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).
Secret memo discussing subframe and chassis interchangeability for 'S.S.' bodies.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 14\8\ Scan157 | |
| Date | 28th April 1929 | |
| re HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/AJL/LG22.4.29. SECRET. to HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/AJL. from EV{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} copy to RE BODIES FOR "S.S." We thank you for your HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/AJL/LG.22.4.29. It is essential that any subframe shall fit any chassis. To make this possible we have provided ample adjustments at the subframe fixings. The difficulty chiefly occurs in the variations in the rise of the upsweep of the rear of the frame which appears to be due to these frames being made by bening frames made for E.A.C.7. We believe that this difficulty will disappear on production, especially if the rear bracket is fixed as we suggestted in our memo to RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer}, not at a distance relative to the level top of the frame, but relative to the top of the upsweep. The difficulty cannot be unsurmountable, for the Daimler Co. have provided interchangable suframes for years. Assuming that it is aggreed that we must, and can, make subframes and chassis interchangable at Derby, we have next to insure that they subframes do not get damaged in transit. The present system of crating seems adequate. To prevent the coachbuilder damaging the frame during the building of the body, we think the extra crossmembers which you have introduced are good. We agree with your suggestion of a dummy chassis for each coachbuilder, in theory, and are sorry that it is impractical. There are 92. coachbuilders in this country alone, besides our coachbuilders in France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy, India, Australia and South Africa. We cannot give them all a dummy chassis or a jig. | ||