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).
Issue of rattling side shaft gears and proposing a programme of tests to find a solution.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 104\4\ scan0018 | |
| Date | 16th March 1931 | |
| To RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} From Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} X8310 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}2/MJ.16.3.31. RATTLE IN SIDE SHAFT GEARS. We have recently been suffering from an epidemic of rattling side shaft gears. We think that these are worse with the lightened flywheel though we have no definite proof that we are right. The fact remains, that both the units fitted to 18-G4 having lightened flywheels have been good examples of this trouble. At the same time, standard cars on production tests have not been free from the trouble and we ourselves have an example in GLN-60 Lp{Mr Lappin}'s. car, where we have a standard flywheel and yet the side shaft gears are quite as noisy as those on 18-G4. We suggest the following programme of tests to deal with the problem :- (1) 18-G4 to have the lighter flywheel on the cast iron unit changed for a standard flywheel and at the same time the examination of the side shaft gears to be made and if they are found to be defective another pair prepared to suit the shaft centres. A road tests will then be made and even if the heavy flywheel is a cure, we shall have to go back to the light flywheel and continue trying outside shaft gears until we are certain that we cannot get over the trouble by improving the manufacture. One point we have to consider is, of course, that everyone else is using the steeper angle of side shaft gears than we are so that we may possibly have to consider altering our standard in this respect. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||