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 Cleveland Graphite Bronze Co. discussing the development of brake linings and clutch facings.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 129\4\ scan0120 | |
| Date | 7th January 1938 | |
| THE CLEVELAND GRAPHITE BRONZE CO. BUSHINGS BEARINGS WASHERS DETROIT OFFICE, 7-169 GENERAL MOTORS BLDG. MAIN OFFICE & PLANT 880 EAST 72ND STREET CLEVELAND HARD ROLLED BRONZE STEEL BACK - BABBITT LINED January 7, 1938. Mr. W. A.{Mr Adams} Robotham, Rolls-Royce, Ltd., Derby, England. My dear Mr. Robotham: Many thanks for your kind letter of November 18th. My failure to reply earlier is explained by two facts. First, I was laid up at home for nearly six weeks with an infection (which was not serious, but troublesome) and second, because your brake servo lining involved a problem which we have not yet worked out. I am attaching hereto a copy of a report from our Chief Engineer, which is self-explanatory. As I told you, when I was last in England, we are developing, first, metallic clutch facings and, after that, we will proceed on brake linings. So far, we are having some very wonderful results in this country with our metallic clutch facings but have not yet been able to devote any time to brake linings. Our Chief Engineer, as shown by the attached report, is doubtful as to whether our present material will meet your requirements, but if you will follow his suggestions and furnish us the data which he requests, we shall be more than pleased to answer you further. I am indeed glad to know from your letter that we have helped you in the matter of your clutch linings and we shall be more than pleased to keep you posted monthly, as you suggest, as to our progress in this country. We have not yet received any quantity of your aluminum tin alloy. We have sent Mr. Vandervell a print showing the size of bearings required for our Testing Machines and have asked him to secure the bearings through you, so that the material we would test would be identical with the material you are using. We are doing a lot of work along a very different line, which seems to hold very great promise. As soon as it has been fully developed and tested out in this country, we shall be more than pleased to give you the benefit of this most radically new development. With my very kindest regards to you and yours and to all of my good friends at Rolls Royce, believe me, Very sincerely yours, THE CLEVELAND GRAPHITE BRONZE COMPANY, Ben F.{Mr Friese} Hopkins Ben F.{Mr Friese} Hopkins, President. BFH:S encl. | ||