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).
Page from 'The Motor' magazine detailing post-war accessories, including Smith starters, lighting dynamos, and switchboards.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 3\5\ 05-page019 | |
| Date | 31th December 1918 | |
| 31st December, 1918. X 295 497 The Motor POST-WAR ACCESSORIES.—Contd. It will be seen that all terminals are mounted under this cover, and they are thus protected from accidental short-circuit. It is claimed that the commutator is sparkless, which will considerably improve the life of the brushes and the commutator. A cut-out is installed in the lighting circuit, which is positive in action, and has large contact surfaces and needs no adjustment. The cut-out consists of an electro-magnet controlled by a special combination of windings, and incorporated in the cut-out is a field fuse which protects the dynamo from damage should it become accidentally disconnected from the battery. A cut-in switch is not necessary because the cut-out automatically connects and disconnects the dynamo and the battery, according to the speed at which the former is running. The starter motor, like the Smith dynamo, is circular in shape, and is of the same general appearance. It is series wound and exerts a high starting torque, and it is claimed by the makers that it will start up an engine from cold under any conditions. The starting and running current is comparatively low, which will assist in the prolongation of the life of the battery, and in order to reduce friction to a minimum the armature shaft is mounted on ball bearings. The armature shaft is extended and carries the well-known Bendix drive at the extremity. In this type of drive the shock of the engagement is taken up by a strong spring which prevents the teeth of the starter pinion and the flywheel from being damaged. This type of gear has been used with considerable success on many of the well-known American cars as well as on a number of British-made starters. We now pass to the switchboard, which we are also able to illustrate. It will be noticed that there are no switches at all in the ordinary sense of the word, but by a clever combination of contacts the bezel or rim of the switch is turned in the direction of the arrows to give a combination of “all off,” “side,” “head,” and “all on.” A high-class ammeter is mounted in the centre of the dial, and the switchboard can be wired up on the double contact or earth return system as desired. The Smith dashboard, combining the Smith bezel wind motor clock and speedometer, is a distinct improvement on previous efforts in this respect. The front and obverse views of this will show how the instruments are let in flush with the dashboard, and the rear view will give a good idea of how the instruments are held in position by means of spring clips. This is also seen in the side view of the flush fitting speedometer, in which the dial rests against the dashboard, being passed through and held in rigid contact by means of the spring fastened round protrusions at the rear of the speedometer. Before passing from the speedometer and clock, we feel that it is only just to say a word on the neatness of the dials, the method of calibration and the facility with which they can be read, even from a distance. Besides the flush-fitting instruments the speedometer can be supplied with a bracket, so it can be fitted to an existing car not provided with an instrument board. The speedometer indicator speeds up to 60 miles an hour, and the total mileage records 10,000 miles with a decimal figure showing tenths of a mile, and the trip records up to 100 miles and also has a decimal figure, so that accurate readings can be taken for short or long distances during the day’s run. By means of a trigger on the top of the instrument the trip reading can be reset to zero instantly. In conjunction with the lighting and starting set a new set of streamline lamps is being marketed. The chief features of these lamps are elegance of design, large size reflectors, the lamps are entirely without hinges, they are dust and waterproof, and can be focused in a second. Image Captions: Smith starter, showing the drive. Smith lighting dynamo. End view showing all the terminals which are placed under the end cover. There are no exposed terminals. Dynamo terminals which are fixed under the end cover. 241 | ||