<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <html><head><style type="text/css"></style><title>Re: Odd, [but very good] Hammer Butt</title></head><body> <div>Patrick, Alan and all,</div> <div><br></div> <div><br></div> <div>At 10:04 PM +0100 14/5/03, Alan Forsyth wrote:</div> <blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote> <blockquote type="cite" cite>. . . methinks this is an upright action's version of a repetition lever. Does</blockquote> <blockquote type="cite" cite>this action have tapes?</blockquote> <div><br></div> <div>Absolutely Alan, it is indeed a repetition lever. What a beautiful idea to be born before 1885, then promptly forgotten.</div> <div><br></div> <div>At 11:12 AM -0700 14/5/03, Patrick C.Poulson wrote:</div> <blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">Hello All: I have taken in an upright with an unusual hammer butt, which is shown in the attached jpeg.</font></blockquote> <div><br></div> <div align="center"><img src="cid:a05100300bae8768cbd20@[61.8.27.213].1.0"></div> <div><br></div> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1"> It has a little lever coming from the back of the catcher, which catches the tip of the jack after letoff. It is actuated by a spring. I plan to replace the butts, unless there is some unknown reason for keeping these oddities . . . It is off of a 1885 Sohmer . . .</font></blockquote> <div><br></div> <div>Don't toss it Patrick, rebuild it. Thanks for posting it to the list. This little repetition lever has everything that a good design should with three exceptions. Firstly, there is no fine adjustment for the spring loading, secondly the spring coil is offset relative to the repetition lever center (which will result in the spring rubbing where it contacts the repetition lever, like most but not all of the modern grand roller actions), and lastly, there is no adjustment screw for the repetition lever stop position (drop height). Otherwise, it is quite an innovative design. The blue felt is equivalent to the jack stop felt in the throat of a conventional grand wippen, while the small red felt on the upper side of the lever functions as a repetition over-travel stop, performing the function of the repetition-stop-wire on the earlier USA style of grand actions. I see the hammer butt illustrated also had a tape once - good idea to retain it, if for nothing more making service a convenience.</div> <div><br></div> <div>With a proper redesign this action could be made it something worthwhile. This action would have all the benefits of the grand action, without the accompanying roller friction.</div> <div><br></div> <div>Ron O.</div> <x-sigsep><pre>-- </pre></x-sigsep> <div>_______________________<br> <br> OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY<br> Grand Piano Manufacturers<br> <br> Web: http://overspianos.com.au<br> mailto:info@overspianos.com.au<br> _______________________</div> </body> </html>