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).
Efficiency and testing of the Marles Steering gear for the Spectre model.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 28\3\ Scan146 | |
| Date | 3rd April 1935 | |
| To RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/FJH.{Fred J. Hardy - Chief Dev. Engineer}19/KW.3.4.35. R.R. Marles Steering for SpectreCodename for Phantom III. The attached curve, Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1873, shows the efficiency figures we obtained on the first of the above steering gears. The gear was definitely tighter after "running in" than before and this may account for the general drop in efficiency. During the "running in" one of the bolts which hold the two halves of the box together was found to be loose to an extent sufficient to allow of visible opening and closing of the joint. This bolt was tightened to prevent oil leaks. It is possible that this bolt had never been tight previously, and that the tightening put a set up load on the cam bearings and so causing the tightness of the gear. The position of the bolt is such as to make the above possible. Apart from the above, we can see no reason why the gear should be tighter after "running in" than before. In view of the possibility of the above explanation, we wish to repeat these tests on the next gear that you complete, and for the purpose of these tests we should like the gear to be quite free throughout the travel of the rockershaft. Will you please let us have the gear as soon as possible. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/F.J.Hardy. | ||