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).
Series of handwritten notes and reports discussing the performance, overheating, and wear issues of DRB brakes compared to older central brake systems.
| Identifier | Morton\M18\ img102 | |
| Date | 11th July 1914 guessed | |
| DRB Astony & Duplex R to J, Radley coming to St Margaret's Bay - I think 9/10-7-14 (90) nor think it is necessary as we are getting the pros & cons of the DRB difficulties were ---. refer to 38 NA{Mr Nadin} - Mr Tarrott's description of the peculiarities of the brakes adds to our stock of knowledge. X EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} - overheating - expecting too much? My present view - DRB so much better than its old Central one is inclined to tax them in a different way. Lord Montagu - always used his brakes never his foot, what was not adjusted more than once a year. ** Now if the old side brakes will do the work, -- then the present combination is much larger and also --- but I'm prepared to admit it may not be as perfect as we can get it. So far the reports need not alarm us with the exception of Mr Spotterwoods. R view - shortening of the old central & conclude - it could not pull up the car in the same distance on the present brakes. I do not consider any of the DRB combination bad as the complaint. It can hang against the old central, altho it was far better than the average. Horn flexed/badly from elasticity between it & the roadwheel. Four more from the frying pan is not into the fire but into another frying pan which I think we shall be able to get out of. For long alpine descents - special difficulty - almost if not quite impossible to make brakes which will stand these long descents without disadvantage & we ought to be delighted if they are not permanently damaged by the way ordinary users apply them. Looked at Jungfrau elect Rly & the need of a elect generator brake on it a different attempt to cope with such work. Think we shall have to make quite a different attempt to cope with such work. outlines a' compression brake scheme to open the exh valve on both down strokes - a cycle V powerful engine brake. Sent Motin to find down some horsepower absorption by such a scheme. works to --- Not prepared to go back to Central without a struggle. another R to J Wiley Brakes instructed - reduce wear 11-7-14 (91) Brakes - thought of many times; Rowey's expensive. some tested. I shall have to expect real trouble from wire wheels? Raybestos. I fear this epidemic of braking done unless we keep the possibilities in view. X2 Wor{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} Mer TC 1) Waldron & 2) Blackesham reports 11-7-14 (93) our continuously unsatisfactory - get heated of use thereafter. 1) people complain especially of rapid wear & curing periods. 2) Billy Black's - much prefer DRB to old brake used by myself -- old & new ones driven by myself -- wear quicker than old & cross abroad. New one wears tyres away quicker than old & they soon get hot & then other troubles start. Old one much easier on tyres. gearboxes now worse. Old on much periods in r-axle, & worn by somebody v.{VIENNA} clumsy. Re customer & chauffeurs I'm not sure that anyone outside RR will take the trouble whom let them try the new brakes. P Wor{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} X20 Mr. Bailey's Instruction Sheet 2/357 15-7-14 (94) X719 braking rods etc - pressed. Re-order up using Ferodo, old width. enough for 3 sets. Too open. Cams w. Wood. get mat'l to prepared a higher press. material non in stores. EM (Ted Merritt) 11-8-14 A-A (Ambrose-Tuffy) Ward report - Up to past Centl - touring - DRB 16-7-14 (95) thought superior to old - pull-up, seems vibration in r-axle & transmission improved. silent, gentler. clearance - stiff per road test (and said Redmond Cuno) [Side annotations in red ink:] R doesn't really want to see Radley X descriptive of knowledge EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}-distorted AN. Appraisal. Classic New of frying pan into another frying pan! Alpine use R's cool CJ classified o'papie another R cool CJ Light at horiz'l cast | ||