R&D in Piano manufacturing, was Vertical Hitch Pins

[pianoguru at cox.net]

William,

I believe you called for the input from someone who had worked at Baldwin (specifically Del), regard vertical hitch pins.  I worked for Baldwin for ten years, following Del's time there.  I didn't intend to "stir the puddin'" on this issue.  I was directly asked for my opinion about the vertical hitch pin, and I gave it.  I have said all I have to say about vertical hitch pins, but you bring up quite a different issue here.

---- "William R. Monroe" <pianotech at a440piano.net> wrote: 
> Could be someone just thought to try verticals and said 
> to themselves, "self, it's cast iron, right?  It'll take that stress 
> easily."  

The vertical hitch pin was developed at Baldwin, while Harold Conklin was in charge of R&D, long before Del or I worked at Baldwin.  While I was there, I had, at my disposal, many, many volumes of hand-written research journals, with almost daily entries by Mr. Conklin and others, covering every project undertake in those years.  While I no longer work for Baldwin, and these journals constitute proprietary information, I no long have access to them.  I can tell you that these journals were a gold mine of information, and reflected meticulous research and documentation of the results.  While I do not know exactly what was changed in the design to accommodate vertical hitch pins, I can assure you that Mr. Conklin very thoroughly researched every conceivable implication of the use of vertical hitch pins.  I have no doubt that the hitch panel was "beefed up," as well as other changes that neither you nor I would have thought to consider, as potential unintended consequences. 

While modern-day piano manufacturers generally do not support R&D as Baldwin did in Harold Conklin's day, there is a lot more legitimate and thoughtful R&D going on than you guys give us credit for.  (My apologies to RicB for loosing my dispassionate tenor)

Frank Emerson