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).
Suggestions for a central instrument board panel common to RR and Bentley cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 179b\1\ img328 | |
| Date | 18th February 1937 | |
| FROM DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} C. to SGR. WDR. HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} ST.{Capt. P. R. Strong} RDT. RR. & BENTLEY CARS. re. INSTRUMENT BOARD PANEL. We thank you for R1/HP1023?. and the attached prints of various suggestions for the central instrument board patch which we hope will be common to RR. and Bentley cars. We agree that it is very difficult, and not altogether satisfactory, to arrange 5 instruments around the switchbox; the lighting by means of 2 lamps is not good. We agree that we like the arrangement of the lower half of the blueprint marked 11 as it does permit of our returning to an oil pressure gauge for the dampers should we be forced to do so. As this patch now contains a small clock we shall no longer need to incorporate the clock in the tachometer on Bentley. With respect to the design, which we appreciate was not intended to be final we would venture to point out 1 or 2 features which our past experience has taught us something about. It is essential that each individual instrument be capable of being removed from the instrument patch backwards without removing the patch from the board. This is forced on us by the thermometer and switchbox which have to go into the patch from the back as their connections cannot be broken at the instruments. We used a sort of communal clamp scheme on our own patch, and this has been modified to screws in the revised design by Smith & Sons. It will be realised that it is very difficult to work on the back of the instrument board patch, and therefore we do not like to fasten the instruments in with a number of small screws or nuts. We have some doubt as to the quality of the finish that will be obtainable on the face of the mount in the case of the patch as drawn, as this consists of a sheet metal pressing with punched holes and turned over bevels. We are of the opinion that in order to get the high finish that will be demanded, it will be necessary to use a thick metal plate as a mount, and for the holes and bevels to be machined. With respect to the outer frame which is of the section exactly similar to that which we use, we suggest that this be improved in appearance if it were very much less wide than on the present patch. We have been unable to reduce this width. (1) | ||