kam544@flash.net wrote: > >..."Its purpose was to preven teh hammers bouncing back on to the string > >after striking"... Harding 1933, 1978... > >Richard Brekne... > > Now *that* is certainly a plausible reason, Richard. > > Thanks for that tidbit! Actually, the more you think of this the more the thought becomes interesting... This strap or tape was origionally designed into a grand pianoforte action. Looking at the drawing for this it seems clear it could have no other purpose then to help prevent blubbering. If nothing else it clearly shows the designer was thinking along the lines of the whippen pulling down on the hammer shank instead of the purpose being to fasten the whippen. Perhaps the designer then simply decided to employ the same mechanism in an upright. Both of the drawings I have in front of me show hammer checks, even so these actions were often refered to as "tape-check" actions. One other thing that seems interesting tho in this connection... a lot of the drawings of earlly actions that didnt have this bridle strap are constructed such that removal of the action from the piano would not present the problem with whippens todays action would without the bridle strap. I dunno... seems like the origional intent didnt really have anything to do with holding the whippen up after all....but had more to do with pulling downwards on the hammer assembly. To be used effectively as a checking device I would think the strap would have to be adjusted somewhat tauter then we do today... or what.. ? > > Keith McGavern > Registered Piano Technician > Oklahoma Chapter 731 > Piano Technicians Guild > USA -- Richard Brekne RPT, N.P.T.F. Bergen, Norway mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
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