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).
Steering gear components, manufacturing processes, and comparisons between different designs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 178\2\ img021 | |
| Date | 24th April 1940 | |
| Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} - 3. Serial No.96. OY.2/D/Apr.24.40. When the balls climb the thing acts like a ball chuck and the balls tend to run in a fixed position and eventually crack. (We also found this on the differential side bearings on the 10 H.P. Vauxhall). This is also their objection to the angular ball-mounted roller used by Saginaw. There is no grinding any more on the worm or roller. These are turned, shaved, and hardened, the hourglass being machined off the bearing cones, and the bore of the roller honed on the Micromatic Hydrohoner after hardening. No case hardening is used on these parts any more. They are all oil treated and cyanided for surface hardness. The accuracy resulting from eliminating all second set-ups for grinding has greatly improved their costs and, at the same time, out out rejects in assembly. The roller faces are flat-lapped, also the plain end washers which are selected and graded for thickness. A new development is the use of shot-blasting on the end washers after fine grinding and replacing the lapping operation. Prevents sticking of the end washers by preventing breakdown of the oil film. All Gemmer gears have worms with center tube pressed in. They do not use butt-welded worms and worm shafts. All tubesengage integral keys in bore of worm. Hence, operation of direction signal presents no difficulties. Rocker Shaft seals are compressed paper, rawhide, or rawhide and neoprene. All Gemmer gears have electric rivetted roller pin, which shows up better than bolt on fatigue tests. 6) If you will send me prints like the enclosed small scale print showing general dimensions of your experimental gears, I will get some sample gears from Phillips. He guarantees to make this all right with Matravers. 7) Is making steering gears of special design, but using standard worms and rollers, for the Scott-Paine boats. OY. | ||