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).
Design alternatives and cost analysis for vehicle handles for the Wraith III and Phantom III models.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 113\5\ scan0017 | |
| Date | 20th April 1937 | |
| -4- We now submit the following alternatives for your consideration, and should be pleased to have the views of Sales on the handle outside the bumpers and any comments or suggestions from the other departments concerned. Samples of some of the handles will soon be available:- Wraith III. The handle shown in Fig.2 to LsC.5563, incorporating a one piece handle, nickel chrome dogs and a simplified grip for the handle, has already been instructed and is being made. The cost of this handle is approximately 10/- compared with 19/6d for the Wraith II. handle. In addition, the rear support bearing costing approximately 2/- is deleted together with the carburising of the dogs on the handle and crankshaft - the cost of which does not appear directly in the cost figures. A still less costly alternative handle has also been designed and will be instructed for test made from solid bar instead of tube and incorporating a pin drive instead of dogs. The cost of this handle is 6/6d and it weighs 1 1/4 lbs more than the tubular handle. It incorporates a hardened pin instead of dogs, a feature which, if satisfactory, could be incorporated in the tubular handle with some reduction in cost. A scheme has also been prepared for the handle outside the bumpers to LsC.5625, but not instructed. The trap at the base of the rad has been instructed provisionally as a zinc base die casting with a probable saving of approximately 2/- per chassis. P.III. For P.III. we have instructed for test a handle to LsC.5610 shown in Fig.6, using the same parts as Wraith III. and the Wraith III. trap in the radiator shutters. The new trap will involve a slight alteration to the centre shutters, but a model has shown that this can be done satisfactorily. If the tests on this handle are satisfactory and a place can be found to carry it, then it can replace the existing handle on production and get over a difficulty which has been experienced of a slack fan belt fouling the starting dog support bracket. The saving would be approximately £1 per chassis. The present starting dog hub costs 12.7/-, and owing to the previous practice of using case-hardened dogs, it was necessary to make the whole of the hub in 5% nickel steel - thus involving a considerable amount of extra machining to protect those parts which did not require carburising. By making the dogs a loose piece the hub may be made in mild steel with a substantial saving in cost, largely due to the reduction in machining. | ||