Paper Punchings Archiac?

[Paul S. Larudee]

Sy Zabrocki wrote:
> 
> List--from Sy Zabrocki
> 
> Some new high end pianos sell in excess of $50,000. All that cash and
> we still use paper punchings to level keys and set key dip. Wouldn't
> someone eventually consider this to be archiac. Not really saying it
> is, just asking the question.
> 
> About 25 or 30 years ago a strange vertical piano was exhibited at one
> of the trade shows. I seem to remember the name as a Thomas and I
> believe it had all plastic componets. The keys on this piano could be
> leveled and key dip set with a clever set of threaded key pins. My
> memory of how this worked is faint but I'll try explain.
> 
> Imagine an extra long balance rail pin as an axle with a small wheel
> swedged about half way up the shaft. The lower end of the balance rail
> pin is threaded and screwed into the keybed. So now place a cloth
> balance rail punching on the round disc shaped (wheel) and place the
> key over the pin like normal. The top end of the pin is slotted so it
> can be turned with a screwdriver. Turning the top of the balance rail
> pin either way raises the key up or down thus eliminating the need for
> paper punchings.
> 
> Setting the key dip was similar. Again the front rail pin had a disc
> mounted about half way up the shaft. The lower part of the pin was
> threaded and screwed into the keybed. This time the front rail pin was
> slotted at the bottom end. The key dip was adjusted by inserting a
> screw driver into the hole UNDER the keybed. A cloth front rail
> punching is now on the disc (wheel). As the front pin is turned from
> under the keybed the punching raises or lowers, thus eliminating the
> need for paper punchings. With this system there probably would be no
> need for a key frame.
> 
> All this pertains to a vertical piano. The grand piano key frame has
> to shift so it becomes complicated to apply this to the grand action.
> 
> Has anyone seen this system or any similar to it?
> 
> Sy Zabrocki

I think the inventor was John Gibson, RPT, and it was described in the
Journal about four years ago.  Sid Stone has a action model
incorporating this feature.

Paul S. Larudee, RPT
Richmond, CA