90 years on, Cross engineering innovation celebrated

Cyril James from Cross holds the actual linerless aluminium cylinder and piston – complete with piston rings – that were installed on the record-breaking Cotton/Jap motorcycle in 1935. These are now displayed in the Cross Museum.

On 11th October 1935 at the Brooklands Circuit, a total of 12 new World Records for a 250cc solo motorcycle were set by Eric Fernihough and his co-rider Charles Mortimer. The record breaking bike was a Cotton/JAP, modified with a ‘Cross linerless aluminium cylinder and piston construction’.

In July, a stand at the Brooklands Museum Motorcycle Event was arranged by the Cotton Owners & Enthusiasts Club to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the World Records success and recognise the Cross contribution.

Roland Cross, founder of the Cross Manufacturing Company, was in 1935 developing his unique engine design that adopted a single rotary valve to replace conventional multiple inlet and exhaust poppet valves.

This engine’s high revving performance had broken cast iron piston rings, causing Roland to invent piston rings made from drawn (forged) carbon steel wire. Roland had also learnt that his carbon steel piston rings, with correct lubrication, would return exceptionally high mileages without wear when running in an aluminium bore. Brooklands was the proof. Following 12 hours of record breaking performance: "The engine was running as sweetly at the end as it was at the beginning".

Today, the drawn wire process invented by Roland Cross has been developed to manufacture precision rings with diameters ranging from 3mm up to 2,000mm, like the steam turbine seal shown here.

Thereafter, Roland’s drawn wire ring making process began to be recognised as a problem solver in many applications, particularly in the aerospace industry, where its introduction was further accelerated by the advent of jet engines. Today, Cross is a leading manufacturer of precision engineered high temperature metallic seals, retaining rings and machined components for many challenging environments including renewable energy, gas turbines, steam turbines, turbochargers and control valves.

All of this comes from Roland Cross’s original idea.

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