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).
Complaints and suggested improvements following a 10,000 miles test in France.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 182\M20\M20.3\ img001 | |
| Date | 23th May 1924 guessed | |
| 28-NK 10,000 MILES TEST IN FRANCE. COMPLAINT. The two long brass bolts securing the battery box, sheared, and the four screws also retaining this item fell out, allowing the battery box to bump about in its cradle. The carriage bolts securing the O.S. front wing worked loose. Also the bolts securing this wing to the running board, pulled through. The wing rattled badly and finally split; possibly a contributary cause of this was the fact that the wing was in aluminium and was not reinforced where secured to the wing stays. The N.S. front wing came adrift at the point where it joins the running board. The bolts again pulling through as with the other wing. One arm of the O.S. wheel carrier fractured, allowing the spare wheel to move about. The clips for the hood soon lost their tension and became useless. The top bar of the wind-screen carrier which is retained in position by two small studs at each end, came loose through one of these bolts shearing and allowed the windscreen to rattle violently. The bolts securing the windscreen pillars to the body also came loose allowing the bottom of the windscreen to move about so freely that one panel got broken. The two pegs which secure the hood to the top of the windscreen were too tight a fit so that it was only with great difficulty SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENT. We suggest that these bolts should be 3/8" dia. if they must be in brass, or 5/16" in steel. We suggest that the wings should be in every case reinforced where they are attached to the wing stays and running board, also that some more reliable locking device than spring washers should be used. We suggest that the wheel carriers are re-designed - at the present time they tend to allow the wheel to batter the wing to pieces. Some more reliable means of securing the hood should be devised. We suggest that the top bar of the windscreen fixture has to take a very considerable torque when the screen is partially open at high speeds, and therefore requires special accommodation to prevent the bolts securing it, being twisted off. The remaining troubles were due to the pins on which the hood is clamped being too tight a fit. contd:- | ||