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).
Visit from Herbert Frood about the use of his asbestos-based material in plate clutches.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 74\2\ scan0238 | |
| Date | 21th December 1918 | |
| R.R. 235A (500 T) (S.D. 408, 26-4-17.) Bm. 2/156/13. To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to CJ. c. to EFC. c. to EH. ---------------- BY/KP.211218. December 21st 1918. X.3439 X.3409. Ferodo. 3351. RE CLUTCHES. Mr Herbert Frood, the pioneer of asbestos brake material paid us a personal visit yesterday. He brought with him samples of material which were decidedly interesting, and at the same time he left with me, (in confidence) a blueprint of the "Tank" Clutch arrangement, in order to illustrate his idea that a plate clutch scheme of that type represents the best type of clutch. Incidentally he remarked that his car, which he had with him, was perfect in his opinion, with the exception of the clutch, which he stated was undoubtedly fierce and given to squeaking. I explained to him that we were now running our clutches in oil, but he was very keen to impress me with his idea of utilising his material in a plate clutch. In testing out the plate clutches some years ago we undoubtedly found that the dry plate clutch was best of this type but we had difficulties in two directions :- (1) The material which we used wore away and Mr Frood's material of that date, which was impregnated with a kind of tar, was unsuitable, owing to that fact that this tary product melted at the temperatures arrived at when the plate clutch slipped. (2) The second difficulty we had was the question of rattling of plates, owing to the amount of slack which we found necessary in order to ensure the plates working freely endways. The material which Mr Frood brought with him he now guarantees will be free from the trouble of stickiness when the clutch becomes heated. He points out that material which Contd:- | ||