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).
Occupant safety, chassisless design, new materials like nicralumin, and future welding techniques.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 117\1\ scan0088 | |
| Date | 31th May 1936 guessed | |
| 6. amply covered. While the greater portion of this paper has been devoted to the vehicle itself, I believe a word on the safety of occupants is in order. Following the same line of thought on protection of the vital parts, naturally the passenger will receive lesser ill effects if the impact is cushioned sufficiently. If the velocity of impact is slowed down just enough to allow the brain to react for self-protection, there is a definite advance to be gained with this construction. A sudden unexpected event which usually causes an accident does not give the occupants time enough to react for their self-protection in the split seconds available for such reaction. If this slowing down of impact, even for a fraction of a second, is accomplished, there is certainly additional margin of protection afforded the occupants. In the case of the vehicle rolling over completely or even end for end, as has happened, the body acts much as a pressed hollow metal ball, merely distorting in shape but not crushing inward to trap anyone within the shell. All in all, it is a pretty efficient structure from an impact standpoint. At the present stage of manufacturing we have made very definite improvements in chassisless design over our early attempts a few years ago. These improvements can be attributed to operating experience, improvements in metal alloys, and refinements of design made possible by a closer study of load transfer. We are at the present time making our motor coach bodies about ninety per cent from nicralumin, which is the trade name for a nickel, chromium and aluminum alloy containing about ninety-five per cent aluminum. All the exterior body sheet is made of this material as well as the structural tee and angle used to fabricate the interior framework. We make the main rail surrounding the lower body exterior from steel and also the main cross sills which support the spring hangers. It has been our experience that by proper selection and proportioning of material it is possible to achieve a unity of design that makes a very nicely balanced unit from a load carrying standpoint. Looking forward to new improvements there are several new processes and materials which should prove valuable to the chassisless design. At the present time our motor coach construction is primarily a riveted job with the body sheet laid over the skeleton frame. Of course, in automotive construction this is not feasible because of the necessity for a smooth exterior surface. The Haskelite Company have been carrying on development refining projection welding and I have examined sheet metal welding of this kind which leaves absolutely no blemish or scar on one side, and it is my firm conviction that with the final development of this method of welding will come one of the most radical revisions of automobile structure that the industry has ever seen. From the standpoint of safety, light weight and low cost, the most ideal design of an automobile would consist of the fabrication of what might be called a dual body shell, to which axles, motors, and all other parts of the automobile would be attached by appropriate means and in which all semblance of a chassis would have disappeared. By dual body structure, I mean a complete in- | ||