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 from The S.U. Company regarding the discovery of incorrect steel supplied for petrol pump coils.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 149\1\ scan0037 | |
| Date | 9th July 1934 | |
| STATION: ADDERLEY PARK, L.M.& S. RLY S.U. CARBURETTER FLEXIBLE SILENT THE S.U. COMPANY. PROPRIETORS: MORRIS INDUSTRIES LTD THE SOCIETY OF MOTOR MANUFACTURERS & TRADERS LTD TELEPHONES: EAST 1662 AND EAST 1663. East Works, Bordesley Green Road, Adderley Park-Birmingham, 8. TELEGRAMS: FLEXCARBUR, BIRMINGHAM General Manager: T. C. SKINNER. Your Ref._________ Our Ref. TCS/DR July 9/34. [Handwritten: Id] [Handwritten: BWG{J. C. Bowring}] [Handwritten: See me] E.W.Hives Esq., Messrs. Rolls-Royce Ltd., DERBY. Dear Mr. Hives, I am sorry to have to inform you that we have recently discovered a quantity of the special steel which we use for the core of the coil in the petrol pump has been supplied to us to the wrong specification. Messrs. Hadfields of Sheffield supply us with this steel and our order definitely calls for Hecla No.46, but they have themselves informed us that owing to an error at their end, a quantity of the incorrect steel has been sent in - how much we do not know, but at least 17 cwts. The effect of this steel is to considerably lessen the pull on the magnet, and our margin of power is thus also very much reduced, so that when the diaphragm stiffens up the contact points are in contact for a much longer period than they should be, which has the effect of corroding them and the possibility of eventual breakdown of the pump. Unfortunately when the instruments are new and the diaphragms flexible there is no falling off in the output of same. moreover curiously enough, the machining time for the Hecla No.46 and the incorrect steel is precisely the same, otherwise, of course, we should have discovered the error in production. We do not know how you wish us to deal with the matter, but I am willing to do | ||