<html> <body> Hi, Patrick, At 11:37 AM 6/19/2006, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Horace: Thanks for the reply. </blockquote> Most welcome.  I do enjoy a good puzzle. <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">There is no evidence of mounting setup on the bottom board.</blockquote> Shoot. <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""> The pivot for the pedal is in the rear. Apparently the pedal is meant to pull down on a lever that in turn pulls down the treble end of the horizontal lever, causing the bass end of the lever to lift the push rod which rotates the sostenuto tab rod. </blockquote> Yes.  Also, it appears as if there is some graphite on the end of the horizontal lever, as well as an added piece of a darker hardwood.  Does it look like whatever was screwed onto the lever was attached to the top or the bottom?  And,  looking at the cutout on the bottom of the lever, is there any evidence of something either having been attached and/or touching at some point along the length of the cutout?  If the spring on the vertical piece is to hold that piece in place (relatively), then there needs to be some spring and/or lever device in the rest of the mechanism to keep the sostenuto from becoming engaged without the pedal.  Since there does not appear to be a spring on the pedal itself, if there is no other spring farther along the train, it must be between the pedal and the right end of that horizontal lever. Sorry...open rumination...so many of these instruments had truly wonderful and inventive ways to deal with different problems... <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">A real Rube Goldberg device!</blockquote> Oh, yes!!! Best. Horace </body> </html>