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 Vauxhall Motors Ltd regarding valve spring and damper designs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 127\4\ scan0023 | |
| Date | 3rd November 1936 | |
| Mr. Appel Vauxhall Motors Ltd CONTRACTORS TO THE ADMIRALTY, WAR OFFICE & AIR MINISTRY. TELEPHONE NUMBER 2600 LUTON. LUTON. BEDS. TELEGRAMS CARVAUX, TELEX, LUTON WHEN REPLYING PLEASE QUOTE OUR REF: CEK/SEE YOUR REF: 3rd. November 1936 W.A.Robotham Esq., Chief Engineer, Messrs Rolls-Royce Limited. DERBY. Dear Mr. Robotham, In reply to your letter of the 2nd. inst. it was a pleasure to devote to you what time I was able to the other day. I am glad to hear that our valve spring checks up with the best American practice and I shall be interested in seeing the report. Appel returned to the factory yesterday and brought the drawings of the propeller shaft damper to me which you had sent. We had already tried the effect of a friction damper but we found it to be a very delicate piece of apparatus. It required a lot of mass and a very low but definite spring pressure, and even so, was extremely erratic in its behaviour and as we were only able to apply it at the tail end of the propeller shaft where it would require completely protecting from the weather, we have had to reject the idea. We have tried all sorts of other dampers without much success. The most effective device so far is a free wheel, but this again is a delicate piece of apparatus. We have finally fallen for the addition of 10 lbs of cast iron into the outer rim of our fly wheel and although it does not completely eliminate the trouble it reduces it to a manageable condition. Yours sincerely, C.E.King CHIEF ENGINEER & DIRECTOR | ||