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 failure of a roller bearing integral with the rear axle bevel pinion on a Bentley chassis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 102\4\ scan0159 | |
| Date | 22th September 1937 | |
| GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux} C. N. C. Hd.{Mr Hayward/Mr Huddy} BY.8/G.22.9.37. BENTLEY CHASSIS - RE: FAILURE OF ROLLER BEARING INTEGRAL WITH REAR AXLE BEVEL PINION. CHASSIS B.145-GP. G.B.2351. Referring to the pinion which was returned complete with its housing etc. showing a breaking up of the roller race supporting the inner or smaller end of the bevel pinion, the cause of the trouble is the presence of cementite in the surface, which in turn is produced by the necessity for decarburisation to resist crushing by the rollers. The breaking down of the surface occurred at the end of the bearing remote from the gear, which was rather the opposite to what one expected. If we have a further failure of this type I would propose to try and recover same by fitting a hardened sleeve to the gear in question. We should, of course, run the modified gear on an axle at the Works on the dynamometer to satisfy ourselves that the job was sound. It is difficult to avoid the cementite in the thickness of case required to stand up to the loading produced by the rollers in the bearing. It can be overcome by considerably increasing the temperature. This in turn, however, results in increased distortion of the gear, and does not at the moment seem practicable. However, if we have further instances of this fault we will have to face the question of gear distortion and insist on a double quench. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} | ||