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).
The testing of bevel pinion thrust bearings on a 40/50 axle.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 49\2\ Scan032 | |
| Date | 30th September 1921 | |
| To R. {Sir Henry Royce} from Hs. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to CJ. c. to E. {Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to BY. {R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to EP. {G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} c. to EWT. for R.R.Inc. X.4150 copy B/R HS {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} 3/LG30.9.21. X.4150 - BEVEL PINION THRUST ON 40/50 AXLE. With reference to the scheme using the journal bearing to the take the over-run thrust on a 40/50 Axle. We have run a pair of these journal bearings at 750 R.P.M. with a thrust load of 1200 lbs. The bearings were run for 50 hours under this condition and were then examined. We found them to be in excellent condition. The maximum amount of slack we could measure was .002". Since then they have completed another 25 hours making 75 hours in all. They are still in good condition. We have tried another pair of bearings with a thrust load of 2400 lbs. We found with this load that the bearings failed after 2 or 3 hours running. On this test we used one bearing having slots and a large number of balls and one bearing without slots and a less number of balls. Hoffmanns can supply either type of bearing in this size. We found that the one with the slots and the greater number of balls stood up the best. Practically all the axles are fitted with this type of bearing. Attached is a note from BY. {R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} giving the loads on this bearing under different conditions. We feel that the very big load which comes on it on reverse, can be treated as a very short duration load. We have proved, for instance, on the dynamometer that if we run full power continuously on reverse, the gear box fails before any part of the axle, in fact we hae contd:- | ||