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).
The endurance test of a Lucas SW.4 type windscreen wiper.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 167\5\ img216 | |
| Date | 5th July 1938 | |
| 6115 W/S - Hn.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/RC.{R. Childs}14/JH.5.7.38. Re endurance test on Lucas SW.4 type Windscreen Wiper. With reference to Hn.{F. C. Honeyman - Retail orders}1/AH.30.4.38, we have carried out a test on a second Lucas SW.4 type windscreen wiper. The previous unit failed after 394 hours running due to the wiper blade becoming loose on its spindle. (See Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/RC.{R. Childs}17/MH.{M. Huckerby}2.9.37) In this second test the wiper blade fell off after 248 hours running, due to the same trouble as in the previous test. But for the poor method of fixing, which we criticised in our last report, there is still a good deal of life left in the unit. On examination we found the spindle worn so much as to make the fixing screw inoperative. We have provided a longer screw and will continue the test. We realise that 248 hours does represent a fairly long life, however if the method used for fixing the wiper arms to the spindle were good, we should probably obtain twice the length of life from the wiper. If the Lucas wiper as fitted to our experimental cars, is representative of the standard fitting, we do not think they are up to R.R. standard, with respect to thump of the arms at the end of each beat, also in one case, 27.G.VI, to the whine of the motor. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/RC.{R. Childs} | ||