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).
Road test report on the Daimler Fluid Flywheel and Easy Change Box.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 128\1\ scan0091 | |
| Date | 7th October 1930 | |
| X3531 To R.{Sir Henry Royce} From Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} c. to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to Av. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/an.3/MJ.7.10.30. 12061. X3531 VISIT TO LONDON & THE PARIS SALON. ROAD TESTS OF EASY CHANGE GEARBOXES. Daimler Fluid Flywheel and Easy Change Box. We tried this unit fitted to the 30/40 Double Six chassis. The combination of the Fluid flywheel and the Siddeley epicyclic gearbox appears to be the complete answer to the requirements of a fool-proof easy change. The gear is pre-selected by means of a lever on the column, depression of the clutch pedal effects the change. The pressure required on this pedal is rather excessive but presumably this can be overcome by means of a vacuum relay. The fluid flywheel allows the change to be made from any gear to any gear at any speed within wide limits irrespective of the throttle opening. The function of the fluid flywheel is to correct the relative speeds between the engine and the back axle with the minimum of disturbance. We changed from bottom to top with the accelerator fully depressed the whole time, which is the reverse of what one can do in normal practice. As an exceptional test, we changed into reverse running forwards at between ten and twenty miles per hour. The fluid flywheel brought the car to rest without undue violence and then it reversed normally. | ||