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).
Engine suspension schemes, testing rubber liners and solid feet to balance engine smoothness with chassis steadiness.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\T\January1929-February1929\ Scan011 | |
| Date | 10th January 1929 guessed | |
| (2) With a view to trying a suspension somewhere between rigid and our present flexibility as you suggested, it was agreed to rig up an SS.{S. Smith} engine on solid feet at each end having rubber liners in the frame. We have now heard that with this mounting in front only, and with standard SS.{S. Smith} mounting behind, the engine is smooth, but the chassis front not sufficiently steady. With this mounting in front only and fabric disc mounting on solid feet behind, the chassis was quite steady but the engine too rough. RM.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} is now rigging up the chassis with rubber liner feet as in sketch, both front and rear, in anticipation that somewhere about the correct compromise of engine smoothness and frame steadiness will be obtained. In the scheme as being tested the bracket and rubber liner are made a tight fit inside the chassis frame, and just bolted together through the web of the frame, the bolts being allowed a certain amount of clearance for movement and crankcase expansion. A permanent scheme on these lines might be considered, leaving the longitudinal flexibility of the foot attachment to take care of crankcase expansion. The frame opposite the rear feet is taper in plan but the feet can be built to suit, or the frame be rendered parallel by a special housing bolted thereto. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} | ||