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).
Modification and position of side levers on a 20/25 HP chassis, seeking clarification on changes made.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 6\5\ 05-page60 | |
| Date | 10th April 1931 | |
| S/W. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Ho. Copy. Cx{Major Len W. Cox - Advertising Manager}12/KW.10.4.31. Re) 20/25 h.p. Side Levers. BY/Cgh{W Clough}7/G.8.4.31. There is a point in connection with this matter which has been misleading us and wants clearing up, and I would like, therefore, to refer you to a memo sent to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} from DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/Ev{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} (DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/Ev{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}4/M.2.31) a copy of which was sent to you. This states "On 18-G-4 we bent the standard brake lever in over the gear lever, so reducing the width across the bulged portion of the scuttle on maximum bodies by 3". Arising out of that memo Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} asked PN.{Mr Northey} to try the car and give him his views. FN. did so and found no objection to the arrangement. In consequence of which you received from Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} a note (Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}2/E.6.2.31) in which he said that as it is an advantage from the Coachbuilders point of view (according to Ev{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}) and as FN found no disadvantage from the driving point of view, he agreed to this modification. It is however clear all along, as you confirmed in your BY/Cgh{W Clough}7/G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} 8.4.31, that only the gear lever was referred to in the correspondence. Now the point to clear up is this. 18-G-4 is at present with us and we have today measured up the levers on this chassis and find them to be perfectly standard and exactly the same as on our London Trials Car GLR-59. Therefore the point is have the levers been altered back to standard since altered as mentioned by Ev{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} on the 2nd.February, and in what position were they when the car was tried by FN? Can you, therefore, please obtain any evidence as to whether the brake lever has at any time been altered back to standard from the bent position in which Ev{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} reported it? Apart from that it seems evident from information now to hand that the contemplated change of setting-in the gear lever and bending the brake lever is a very desirable one, and in spite of what Ev{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} says that this would help Coachbuilders we cannot find any Coachbuilder asking for it - in fact they are all protesting that they do not want it. Quite apart from that, the lever will come very near to fouling the instrument board which is already cut away to clear the brake lever and cannot be cut away very much more without getting too near the switchbox, and the criticism of the speed lever is that it is already set-in rather more than most people would like and the bodies are already on the narrow side. Therefore, pending any further correspondence Continued. | ||