innovative upright action

[David Ilvedson]

That is such a nice piano...I tune one at Stanford once a year and it is
always in tune...built like a tank...

David I.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2002 4:12 AM
Subject: Re: innovative upright action


> I have a 1912 or so M&H upright with the leaf spring thing. FWIW. I have a
second M&H upright where someone has removed the leaf springs. I wonder why?
>
> Terry Farrell
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <Bdshull@AOL.COM>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2002 5:25 AM
> Subject: Re: innovative upright action
>
>
> > Andrew,
> >
> > I have an 1890's Chickering and Sons 79B upright with the Schwander butt
and
> > brass rail with the same secondary jack spring.  The first piano I owned
with
> > this spring was a turn-of-the-century Bechstein upright.  This was a
very
> > responsive action, although I suspect it wasn't because of the extra
spring.
> >  Dolge's book has drawings which have the spring on Schwander and Langer
> > actions of the 19th century.   Mason and Hamlin had their own take on
the
> > idea using a leaf spring;  I had a "Screwstringer" with this.
> >
> > Greater minds than mine have expressed skepticism over this spring.  If
the
> > idea is to return the jack quickly the coil-type jack spring also found
on
> > these actions     does a sufficient job.  Getting the jack back under
the
> > hammer butt is one thing;  maintaining some kind of perpetual engagement
of
> > the two parts, which the grand repetition comes closest to doing, is not
> > accomplished by this design.  The Fandrich/Trivelas action does this,
and I
> > can't see how any of these auxiliary springs function to maintain
engagement.
> >
> >
> > It is interesting, though, that most of these actions with auxiliary
jack
> > springs have the Schwander butt spring, a weaker spring which results in
a
> > less rapid return of the hammer to rest.  This could keep the
hammer/butt
> > assembly engaged with the jack, which may be one reason why these
actions
> > seem responsive.  But the extra spring doesn't seem to me to do anything
> > different than the coil spring.  If so, it was sure a lot of trouble for
> > nothing.
> >
> > Any other thoughts on this spring?
> >
> > Bill Shull, RPT
> >
> > In a message dated 6/18/02 4:39:33 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
ANRPiano@AOL.COM
> > writes:
> >
> >
> > > I had a customer bring by the action of the piano he is refinishing.
He
> > > wanted me to replace the bridal straps, dampers, etc.  This action
includes
> > >
> > > one very unique feature which I, in my limited experience, (15 years)
do
> > > not
> > > remember seeing before except on a certain west coast action.  There
is a
> > > spring connecting the jack and hammer butt to speed the return of the
jack
> > > under the butt.  The spring is about the length and shape of the
hammer
> > > return spring and it is connected to the butt by means of a silk
thread
> > > attached behind the jack felt on the butt.  There is also a slot in
the
> > > jack
> > > for the silk to pass through in order to connect to the spring.  At
the
> > > bass
> > > of the jack is a spring tensioner.  The piano is a Chickering Bros.
(the
> > > Chicago branch of the family) apparently from the early part of the
> > > century.
> > >
> > > BTW from the best I could tell this system worked as I imagined it was
> > > intended to work.  The jack did reset before the hammer returned to a
full
> > > rest.
> > >
> > > Has anyone seen one of these before?  I have seen a number of
Chickering
> > > Bros. pianos and they all seem to be well built, often with "unique"
> > > features.  It seems the experimentation bug was genetic.
> > >
> > > Andrew Remillard
> > >
> >
> >
>