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).
Letter to T.C. Worth regarding an air silencer design, patents, and potential use by other car manufacturers.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 152\3\ scan0320 | |
| Date | 27th October 1940 | |
| 1297 Silencers Will you please return the General Motors Specifications, when you have had a look at them. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}15/W. 27.10.40. T.C.Worth,Esq., Aircraft House, MARKET HARBOROUGH. Dear Tom, You will remember that you spoke to me the other day about going in for air cleaners and that you would like to couple them with air silencers. As you know, we developed an air silencer at Rolls Royce about 5 years ago, and I thought the Company might be pleased to let you manufacture this silencer under licence. There was some argument as to whether our air silencer infringed a patent of General Motors'. In my opinion it did not. However, in order that you may draw your own conclusions, I send you herewith Specifications 423659, 417935, and 391180. I find that Rolls Royce let the patent lapse, so that you are really entitled to use the design without paying them anything. However, if you do take it up, you might like to buy the Rolls Royce experience with the device and pay some small sum as a consultant's fee. Silencers of this type have been fitted to Hillman, Vauxhall, Austin, Morris and other small cars, in every case giving a higher degree of silence than the A.C. silencer, which they replaced. Yours sincerely, Will you please return the General Motors Specifications, when you have had a look at them. | ||