reverse engineering improvement

[pianoman]

Hello
Let me describe to you how I came up with my design of my HHCC's.  
	I had a set of the plastic variety that I got after placing a Kawai KG-2
on a Colson dolly that replaced them.  The easy thing would have been to
copy them as closely as I could, but then I thought, I can make this
better.
	First, everyone knows that wood grain is more interesting to look at than
a solid color and the different varieties of hardwood are even more
interesting to look at as compared to one type of wood stained to different
colors.  So the solution was to use different species of hardwoods which
automatically gave different colors.
	The center cup part was perfectly uniform in a half round form.  Boring;
by altering the curve on the dished out part, different parts of the wood
grain would show adding more interesting eye appeal as well as room for
larger diameter casters.  I found that I could vary the diameter of the
center part to accommodate any size wheel.  Another improvement or two.  
	The bottom of the plastic CC's are ribbed and are hollow except for that. 
Since the idea is to lessen the pressure in square inches, ribbing does not
significantly increase that solution.  The way, is to make the bottom
perfectly flat so ALL the square inches of the cup are used.  A significant
improvement on performance.
	When someone pays in excess of 10K or so for a nice grand piano why use
PLASTIC to hold it up.  Wood is much more esthetically pleasing than
plastic.  It is something like using plastic wood grain in a Roll Royce
dashboard.  They use hardwoods, not plastic.  Does it make a difference,
you bet.
	So, if I reverse engineered the plastic caster cup, I would have copies of
an inferior design that could use improvement.  I studied the original
design and improved upon it with some thought.
	Reverse engineering is a start, but only that.  Copying is the lazy mans
way of getting by.  Getting ahead requires original thought to make better
those things around us.  I is up to us to provide excellence in everything
we do.  Its' like our local PBS station says, ''If PBS doesn't do it, who
will.
	The answer is, it is us.  Us, is the designers, constructors, regulators,
tuners, sellers.  We are responsible for the piano industry AND MAY WE
IMPROVE IT EACH DAY.

OFF MY SOAP BOX.
James Grebe
R.P.T. of the P.T.G.
 Since 1962 in St. Louis, MO
Home of Handsome Hardwood Caster Cups
pianoman@inlink.com