On Wed, 12 Dec 2001 00:37:09 John Delacour wrote: >> >> This belongs up on the museum shelf right next to the process of >>>>putting little pieces of paper under the keys to level them. >>> >>>...the need for which practice is also eliminated in my keyboard design. >> >>Now that I would like to see. > >This invention is also something I don't want to disclose at the >moment, though it's an idea I would probably find at the patent >office if I looked hard enough because it's hard to think that nobody >else has ever thought of it. I've had a few ideas along this line. When I looked into American patents I found that other people had had the same idea. I suppose it's not surprising that there have been several ideas for dealing with this issue. What is surprising to me is that none of these ideas has won out over the age old practice of using paper punchings. The common reason that is given is 'the cost' of other systems. Perhaps that was true in 1900 when labor was cheap. In 2001, when labor is not cheap, it would seem that some additional cost in a key leveling system would easily pay for itself if it meant reduced labor in the manufacturing and assembly process. > It's amazing what you come across at >the Patent Office if you're prepared to spend the time having the >stuff brought up from the vaults. I agree. I'm not knowledgeable about British patents but there are some very interesting things in American patents. So I would assume there must be some good things in English and French patents having to do with pianos. > I was there a couple of weeks ago >looking up various things and was particularly interested to see >Stodart's patent for the Grand Action, which is the predecessor of >all English actions. It's also the first time the word Grand was >used for the pianoforte >JD > I've often wondered where this term came from. Based on my knowledge of what this type of piano is called in other languages I think we're the only ones who use such a term. In other languages it seems to be based on the shape or orientation. Horizontal piano, tail piano, wing piano. I do like the german designation of a wing piano. I think it's a striking image. Phil F
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