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).
Gearbox, starter, speedometer, and hand brake mechanism performance and proposed modifications.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 81\2\ scan0173 | |
| Date | 7th October 1924 | |
| (10) Gearbox (cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary}) Feeds the oil into the gears, (also the smaller and less resonant gearbox). Side shaft was a very fair standard, i.e. it could just be heard, when the oil was cold. Slight "bubbling" was audible under certain conditions when the car was pulling hard below 12 m.p.h. The change was stiff when the lever was in the two forward positions (reverse and second). Examination of the change lever showed that the ball was not fitting well in the spherical cup and was locking when the lever was pushed forward. The gate was made of mild steel for the experimental box and was burred up on the two edges of the notch. We propose to make this in nickel steel at a fair brinnell. The box holds 5-1/2 quarts (U.S.) of oil at the correct level. Having practically no flat surfaces it is free from any "ringing" qualities. The rear ball bearing cover is modified as shown in A-6054 to carry a pressed cover carrying the leather boot between gearbox and sphere. (See below). A left hand thread similar to the 20 hp. was used for the oil closure at the front end. Consideration of the dust in the sphere makes us believe that this is not desirable for our worst dust conditions, in spite of the actual cleanness of the gearbox oil. The ball-bearing makers all concur in this and recommend the piston-ring closure shown on our prints, which we now propose to try out. The starter epicyclic housing is made in aluminum instead of bronze and the thin neck at present necessary to miss the belt pulley is done away with, (see detail A-5863). This makes the epicyclic gears accessible to the gearbox oil and does away with hand lubrication of this part. No oil leakage had occurred at the front end of the epicyclic housing. The Speedometer drive is similar to new Derby drive. The driven spindle is held in a phosphor-bronze bush inserted at an angle in the rear end of the gearbox and lubricated from the gearbox. This is a standard Stewart-Warner drive and the patent situation necessitates a Warner speedometer. Test showed Warner speedometer superior to Waltham in silence and accuracy. There was no wear on the drive gears or other parts, all of which were amply lubricated. (11) Hand brake mechanism (See prints No.11). This is the same as previously submitted to England. It is same as the 20 hp. in principal except that the upper and lower lever are separated by the length of tube necessary to carry the motion | ||