[CAUT] Shank Strike Weights

[Ric Brekne]

Hi Folks
I took the liberty of copying the following post from David Stanwood 
today on pianotech. I trust this meets with his approval.
Cheers
RicB

Richard Brekne Wrote:

 >Ah well... all in a days work.  Hasnt been much basic Stanwood
 >discussion for a while.  Too bad really that he decided to burden the
 >whole idea with patents instead of just selling finished products to
 >techs that dont want to bother with it themselves.  I have a feeling
 >Touchweight Design would far more widespread then it is now had it just
 >been public domain.

Dear All,

Most of what I have published is in the public domain.  I have only one
useful patent in the US, #5585582 which claims use of the Equation of
Balance for calculating Front Weight Specifications.  When inventions are
patented they are made public by the publication of the patent.  In this
way the inventions become public domain when the patent runs out.  So yes,
in the US or for importing to the US, one has to be licensed by me to use
calculated Front Weights as long as the patent is in force, but the whole
rest of world, including Norway, is FREE to use my patent and when my
patent in the US expires then everyone can calculate Front Weight
specifications.

I have taught and taught and taught in countless PTG Regionals and
Nationals in the US and some in Europe as well, with a major emphasis on
getting piano technicians to learn how to understand and deal with hammer
weights, ratios, key balancing skills, and friction.  If you go back over
the years you will find my Class Descriptions to be the model for classes
that promote ideas, skills, and information that is FREE and given for the
benefit of our trade.

These new skills, to name a few, include rating hammer weights, making
hammer weights to a specification, understanding the relation between
hammer weight and tone, calculating weight ratios, matching hammer weight
and ratio, limiting key lead usage in key weighting, key balancing with
down weight corrections for variations in friction (the Balance Weight
System), rating and fixing friction, to name a few of the most important
ones.  These are all FREE!  There is very little "burden" from patents.

I have published a series of articles in the PTG Journal and a number of
articles in the Europiano Journal with the intention of FREEly giving
information for the benefit of all in our trade.  I maintain FREE public
access to Hammer Weight Standards on my web page:

http://www.stanwoodpiano.com/SW-HWstandards3.pdf

All the information is FREE and in the public domain with the exception of
(for a limited time only) calculating Front Weight Specifications, with the
equation of balance, in the US or in Pianos imported the US.

I love our trade and I am truly devoted to doing all that I can to help it
along.

Richard, I appreciate your support and as a token of that appreciation I'll
send you a FREE copy of my book when it comes out (not in the near future),
but at the same time I feel hurt by your negative characterizations.

David Stanwood