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).
Preliminary designs and problems related to a full epicyclic gearbox.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 6\4\ 04-page242 | |
| Date | 2nd April 1930 | |
| X6310 R.{Sir Henry Royce} from De/Hdy.{William Hardy} c. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Rg.{Mr Rowledge} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. R/ Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} De/Hdy{William Hardy}1/M2.4.30. X.7310 X.5310 X.523 GEARBOX PROBLEM. In reply to R1/M.4.30. we have been making preliminary designs for the full epicyclic gear as instructed in F2/M10.2.30. and have also been investigating the problem generally. We are not aware of any solution of the problem which is as promising as the full epicyclic box. The pre-selecting lever and clutch pedal control as used by Armstrong-Siddeley has a rather heavy clutch pedal load and a varying position of the clutch pedal when in engagement according to which gear is in use. The latter feature is not favourable to good control. The Salerni coupling parts are now being made for EAC.7. and a trial should be possible in about weeks time. DESIGN 39B OF RR. EPICYCLIC GEARBOX. We give below some remarks about the preliminary design work which we have done so far. GEARBOX TRAINS - 1st and 2nd SPEEDS. No difficulty is presented by these trains. When in 3rd. speed the pitch velocities are about one quarter of those of our present gears, and the planet rpm. about half engine speed. THIRD SPEED It does not appear to be practicable to obtain a sufficiently high 3rd. speed with a 3rd. accelerating train of the simple type with the sun driven. Assuming our present ratios of 3rd. .740, 2nd. .500, and 1st .290, the 3rd. speed train must have a ratio of .500. If a limit is put to the planet speed at 1.5 times engine speed, the ratio of this train is .350 If also the 1st. and 2nd. are raised to .350 and .570, the 3rd. becomes .725. | ||