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).
Complaints and potential improvements for the water pump gland packing and lubrication.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 66a\3\ scan0123 | |
| Date | 23th March 1926 | |
| X8150 BY/SS{S. Smith} c. HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} BY6/H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} 23.3.26. We seem to get complaints with regard to the gland of the water pump. Personally I do not think that the scheme of gland and lubrication as it stands is really sound, but I am aware that R.{Sir Henry Royce} considers it to be a good job, but I fail to see how it is possible if the glands operate satisfactorily, for oil to get past the gland on to the bearing surfaces, particularly the outer one. I pointed this out to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} and he agreed that my strictures had a great deal of weight behind them and suggested that we should experiment with different packing material in the gland. In view of Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}'s success with a packing made up of ordinary asbestos and black-lead on the shock absorbers, it is possible that a similar scheme might be effective on the water pump, as very light loads are all that is necessary to keep this tight, but it is essential that none of the packings should be run for a length of more than 1/6 of the circumference of the gland, otherwise it will wrap itself round the gland, and put us back where we are at present. Will BY/SS{S. Smith} get out a scheme for a packing for a gland using the present gland pieces, but arranging for a spring behind the main gland instead of it being screwed up by the knurled nut directly. This would limit the pressure on the gland, and would necessitate the gland being properly packed to stop leakage. The black lead and asbestos, with possibly a little tallow or lanoline mixed with it, would act as a lubrication. It then seems to me it is desirable to either bye-pass some grease from the centre of the bearing to the outboard bearing, or make special arrangements to lubricate this piece. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} said that he thought the packing could be of a type which would absorb oil and pass it along to the spindle. This would necessitate low gland pressure, which would therefore demand a spring control of the glands. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} | ||