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 to Dunlop to discuss their triple stud tread tyres, focusing on noise and wear characteristics.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 42\1\ Scan046 | |
| Date | 15th March 1926 | |
| Expl: Report. Expl: No. X3809 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}3/LG15.3.26. To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. to CJ. BJ. c. to RG.{Mr Rowledge} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} TYRES. X485 We recently visited Messrs. Dunlop and discussed with Mr. Paull well base tyres. NOISE. The Company do not appear to be doing anything with regard to the question previously raised as to the noise from their new triple stud tread. The triple stud tread is going to be their standard for every make of tyre in the immediate future. They maintain that it is possible to make an equally efficient non-skid tread that is more silent than the triple stud. They state that large numbers of American tyre manufacturers have attempted to do this by having ribs down the centre of the tread but that in every case they have investigated this has spoilt the non-skid properties of the tyre. Should, however, we refuse to adopt the well base tyre and rim because of the triple stud tread, they consider that they could supply an identical tyre with a traction tread. As the traction tread will shortly be more or less obsolete, however, there will undoubtedly be some difficulty about replacements of the same tread pattern, though triple stud tyres to fit the wheels will be available every-where. WEARING TO A SMOOTH TREAD. We took up the point that after the triple stud tread had been worn down, it had more life as a smooth surface than the traction tread. From an examination of tyre sections contd :- | ||