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).
Solution to a steering control problem and proposing new testing methods.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 153\4\ scan0132 | |
| Date | 10th December 1942 guessed | |
| -3- The car will not be out of control as you would still have control with a large amount of slack as the result of interlocking of the dogs on the steering lever and the tube respectively. This scheme will not demand any increase of dimensions on the present Pendulum Lever, what it will demand is a reduction in stiffness on the Flexible Shaft, described under heading (1) The above is to my mind a complete solution of the problem. Testing. Coming now to testing, my views are as follows :- It is clear that our method of testing will not cover the peculiar conditions of the Marle steering, either on the bumper or on the joggle test, what is necessary therefore is to either increase the inertia of the wheels on the bumper until they will cause lever failures or devise a modified inertia joggle test which will do the same thing, but in this case it must include the steering box as representing the working member which will control the joggling motion, starting with this lever and finishing with the wheel, so that the inertia effects of the road wheel joggle reacts through the lever to the box which must be fixed to a solid foundation. Having modified these tests and produced a failure it will then be comparatively easy to demonstrate the points I am referring to in this memo, but I would like to make it very clear it is not an easy matter and must not be tackled by merely plastering metal on the lever, this will only cause failures elsewhere. It is a serious issue which demands careful and thorough consideration, particularly the ability to appreciate the fine differences in the method of the imposition of the stresses with their resultant reaction on the Pendulum Lever as the car is working under road conditions. By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} [Signature] | ||