Hi Paul: Was the Gibson version used on Thomas pianos? If so, I stand corrected, actually I'm sitting, and with apologies to my friend Sy. Jim Coleman, Sr. On Sun, 29 Aug 1999, Paul S. Larudee wrote: > Sy Zabrocki wrote: > > > > List--from Sy Zabrocki > > > > Some new high end pianos sell in excess of $50,000. All that cash and > > we still use paper punchings to level keys and set key dip. Wouldn't > > someone eventually consider this to be archiac. Not really saying it > > is, just asking the question. > > > > About 25 or 30 years ago a strange vertical piano was exhibited at one > > of the trade shows. I seem to remember the name as a Thomas and I > > believe it had all plastic componets. The keys on this piano could be > > leveled and key dip set with a clever set of threaded key pins. My > > memory of how this worked is faint but I'll try explain. > > > > Imagine an extra long balance rail pin as an axle with a small wheel > > swedged about half way up the shaft. The lower end of the balance rail > > pin is threaded and screwed into the keybed. So now place a cloth > > balance rail punching on the round disc shaped (wheel) and place the > > key over the pin like normal. The top end of the pin is slotted so it > > can be turned with a screwdriver. Turning the top of the balance rail > > pin either way raises the key up or down thus eliminating the need for > > paper punchings. > > > > Setting the key dip was similar. Again the front rail pin had a disc > > mounted about half way up the shaft. The lower part of the pin was > > threaded and screwed into the keybed. This time the front rail pin was > > slotted at the bottom end. The key dip was adjusted by inserting a > > screw driver into the hole UNDER the keybed. A cloth front rail > > punching is now on the disc (wheel). As the front pin is turned from > > under the keybed the punching raises or lowers, thus eliminating the > > need for paper punchings. With this system there probably would be no > > need for a key frame. > > > > All this pertains to a vertical piano. The grand piano key frame has > > to shift so it becomes complicated to apply this to the grand action. > > > > Has anyone seen this system or any similar to it? > > > > Sy Zabrocki > > I think the inventor was John Gibson, RPT, and it was described in the > Journal about four years ago. Sid Stone has a action model > incorporating this feature. > > Paul S. Larudee, RPT > Richmond, CA >
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