<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" = xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" = xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" = name="country-region"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-GB link=blue vlink="#606420"> <div class=Section1> = Alan and List<o:p></o:p> = These are splendid photos – and I hope the moderator will forgive me if = I keep them in this Post in order to make pertinent = comments;<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> It was a very late model. Was also marketed = under the name of Mahler, Topic and = Cameo<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <img width=306 height=325 = id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.jpg@01C5C46F.D5E05530" align=baseline = border=0><o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <img width=169 height=260 = id="_x0000_i1026" src="cid:image002.jpg@01C5C46F.D5E05530" align=baseline = border=0> This is almost the exact model of Lindner I had. The = “plate” was made like a bit of farm machinery – welded tubular steel with = the ends blanked off by plastic plugs. Mine was vertically strung whereas = this appears to be overstrung – well, you can see the angle of the = covered strings between the action parts in photo 3. The action was held in = place by a release catch. To put the action back in place you just aligned the = catches with the catch-plate and firmly pushed both ends in at the same time = into lock position. (Mind your fingers when putting it back!) To allow that = keyboard to drop down into the position shown you had first to remove two bolts and = one of the pedal rods which went through a hole in it somewhere! Those keys = were hollow moulded plastic and had push-in dowels at the balance point which = had a 7/8” x Ľ” clock spring inserted! This was the key return-cum-balance = pin! Of course, the bottom end was fixed into another one of those = ‘R’ shaped mouldings which, in turn, were a push-fit into the pressed steel = ‘U’ channel balance rail in the tubular steel framed key frame. This allowed = those keys to be slid along that channel for alignment. I don’t know if = you can see this but – on the touch end of the key there are two white = plastic bolts for each key. They are the touch adjustment and are adjusted for = depth of touch from the top and for touch from under the keyboard! You can better = see that in the next photo.<o:p></o:p>= </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div>   <o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <img width=640 height=480 = id="_x0000_i1027" src="cid:image003.jpg@01C5C46F.D5E05530" align=baseline = border=0>Just look at the economy of = materials here. Those levers/whippens are bifurcated (with tin snips, possibly!) to = provide the check-wire and bridle wire. And just look at those tape-ends! = They’re plastic caps which push on the check wire. Not tape either – its = string! You can just about make out the lever “flange” – it = was ‘R’ in cross section and pushed into the exruded aluminium action frame. It = was the toe of the ‘R’ which broke off and made the whole design = redundant.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <img width=500 height=375 = id="_x0000_i1028" src="cid:image004.jpg@01C5C46F.D5E05530" align=baseline = border=0>Now that’s what I call a = butt spring with a difference! You won’t get those off the shelf! That entire = butt, balance hammer and balance hammer shank have been reduced into one = plastic moulding. Ingenious! No screws to hold that flange in place, they were = push fit into that extruded action frame. This method in turn gave complete = control over hammer alignment with the strings. Likewise the damper alignment. You = just shoved them along! Just a finishing note here…. That hammer and = shank are, apart from the pin block, the only wood parts in the piano. The = case is veneered chipboard – so there’s some wood there = also.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> = Thanks for allowing me down memory lane, Alan<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> AF<o:p></o:p> </div> <blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid black = 1.5pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 4.0pt; margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:5.0pt'= > <div> ----- Original Message ----- = <o:p></o:p> </div> <div style='font-color:black'> From:</span= > <a href="mailto:michael@gambles.fsnet.co.uk" = title="michael@gambles.fsnet.co.uk">Michael Gamble</a> <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> To: <a href="mailto:ilvey@sbcglobal.net" title="ilvey@sbcglobal.net">'David = Ilvedson'</a> ; <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" = title="pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a> <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Sent: Monday, = September 26, 2005 9:52 PM<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Subject: RE: = Info on Rippen Upright...<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <o:p> </o:p> </div> David – you’ll have to = ask Joe Garrett to sort his out. He says it’s buried somewhere among his souvenirs… no he didn’t actually say that! But he says = he’s got one somewhere… FWIW I never noticed “Rippen” = marked anywhere on that Irish Potato.<o:p></o:p> Regards<o:p></o:p>= Michael G.(<st1:country-region = w:st="on"><st1:place = w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>)<o:p></o:p>= <o:p> </o:p> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> </blockquote> </div> </body> </html>