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).
The failure of a rear universal joint on a Vulture car's propeller shaft and the proposal for a new joint design.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 94\4\ scan0119 | |
| Date | 30th May 1936 | |
| To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to Hdy.{William Hardy} c. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} X337 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Gry.{Shadwell Grylls}4/KW.30.5.36. Propellor Shafts. We have to report a failure of the rear universal joint of the propellor shaft fitted to the Vulture car. This joint is of the 20/25 size and is subjected to a slightly higher torque than that developed by the Ph.III engine. It has failed after about 12 hours on the dynamometer, of which 4 hours were on bottom gear; and 26,000 miles on the road in England. The attached photograph will show that failure has occurred by shearing the base of the driving pins. We have already asked for a design of Hardy Spicer type joints for the Ph.III in order to overcome trouble due to out of balance of the oil contained in the normal mechanics joint. We are sending you the information about the Vulture failures in order that the stresses in the new joint will be low enough to prevent possible failure on a Ph.III car. We should like to run the new joint on the next 10,000 miles test. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Gry.{Shadwell Grylls} | ||