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).
Letter from The British Thomson-Houston Company Ltd discussing the material failure of a gear due to low fabric content.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 136\1\ scan0166 | |
| Date | 27th November 1935 | |
| THE BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON COMPANY LTD ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS AND MANUFACTURERS. SUBSIDIARY OF ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL INDUSTRIES, LIMITED. REGISTERED OFFICE: CROWN HOUSE, ALDWYCH, LONDON, W.C.2. HEAD OFFICE: RUGBY WORKS: RUGBY, WILLESDEN, BIRMINGHAM, COVENTRY, CHESTERFIELD. TELEGRAMS: ASTEROIDAL, RUGBY. CODES: A.B.C. BENTLEY'S, MARCONI, SCHOFIELD'S, WESTERN UNION. TELEPHONE: N° 286. Ext YOUR REFERENCE: Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/FJH.{Fred J. Hardy - Chief Dev. Engineer}19/KW OUR REFERENCE: INDUSTRIAL SALES RJC. RUGBY. 27th November 1935 Messrs. Rolls-Royce Ltd., D E R B Y. ATTN: MR. F.J. HARDY, EXPERIMENTAL DEPARTMENT Dear Sirs, With further reference to your letter of the 22nd instant. We have now thoroughly examined the broken gear that the writer brought away with him after the discussion at your Works on Monday morning last. The gear has been examined in our Laboratory, and we regret to report that the material is definitely at fault, as the fabric content is approximately 20% low. The absence of 20% cotton content reduces the strength of the material very considerably, and the gear has failed through the inability of the material to withstand the load imposed upon it. At about the pitch line fine cracks can be clearly seen with a powerful microscope, indicating the first stage towards breakdown. We are very sorry that this should have happened, and we are taking steps to prevent any possibility of similar blanks leaving our Works. May we send you a replacement for a further test?. Yours faithfully, J.S. RAMSDEN, MANAGER - INDUSTRIAL SALES Per:- B Chapman RJC/BM | ||