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).
Dimensions and positioning of the gear and brake levers for a Bensport model with side levers.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 179b\1\ img187 | |
| Date | 24th November 1932 | |
| TO [REDACTED] FROM EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} EV{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}3/24.11.32. X4503 COPY TO HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} [REDACTED] RE BENSPORT WITH SIDE LEVERS. With reference to your telephone conversation with us this afternoon we are able to send to you herewith a tracing of the full size body drawing shewing the bottom-side in plan and a section through the front door shut pillar. We also looked at the actual body yesterday in connection with these levers. It would appear that we can get the brake lever quadrant between the bottom-side and the frame with a little cutting away of the form er. We prefer to use a 9.750 ins. gear lever as this would give us the same leverage as far as the stopping propensities are concerned as we shall have on the final B.3. synchromesh box. The maximum length of gear lever is determined by the maximum length for the brake lever. The instrument board at this point will not allow of a brake lever more than 19.000ins. long. We enclose herewith a print shewing how the levers can be set so as to get them as far out as possible. This shews that the gear lever has to be approx. 5.000ins. less than the brake lever when they are in juxtaposition. This gives a gear lever of 9.750 ins. Now the maximum permissible distance out of the top of the hand brake lever is 18.000ins. If we use a set in top to the brake lever as on the print that put the gear knob at 16.750. from the centre of the car, which is just one inch closer in than on the 25.HP. and therefore not too good. If we make the gear lever 11.250 ins. it will be up opposite the lat knob of the brake lever and will have to come in to 16.250. We regret that at the moment we are not able to send you a drawing of the instrument board as we are waiting for its actual shape to be supplied to us from Messrs Park Ward & CO The bottom edge of the board which is placed with its face just flush with the back of the scuttle rail is approx. 19.000ins. from the level top of the frame. EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} LID{A. J. Lidsey} | ||