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).
Recurring failures of Bentley rear axle drivers and a proposal to fit a tie rod to solve the issue.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 131\4\ scan0127 | |
| Date | 2nd April 1937 | |
| 1113. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Cry. from Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux} Cr{Mr Cra???ster / Mr Chichester}-BG. Cr{Mr Cra???ster / Mr Chichester}-HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Cr{Mr Cra???ster / Mr Chichester}-E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Cr{Mr Cra???ster / Mr Chichester}-By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} C. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Kingsbury. 2.4.37. BENTLEY REAR AXLE DRIVERS. We are sending you another example of a broken wheel drive. This has broken in the neck similar to the previous one and is caused by the deflection of the axle shafts. Mileage 16,559. It does not seem the right thing to re-place these broken drives with another of the same design, which in all probability will again break. The radius in the neck could be increased which would strengthen its weakest part. To overcome the failure of the wheel drives, and not make the job expensive, as will be the case with the design now running on S.B.IV., I would suggest that a tie rod could be fitted to the present axles at the Depots, and the drives made to the design Kingsbury submitted sometime ago. This would overcome the complaint of drive knocks and breaking of the neck of the driving dog. The sketch shows how the tie rod for the axle could be adapted and fitted at Depots. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux} | ||