Handwritten notes from the conference with Mr. Cadiou on 20 May 1960 (gearbox, synchro)

In this document

This handwritten sheet summarizes the points addressed during a conference with Mr. Cadiou held on 20 May 1960 p. 131, concerning gearbox (BV) issues.

The synchro on 1st gear

The first question noted is that of the synchro on the 1st gear: "with or without elastic capacity?" p. 131. It is indicated that one must "test" an element whose name remains uncertain upon reading p. 131.

Order of gearboxes for testing

A handwritten brace connects the decision to "Order BV with series drawing" to an objective of "test / development" involving a minimum of 10 cars, with a projected deadline of "Jan. 61?" — the question mark appearing in the original text p. 131.

Disengageable reverse gear

The sheet also mentions the question of a disengageable reverse gear p. 131, without further development in the text.

Other technical point

A final line, partially uncertain, mentions an element related to the BV with a value of "16 m Kg" and the note "According to plan. June." p. 131. The precise subject designated by the abbreviation remains illegible with certainty.

The page bears a handwritten number "4" circled in the top right corner.

Context

At that time, Citroën was developing and perfecting several transmission components for its vehicles, in a context where the design office sought to improve the comfort of gear shifting — hence the interest in smoother synchronizations on low gears, which are often more delicate to synchronize.

Mr. Cadiou appears, in several archives of the Magès collection, as a regular interlocutor of Paul Magès on transmission and testing issues, which suggests a sustained collaboration between the two men on these technical subjects.

Archivist's perspective

This short working sheet illustrates Paul Magès's method well: recording technical decisions and the associated schedule in a few dense lines, here with a quantified objective ("10 cars min.") and a provisional deadline p. 131.

It seems that this document is part of a series of exchanges with Mr. Cadiou on transmission issues, of which other traces dated later can be found in the collection, for example the note on the endurance of hydraulic motors addressed to Cadiou from 1962, which attests to the continuity of this collaboration.

The brevity and elliptical nature of the notes, as well as several passages that are difficult to decipher, invite caution: this document seems to be a meeting aide-mémoire rather than a formal report intended for distribution.