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).
Implementation of automatic ignition controls on R.R. and Bentley chassis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 163\7\ img316 | |
| Date | 4th June 1937 | |
| 6013 To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} from Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Wst. c. By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Wst.5/AP.4.6.37 IGNITION CONTROLS ON R.R. AND BENTLEY CHASSIS. We are very anxious to adopt a completely automatic scheme on all our chassis as it has certain fundamental advantages, namely:- (a) Deletion of the hand control from the steering column. (b) Improved petrol consumption. With regard to (a) we have recently seen two LeC.s. which have been issued Nos.5697 and 5691, and we feel these schemes should not be proceeded with until the question of adopting the fully automatic scheme has been further considered. By fully automatic, we refer to the ordinary automatic speed advance governor coupled with a suction control which advances and retards according to induction pipe pressure conditions. By suitably arranging the advance and retard movement of the suction control the necessary retard after A.T.D.P. for hand starting can be arranged. A further refinement would be the addition of a micro-meter adjustment on the suction control, to enable customers to re-adjust their distributor whenever bad detonating fuel is used. This could be known as an octane selector and might be mounted on the instrument board with a control arm if thought necessary, although most cars leave it on the distributor. Petrol consumption tests which have been made show that there is an improvement in the consumption which is worth having. These tests have been previously reported upon. We have sent a suction control unit to Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} for inspection and we suggest that the whole matter be given further consideration as soon as possible. On the last 10,000 miles test on 3.B.IV. the hand control was disconnected and a suction unit fitted to the distributor. No inconvenience was observed due to the absence of the hand control. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Wst. | ||