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).
Supply and comparative testing of road springs from suppliers Firths and Woodheads for the 40/50 chassis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 52\2\ Scan092 | |
| Date | 5th September 1923 | |
| X4429 Wd. {Mr Wood / Mr Whitehead} c. Hs. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} BY10-P5.9.23. 40/50 CHASSIS - ROAD SPRINGS. Referring to Messrs. Firths letter of the 22nd ultimo., in which they point out that we should place a bulk order with them for 50 sets of 40/50 springs but continue to keep small orders going with Messrs. Woodheads until Messrs. Firths have proved that they can supply the springs, I consider this scheme to be the only workable one at the moment. There is one other matter which I have not previously answered in this connection. We supplied a pair of Firths and a pair of Woodheads springs to Messrs. Firths to be tried out for internal friction - their reply stated that the Firth spring had more internal friction than Woodheads, but in view of the construction of the two types of springs I do not feel that this actually represents the case, although I cannot, at the moment, point out the discrepancy in the test. In order to settle this issue therefore we propose that Messrs. Firths should produce us a set of springs having the same nips in the free state of the plates as those in Messrs. Woodheads springs. We will then check these springs against Messrs. Woodheads, as we did in the previous case, on the road, and see whether springs produced in the manner specified get over the peculiar effect which make the car more unstable when running on the previous type of Firths springs. This matter is very urgent and we would like a set of springs produced in the above manner as quickly as possible. MADE AT CROXLEY BY. {R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} | ||