pin in shear .187" dia. As there did not appear to be any point in reducing the dia. of the pin further, considering the dimensions of the splines which normally drive the camshafts, we conducted an endurance test on the Hangar at 2100 r.p.m. We ran 11 hours with no trouble except occasional "snowing up" of the carburetters and the failure of one valve spring washer previously reported. We then slacked off nut "A" so that there was no end play but no frictional load. Since then we have run 5 hours without failure. DEBBA K We have repeated the test with the standard ball race and the pin in the position now occupied by the 2915 | ||