Grover washers

Bob Thompson · Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2018 9:02 pm Post subject: Grover washers

Can anybody suggest a source for Grover washers for the diff casing on my Derby axle?

John Murch · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 5:26 am Post subject:

Apologies, this isn’t helpful, but could you enlighten me as to the difference between a Grover Washer and an ordinary spring washer? Presumably the ordinary is not ok to use.
Could a firm like Fiennes advise?

Christopher Carnley · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 8:16 am Post subject:

The "Grover" washer is the name given to the split spring washer invented by John Grover, a railway egineer to secure the fish plate nuts.

The R-R version is a thick spring washer with a peripheral groove in it.

Now unknown etc, I use the thickest spring washers available.

Bob Thompson · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 9:30 am Post subject:

http://www.crossmanufacturing.com/spring_lock_washers.html

Hi John,
These are a modern copy of a Grover washer I believe.
None of the usual Parts suppliers have them available.
I am sure that good spring washers will suffice, I was just trying to find the real thing!
Thanks to both for your replies.

John Murch · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 9:41 am Post subject:

Thanks for the enlightenment. No doubt you have tried suppliers to vintage aviation.

Robert Craven · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 10:08 am Post subject:

I've previously found LAS Aerospace good for high quality nuts and bolts and other hardware, but they don't seem to have exactly what you want. It still might be worth ringing them.
https://www.lasaero.com/products/category/T02QCAVKZ/

Robert Craven · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 10:34 am Post subject:

Probably too late to get them here from the horse's mouth. Just what you need for your railway track.
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/File:Im18880106E-Grover.jpg

Christopher Carnley · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 11:01 am Post subject:

Nice!

The Rolls Royce version only had the outer groove.

Bob Thompson · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 2:47 pm Post subject:

I am now enlightened too! I had not spotted that RR washers only have the outside groove - just to make them even harder to match I suppose!

Christopher Carnley · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 4:13 pm Post subject:

They were used on the pre-war cars, and on the rear axles of post war cars until 1955.
Shadwell Harry Grylls, Chief Engineer, decided that spring washers were non-essential and that nip stretch would do and just about eliminated them .

(Notice that I was careful not to mention Felicity S.)

Robert Craven · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 4:56 pm Post subject:

Was the omission of the inside groove done to meet some technical requirement or just to make them easier and cheaper to make? If the latter, then the ones with the inner groove would presumably do just as well.