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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 discussing sample planet ball bearings sent to Derby for trial, comparing Hess-Bright and Hoffman bearings.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 38\1\  Scan008
Date  4th May 1918
  
ROLLS-ROYCE, LIMITED
15 BROAD STREET
NEW YORK
TELEPHONE HANOVER 2155

OY-1-F-5418
Cleveland, Ohio,
May 4th, 1918

BY from OY: Copies FR, E and MA

RE SAMPLE PLANET BALL BEARINGS SENT TO DERBY

I am sorry that through an oversight I had omitted to warn you of the arrival before-hand of these bearings. They have been held up some time awaiting shipping permits, etc.

Our idea was that these standard Hess-Bright bearings should be tried out on the engine, with a view to determining whether they were good enough for use on the engine. At the time these were ordered, Hess-Bright were trying to persuade us to utilize their standard 35 mm. bearing in our gear, and we had to tell them that this was quite impossible without adequate trial. We had not at that time received word about the spigotting of the cage, and the bearing was sent through so that you might see whether the steel cage on the Hess-Bright bearing was fatal to its utility on the engine.

I do not know whether the nine balls used on the bearing are larger than the ten used on the Hoffman bearing, but I think that this may be so. In this case I think it might be well to try the bearing on the engine at your discretion, seeing that these bearings can be obtained with great facility and in unlimited numbers from stock. I think perhaps the light steel cage may do less damage to the balls than was done by the bronze cage.

The bearings ordered for the epicyclic gear contain ten balls, like the Hoffman bearing, and have bronze cages spigotted on the outer diameter of the cage. We are confident that these will prove satisfactory on the epicyclic gear.

OY M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} Olley

LF
  
  


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