<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1170" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#d8d0c8> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello Ric.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I got this pic from John = Delacour.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have much experimented with this = action, as it was used in pre-1880 Bechstein pianos.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Walter Pfeiffer refers to it as a Herrburger-Schwander <FONT face="Times New Roman" = size=3>inverted-center hanging jack linked action (patent about 1850).</FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV>Indeed, there is lead at the back of the key.</DIV> <DIV>Unfortunately, if the springs are very tight, they cause a very = noticeable and objectionnable increase in extra force needed at set-off time, which = can be ennoying at PP blows.</DIV> <DIV>I consider those springs just perfect for evening out weight feel = at the key, and rely on the springed shoe behind the jack for improving repetition.  This device is only effective with an unusual low = hammer checking.  If hammers check too high, it simply won't come into action.  Also, in the unrestored examples of this action that I = saw, hammer checking distance from string was about 25 mm.  And this produces a = kind of "soft landing" touch feel (as would say Antares) that is very = agreable.  Even that stop rail behind the hammers rest rail proved to improve = repetition, when well regulated, by providing a shock to the back of the key, which = then rebounds more quickly.  Funny : you can, by choosing appropriate = felt density and regulating the heigth of that rail, voice the extra thump = sound that it gives.  This appeared very useful to me, specially in the high = trebble, whose sound is then much evened out (as the thumb in itself is very = even) and improved in volume.  Drawback : this tends to cause a "hard = landing" touch feel.</DIV> <DIV>Strange : even with a 65g DW, the action feels light.</DIV> <DIV>But if indeed there is not a  repetition performance = comparable to that of a modern action (which, as Stephen Birkett noted, is seldom = really needed in piano litterature), I can tell you that the gain in feel for = control, especially at low levels, is tremendous.  No buffers between your = finger and the hammer, and you really can regulate set-off at less than 1 mm = from the strings without any problem.  I wouldn't want another = action in my own piano.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Best regards</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>And thanks for converting my too huge jpeg.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Stéphane Collin.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no href="mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no">Richard Brekne</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, June 07, 2003 = 10:59 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Hammer assist = spring ?</DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>Grin... well I'll be = shwagboggled by an Algorthian double winged dingbat ! Just goes to = show its nearly impossible to have an origional thought in this world :) <P>The attachment was like HUGE !!...   for those of you who = want a quick veiw of this interesting action.... <P><IMG height=339 = src="cid:003001c32d04$09942a10$5377c850@ordinateursteph" width=480> <P>Thanks Stéphane.... why dont you give us some more background = info on this picture.. where did you bump into this one for example... and what is = its proper name ? <BR>This puppy is actually quite cute !... that = spring has a nice combination<BR>affect of pulling the jack back into place as = well. It tensions the jack<BR>and the shank in opposite directions so to some = degree it would work<BR>together with that springed jack check to improve = repetition. Tho it looks<BR>like the key would need to have enough back weight to = fall back quickly<BR>enough.<BR><BR>Neat action idea.<BR> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>