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).
Outlining strategies and suggestions for reducing the thickness of car doors to increase interior seat width.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\T\January1929-February1929\ Scan136 | |
| Date | 12th February 1929 | |
| FROM DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} C. to HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} ORIGINAL DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}1/M12.2.29. DOORS. X7830 / X393 We are making a continued offensive against thick doors. We have demonstrated to Mr. Munro of Barker's that their standard doors are much thicker than those we specified for the body on 18-EX. They can put up no technical objection to the doors of that car. We indicated a means whereby ¾" to 1" can be saved on each door, meaning an increase in the seat width of from 1½" to 2", which would be very valuable. We have suggested for immediate action: (1) The use of Q.T. window lifters in the place of Hobson (save ½".) (2) The use of 3/16th glass against ¼" (this reduces the metal fittings and in the end saves ¼".) (3) Reduced thickness of wooden finishers (possible saving of another ¼".) For further investigation: (a) Reduced dimensions of the mortised lock (Park Ward have a good specimen.) (b) The use of the Weymann type of lock if it can be made more reliable and less obtrusive. (c) The use of a lock in which the bolt has a forked tail which goes either side of the glass and can be operated from inside or outside without a lot of link gear. Incidentally we have recommended and arranged for the Q.T. window lifter manufacturers to produce a driving door window lifter in which the handle is in front of the steering wheel and above the brake lever. This has been fitted to all the SS.{S. Smith} cars, although we believe it was not ready for 18-EX. We have asked for this to be used universally on our coachwork. We have yet to deal with Hooper's, who in the matter of thick doors are worse offenders than Barker's. DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} | ||