Paper Punchings Archiac?

[Jim Coleman, Sr.]

Hi Paul:

Was the Gibson version used on Thomas pianos? If so, I stand corrected,
actually I'm sitting, and with apologies to my friend Sy.

Jim Coleman, Sr.

On Sun, 29 Aug 1999, Paul S. Larudee wrote:

> 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
>