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).
And comparing various designs for independent front wheel suspension systems.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 173\2\ img004 | |
| Date | 17th January 1934 | |
| COPY. To Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} and Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} from E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} Bn.{W.O. Bentley / Mr Barrington} Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} Re Independent Front Wheel Springing Suspension. Further to E.1/HP.12.1.34. to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}, I am of the opinion that we ought to cable Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} to bring back with him either a car fitted with the scheme which is being generally adopted in America or a front axle unit complete, as shewn on page 1133 of the Motor of January 16th. The scheme the Americans are using appears to me to be a very practical one, and it would be worth our while to be in a position to make comparative tests with our own. Their scheme is based on the Mercedes Benz design and allows the power plant to protrude if necessary over what is virtually the front axle. The arrangement of the damping bears some resemblance to the RR scheme but the helical spring carrying the weight of the car is subject to a certain amount of bending which is open to objections technically, but this is not very serious. The RR scheme has the advantage, like the Lancia, that it can be arranged to pick up extra springs and thereby provide a variable rating. We ought to find out what is the patent position with regard to the Mercedes Benz design as we may find it desirable to use links of different lengths on our own scheme so as to keep the front wheel track constant, although we recognise this may introduce a certain amount of gyrostatic reaction and affect the steering. It has occurred to me that we could rearrange the RR scheme so as to delete the large diameter tube at present used to contain the road springs and substitute a shallower box member lower down to leave more room for the nose of the engine, as shown in fig. 2. This would not interfere with the rigidity of the front end of the frame and so far as can be seen at the moment would make quite a practical scheme. Cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} | ||