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).
Refusal of Borg & Beck to purchase a clutch test rig.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 129\4\ scan0167 | |
| Date | 10th March 1938 | |
| 1110. To RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} from Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/NRC.{N. R. Chandler} c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/NRC.{N. R. Chandler}3/MH.{M. Huckerby}10.3.38. TEST RIG - BORG & BECK CLUTCHES. In reply to your RHC{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer}/JRD.2/MJ.7.3.38 offering to supply Borg & Beck with one of these test rigs at a special price of £20, we have written fully on this matter and also Mr.Armitage saw the rig when he was here last week. We have now received their reply reading as follows :- "We are in receipt of your letter of the 8th. instant, respecting the Rig for testing the Thrust poundage of 10 and 11" Clutches, and note that your Estimating Department consider that by making two, they could get their price down to £20. Nett. "We feel ourselves, that there is a better method of doing this test, and therefore we do not propose to avail ourselves of your offer to make one of these for us at the above-mentioned price". Yours faithfully, BORG & BECK COMPANY LTD. (signed) H.Armitage. As a matter of fact, we are not very surprised at this decision because it will be realised that whereas the rig we have designed is made expressly for 10" and 11" clutches only, being the only two sizes of Borg & Beck clutches we use, it is probable that Borg & Beck would make one themselves suitable for a very much larger range of sizes and models which they produce. It therefore now only remains to put one in hand for the use of Cricklewood and Kingsbury, which will presumably be located at Cricklewood. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/NRC.{N. R. Chandler} | ||