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+--- Thread: Humfrey Sandberg Free Wheel (/showthread.php?tid=1144)
Humfrey Sandberg Free Wheel - Tony Press - 30-04-2018
The excellent Pre War Dealerships site has a 1932 Larke Hoskins (Sydney) advertisement that includes a note regarding the fitting of the Humfrey Sandberg Free Wheel for an extra 10 pound.
I haven't seen this before and did some research-
Motor Sport Article May 1974
An even better-known device was the Humfrey-Sandberg uni-directional clutch. It was a product of Humfrey-Sandberg Ltd. of Transport House, Victoria, who had registered offices at Imperial Chemical House, Millbank. This was again a free/"jammed" roller-race mechanism, claimed to obviate local loading of its circumference and not to rely on special friction surfaces or powerful springs for its engagement. Engagement was effected by a ratchet-reducing-gear operable through the very smallest of practicable radii or angular movement. Used as a free-wheel behind a car's gearbox it was claimed to save from 15% to 30% on petrol bills, conserve engine oil, reduce the frequency of decarbonising (which dates it!), and reduce wear on engine, transmission and tyres. A stubby auxiliary "gear" lever actuated the free-wheel lock.
The Humfrey-Sandberg was intended as a ratchet-reducing-gear applicable to all kinds of feed controls, for mechanical paralleling or series-ing of prime movers, and as the main clutch for low-starting-torque electric motors, etc., by manual or centrifugal operation. As a free-wheel it was made for the Austin 7, the Austin 12, the six-cylinder Morris cars, Morris-Oxfords up to 1929, and Morris vans, and was an option on AC, Alvis, Armstrong Siddeley Twelve, Jowett and MG cars.
Patent-
title = "Free-wheel clutch with skew rollers",
number = "1834843",
author = "Willis, Humfrey John Charles",
year = "1931",
month = "December",
RE: Humfrey Sandberg Free Wheel - John Cornforth - 30-04-2018
Given the efficacy of Austin Seven brakes, removing engine braking must have added some extra excitement to any journey.
I remember a university friend in the 1970s who had a heavy Rover 90 equipped with a free wheel. Around the hilly areas of North Wales the brakes were called upon to do a fair bit of work. One day there was an loud sound and braking became worse. Upon investigation we found that one drum had cracked apart completely and turned into a band and a disc. A trip to the breakers was called for to source a new drum and the free wheel was locked back to solid drive !
RE: Humfrey Sandberg Free Wheel - Bryan Norfolk - 30-04-2018
This article is from the Austin Magazine dated December 1929.
Price only £7-15-00 then.
RE: Humfrey Sandberg Free Wheel - Tony Press - 01-05-2018
(30-04-2018, 12:35 PM)Bryan Norfolk Wrote: This article is from the Austin Magazine dated December 1929.
Price only £7-15-00 then.
And just another lever to operate when stopping, before changing down for engine braking.
The open road run to a club event in Chummy last Sunday convinced me that a free wheel would not be an assistance !
Cheers, Tony.