Acu-Just Hitch Pins

[Avery Todd]

List,

   In response to a question I asked Jim Coleman, Sr. about the changeover
date to the acu-just hitch pins, he also shared this story. This is not
meant to reflect poorly on the Baldwin Co. at all. They did take remedial
action to avoid this unforeseen tragedy in the future. I've been in the
factory at night and if that had happened to me, I probably wouldn't still
be alive to tell the story! :-)
   With Jim's permission, here's the story (too good not to pass on):

>The Accujust hitchpins started on the L's about 1972. I remember when we
>first started changing to Accujust pins first on the M's and R's in '70.
>One night I was working late at the factory alone on voicing an M, when
>all of a sudden I heard this big bang. The plate broke along the line of
>the accujust pins in the top treble section. The pins were too close to
>the edge of the web. The pins were newly located at the place where the
>aliquots used to be without giving any thought to how close they were
>to the edge of the plate. A little redesign was called for, and a
>little more care was given to the tightness of the hole drilled for the
>Accujust pins.
>
>Jim Coleman, Sr.

Avery

___________________________
Avery Todd, RPT
Moores School of Music
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-4893
713-743-3226
atodd@uh.edu
http://www.music.uh.edu/