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).
Proposal to redesign box spanners from a tubular form to a broached, single-ended design for a better fit.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\B\June1918\ Scan1 | |
| Date | 13th June 1918 | |
| To BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} from E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Copy to DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} " " " EH. X.2402 ORIGINAL [Clock Stamp with 1918] 13th June, 1918. E2/G13618. 4 RE BOX SPANNERS. X.3311. We have always found that the box spanners in the standard kit, made from steel tubing formed into the shape of a hexagon, are a very bad fit on the nuts. After using these spanners for a time it is not an unusual occurrence to find that some of them finish up by springing over the corners of the hexagon when a sufficient torque is applied to finally tighten the nut. Actually any form of spanner for a hexagon nut should be a nice accurate fit on the hexagon, and we do not see how this can be obtained with the present method of construction employed for box spanners. We propose therefore to broach the hexagons and make the spanners of the form illustrated in the sketch. This design naturally is single ended, having only one hexagon, but Mr. Royce regards this rather as an advantage. Would you kindly instruct several sets of spanners to this design, for use in experimental and production departments, so as to obtain an idea of the advantages they will offer in use. Perhaps Mr. Platford and Mr. Hives would report on the existing tubular form of box spanners, viewed in the light of the foregoing remarks. [illegible signature] E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} | ||