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 Link-Belt Company providing recommendations on chain drive installations.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 173\4\ img174 | |
| Date | 18th December 1935 | |
| LINK-BELT COMPANY ENGINEERING PLANTS: CHICAGO, PHILADELPHIA, SAN FRANCISCO, TORONTO, ATLANTA CHAIN FACTORIES AND MALLEABLE FOUNDRIES: INDIANAPOLIS 5938 LINSDALE AVENUE, DETROIT, MICHIGAN USA 2 1/2" December 18th, 1935. Rolls Royce, Ltd., Derby, England. Attn: Mr. S.H. Grylls Gentlemen: Referring to your visit to Detroit and our conversation in regard to chain application, I regret that we did not have sufficient time to prepare the small drive and have this in your hands before leaving New York. Our factory forwarded to you at New York copy of our drawing Z-50266, giving our recommendations on an automatic adjusted installation to meet with your requirements. As the writer explained to you this would be the most suitable type of drive for your installation where long periods of uninterrupted service are of most importance. A two-wheel, non-adjustable installation will give entirely satisfactory results on short centers and at high speed. On your drive with the 9-3/4" center and comparatively small wheels, some means of adjustment should be provided, either manual or automatic, regardless of the width of chain employed. The spring feature which you indicated on your drawing, would hardly be suitable for this service as it would not provide sufficient adjustment for long periods of service, although it would prevent whip and vibration destructive in their action. The drive with the automatic idler shown on our drawing would provide for 3/4 of an inch adjustment in the total length of the chain, which would be all that we would consider advisable on an installation of this type. A chain of the width indicated should also be employed if the maximum amount of mileage is to be expected. For the two-wheel, non-adjustable, roller chain installation, employing 3/8 pitch roller chain, we would not recommend less than a triple strand chain, and even this would not be comparable in life with the silent chain employing the automatic adjustment. A satisfactory installation could be secured by using a triple strand, | ||