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).
Failures of front axle control damper levers during testing, attributing it to increased rigidity and proposing to strengthen the parts.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\T\November1928\ Scan026 | |
| Date | 13th November 1928 | |
| To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} c. to B.J. WoR.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} ORIGINAL Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn{Mr Robinson}3/LG13.11.28. X7420 X7520 FRONT AXLE CONTROL DAMPER. We have broken three or four of the levers in the front axle control dampers as shewn in the attached sketch. This occurred on the bumper test. We have also sheared the key-way of the main lever, on the shock absorber shaft. We have never broken either of these pieces on the road but we have had one or two cases where the small lever has been found to be loose on the square when dismantled. This has only occurred on the front axle dampers. It appears to us that one reason for the trouble we are having with these levers may be that the transmission load to the axle is now more rigid as the control damper main lever is a larger section in the original shock absorber 7¼" lever. The other point is that in the original front axle, the velocity of the axle movement was 4.26 times the piston velocity. In the axle control damper it is 4.71 times the piston velocity. Hence the pressure velocity effect of the high pressure passage is increased. It appears that we may experience trouble in service if we do not strengthen the parts in question. We cannot reduce the load because of high speed wobbles. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} | ||